5 Beers to Christmas: Merry Mischief

Here we go.  Five days.  A work week till Christmas.  Thankfully, those five days don't exactly follow a true work week.  Tonight is Thursaday.  Tomorrow is Friday and past that, I'm taking the next week off.  I can't wait.

Thursdays are a special dinner night for me.  It's Friday eve and as a matter of good routine, I always swing by the "Little Store" on my way home.  Run by my good friend Eric Jerardi, part fishmonger/fine meat purveyor/wine enthusiast/blues guitarist, Jerardi's little store is a North Dayton treasure.  

A weeknight stop is always a guarantee to take-home the most exquisite cuts of meat and the freshest fish.  Between Eric, Carol, his friends, and parents, a stop at Jerardi's is second to none.

My meat selection for tonight was the veal chop.  My beer selection, Samuel Adams' Merry Mischief.  It was a holiday smorgasbord.

Samuel Adams has done an amazing job of producing some amazing speciality beers.  In my opinion, Merry Mischief is one of the best.  This is not my first taste of Merry Mischief.  In fact, I have had two bottles and a growler before tonight.  I like it that much.

Merry Mischief is a wonderful holiday take.  It's like a gingerbread cookie, with a healthy amount of warming alcohol and a good bit of molasses, nutmeg, gingerbread, & cinnamon.

I like it.  A lot.

Let there be no doubt about it.  This is a big beer for those who like big beers.  It clocks in around 9% ABV.  If you aren't prepared for a full bodied spiced stout engagement, this might not be your beer.  For those who are, let me pull you a pint.  You won't be disappointed.

I have a bottle in the fridge I can't wait to share with my brother.  I know he will love it.

Oh wait, the veal chop.  I've got a big wow for it, too.  Prepared only with salt & pepper and because of our miserable weather, it was only cooked on cast iron..on the stove.  Inside.  Yeah, not on the grill.  Don't judge me.

Verdict?  Fabulous.  I gnawed at the bone while sipping  a little Merry Mischief.  Content is not a word I use to often,  except for tonight.  Nothing compares to a simple veal chop.  Nothing.

5 beers to go and I can't be more thrilled with a little merry mischief…and veal, what more could a guy ask for?

Note: Samuel Adams provided me with one bottle of Merry Mischief.  Oddly enough, it was today.  The same day I had already planned on talking about a bottle of Merry Mischief I had already bought, as well as the memories of a previous bottle and an entire growler.  Christmas is coming soon and apparently I need to get my Gingerbread love.  Soon.  Karma rocks.