Where Spotted: Cork & Fork, 1522 14th St. NW

Price: $13.99 per 6-pack

Luke, I Am Your Märzen: I cringe every time I hear someone say they don’t like “dark beer,” as if color is the only indicator of how food tastes. If that were true, I’d have some words for the inventors of “blue raspberry” candy. Fall is the time to bust that myth with mahogany Oktoberfest beers (also known as Märzen), which are lighter-bodied than they appear. Light beer drinkers, let them be your gateway to the dark side.

Pork or Beans? On its own, Duck-Rabbit Märzen is an easy-drinking brown lager, opening with round molasses and finishing with a bite of dry toast. I tried it with baked beans – a blue-collar food pairing if there ever was one – but the dish’s brown sugar robbed the beer of its sweetness. Alongside a pile of pulled pork, however, the sweet flavors opened up. It makes sense that contrast is better for pairings; that’s why you don’t see wine drinkers munching on a side of grapes.