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There’s a beer for every season, and thanks to the folks at the Brewer’s Association in Boulder, Colorado, you can get a heads up on what to expect as the days grow longer. One recent market survey found that last year craft beer seasonals exceeded pale ales in sales volume for the first time, with supermarket sales up 15.7 percent in 2008 versus the previous year. That’s big business, even if it is atomized among the hundreds of craft breweries around the country.
Now, thanks to the Seasonal Beer and Food search engine on the Brewer’s Association page, you can keep track of what will be hitting the shelves in the DC metro area in the coming months and get suggestions on food pairings. A quick perusal of this month’s offerings reveals some interesting candidates, including Shmaltz Brewing Company’s “Rejewvenator,” described as “a half doppelbock, half Belgian-inspired dubbel, infused with both figs and dates.” Then there’s Avery’s “Karma Ale,” which the brewery characterizes as “a decidedly fruity and estery ale, intricate in body and nose, all driven by a unique Belgian yeast strain.” The Avery table was a favorite at last year’s Savor, so if you were lucky enough to score tickets to this year’s event, maybe you’ll also be able to score a sample of Karma Ale, or two, or three.