Hello, friend. November is here, and the world has taken on a quiet, amber hue. The leaves have mostly let go of their branches, fluttering down to rest quietly in the damp grass, and there is a distinct, woodsmoke scent hanging low in the evening air. It is a good time to slow down, put on a thick wool sweater that smells faintly of cedar, and spend some time looking out the window at the gray sky while thinking about nothing in particular. Sometimes, the best thing you can do on a cool day is to simply sit still, watch the squirrels scurry across a frosty yard, and appreciate the simple comfort of a well-made drink.
When the temperature drops and the daylight fades a little earlier each afternoon, I find myself gravitating toward beverages with some weight and history to them. Drinks that remind you of root cellars, roasted grains, and the slow turning of the seasons.
Let us take a slow, unhurried walk through three particular selections from the tap list available over at Mellow Mushroom in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
There is an art to a proper Märzen, and the folks at Ayinger have been practicing it with a quiet dedication that is genuinely admirable. When you pour this into a glass, it looks like liquid autumn afternoon light. A deep glowing copper that catches whatever little bit of sun is left in the sky. It has a malt-forward backbone that smells like toasted bread straight out of a cast-iron oven, mingled with a subtle, earthy sweetness. Drinking it feels like sitting on a wooden porch bench wrapped in a quilt your grandmother knitted while watching the mist roll over the late-season garden. It isn’t loud, and it doesn’t demand your attention with a bunch of modern gimmicks. It is just steady, reliable, and deeply comforting.
Down in Lexington, Blue Stallion brews a Munich Dunkel that feels tailor-made for these long, quiet nights. A good dark lager has a way of convincing you that the world is a little softer and more manageable than the evening news would lead you to believe. Pouring dark brown with a gentle, tan head, it offers up soft aromas of dark caramel, chocolate malts, and a subtle hint of toasted crust. On the palate, it is remarkably smooth, crisp, and never heavy. It’s the kind of beer you can sip slowly while carving wooden spoons by the radiator or listening to an old record pop and hiss in the corner of a dimly lit room.
Now, if you want something that leans entirely into the decadent, hibernation-ready spirit of late November, we have the KBS Hazelnut Fudge. This is an imperial coffee stout aged in oak barrels, and it does not rush its business. Coming in at a robust twelve percent ABV, it is a beverage meant for slow sipping by a fireplace or while sorting through a box of old photographs. The addition of hazelnut and fudge to the already complex chocolate, coffee, and bourbon-barrel profile, creates an aroma that will make you feel like you are sitting inside a warm, bustling bakery while a cold drizzle taps against the glass outside. It is rich, velvety, and asks for your full, unhurried respect.
November can be a strange, transitional month, a bridge between the colorful decay of October and the deep, silent freeze of December. But it also gives us permission to pause, stay indoors, and enjoy the company of good friends and good flavors.
If you find yourself with an open evening and a desire to experience these seasonal comforts for yourself, take a gentle drive over to Mellow Mushroom. Grab a booth, take your time looking over the tap list, and try out one of these wonderful drinks. It’s a pleasant way to spend an evening, and I think you will be glad you made the trip.
-by Maeve Black
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