Unexpected Inspiration in Aces
I love it when I am unexpectedly inspired. It reminds me to be open. It reminds me to be surprised. It reminds me to look for joy.
This burst of inspiration started with Mac coming home from a grocery run with some new beers for me try. I gravitated toward the lighter wheat ales as temperatures were on the rise. From there I wanted to pair the prettiest cans with the prefect blooms. This left me with one can remaining. I don’t know why, but I judged this particular book, I mean can, quite harshly by the cover. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it just didn’t inspire me, AT FIRST. I don’t play cards much, my nickname is not Ace, I don’t care for the color red (featured in the diamonds on the can), and the silver and brown wasn’t inspiring any specific flower pairing.
Then one cool evening I wanted something stout. I grabbed that Aces and Ates can from Big Boss Brewing. I read the back, which sold me on their coffee stout by mentioning flavors of “chocolate, espresso, and toffee” alongside notes of “blueberry.” It was brewed with beans from a local (to the brewery) roaster, Larry’s Beans (coincidentally, someone gave us a bag of Larry’s Beans as a wedding gift years ago, and Mack still maintains it’s the best cup of coffee he’s ever had.) Bonus: Big Boss Brewing is a North Carolina (my home state) brewery!
By happy coincidence my dear Woodsy Wildflower had given me the most beautiful deck of cards for my birthday. These particular cards even had their own enchanting name, River and Stone. Woodsy Wildflower’s cousin, Beth Sobel, had illustrated this deck. If you don’t know about Beth Sobel, then look her up! If you have played any pretty board games (like the one I mentioned in A BrewFlower Afternoon in Waynesville), then chances are you have seen her work. I cannot gush enough about the artwork on these cards. The nature inspired subject matter is up my alley, for sure, but they are just truly gorgeous! I carefully picked out all of the aces along with a couple other pleasing prints for my spread.
Popping this can was immediately satisfying. The aroma of coffee was intoxicating. The brew iself was delightfully dark with a light creamy head. After one sip I knew this rich (6% ABV) and bitter (50 IBUs) brew needed to be paired with a sweet treat. It actually made me crave caramel and butterscotch! I whipped up a batch of blondies using, The Best Chewy Blondies, recipe I found from Broma Bakery. I skipped the chocolate chips, as the beer packed plenty of chocolatey flavor.
While I waited for the blondies to bake, I started playing Solitaire for the first time since Windows ‘97. I may say playing Solitaire with River and Stone was much more exciting. Each card I overturned revealed a miniature painting that looked as if it were from a fairytale. I finished one game before the oven timer buzzed.
Right out of the oven the blondies were decadent and overly sweet (just as I had hoped). The bitterness of Aces and Ates paired perfectly with my warm gooey blondies. The caramel flavor in the baked treat pulled more of the toffee flavor out of the beer.
Sipping my brew, eating my warm sweet treat, and playing cards, I suddenly realized how I had become unexpectedly inspired by just one can of the right beer. Inspired to bake, inspired to enjoy a game that I hadn’t played in years, and inspired to look beyond first impressions.
