Alt-style ale

Jim Lundstrom

After a beautiful sunny day, I walk outside after sunset. It’s bitter cold, yet the brilliant glow of Venus and the stories of orange and purple in the western sky make me forget that the tips of my fingers already feel frozen. Once I get back inside to the warm glow of my living space, where the oven warms for stuffed chicken thighs and I warm my fingers by massaging curly kale with cider vinegar, organic olive oil and Maldonado sea salt flakes, I also crack open a bottle of Amber from the Alaskan Brewing Co. of Juneau, Alaska. So rich it’s warming, like entering the skating shack after a long skate on the rink. They call this an “alt-style ale.”  Alt is an old German style of beer that is both soft and rich.  The Amber hue And rich, satisfying flavor is thanks to crystal malt. These reddish beers naturally warm the heart, even on such a frigid day.