Wiseacre Lord Skylark + BBQ Smoked Chicken

For the first time EVER,
​my husband opened the refrigerator door and said,

Dang. We're running low on beer.

"WHAT!?"

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Now folks, this is both a good thing AND bad thing for me.

Flashback to a couple of months ago....my husband did a beer haul for me in Indiana while I also had been bringing home beers to try from my shop. Hard job, I know. He told me I wasn't allowed to bring home anything else till I had consumed what was already in our icebox.
​To this I said,

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

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*Self high-five*. Alas, that brings us to today's post about a beer with Earl Grey Tea and BBQ smoked chicken. Sounds like a weird combo, huh? It's what I had on hand and had been wanting to try.
Keep reading to find out the results.......

Arise, chicken. Arise! Aqua Teen Hunger Force, anyone?

I made this gorgeous chicken on the Traeger smoker and it came out very juicy with a kiss of hickory smoke. The BBQ added a sweet, tangy, and bold element of flavor to the dish. Pair it with fresh corn on the cob and macaroni & cheese and you have yourself a comfort food southern supper!

As you can see, this beer pours a deep golden color with a fluffy, pillowy head.

The aromas of Earl Grey tea immediately POP out of the glass: fresh citrus, floral and herbal notes are all present.

These same flavors are echoed on the palate cradled by a core of bready malt and finishing moderately bitter.

At 6% abv, this is an easy and enjoyable sipper!

Interesting, Lana. How did the pairing work?

So glad you asked! I wasn't sure if this was going to work.
​Earl Grey tea and BBQ sauce? 

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The citrus, floral and herbal flavors of the beer totally complemented the sauce nicely! The citrus added an extra dimension of flavor while the floral/herbal notes found similar flavors in the sauce to meld into. The sweetness of the sauce made the Earl Grey in the beer tone down a bit making it an even easier quaffer! The hop bitterness help cut thru the sauce and cleanse the palate for another bite. Cool!

It was a nice pairing and definitely worked!
I would also like to try this with a Tuscan or Mediterranean style chicken. Less sauce and more fresh herbs!

I hope everyone has a great week!
I'll leave you with this cool sketch my mom sent me of Ben and I at the Modest Mouse/Brand New concert.

Cheers!

​Lana