Here's to Beer! Schooner Exact Seamstress Union
In the wild and wooly frontier days, Seattle was a major stopping off point for those seeking fortunes in places like Alaska or California. Many businesses sprang up to cater to the needs of those adventurers, particularly when they returned from the field with a bit of gold to spend. Prostitution was not only a business back then, but a rather profitable one. It made fortunes for the Madames of the brothels, and one could hardly be considered a man of the world unless one knew the best houses to frequent and the attributes of the ladies there.
However, the City of Seattle took issue with random persons loitering around the city, and soon mandated that anyone hanging out downtown had to show proof of employment or union affiliation. Thus the Seamstress Union was born, to see to the sewing and any other needs of Seattle’s gentlemen. So, if you needed to go…get your trousers stitched…the fine ladies of the Seamstress Union would be happy to help you out.
Schooner Exact has given nods to Seattle history in the names of its beers, and the Seamstress Union is the title they gave to their Raspberry Wheat Beer. The beer pours a beautiful color. The pinkish hue of the raspberry combined with the yellowish color of the beer creates a pastel orange color that looks a bit like the color of cantaloupe flesh. It looks amazing in a tall glass held up to the sun, and doing this will allow you to notice the cloudiness of the beer, along with some tiny flecks of actual raspberry.
The aroma of raspberry is apparent right away. Tasting it, you experience a beer with a silky smooth mouth feel, and a clean tart finish. The raspberry flavor is very prominent, so if you like fresh berry flavor; this is a beer you will want to try. It is a great refresher for quaffing on the patio on a warm summer afternoon.
Since this is a lighter beer, I would recommend light food with this one. It would be great with a salad that featured some fresh berries as a garnish. A dessert item that featured berries could also pair well with it, such as raspberry clafoutis.
For a cheese pairing, I would go with a rich triple crème dessert cheese such as Brillat Savarin or Explorateur, seved with a berry compote or chutney. Cheers!
Rich Coffey is a chef and Certified Cicerone. You can find out more about him here.
