Recent drinks: Mother's Day Edition

As with each post I make, these are a few delicious drinks I enjoyed over the course of this past week. Today, however, I decided to focus on beers that reminded me of my mom. My mother has made her living as a gardener for most of her adult life, and while she isn't exactly a drinker, I decided to pick some delicious beers that featured fruits, flowers, and herbs in the mix. Since I live across the country from her, this post functions as both a guide to some unique beers and a tribute to the woman who raised me to be unafraid of my own eccentricities. She's also responsible for introducing me to the first heavy metal song I can recall hearing, so all of this might well be her "fault." Thanks mom. Here's to you!

He'brew Rejewvenator 2013 (Shmaltz)
As is always the case with new He'Brew drinks, this beer had my interest the second I knew it existed. Being sold as a Dubbel Doppel,this beer follows in He'Bew's bold tradition of playing with unconventional flavors and mixes in delicious new ways. Utilizing dates and figs as primary flavors in this strange brew proves to be a surprising success, although I'm also picking up a hint of pomegranate in addition to the subtle yet tantalizing bits of date. Overall the beer is on the thinner side of the dark spectrum, with a pretty evenly balanced blend of malt and hops, making for a beer every bit as adventurous as any other He'Brew beer, but slightly more awesome than many others from these guys. Definitely recommended.

MoM Hefeweizen (Rogue)
Between the name of this beer and the theme of this post, this tasty little treat was a necessity. This is pretty much a standard hefeweizen but it's been brewed with rose petals, which definitely play into the smoothness of the drink. Their flavor doesn't really stand out as a dominant taste, but I'm not sure if I would want my beer to have too heavy of a rose flavor. The balance is nice and subtle, which made it quite a pleasant experience. This is solid, pleasant easy drinking, especially on a beautiful Spring day spent on a porch or in the garden.

Bison Organic Honey Basil (Bison)
In keeping with today's gardening theme, this beer was another necessity. It only came into my radar within the past week and the timing couldn't have been more opportune. This one was enjoyed on a beautiful sunny afternoon in my own back yard. The honey and basil flavors don't overwhelm this amber ale, but the notes of spice absolutely play into the overall experience, with sweetness staying subtle but absolutely contributing to the great nose on this beer. This one's a highly refreshing experience if you're into herb or spice-based beers, but might not appeal to more casual drinkers looking for a sweet drink that the honey in the title might imply.