Sufferfest: Will Sweat For Beer

I’ve been pretty committed to working out every day (mostly kickboxing, HITT strength training and volleyball). I haven’t stopped drinking, but I’ve cut back a bit, especially with beer. I recently heard about Sufferfest, a beer that was created by athletes, and I was beyond excited.

Since beer is much better with other people. I invited some friends over to sample it after a kickboxing session. Chef India joined and created a meal that paired well with the beers.

On the menu:

• Roasted Veggies and Black Quinoa Bowl with golden beets, heirloom carrots, bulb onions, endive, edible flowers and chive with a bee pollen honey vinaigrette
  Pairing - Sufferfest Repeat Kolsch

• Oxtail Gnocchi with fried kale, sage and dill flowers served with a three cheese sauce
  Pairing - Sufferfest Flyby Pilsner

• Blackberry and Lemon Curd Tart with lemon scented mascarpone, vanilla cookie crumbles, lemon zest and mint
  Pairing: Sufferfest FKT Pale Ale

The first beer we tried was the Flyby Pilsner. A really easy drinking, all purpose beer. It was lightly floral and very refreshing. It worked really well to contrast the pungent flavors of the oxtail gnocchi and cheese sauce.

The best part is that it didn’t make me feel bloated or heavy the way that I normally feel after drinking a beer.

The oxtail gnocchi was out of this world. I wish computer and phone screens allowed people to scratch and taste.

Next up was the Sufferfest Repeat Kolsch. (Yes, we ate and drank things a little out of order). This is a low calorie and low carb beer, but it didn’t taste that way and I was really impressed by that. It has bee pollen added, but i honestly wouldn’t have picked up on it if there wasn’t mention of it on the can.

It’s nice to see a light craft beer. I can’t recall any others on the market.

Overall, I was really pleased with all of the beers. I don’t have a photo of the FKT Pale Ale (or the dessert we had with it) but it was my favorite of the three. It tasted like a sour beer because of the black currant, but it was still very approachable for people that aren’t familiar with sours or haven’t liked them in the past.

Well done Sufferfest.