Liquid Assets: Truth Serum Pale Ale from Tobacco Road Brewing

WRITTEN BY DAVE TOLLEFSEN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

PALE ALES are such an overlooked beer style. When you visit a brewery, you’re likely to find several India Pale Ales (IPAs) on the menu. There are so many different types of IPAs for brewers to produce, but how often do you see a pale ale, let alone different varieties? This is like a sibling rivalry where the younger sibling outshines the older one.

What is the difference between a Pale Ale and an IPA? Technically, IPAs are higher in alcohol plus hoppier and more bitter than pale ales. The issue is that bitterness is very subjective. Add to that, there are Session IPAs that are lower in alcohol.

Tobacco Road Brewing offers a delectable pale ale called Truth Serum. This is a quenchable delight! Using two of my favorite hops, Mandarina Bavaria and Cashmere, both add a wonderfully light orange flavor and a low, but definitely present, bitterness. Bitterness can be an important factor when pairing with food. The term “cut” in beerfood pairing is when the beer will cut, or reduce, the intensity of the food.

At Tobacco Road, the Truth Serum pale ale marries nicely with the Pork Belly Tacos. Pork belly is wrapped in a corn/flour tortilla topped with pickled red onions, spicy tobacco slaw, habanero pineapple salsa, and Cotija cheese. The beer’s orange flavor and hop bitterness cut through the fattiness of the pork belly and tame the heat of the slaw and salsa. It’s really an incredible taste experience!

Tobacco Road Brewing has three locations in the Triangle — Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. At each location you can enjoy Truth Serum Pale Ale and the Pork Belly Tacos to see if I’m right about this beautiful pairing. Even better, pick your favorite beer and entree to create your own amazing pairing!

Dave Tollefsen is one of the NCBeerGuys — they have promoting North Carolina craft beer and breweries on their website, ncbeerguys.com, since 2012. He is an avid homebrewer for more than 10 years and is also part of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild.