June 18

What do you do after serving in the military, obtaining a degree in chemistry from Clemson University, and traveling the country as a physical therapist for a World Series Champion baseball team? If you’re Andrew McNally, you take your love of homebrewing and open Common Bond Brewers, Montgomery’s first production brewery and taproom. Luckily for us, McNally loves talking beer and educating peo- ple about the growing craft beer movement. Don’t know what style of beer you like? What’s the difference in a Pale Ale and Blonde Ale, anyway? Which of your favorite foods pair well with your favorite beer style? McNally recently shared some insight into the world of beer styles and tastes. McNally said, “There are four basic components of beer - water, barley, hops and yeast. When these are managed in dif- ferent ways, they provide different flavor profiles.” Over the years, McNally has done a lot of experimentation with brew- ing, which led to what he calls the “Flagship 4” Common Bond currently offers: an India Pale Ale (IPA), Pale Ale, Blonde and Ramber. So what do the Flagship 4 taste like and how are they differ- ent from each other? For those who enjoy hops’ bitter, piney and floral notes, the IPA and Pale Ale are right up your alley. McNally said, “An IPA is all about the hops. While the Pale Ale is also hops forward, it’s better balanced with some malty notes.” As for the Blonde Ale, McNally calls it even lighter than the Pale Ale, and said, “It’s one of the most approachable styles with no particularly dominating hops or malt notes.” On the other end of the spectrum, McNally stated the Ramber is, “Close to an amber ale, featuring more of that malty sweetness, but ours adds rye, which gives it a little more flavor.” McNally continued, “All beers have different flavor profiles that pair well with different food styles. You can have comple- mentary pairings where you have something malty that goes with something meaty or smoky, or you can do contrasting pairings to break up your palate. Like if you go over to our neighbor, Bibb Street Pizza, and get a slice of pepperoni pizza with that marinara that’s a little acidic, having our Ramber with it, which has got a little bit of sweetness to it, cuts through that acidity.” Common Bond’s website provides a great listing of different foods that go well with their beers, and McNally added a few others. He said the Blonde Ale pairs really well with a light { on the table } 12 RIVER REGION LIVING www.riverregionliving.com Common Bond Brewers By KRISTI GATES