Flying Dog: Cookies and Beer Holiday Pack

Flying Dog Brewing has once again teamed up with Otterbein's Bakery to bring us a holiday beer and cookie collection. As much fun as we have with food and beer pairings, I think I might enjoy the "beer and cookies" concept the most. Because, well, cookies.

The four pairings this season are:

• Citrus Saison with Sugar Cookies
• Belgian Pale Ale with Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cranberry IPA with Lemon Cookies
• Fig and Fennel Stout with Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

After an afternoon of bathroom painting, Colleen and I rewarded ourselves by trying out a couple of the beers and suggested sweets. First up was the Citrus Saison and Sugar Cookie combo. Flying Dog Citrus Saison is brewed with grapefruit zest and peppercorns, both of which come through in the aroma. The flavor is citrus, with a mild yeasty "funk" and a touch of pepper in the finish. The sweet cookies seem to accentuate the citrus notes, at the same time having their own sweetness enhanced by the flavors in the beer.

Next up was the Cranberry IPA, paired with the Lemon Cookies. Flying Dog Cranberry IPA pours a bright, clear orange color with a thick white head. The aroma has some sweet fruit notes with a mix of citrus. I tasted the Lemon Cookie first (couldn't resist) and when I sipped the beer, the fruit aspect of the flavor popped out right away. After a few more sips, I picked up more grassy bitterness, especially in the finish. Alternating back and forth, I was amazed at how much the cookie gave more of a tropical fruit splash to the beer. With or without the cookie accompaniment, I enjoyed this mildly flavored IPA quite a bit.

We still have two more beer and cookie pairings to try from the Flying Dog Holiday pack. And we still have another bathroom to paint, so perhaps I'll save them for a reward at the end of that project too.

The beer, and cookies, reviewed here were promotional samples from the brewery. My impressions are provided of my own free will.