Features
Sixer: Wedding beers

It’s wedding season, so say “I brew!” to these marriages of hops and malt. (Oh, and if you’re serious about planning a beer wedding, we’ve got a Pinterest board for that!)

Ninkasi Nuptiale: Now part of the brewery’s limited-release R&D series (and just released in 12-ounce bottles), this classic cream ale was originally crafted for a wedding at the brewery. Wonderfully creamy, sweet and ethereal, just like the Big Day, the beer finishes with a barely-there breeze of white pepper bitterness, like a hint of post-wedding bridal blues.

Telluride Bridal Veil: Usually, sharp rye’s like playing the Electric Slide at the reception: You’re either really into it or really not. In this spin on a pale ale, honey and orange tease toasted rye in the nose; on the tongue, it joins with orange hops for an aggressive, prickly finish hop-heads (especially those wearing veils) will love.

Samuel Adams Brewlywed Ale: Released annually on one day only, Brewlywed makes its return June 18 at the Boston brewery (the first 50 lovers in line get a bottle autographed by Jim Koch!). We just uncorked the 2013 vintage and fell in love all over again with the Belgian ale’s spicy yeast, layered fruit and mild swallow.

Brewer’s Alley Wedding Alt: Brewmaster Tom Flores conceived this pale ale for his own I dos; now, it’s a warm-weather seasonal. A 5.4%-ABV Northern German-style altbier (read: a tad sweeter than Dusseldorf-style version), the brown-and-bitter lager is balanced—just like a solid marriage.

Dia de los Muertos Immortal Beloved: Fluffy, fun and bright as a classic hefeweizen should be, the yeast notes of banana and spice come on strong, like a passionate honeymoon, but soften into a long-lasting finish, like the next 30 years.

The Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa: Love takes time (hat tip to Mimi), and so does barrel-aged beer: The beer begins as the brewery’s Lost and Found Abbey Ale, which ages in red wine barrels for more than a year; raspberries are added to the batch three times during that nap. The boudoir scene on the label suggests the this sensual sipper will keep the flame alive.

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