These dreary winter days and long nights with a short supply of sunlight in New England can make one go stir crazy. This must have been the case, for this Backyard Road Trip doesn’t even make it out of the kitchen. Head straight to the fridge and then to the record player because this one doesn’t leave the confines of your home! Nothing like some Kenny Rogers and a six-pack to chase away those winter blues.
Sit back in your favorite recliner with a frosty beer, listening to the timeless sounds of Kenny Rogers. From country standards to a dip into psychedelic Kenny and ending with a song for the holidays. Just like fine wine and cheese, these beers go ideally with six different Kenny songs. For bonus points, run out to your local video store to rent the Kenny classic, Six Pack, now on VHS! (Little did I know when I began the difficult research for this painstaking article that Kenny actually starred in a film called Six Pack)
Lady – Miller High Life
I wasn’t promising all craft beer! What other beer can hold a candle to Lady? For those romantic evenings, cuddled up by the fire with a flute of High Life, “The Champagne of Beer” in each hand. Enjoy each bubbly sip as the piano melody melts into your soul. Try to not to shed a tear when Kenny belts out his minor key magic (salty tears kind of ruin the taste of High Life). Pouring the High Life into the flute, it does resemble champagne. Lady and High Life are a match made in heaven, or at least Nashville.
The best part of my purchasing the six-pack of High Life (wasn’t available in singles) was that it was the same price as one solid craft beer, and truthfully I enjoyed it. It’s a perfect beginning to Kenny Rogers and a six-pack
Lucille – Ommegang’s Bourbon Barrel Three Philosophers
This one’s gonna hurt! Oh, Lucille. Only bourbon can help get over the loss of her. I mean, there’s four hungry children and a crop in the field! After a long day toiling on the farm with a broken heart, whiskey’s the only thing to help ease this pain. Since whiskey is not beer and can’t fit in a six-pack holder, this is the next best thing. It will take all Three Philosophers to understand why Lucille left him. Next, Kenny tries his hand at picking up Lucille, but can’t stop thinking about the interaction with her former husband. He has more whiskey poured, still no dice. With all of this whiskey, broken hearts, and hungry children, the bourbon barrel-aged Three Philosophers is the perfect cry in your beer accompaniment to Lucille.
Ommegang was one of my early favorite craft beers. They tend to err on the Belgian side of things with this offering a quadruple ale mixed with Kriek lambic (cherry). The cherry gives the beer enough of a sweet note to balance the oaky flavors of the bourbon barrel.
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In) – The First Edition – Greater Good’s Vibes
Kenny goes psychedelic! Well actually this was first, psychedelia preceded Lady, Lucille, and other faves. This track, well known for its inclusion in The Big Lebowski sounds more at home on a Nuggets 1960s compilation than on a Kenny playlist following The Gambler. Hands down, this is a great track! Greater Good is a purely imperial (8% ABV or higher) brewery out of Worcester, MA. I actually picked this one out due to its tie-dye can. I thought that could accompany the guitar work just fine. The tie-dye can is a nice selection for Kenny Rogers and a six-pack. A robust New England style IPA, Vibes is a citrusy and juicy beer. I’ve been pleased with everything I’ve tried from Greater Good.
Islands in the Stream – (duet with Dolly Parton)
Barrel House Z’s Sunny and 79, a ginned pilsner
Just the name brings out a tropical sunny vibe. Save the Corona for Jimmy Buffet, I’ll take a Sunny and 79 from Barrel House Z with some Kenny. This pilsner has done its time soaking in gin barrels. It puts a bit of a zing to the pilsner and totally works. The upbeat feel of the song and the interplay of Dolly and Kenny make me want to take off my shoes and socks and, just like the beer in the gin barrels, soak my feet in the kiddie pool in the backyard. Sunglasses on, just taking in the sun’s rays. Although this beer is also enhanced with the hard stuff, the song and the beer are opposite ends of the spectrum than the bourbon barrel and Lucille.
The Gambler – Trillium’s Fort Point Pale Ale
For my Trillium selection, I’m not too much of a gambler and wanted to stick to one of my favorites. (In truth, I wanted to hear The Gambler and I wanted to drink a Fort Point, simple enough.) No great correlation other than that, but that’s good enough for me. I make the rules; I know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em, and soon I’ll walk away (when the article is done). Of all of Trillium’s many, varied and unusual permutations and combinations, give me the Fort Point, I just love it. Of course, I’m always excited to try something new, (and still loved me some Dialed In) but if I walk away with a Fort Point, I’d say this card game was a success.
Mary, Did You Know? – (duet with Wynonna)
Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome
Taken from one of Kenny’s Christmas albums, 1996’s The Gift, this collection is comprised of religious seasonal selections. This Christmas season, Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome has been my wintry beer of choice. It’s just so tasty! The perfect balance of maltiness, with a hint of fruit and caramel, it’s a tremendous winter beer. This Kenny Christmas track is serious, just like this is a seriously great Christmas beer. It’s also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! Raise up a holiday bowl to Kenny! Even though the holiday is past, get your hands on a Winter Welcome to help chase away those winter blues.
From country to psychedelic rock and ending with a religious masterpiece, Kenny has taken us all over the musical map. Similar to our six-pack selection, from mass distributed to hard to find, gin-soaked to winter-warming, the beer selection doesn’t disappoint and is all over the flavor palette.
For a superb selection of craft beer, I purchased the Greater Good, the Ommegang, the Barrel House Z and the Samuel Smith’s at Craft Beer Cellar in Plymouth, check them out! (They don’t sell High Life though). Craft Beer Cellar is the perfect store for your Kenny Rogers and a six-pack needs.
Cheers to Kenny Rogers and cheers to (mostly) craft beer! For more craft beer, check out this article, (or this one, or this one).
