For this six pack, it’s time to lighten things up a bit, in terms of alcohol by content (ABV) and music. I’ve found six sessionable (under 5.0 ABV) craft beers (no Miller Light) to pair with six songs of the Carpenters. The beers run the gamut from IPAs and sours to pilsners and even a Kolsch. All these beers hail from New England, showing that you don’t have to travel far to find great beer. Without further adieu, here is The Carpenters and a six-pack!
Wandering Soul– Melody Maker and “Goodbye to Love”
Melody Maker is a session IPA from this Massachusetts nano brewery. The beer is light tasting and very drinkable, with a little bitterness, just like the song. “Goodbye to Love” has a wonderful melody, and a light breeze about it, but the lyrics are more than a tad bitter. With opening lyrics “No one ever cared if I should live or die”- yikes, bitterness! But then it mellows out a bit, but watch out for that guitar solo too, it comes out of nowhere!
Tree House Brewing Company – Passion Fruit and Guava Tart and “Rainy Days and Mondays”
This Tree House beer has an initial tart taste to it (hence the name), but like the song, it mellows out quickly. Although the dryness of the beer is different than the rainy days, maybe it’s more like a Monday. The tartness of the beer coincides well with Karen’s vocals, “nothing to do but frown.” It’s hard to frown though, with a beer this tasty! Nice sax solo in the middle of the track too.
Jack’s Abby- Post Shift and “Superstar”
This is one great pilsner. This is one great song. Honestly, you can’t rip on the Carpenters with this track. I actually first heard the Carpenters’ music on the uneven, but mostly good tribute album “If I Were a Carpenter” where this was covered by Sonic Youth. (Actually, the good covers on this album are awesome and the bad ones are terrible.) I thought Sonic Youth was putting a real spin on it since I thought of the Carpenters as light and fluffy, but the cover is not far from the original at all. Pilsners are not my typical go-to beer, but Jack’s Abby’s Post Shift is my pilsner of choice. It’s light, refreshing, easy to drink with a crisp pilsner taste. Simply delicious, it’s the superstar of pilsners!
Definitive Brewing Company – Contee and “Yesterday Once More”
I discovered Definitive on a whim last April. In a sea of the most amazing breweries during a trip to Portland, my wife decided on this one. It was love at first taste. This is their German Kolsch style beer. A Kolsch is another light beer. It is crisp, low ABV at 4.6%. For a light beer though, it has a full taste. I’m wishing it was “Yesterday Once More” when I’m writing this since I drank this tasty beer yesterday! In addition to that, the “sha la la las” and “shing a ling a lings” match well with this beer that is perfect for outdoors in warm weather.
Naukabout Brewing Company – Millie Vanillie and “Close to You”
Even without being a Carpenters aficionado, most folks know “Close to You.” This song is part of the reason why the duo gets the sweet, sappy label. If you’re looking for a very sweet beer, look no further than Millie Vanillie by Naukabout Brewing Company. They make some sweet beers and this is one of the sweetest I’ve had by them. You better like vanilla, because as advertised, it’s the primary taste. This is a milkshake IPA with vanilla lactose. Sweet song, sweet beer, great match.
Four Quarters – You Are Every Lovely Thing I Could Possibly Think Of – and “I Won’t Last a Day Without You”
This beer was already used for an article on emo and sour beer but here it is again. The beer reads like an emo song, but is also so delicate it could be right out of the Carpenters songbook. The beer itself is a sour with strong notes of passion fruit and guava that dissipate into a clean finish. Since you are every lovely thing I could possibly think of, I won’t last a day without you. Literally, the beer name and the song title combine to make a (long) sentence. That’s a good match.
I hope you enjoyed a walk on the lighter side of beer and music. All these New England beers clock in at under 5% ABV and range in styles (so there should be something you like). For more music and beer; try Kenny Rogers, Kenny G or The J. Geils Band. Cheers to The Carpenters and a six pack!
