With every great beer, comes great snacks.  We all know you have to have a little salt with beer.  It’s a rule of sorts.

Along with that, there are foods where it’s just better if you have beer.  (For all my non-beer drinking friends, I apologize, but it’s true)  These foods include pizza, duh, and tacos, hot dogs, fish and chips and ruebens .  Pretzels, shell-on peanuts and some cheeses…particularly flavorful spread cheeses. 

I have a great affinity for popcorn. Homemade popcorn especially but I have had many a bag of microwave popcorn.  I could probably do a review of microwave popcorn even.  I also love cheese popcorn, but find it’s not a great beer snack. I mean, it’s okay but it’s really better with a soda I think.  A few years ago I was introduced to the Chicago mix.  Cheese and caramel.  Oh my goodness.  Now, I don’t particular care for caramel corn on its own…too sweet…but with the cheese, goodness.

A quick trip to Costco will allow you to snag a big ol’ bag of cheese caramel Chicago mix corn from G.H. Cretors who claims on their bag to have been founded in 1885 and particiapted in the Columbia Exposition ~ can you say Devil in the White City.  That may be awesomely true, but it’s the perfect mix of cheese popcorn with the gently sweet and soft caramel corn that really earns a thumbs up. It’s really good.  It’s just not right with beer.  

There’s a well known popcorn company named Garrett’s in Chicago that produces some great mix, too. I think it’s been open since the mid 1940’so  and when they are popping it fresh, it’s hard to resist. 

It really will be sping soon and next week I am going to look at a few brews that are labeled as spring seasonal.  Usually a bit light for my taste, but I'm going try and find one I like!