By

Beer from Here /NATIVE | ISSUE 79 | NASHVILLE, TN

Teachers’ Lounge: Czann’s Blonde

With Darcie Clemen Robertson, Copy Editor at NATIVE

Beer Name: Blonde

Brewery: Czann’s

Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: 4.25%

Food Pairing: Fried cheese curds and deep-dish pizza

Appearance: Gold and clear

Aroma: Light wheat and citrus

Where to Find It: 312 Pizza Company, Czann’s taproom, and around town

Overall Takeaways: 

We complain about the winter cold here in Nashville, but we could have it much worse. We could live in Chicago, where the wind cuts to the bone and threatens to push you over whenever you walk around the corner of a building. I’ve managed to only spend a few winters in Chicago visiting family, and I always swear to never go back during that time of year. It’s just not right for humans to be outdoors when it’s double digits below zero, and everything in your body tells you so. This might explain why Chicago produces some of the best hibernation foods in the country: deep-dish pizza, cheese curds, beer, hot dogs, Italian beef . . . It would seem their motto is: If you’re going to be stuck inside, you might as well enjoy it.

Thanks to the folks at 312 Pizza Company, we can enjoy the comfort food of the Midwest without the 15-below temps. Best of all, they keep a few local beers on tap, like Czann’s Blonde, which is the perfectly sweet and crisp ale to complement any of the rich fare. Its slight, not-too-hoppy acidity cuts through the crispy fried goodness of the cheese curds while cooling off the spicy sriracha dipping sauce. If you’re in a Bill Swerski’s Super Fans kind of mood, follow the curds with the State Street deep-dish pizza with Italian beef on top. The Blonde’s citrus and malt tones shift from a contrasting flavor to the perfect pairing for the tangy tomato sauce and garlic. Don’t let the golden color fool you—this beer can hold its own against any heavy dish, and the clean finish will keep you coming back for more. So on the next too-cold-for-humans day, settle in with some deep-dish and a Czann’s Blonde. Toast to above-zero temperatures and delicious Nashville beer. And maybe . . . Da Bears.

Suggested Content