The Beerspotter: Bell's Rye Stout Pastrami not required!

Bell’s Rye Stout

Where Spotted: Rodman’s, 5100 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Price: $12.99/6-pack

Rye Another Day: I can’t help it: I’ll buy any bottle that says “rye.” Mixing this grain in with the barley gives beer a rich, toasty malt backbone that you find in pale ales, where it adds prized dryness. In this creative blend, rye transforms a wintry stout into a chewy, barely sweet slice of pumpernickel.

Live and Let Rye: Stouts are commonly paired with hearty dishes like pot pie, but beer food is more than meat and cheese. A beefy stout like this can hold its own at the center of the plate—oven-roasted veggies and dark bread with butter make a warming midweek meal and complement the beer’s roasty maltiness. Buck tradition; burnt cauliflower is the new popcorn.

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