Book-Beer Pair #8: MISSING YOU and O’Hara Irish Pale Ale

May 10th, 2014

In the first scene of MISSING YOU, by Harlan Coben, NYPD officer Kat Donovan is hanging at her favorite pub, O’Malley’s, surrounded by a “douchebaggery” of patrons when her hottie friend, Stacy, gives her terrifying news: she just signed Kat up on an internet dating site. That move sets off a chain of events that…well, let’s just say that lurking in Kat’s Plenty of Fish is a creepy catfish who’s idea of eHarmony involves burying women alive.

In trying to pair a beer for this novel, we note that Kat makes some interesting beverage choices. We know she keeps Jack Daniels at home, but is as comfortable with wine or Macallen 25 year scotch as she is a bottle of Bud pulled out of a cooler.

To pair with Coben’s signature plot twists and edgy humor, I recommend O’Hara Irish Pale Ale, Carlow Brewing Company, Carlow, Ireland. This beer is described as “dry hopped with a zesty citrus burst.” This pale ale defeated both O’Hara’s Red Ale and Murphy’s Red Ale (Cork, Ireland) in a beer-off. In the spirit of Coben, O’Hara’s Pale Ale provides a little backspin on true Irish heritage without any pretentiousness that might make someone think you are an “ass waffle.”

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