From The End Of Your Leash album art by Bobby Bare Jr

Bobby Bare Jr. released “Valentine” in 2004 on From The End Of Your Leash. While the song is pretty chipper, the lyrics have a darker twist to them which you wouldn’t notice until you start singing along, by then you are magnetized to “Valentine” and continue singing anyways.

With a smidge of country in the song – and Bare’s flannel shirt –  it pairs with Payette Brewing’s  rugged typography and image. The electric guitar solo and rock styling makes the song infectious and hard to not dance to, or at least shimmy side-to-side. Bare’s unique vocals draw you in, and the trumpets in the recorded version of “Valetine” bring it to the next level. The song is very high energy, which pairs well with Payette’s sessionable ale that you can drink continuously.

We could not find a Bandcamp or Soundcloud version of Bobby Bare Jr’s “Valentine”, below you will find a video of him performing the song. You can buy From The End Of Your Leash on either Amazon or iTunes, Bare has them linked on his website.

Video credit: Kelly Alexander

Payette Pale Ale – Photo credit: Lindsey Scully

Beer: Payette Pale Ale

Brewery: Payette Brewing 

Style: Pale Ale

ABV: 4.8%

This beer is really meant to be enjoyed with friends and outdoors, everything that the above video is about. This particular video of “Valentine” was recorded at Doe Bay Fest 2012 up in the beautiful Orcas Islands. Doe Bay Fest in itself is a whole other post, in short it is an annual music festival that is three days of music and camping in Washington state’s San Juan Islands. The entire weekend is full of memories, from the moment you go pitch your tent to when you are sent off on the foot ferry serenaded by musicians. Payette Brewing’s Pale Ale would fit in quite perfectly among the various demographics at the music festival. We went to this particular year where the video was shot and Bobby Bare Jr. put on a fantastic show. He not only performed during the day but he also did a secret midnight show with fellow musicians under a huge tree in the same field the video was shot in. Bare was constantly talking to fans and friends alike throughout the weekend and his no-fluff demeanor is why we chose to pair him with Payette Pale Ale.

The beer itself is no-fluff, upon first whiff you get hit with citrus, malt, and banana. Payette’s Pale pours a golden amber hue with a white head, great carbonation. In fact so much carbonation that upon opening the can it got a tad too excited on us and spewed a bit. Pale Ale has a small hoppy bite to it, not a lot –  it only reaches 35 IBUs according to Payette’s website. The aftertaste leans towards a bit more pine than expected.

With the beer clocking in a tad shy of 5% it is considered a session ale. Session ales serve a great purpose at any music festival or daytime party, they are light enough to drink a good amount without getting too inebriated.