Exhibit A Cake

Exhibit A Cake is a canned beer from Esplanda in Massachusetts, sold as a four-pack of cans. The listing gives no ABV, IBU or style designation, so the name is the best clue to its character. Beers labeled "cake" are usually pastry-style ales brewed to suggest baked sweets such as vanilla sponge, frosting, or a graham-and-sugar base. Expect a fuller body, a soft and low-bitterness finish, and a sweetness that leans on lactose, vanilla, or malt-forward grain rather than hop bite. Check the can for the brewer's own flavor description and strength before serving. Beers in this vein are best served cool rather than ice-cold, around 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C). Straight from a refrigerator at about 38°F, the sweetness and baked aromas are muted, so let a can sit out for 10 to 15 minutes. A tulip glass or a stemmed snifter suits a dessert-leaning ale, since the narrowing top concentrates vanilla and caramel notes and leaves room for foam. A standard shaker pint also works, but the aromas will be less focused. For food, pastry-style beers pair most easily with desserts that echo their flavors, such as a plain cheesecake, a vanilla bean ice cream, or a warm brownie. Salted pretzels, sharp aged cheddar, or smoked meats also give a savory counterpoint to the sweetness, much as they do with stouts and other dessert-leaning ales. A four-pack of cans stores upright and stays shelf-stable in the cold, and it is usually best finished within a few months of packaging, since flavored beers can lose aroma with time.