May 4th, 2025 - Herb Albert Presents a Guavalu to Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66

 

Olá and happy Sunday music and craft beer fans of all styles!  Something a little different for you today.  The Meista here pairing the "Herb Albert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66" album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66, an album my dad played a lot when I was kid, and a tart and tasty Guavalu Wheat Ale from the fine folks at Silver Reef Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66
• Title: "Herb Albert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66"
• Recorded: 1966
• Release date: August 1966 (1st studio album by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66)
• Record company: A&M
• Production: Herb Albert and Jerry Moss
• Album cover art: Peter Whorf Graphics
• Personnel: Sérgio Mendes (piano, backing vocals, keyboards, and arrangements) with Lani Hall (lead vocals), Bob Mathews (bass and backing vocals), João Palma (drums), José Soares (percussion and backing vocals), and Bibi Vogel (lead vocals)
• Musical style: Bossa nova with elements of 1920s inspired jazz, 1960s pop, and Latin jazz
• Sound: A more relaxed style of the Brazilian samba, the bossa nova inspired songs on the album are characterized by complex chord progressions and vocal harmonies, yet with a calm syncopated rhythm with chords and fingerstyle mimicking the beat of a samba groove.
• Major themes: Life, music, joy, relationships, love, loss, hope, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Mas Que Nada" (Jorge Ben cover)
2. "One Note Samba / Spanish Flea" (João Gilberto cover / Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass cover)
3. "The Joker" (cover of the song from the 1964 musical The Roar Of The Greasepaint – The Smell Of The Crowd)
4. "Going Out Of My Head" (Little Anthony and the Imperials cover)
5. "Tim Dom Dom"
6. "Day Tripper" (The Beatles cover)
7. "Agua De Beber"
8. "Slow Hot Wind" (Henry Mancini cover)
9. "O Pato"
10. "Berimbau"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Silver Reef Brewing Company (Saint George, Utah)
• Website: https://sgbev.com/
• Brew: Guavalu Wheat Ale
• Style: Berliner-Style Fruited Wheat Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 4
• Ingredients: Wheat beer brewed with fresh guava puree
• Pour: The Guavalu Wheat Ale pours a .
• Nose: The nose is tart, sweet, and very fruity.  There are aromas of freshly sliced guava, papaya, lemon juice and zest, cracked wheat, and a hint of raw honey.
• Taste: The taste of the Guavalu Wheat Ale follows the nose with tart, slightly grainy, and very fruity flavors.  There are notes of guava puree, lemon zest and juice, strawberry, light crackery biscuit, wheat bread, and light honey.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp, juicy, tart, and refreshing, with a dry, clean finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, drinkable, tart and well-balanced flavors of the Guavalu Wheat Ale from Silver Reef Brewing Company work wonderfully well with the upbeat, yet relaxed style of the tracks on "Herb Albert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66"!  The fruity and tart flavors and aromas are great for upbeat songs like "Mas Que Nada", while the sweeter flavors mingle well with vocal harmonies!

Saúde!!