FNBP: Humming Ale & Guidance Counselor (2010)

Few things bring on the weekend better than energetic dance rock paired with delicious ale.  This week the bold and the daring come together in the form of Anchor Brewing's Humming Ale and Guidance Counselor's fearless dance rock off their self-titled album.

Guidance Counselor makes sure-to-wake-your-neighbors, dance-beat fiasco tracks with wall-shakin' drums and spastic vocals. When 'stached, lead singer Ian Anderson (not THAT Ian Anderson) looks like your creepy '80s uncle (on the left), but his energy and enthusiasm for getting the listener moving shines through in his role as frontman and dance commander and is infectious. Even the songs that don't sound like singles are still fun, if more for the dance floor than the headphones. I dare you to try and sit still to tracks like, "Talk It Out," "Creature" or "I Don't Wanna Speak." Simply put, they are pure energy and pure fun. Is Guidance Counselor for everyone? Probably not. But neither is being super awesome. This group is clearly humming!

As described by Anchor's website, "Humming" is a term that has a long history in association with malted beverages, used centuries ago to describe both ales and beers. In this particular case "Humming Ale" suits this bold, hoppy ale, which Anchor created to celebrate the anniversary of their first brew. The name reflects the productivity and constant exertion of the brewery since its inception in San Francisco in the late 1800s. Humming appears as a pale or golden ale that provides a nice mixture of hoppiness with a substantial malt body that will get you buzzing, but also won't sit too heavy should your body give into the music.

So forget Michelob Ultra, Humming Ale should be your activity beer of choice for the holidays, and most certainly if those activities include sweating on the dance-floor to Guidance Counselor while your creepy conservative Uncle looks on outwardly horrified... but secretly jealous.