I remember playing the original Prince of Persia on my parents' old Macintosh SE. It was incredibly unforgiving and altogether frustrating. When the series was resurrected a few years ago, I was delighted to find that the newer games were not only very enjoyable, but also carried on a bit of the comically tragic brutality of the original. Naturally, the newer games are much easier than the older ones, but I'll take what I can get. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is better than the last couple PoP games I've played, and I'm glad to have a good pairing for it.
When I solicited ideas for a pairing from readers, both Avery Maharaja IPA and Dogfish Head Midas Touch stood out as inspired suggestions. I was only able to find Midas Touch at the stores I visited, and it worked out quite well. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, took it upon himself to use an ancient Turkish recipe involving barley, Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. The result is a powerful golden ale bursting with fruit and spice. It tastes slightly oxidized, adding to the seemingly aged quality of the beer. Aside from the themes of wishes gone awry shared by the game and the title of the beer, the exotic aesthetic of both go hand in hand. This pairing makes for an intoxicating experience, and I give my thanks to the anonymous reader who suggested it.
