Gilbert's Craft Sausages Creative cased meats and the brews to go with them

Certain things just go together -- seriously, without its counterpart, rama lama lama kind of sucks a big (ka dinga de dinga) dong. Enjoy the natural affinity between cased meat and beer, with Gilbert's Craft Sausages.

Conceived by a disenchanted Chi consultant who thought about getting into the craft beer game before realizing that, well, so was everyone else, GCS seemed the natural next step: long-lasting, fully cooked, individually wrapped sausages made under the credo "Honest Ingredients, Unique Recipes, No Funny Stuff" (eat enough and you'll be bigger than Lebowski). Because the founder still has mad love for brew, here're some pairings to try:

The Shebeergan: Made with Hinterland Brewery's Amber Ale (which is certainly one pairing option), this beer brat's porky, black/white pepper flavor profile marries nicely with a strong, malty backbone and some spicy hops, which Eduardo Najera unfortunately lost a few seasons ago.

Try: Metropolitan Flywheel Bright Lager

The Ouisconsin: This bleu cheese-studded smoked beef sausage spiced with dill and coriander does well with funky Belgians, which hold up to the aromatic cheese and the brightness of the dill, but not the brightness of the Dilbert. Dogbert's totally the brains of that operation.

Pour: Goose Island Matilda

The Catalana: A smoked pork sausage infused with mozz, chipotles, and a hint of lime, those who seek heat will find that a hoppy, spicy rye really amplifies the hotness of the Peppers, though just because you tell him he's beautiful doesn't mean Julius will let you see his (ka dinga de dinga) dong.

Swig: Two Brothers Cane and Ebel