Beer

Beer With A Side Of Poutine

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Lugene Milk Stout and PoutineOne of our resolutions for 2013 is to make sure that we get out and explore our new city.

We have a tendency to be homebodies but we are actively trying to change that.  Part of the reason we moved to Colorado was to be able to do more things.  We wanted an outdoor lifestyle combined with lots of local events.

And in a perfect world some of that stuff would include beer and great food.

Thankfully for us, Fort Collins offers all of those things.

Last Sunday we got our of our jammies and headed over to Odell for the release of their new chocolate milk stout, Lugene.

Fort Collins is also seeing a rise in their food truck scene (hooray!) and Odell had some trucks out for their event.

Common Link Poutine

We sat in the sun, drank some stout, and enjoyed some poutine from Common Link.  It was my first time having poutine but I knew I would love it because I adore gravy fries.  They were steaming hot and full of flavor! Perfect for the chilly January afternoon.

Scott and I sipped our beers and talked about how thankful we are to be here.  It’s exactly what we were looking for.

 

 

Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate

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I was contacted by Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate asking if I would like to review and discuss their chocolate bars.

I love chocolate and very happily accepted the challenge.

Green and Black’s chocolate is not only certified organic but it is also fair trade chocolate.  Goodness all around!

I was sent several bars to test out and instead of doing a standard post about the chocolate and their flavors, I wanted to do something different.

Since we moved this year to beautiful and beer friendly, Colorado, I decided to pair the Green and Black’s Chocolates with beers.

Oh yes I did!

Below are the flavors I recieved and the beers that I paired with them.

Milk and a Milk Stout (two choices):

Normally, I’m not a milk chocolate fan, preferring the darker chocolates.  However this milk chocolate was creamy, slightly sweet, and very smooth.  I loved that it wasn’t overly sweet and it quickly became a favorite.

Plenty of milk stouts to choose from!  Left Hand makes a solid milk stout that works well this bar.  But if you want to go super decadent, Founder’s Breakfast Stout and this chocolate are a match made in heaven.

Almond and Tommyknocker’s Imperial Nut Brown Ale

The almond bar is made with Green and Black’s milk chocolate and contains whole roasted almonds.  It was delicious and the almonds provided a great crunch and nutty background to the milk chocolate.  Breaking up the sweetness just a touch.

Paired with Tommyknocker’s Imperial Nut Brown Ale, the sharpness of the brown ale helps cut the sweetness of the chocolate while the nut finish compliments the roasted almonds in the chocolate.

If you can’t find Tommyknocker where you live, look for another brown ale or nut brown ale local to you for the pairing.

Cherry with New Belgium’s La Folie, Lips of Faith Series

I’m not a huge fan of tart cherries and admittedly I was a little nervous trying this chocolate out, thinking I wouldn’t like it.  I was completely wrong.  The cherries are tart and pair wonderfully with the dark chocolate.  They aren’t overpowering at all but provide a nice little kick to the chocolate.  Just enough tartness to wake you up but not knock you over.

I paired this chocolate with New Belgium’s La Folie which is a sour brown ale.  La Folie isn’t a strong sour but a more lighter and friendly sour.  It goes well with the cherries and the dark chocolate.

Unfortunately since this was a Lips of Faith beer, that means it was a limited release so you probably cannot find any. This is terribly sad news.  However I would still suggest pairing this chocolate with a sour beer but one that isn’t a very strong sour.  A lighter sour beer works well with this bar.

Expresso and Epic’s Big Bad Baptist:

The expresso bar surprised me with how integrated the expresso beans were!  They are ground up and provide a crunchy texture throughout the whole bar.  It was so lovely and enjoyable!  Most bars have larger chunks of expresso beans in them which for me isn’t as pleasing texturally.  This bar almost has like a cookie crunch quality to it giving it a unique quality.

You can pair this bar with just about any stout but I picked Epic’s Big Bad Baptist because it’s a stout with a kick coming in at 11% ABV.  It is also brewed with cocoa nibs and coffee which brings out the expresso flavor of the bar.

Dark 70% and New Belgium’s Cocoa Mole Lips of Faith Series

Oh dark chocolate I love you.  It’s not too sweet and is full of chocolatey goodness.  Green and Black’s dark chocolate is velvety and delicious.  Since this was straight up dark chocolate with no accents, I decided to provide the accent through the beer.

That’s why I paired the 70% Dark Chocolate Bar with New Belgium’s Cocoa Mole Ale from their Lips of Faith Series.  This is by far one of my all time favorite beers.  It’s chocolatey AND spicy.  It’s knock-your-socks-off amazing.  It gave a nice little heat kick to the dark chocolate bar.

Again, since this is a limited release beer, it’s possible that you can’t find any more.  If you do see a bottle, grab it quick!  If not, look for another cocoa mole stout to go with the chocolate.  I’ve seen a few different versions out there so should be able to find one in your neck of the woods.

Or pair with a new Lips of Faith brew, Imperial Chocolate Stout! Either type of brew will work with this dark chocolate.

Maya Gold and a spiced Belgian style brew:

I will be completely honest and say that I didn’t care for this bar.  I’m not a fan of orange and chocolate pairing.  I know it’s a classic combination but for some reason this doesn’t go over well with me.

If you like spiced chocolate, then definitely give this bar a try though.  It’s got orange, cinnamon, and nutmeg all throughout the chocolate.

Orange can be tricky to pair with beer but I think since this bar is a little on the heavier side, a lighter beer would make a better pairing.  Something in the Belgian style works here.  Perhaps  a spiced Quad or even a spiced Saison would work.  It would compliment the complexity of this bar and make for a great post dinner nibble!

Since I didn’t eat much of this bar, I didn’t get a chance to pair it with beer. The above suggestion is merely that, a suggestion.

I love chocolate and beer so I had a great time pairing the two and seeing what worked and what did not.  If you love chocolate and beer, try testing some combos out to find what you enjoy!

Big Thanks go Green and Black’s for sending me some chocolate to pair with some awesome beers.

 

 

Disclaimer: Green and Black’s sent me the chocolate to review. My opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this article.

 

On The Road: Freedom’s Edge Brewing, Cheyenne WY

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Scott and I were determined to start traveling more. Our move out west means we’re within driving distance of a lot of new to us places.

We decided that we were going to travel more and start exploring a little more.

A few weekends ago we traveled up to Cheyenne, Wyoming.  It’s very close, about 30 minutes or less away from Fort Collins.  We had planned on visiting at some point and when Lori and her husband were driving through on their way to California, that ended up being our meeting point!

There really isn’t much to Cheyenne which kind of surprised me a bit.  I didn’t expect a bustling metropolis but I did expect something.

Thankfully one can always turn to beer on a road trip!

Scott and I are making it a point to try local breweries on road trips.  Cheyenne actually has two breweries and our favorite of the two was Freedom’s Edge Brewing Company.

We stopped by after dinner our first evening in town and had a lovely flight of their beer.

You could pick between 4 and 8 samples.  We went with four because the other beers were IPAs and not really our style.

From lightest to darkest we had:

  • Strawberry Blonde Ale
  • Wrangler Red Ale
  • Hop Scotch Ale
  • Midnight Ride Stout

The beers were just alright.  I think they’re on the right track though and with a little more brewing and experimenting they could make some solid beer.

It was refreshing to see a nice brew pub like this on the main strip.  The inside was gorgeous with lots of wood detailing.

It was right up my alley in terms of atmosphere.  When I go out for a beer, I don’t want flashing lights and loud music and servers who try too hard at being hip.  I want a relaxed environment where I can have a conversation without yelling.  I want to hang out, not be stressed out.

This definitely is my kind of place.  The wood features and low music provide a cozy and relaxing vibe.

If you’re passing through, stop in for a pint and hang out for a bit.

Ericka: Columbus Ladies Beer Club

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Today we have Ericka who is going to talk about founding the Columbus Ladies Beer Club! Oh I wish I had known about this sooner!

Columbus Ladies Beer Club: 

I like beer. I like other people who like beer. I especially like other ladies who like beer – and like to talk about beer.

If you’re a man, feel free to keep reading, but this one’s for the ladies.

 

About a year ago, some friends and acquaintances and I decided to start a club. Not another book club or any of those traditionally female-only, wine-swilling girly clubs. We wanted to drink beer together.

Don’t get me wrong – you can be girly and drink beer, but you’ve got to be serious about it.

We put together a Facebook invite and crossed our fingers that people would show up at the site of our first happy hour-timed event – Yellow Brick Pizza in Olde Towne East (If you haven’t been there to

try out their pizza and beer selection, you’re missing out. They have a revolving door of taps, their current menu can be found here.

Those of us who live in the downtown area knew of their great beer selection courtesy of many previous trips and thought this might be a good place to try out this “club” idea of ours.

We took over the front window table and waited. At least 10 ladies showed up and I met some great new people.

One of our fearless leaders (and perhaps the most organized of all of us), Jamie, handed out sheets for us to record each beer we tried.

We also promptly got to the rules:

1. You always have to order and drink beer and, well, you’ve got to be a lady. Not in the “I-have-proper-etiquette-and-am-not-going-to-use-foul-language” way, but in the “I-have-a-uterus-and-I’m-proud-of-that-fact” way.

Oh, and anyone who has met me knows that foul language need not be exempt at our gatherings (Andrea says: A girl after my own heart!).

Another tradition that we started that evening was that there is a question asked of the table.

What seemed to be the most appropriate question at this first meeting was why everyone came and what they were hoping to gain from beer club.

Nearly everyone that night said they were hoping to learn more about beer – making it, drinking it, and loving it more.

Over the next few months, we met at other local watering holes known for their beer selections – Surly Girl Saloon, Bob’s Bar, Hal & Al’s, World of Beer.

We have had a beer tasting for each of the seasons and discovered some pretty obscure pumpkin and winter ales.

We had a group outing to the Winter Beer Fest at the Convention Center, where we definitely all discovered a new favorite beer (no one else liked the Bourbon Barrel Stout from Weasel Boy Brewing as much as I did for some reason).

We had a tasting in April of spring, fruit and farmhouse ales. Who knew that there are actually some fairly drinkable fruit beers out there? (Now is probably a good time to let you all know I will almost always favor stouts and porters.)

My favorite gathering thus far has been our June one at aforementioned Jamie’s house. After a few months of hearing some ladies say they still weren’t sure of each style and what the difference was, we concluded a proper tutorial needed to take place. Jamie (again, with her organization) compiled an entire packet of beer-centric info.

I can now confidently say I know the difference between an ale and a lager and can also give you some of the most random beer facts ever.

Did you know that George Washington had his own brewhouse on the grounds of Mount Vernon? Yet another reason why he was such a cool dude.

Jamie put each attendee in charge of bringing a sampling of a particular style. Mindy(our other leader) and I had entirely too much fun at the carryout picking out our styles. By the end of the evening, I think everyone felt a lot more comfortable about styles they liked and even some they didn’t. And maybe we were all a little drunk too…

So, why am I telling you all about this? Frankly, we love introducing new people to the group and want to drum up interest. And, personally, I really do get a kick out of a lady discovering that they don’t actually hate a certain beer.

Feel free to like the group on Facebook – Ladies’ Beer Club Columbus for information on future events.

Our August event will be on the 17th at House Beer (set to open the week prior, so here’s hoping they pass all inspections).

Here’s the article from Columbus Underground on the new business.

I’m not saying we’re experts in our group and we don’t claim to be, but we do love getting together and share what’s going on about town while downing some delicious brew.

On an additional note, we are celebrating our one-year anniversary in September. Plans are in the works to have a more formal dinner party, complete with course/beer pairings. If you have any interest in cooking or coming, please let me know. If you’ve done this type of event before, feel free to give me some pointers. This is definitely a dream of mine to host (I love to throw parties), but want to make sure it’s done right. Stay tuned.

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And please support your local bars and breweries!

Cheers!

Memorial Weekend Eats

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Memorial Day weekend is coming up and it’s time to start planning all the grub that you’re going to put out! If you are in need of some ideas, I’ve got some coming your way!

Tequila Brined Chicken can easily be made on the grill.  Either go the beer can route or you can quarter it up and grill it in pieces.

Got leftover chicken? Use it to make some mayo-less chicken salad!

Want a veggie dish that can stand up next to all the potato salads and baked beans?  Bring something a little different to the table with some Asian Noodles in a Coconut Peanut Sauce.

And don’t think I forgot the dips because that would be crazy talk.

Horseradish Onion Dip better than anything that requires you to use dehydrated onions from a packet.

And just for fun:

Beer Mustard Dip, cheesy creamy goodness.

Have fun this holiday weekend! Stay safe, drink some beer, and eat a little too much!

Review: La Roja By Jolly Pumpkin

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The Jolly Pumpkin’s La Roja is a beer that has been sitting in my fridge just waiting for the right moment to be enjoyed.

The first time I had this beer was at my friend’s house for a potluck and beer dinner.  She mentioned that the shop clerk told her this was a blod beer and had the potential to be a bit sour.

I tasted it and it was indeed different than any style of beer I’ve had before.  And I liked it.  A lot.  It was a hot and steamy Ohio summer day and this beer fit the bill perfectly.

I immedatedly went out and purchased my own bottle of it. Then sadly I didn’t get a chance to have it again and in the fridge it sat waiting patiently.  I told Scott that the minute we have warm weather again, where we can open the windows and enjoy the outside, this beer was getting cracked.

Lucky for us, that day came on a Sunday evening enjoying some really amazing spring weather.

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

  • 750ml
  • 7.2% ABV
  • Amber Ale aged in Oak Barrels

Since I only had it the one time, I was curious to see if it would live up to my expectations of being fabulous and also a bit sour.

The amber ale is barrel aged which I did not realize before and this caused even more excitement.  I do love some barrel aged beers!

Looking at Jolly Pumpkin’s website they list that this beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized.  Also that all their beers go through a second fermentation with wild yeast in oak which is partly what provides the slight sour flavor.

I was not disappointed the second time around with this beer! While it did have a sour note to it at the finish, I wouldn’t say that it was strong or overpowering.  Very slight, just a hint of sour cherries.

We sipped this while hanging out on our deck and waiting on the coals to heat for the grill. This beer is perfect for warmer weather! It’s light and very complex.  With each sip you taste different flavor aspects.

Some reviews mentioned a vanilla flavor but that isn’t something I picked up.  I tasted the yeast and the cherries the most.

If you’re looking for a lighter beer to have this spring and summer, definitely check out La Roja! And if you’re curious about trying a beer with a slightly sour note to it, this is a good place to start.

 

Fluff and Froth

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Last week and this week are pretty intense ones for Scott. He’s got a lot going on and because of that I have said that we need to chill out on the weekends.

Last weekend and this weekend, the home renos can take a backseat and instead we can hang out.  Unfortunately we did have to make a run to North Market on Saturday.

Normally not an issue but I forgot last weekend was The Arnold.  Lord what a mess downtown was!

On Sunday I pretty much demanded pancakes.  Two weekends in a row we’ve had bunk pancakes!  One was an attempt at trying to make waffles again only to have that fail.  I used the batter to make pancakes and it was not a fun time.  Oh they cooked, they just didn’t have much taste or fluff.

The following weekend was the buttermilk experiment which resulted in mediocre pancakes.

This weekend though, banana nut to the rescue! And they completely hit the spot!

We also tasted two new beers this weekend.  First up was Heavy Seas Letter of the Marque Dubbel.  Heavy Seas Letter of the Marque is a homebrew competition that they have and the winner gets to brew their beer with Heavy Seas Clipper Brewing. For 2011, the winner was a Dubbel Ale.  It was delicious!

Later in the weekend we tasted Brother Thelonious!

Abbey style ale.  This was a darker beer that was a touch sweet and had strong caramel notes to it.  I loved it!

We also gamed a little this weekend (Still Borderlands, second playthrough) and last night I made some skillet mac which I guess I forgot to take a picture of.  All said, it was a pretty great weekend!

2011-2012 Favorite Winter Ales

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Scott and I have been sampling a bunch of seasonal brews this winter because you know it’s beer season!

It would be nice to be able to purchase more variety of bottles in singles for sampling.  Sometimes you don’t want to invest in a six pack (or four pack) of something you haven’t tried yet.

We try to be good sports about it though and my thinking is, if I don’t care for it all that much I know I can still cook with it.  That’s something at least.

Alright so let’s talk winter seasonals!

21st Amendment’s Fireside Chat: 21st is one of Scott’s favorite breweries and when he saw this pop up earlier this winter, he snagged it right away.  It turned out to be a great beer.  Very dark in color with a creamy head.  It’s brewed with spices which come out strong in the flavor.  You can pick up the heat of cinnamon right away in this beer.  It’s mellowed out and not overpowering.  Nor is it in any way similiar to that of say, the cinnamon you find in a pumpkin ale.

This beer is hardy and warming.  Perfect for sipping while chatting with friends or kicking back watching a hockey game.  Only brewed from October to December, so if you see any out now get it before it’s gone.

Snow Cap Winter Warmer by Pyramid Brewing: This is a brew we discovered in winter of 2010 but we found it late and it was part of a sampler pack.  I fell in love with it immediately but was unable to find any more that year.

Tragedy!

So you bet this year, I was on the hunt for it and bought a six pack as soon as I saw it.

This is a warm dark ale.  It doesn’t have the spice or seasonal flavors that other winter warmers carry but it’s a smooth beer with malty goodness.

It has a caramel and slightly nutty taste to it. It reminds me a little bit like New Holland’s Cabin Fever.  If you like caramel sweetness then you’ll dig on this beer.

Great Divide’s Hibernation Ale: I’m not sure if we picked this ale up in a sampler pack or if we bought a six-pack of it outright.  Regardless it’s turned into one of our two go-to seasonals this year.

A little bit on the thicker side for winter ales it’s got a smooth start with a bit of a tangy finish.  By tangy, I mean that it sort of bites your tongue a little at the finish.  That is what keeps the ale from being too heavy by perking things up a bit.

This is the perfect beer for when you just got done shoveling the driveway or finished a long day of removing wallpaper (ahem).

Follow the link so you can read more about it because it’s a beer of love and has an intense aging process!

Harpoon’s Winter Warmer: This is the second of our seasonal go-tos this winter and my pick for favorite seasonal.  I love it!

It’s not quite as dark as the other winter warmers I profiled but it’s got an amazing cinnamony taste to it that reminds me of winter and not pumpkin.

It’s fizzy and a bit lighter making it refreshing.  The first time I had this beer I was out at a local bar getting a burger. It impressed me enough that we purchased a six pack of it not long after.

Since then, I’ve been stocking up when I see it because I know it won’t last long.

The description on the website says it has a pumpkin-pie flavor to it but I wouldn’t say that’s the case.  We all know I love pumpkin beers, and this is far from that.  The cinnamon is spicy adding a heat to the beer that I haven’t come across yet in other brews.

If you enjoy a spiced ale, definitely give this a go!

These are all malty brews, if you enjoy a more hoppy flavor, I would recommend Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale.  I found it alright (but I’m not a hophead) but a lot of folks really enjoy that seasonal.

What’s your pick for winter seasonal this year? 

Beer Affair

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Starting this fall and picking up steam this winter, I’ve rediscovered my inner beer lover.

Now those that know me or have been reading this blog for any length of time will know that I have always enjoyed a great beer.  However, the past few years I’ve been picking wine over beer.

I would have beer on occasion but mostly preferred opening a bottle of wine.  A nice red to go with pizza or maybe a crisp white to go with some salmon.  All sounded good to me!

But this fall and then more heavily this winter, I’ve been reaching for a cold brew.

I’m at a point now where I would rather have a very tasty beer than a glass of wine.  I still have wine on occasion and almost always when we go out to dinner.  But I don’t have it nearly as much as I used to.

And since Scott and I have a favorite hangout, I love going out to get a pint and shoot the shit.  It’s one of my favorite things and something I look forward to very much.

I love tasting new beers (I’m still trying to find an IPA that isn’t quite so bitter) and finding different breweries.

Scott and I have a road trip planned for later this year and we’re currently trying to plot out breweries along the way.

Lately beer just seems more fun!

Tomorrow I’ll chat about some of our favorite seasonal ales we like this winter.

If you like beer, what’s your favorite style?

Country Ribs with Sauerkraut

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Where I come from, pork and sauerkraut is what you eat on New Year’s Day to welcome in the New Year and hope that it brings you some luck.

Homes all over will smell like kraut that day and grocery stores have sales on the stuff starting a few weeks before New Year’s.

It’s just not New Year’s if you don’t have pork and kraut. Scott embraced this tradition with open arms.  Not really surprising since his previous tradition was boiled cabbage and ketchup.

Um.

I would wager a guess and say that this dish is probably a little tastier than that.

It’s also made with beer, onions, and peppers. Plus being tossed in a crockpot.  Winner!

Andrea’s Country Ribs With Sauerkraut

  • 4-6, Country Style Pork Ribs
  • 1 32oz Jar of Sauerkraut, drained (but not rinsed!)
  • 1 Onion, sliced thin
  • 1 Green pepper, sliced thin
  • 1TBSP Brown Sugar
  • 1C Dark Lager Style Beer (I used Great Lakes Eliot Ness)
  • Big Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2tsp Smoked Paprika

In the crockpot, add in beer and brown sugar, and stir.  Then add in the kraut, onion, and pepper along with the spices, then mix.  Place ribs in crockpot on top of the kraut mixture.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

Serve immediately!

Typically this dish is served with a large helping of mashed potatoes on the side and the kraut mixture on top.

If you don’t have any beer or would like to use something else, I would recommend some beef stock.

You could swap out the ribs for a pork butt roast.  Once that’s cooked, just shred the pork into the kraut mixture.  Would be great for a party or game day because you could serve this as sandwiches.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!