Wipers

Day #636 Ypres / De Struise Brouwers, Oostvleteren, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Elliot Brew

Day before the PSU home opener.  Not sure if it's the fact that the season is already underway or what, but just not yet in the groove for a home opener.  Hope that changes a little between now and noon tomorrow.

Back to the recaps.  One of the best meals of Belgium came from 't Hommelhof in the town of Watou.  The group was treated to a special dinner, where the chef paired unique beers with each course.  One of the beers was a bottle of Ypres, from De Struise Brouwers.  This oud bruin was paired with a gazpacho served with a piece of fried mullet.  The gazpacho was simple yet delicious, which is probably how I could describe the entire meal.  I will say that with a few tiny exceptions the food on the trip was outstanding. However, almost every menu I saw had the same items on; croque sandwiches, lasagna, goat cheese & bacon salads, frites, etc.  Nothing wrong with that, but 't Hommelhof was the first inventive and unique - and therefore most memorable - restaurant of the trip.

And the beer?  It poured a dark brown hue, and gave off aromas of tart fruit with earthy notes.  The taste is a heavenly mix of tart cherries, sour apple, and an earthy, oaky taste that grounds some of the tart and sour flavors.  This beer was aged in two different barrels - Bourgogne wine and Wild Turkey whiskey.  This was a bottle from 2009, and the internet seems to suggest it was only brewed once.  Shame, as it was magnificent.  Speaking of the bottle, the artwork was very cool - it depicted a scene from World War I. Another beer from De Struise that people tried was Black Albert, which was widely regarded as one of the best beers of the trip.  I only had a sip, but I would agree.  We technically "visited" this brewery, which means we drove our bikes by and looked in the windows.  They were closed... perhaps it was a Sunday? De Struise wasn't on my radar before this trip, but after having this beer and trying the Black Albert, I'm a committed fan.

Ypres, Ieper, Wipers.  Just call this beer 'delicious'

Two items you may find interesting.  As with most everywhere in Belgium, there is the Flanders spelling/pronunciation and the French spelling/pronunciation.  In French, the town is known as Ypres, and in Flemish, Ieper.  British forces stationed there during World War I apparently couldn't pronounce either, and instead referred to the town as "Wipers."  The second odd fact for you is that this brewery was started by owners of an ostrich farm.  I kid you not - an ostrich is still featured on their logo.

Thing to Think About Today:
A beer brewed to honor those who fought and died in the First World War means we close things out with Edwin Starr and his protest song, War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-2pNCZiNk

The Day the Vampires Took Over

Day #523 Twilight Summer Ale / Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Previously from this brewery: Marci's take on Sour Raz, and my take on Saison de Poivre 

I'm typing this in between throwing back a beer and shoveling forkfuls of a delicious dinner into my face (I'm home alone, so therefore no need for manners).  I sauteed some shrimp & garlic, and served over pasta, baby spinach, olives, and capers and topped with a splash of a California olive oil and a craaaaazy delicious 20 year old balsamic vinegar.  Life is good, friends.  And if you truly are my friend, you may want to consider following BlogNamedBrew on Instagram, and (new this week) BlogNamedBrew on Twitter.  Do it.  Don't make me sad.

On this beautiful almost-summer evening, I'm drinking a Twilight Summer Ale from Deschutes.  This is important for one main reason: this means Deschutes is finally shipping their delicious beers east of the Mississippi!  This beer has a bright copper color with a thin wispy white head.  There's a really nice aroma of lemon and pine, and the taste is full of lemony goodness.  There's a touch of malt sweetness to keep the hops in balance, although you get a touch of bitterness on the end.  It's light, but very flavorful, and at a manageable 5% ABV, this one definitely deserves a place of honor at family gatherings, BBQs, or tailgates this summer.

Much better than a movie about Vampires

While I didn't visit Deschutes in their Bend home, I did get to sample some beers at their Portland outpost.  Great place to spend an afternoon.

Thing to Think About Today:
Somebody follow me:  This beer is named Twilight.  A recent cultural phenomenon was tween reading turned hit movie Twilight.  This series featured uber pale actors who were vampires or werewolves or undead or something, and there were love triangles or teen angst or other things.  Why this was popular with people older than 14 I have no idea, but it was.  And whatever it was, it definitely had vampires.  Oh, vampires, you say?

Vampire Weekend is one of my all time favorite bands, and just this week they released their new album, Modern Vampires of the City.  To no one's great surprise, it's been on repeat since the moment it hit my iPod.... and it's fantastic.  A more introspective record than their first two offerings, this new offering will still serve as my soundtrack for the next few months.  Have I already graced you with the presence of two songs from Modern Vampires of the City?  Yes I did.  In fact, I did it twice!

So, your thing to think about for the remainder of the evening will be a third offering, Everlasting Arms, from a very cool performance they did in conjunction with a concert film Steve Buscemi (distant relative of one of the band members) directed.  Enjoy your summer evening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ps6TjI7ws0

Day 398: 512 Brewing and Burning Up during Reentry

This five day work week is a bitch. I haven't worked one in more than a month and it is killing me. I feel like the Pig Pen character from Peanuts--only with paperclips, file folders, and pencils swirling off me instead of dirt and grime. There's also been a soundtrack of the implosion noise going off periodically as I realize how much work is on my to do list. 

Note to self: Start playing Powerball and become independently wealthy.

In more upbeat, fun news, I'm kicking off Texas Beer Week on the blog--or at least my half of the blog.

Tan head washed out thanks to an
overachieving flash on my Blackberry

I'm starting with 512 Brewing Company and their Pecan Porter. 512 Brewing is based in Austin and is pretty much only available in Texas. I had the pleasure of trying the Pecan Porter at Hopdoddy while vacationing in Austin last month. 

Pro-tip: Go to Hopdoddy and have a burger and fries. They are life-changing.

The Pecan porter poured a dark, dark brown and the light danced around the edges in one of the prettiest shades of brown I've ever seen in a beer. It had a thick, deep tan head. The smell was good and roasted. The flavor is predominantly nutty and chocolate. Lots of rich malt with a nice hopped finish.

Beer stats

Style: Porter

ABV: 6.5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Great (poor, average, good, great, excellent)

Previously reviewed from 512 Brewing

This is the first review!

Beer 268: Full Pint Triple IPA

Me with a little time on my hands is a scary thing. Stuff knocked off my to do list today included:
-all the laundry
-cleaned out all the stuff I never wear from my closet and bagged it up for Goodwill
-found the desk in my at home office (!)
-watched the final episode of Breaking Bad and will now suffer my own withdrawal until summer 2013 when it returns for the final season
-made magic in the kitchen resulting in this...




I can only take credit for the chocolate, chocolate chunk muffins. The pickled peppers are all Gary's doing. The muffins are from Joy the Baker's cookbook. If they're anything like the blueberry muffins I made from the same book, we are in for a definite treat!
Today's beer was found at Mad Mex in State College this past weekend. The food at Mad Mex is average at best but they have an everchanging and pretty impressive beer list.
The Full Pint Brewing Company's TRI-PA was sold to us as a triple IPA...but we went for it pretty much because we've never encountered this brewery before. And the rule lately is drink it as soon as we find it. Don't assume it'll still be around tomorrow. Ah the pressure of the final 100 breweries!




The TRI-PA poured an opaque sort of chalky-looking brown. This photo doesn't do it justice. It had a resinous hop aroma with underlying sweetness. The flavor was fig, malt, rich caramel sweetness. It was kind if boozy (9% ABV) up front, fruit in the middle and hoppy at the end. Honestly I think there was just too much happening with this beer. It was only ok in my book. But the brewery is relatively young and I'm excited to try some of their other stuff.

Cheers!

Trademark!

Beer #245 Simcoe Spring Ale / Peak Organic Brewing Company, Portland, ME

The definitive list of things I'm exceptionally good at doing:
1. Playing team handball
2. Making homemade tomato sauce (usually with meatballs)
3. Break dancing

Okay, you got me.  Items one and three may not be entirely true, but item number two is absolutely legit.  Tonight, Marci is at a work event, so I'm at home making some Multi-Million Dollar Sauce (now officially trademarked!).  Multi-Million Dollar Sauce™, you say?  As you may have read in Marci's post yesterday, the San Marzano tomatoes which I just lovingly hand crushed were donated to us by a rather generous millionaire with a huge garden (farm?), so it works.  The sauce is now simmering, and the house smells absurdly delicious.  However, the kitchen is a royal mess, so I'd appreciate it if you all didn't mention that one to Marci.  Thanks, you guys are the best!!!

The beer for today while magic is happening on the stove is Peak Organic's Simcoe Spring Ale.  It pours a lovely amber color in the glass, with a fluffy white head.  There are aromas of malt and citrus, and flavors of grapefruit, caramel malt sweetness, and pine, with a dry, bitter finish.  Easy drinking at 5.4%, this is a great option if you want some hop bitterness in your life, but want/need to balance that with some richer malt flavors as well.  Definitely give this one a try.

I completely neglected to grab a picture of this beer in my glass before I finished it off, so instead, I present you with a picture of Multi-Million Dollar Sauce™ on the stove.  I sincerely wish this was a scratch and sniff picture, as it's heavenly.  I mean, we can put an over-sized toaster oven/dune buggy on Mars and have it send us pictures, so this whole scratch and sniff thing on computers should be coming just around the corner.

NOMZ.

Thing to Think About Today:
Usain Bolt went ahead and did his thing this week, cementing himself as the "Fastest Man on Earth", without question.  He seems to be inclined to think he's the greatest athlete on earth, but I guess he hasn't had much time to watch the decathlon.  Yes, many people can be good at one or two things, but it takes incredible athleticism to master ten different events spread over two days - 100m dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m run, 110m hurdles, discus, javelin, pole vault, and 1500m run.  America has a long history of success in this sport, including Ashton Eaton's 2012 gold.

If we're talking about the decathlon and the greatest athletes of all time, the conversation may just start and end with one man - Jim Thorpe.  Born in Oklahoma, Thorpe matriculated to Carlisle Indian School, where he starred in football, baseball, track, lacrosse, and ballroom dancing.  I kid you not, he was the 1912 intercollegiate ballroom dancing champion.  As if that wasn't enough for one year, he also went to Stockholm for the 1912 Olympics, where he outclassed the field to win gold in both the pentathlon (long jump, javelin, discus, 200 yard dash, 1500m run) and the decathlon.

However, he was later stripped of his gold medals when it was found out he had received compensation for playing professional baseball.  Those medals would later be reinstated, and some say the punishment for Thorpe was in fact simply racism against his Native American descent.  Thorpe is buried not far from Philadelphia - his widow was upset that Oklahoma wouldn't erect a monument in his honor, so when the town of Mauch Chunk was willing to pay to have him interred in their town, she accepted their offer (Thorpe had died penniless).  Jim Thorpe High School still uses the moniker 'Olympians' for their sports teams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoxzDOk70Ms

Sure, Thorpe was great at all those athletic events, but could he make homemade tomato sauce from scratch?  I'll just go ahead and assume I'm better than he was, and leave it at that.

My Dream Team

Beer #235 RyePA / Fifty Fifty Brewing Company, Truckee, CA

As we approach the two thirds point on our beer journey, I figured it might be time to recap where my version of the Top 25 currently stands.  As always, you can use the tags on the right hand side to navigate to this list, in addition to specific styles, breweries, states, and a whole mess of other topics.  In no particular order:

- Brouwerij van Steenberge / Tripel van de Garre
- Brouwerij Rodenbach / Grand Cru
- Anchorage Brewing Company / Bitter Monk
- Brasserie Fantome / Fantome Saison
- Oskar Blues Brewery / Dale's Pale Ale
- Brouwerij Verhaeghe / Duchesse du Bourgogne
- New Holland Brewing Company / Blue Sunday Sour
- Brouwerij Huyghe / Delirium Tremens
- Wells and Young's Brewing Company / Wells Bombadier
- Bell's Brewery / Oberon Ale
- Leelanau Brewing Company / Good Golden Harbor
- Brouwerij Oud Beersel / Oud Gueuze
- Brouwerij Saint Bernardus / Tripel
- Gueuzerie Tilquin / Oud Gueuze Tilquin
- Firestone Walker Brewing Company / Fourteenth Anniversary Ale
- Bear Republic Brewing Company / Barrel 45 Wet Hop Wild Racer 5
- Anchor Brewing / Anchor Steam
- Cascade Brewing Barrel House / Sang Noir
- Russian River Brewing Company / Supplication
- Hill Farmstead Brewery / Harlan

There you have it, twenty brewery/beer combinations so far... hard to say what I'd remove from this list if I find six or more top beers, but I'll cross that bridge when necessary.  Heavily weighted in the sours, but I'm on board with that, as they can be incredibly complex and enjoyable all at once.

With that recap out of the way, it's time to keep the wheels turning.  Tonight's beer is the RyePA from Fifty Fifty Brewing, which is on draft at Whole Foods.  It pours a hazy amber color with a persistent white head.  You're greeted by aromas of rye, malt, and citrus.  There are flavors of lemon, grapefruit, and spice, with some malt sweetness and a dry, bitter finish.  Really nice beer, very well done. While this beer won't be joining the Top 25 today, it's definitely an outstanding beer that you should drink if and when you can.

Thanks, Whole Foods!

Originally when I saw this brewery, it made me think of cheeseburgers.  As in Slaters 50/50 burger (famous for their 50% ground meat 50% ground bacon burger mix), which isn't just a Top 25 choice; it was the greatest cheeseburger I've ever eaten in my life.  Ever.  However, no relation between the brewery and the burger.  Although, if they wanted to ship me a 50/50 burger and throw in some Fifty Fifty beer, I'd be in heaven.

Thing to Think About Today:
We ended last night on a downer, with a terrible bit of sportsmanship.  For those who want even more poor sportsmanship, check the highlights from yesterday's badminton "scandal", where teams tried to outdo each other in losing so they would get an easier draw.  Honestly, watching them hit the shuttlecock into the net in that video is like watching your drunk relatives try to play at a family picnic.  It's at once comical, sad, embarrassing, and devoid of any talent.

Instead, let's think about the greatest Olympic basketball moment ever, the 1992 Dream Team.  A group brought together to absolutely destroy the competition, this team featured eleven future Hall of Fame members (um, and Christian Laettner!) and showed the world what truly elite athletes can do when they come together as a team.  Sure, the 2012 team seems primed to win the gold medal, but it's the 1992 team that helped elevate basketball to it's position as a global sport.  For an excellent read on the topic, check this recent GQ article.  To watch the greatest team ever go to town.... just click the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMxUWmgm6wY

Beer 203: Pyramid Hefeweizen and Sea Creatures

Sorry for the completely spastic report out on the beer-cation. Today I'm rewinding to San Francisco and our stop at The Eagle Cafe on Pier 39.  Pier 39 is a total tourist trap, but they have seafood restaurants and sea lions.  So that's good.  

Sidebar: I cannot for the life of me tell the difference between sea lions and harbor seals.  Those gelatinous, slightly furry creatures to the right are sea lions.  

The Eagle Cafe made one of the best fish sandwiches I have had in my life.  It looked like any other fish sandwich, but tasted far superior.  They also had cold, refreshing beer and I opted for Pyramid Brewing Company's hefeweizen.

It poured a hazy apricot color with a thick white head.  It was very lemony in the nose and  had general beer aroma.  The flavor is lots of wheat, light spice and a nice lemony tartness.  My one complaint is that despite the typical hefeweizen flavors, it felt watery as I drank it.  If it had more body, I would rate it better than average.  But it didn't so average it is.

Cheers!

Not pictured here: two dozen oysters
that didn't stand a chance against us!

Death by Doughnut

Beer #194 Double D Blonde Ale / Hop Valley Brewing Company

Today's beer is the Double D Blonde Ale from Hop Valley Brewing, which we picked up in Whole Foods and drank back in the hotel to close out the night.  It had a clear gold color with a fair amount of effervescence and a white head.  You get the aroma of grain, and this is an easy drinking beer with flavors of wheat and barley.  Checks in at 4.9% ABV.  With a name like Double D, I was expecting something., perhaps.... a bit more full sized from this beer.

Hotels need to start providing me with pint glasses

Thing to Think About Today:
The Pacific Northwest is an incredibly beautiful region filled with countless outdoor adventures.  Which totally explains why we waited in line for fifteen minutes last night to eat doughnuts.  But not just any doughnuts - Voodoo Dooughnut, home of possibly the greatest doughnuts in the world.  Look, I love Dunkin Donuts as much of the next guy, but my local DD doesn't offer up the Old Dirty Bastard, a raised doughnut with chocolate frosting, crushed Oreos, and peanut butter on top.  Voodoo also offers up delights like the Memphis Mafia, which is glazed fried dough with banana and cinnamon, with chocolate frosting, peanut butter, peanuts, and chocolate chips on top.  I can't even begin to to imagine how much weight I gained during this trip, but having the chance to eat at places like Voodoo is totally worth it.

The Voodoo Doll doughnut. Your doughnuts are now irrelevant.

Just Us and the Ocean (and Beer)

Beer #190 Raspberry Trail Ale / Marin Brewing Company, Larkspur, CA

Yesterday was a whirlwind day - San Fran tourism, lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, drive down the incredibly windy Lombard Street, a fantastic hike through Muir Woods National Park to see redwood trees, then a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to our final stop on the day, the sleepy little coastal town of Jenner, population 107.

The coast: a view of Blind Beach from Goat Rock 

My beer for the day was one we picked up along the way to drink in our hotel room - the Raspberry Trail Ale from Marin County Brewing.   It showed off an orange straw color, and was not as cold as it should have been (had been in a cooler bag in our car all day).  You get a fruit aroma with a good taste of raspberries (go figure) and an earthy, dry finish.  Nice summer beer.

View of the river meeting the ocean from our room's patio.  Better than a picture of beer, I'd say.

Thing to Think About Today:
The beer was great, but the environment was even better - the River's End restaurant, where the Russian River flows into the Pacific Ocean.  Great seafood and fantastic locally sourced (although not cheap) oysters.  Plus, as good of a sunset as you're ever going to find.  They have a number of cabins on the property, so we had a convenient walk back to our room after dinner and spent an hour or so on the deck drinking the aforementioned beer.  Heavenly.

We managed to find ourselves in a spot that didn't have cell phone reception, light pollution, or any real noise. Only the sound of the gentle rolling of the ocean against the beach, which prompted us to sleep with our patio door open.

You'll never find this place by accident, but it's well worth going out of your way for an amazing experience.

Beach, Burgers, and Beer

Beer #186 Linchpin IPA / Green Flash Brewing Company, San Diego, CA

First full day on vacation in the books, and it was awesome.  Spent some time on the beach, some time in Balboa Park, and some time working through some great beers.  Right down to business, as the battery on my laptop is near death.

Spent some quality time at Green Flash Brewery's tasting room today.  Unique space inside their production facility, with almost all of their beers available on draft.  Outdoor seating (always a plus when you have this weather) and an indoor space without seats, but with a view of the entire brewery.  I sampled three beers, and the first is the one I'll put on record here.  The Linchpin IPA is a white IPA brewed in collaboration with Founders Brewery out of Michigan.  I didn't bother to geek out with my beer notes, but the taste had flavors of citrus and bread with a nice peppery spice.  As expected, Marci didn't like it.

SOOOOO shiny and awesome!

I also had the Rayon Vert, a Belgian pale ale, and the Trippel, a Belgian trippel.  Both were good, but we'll give a slight nod to the sweet, almost floral characteristics in the Trippel.  Delicious all around.

Yes, that's the brewery behind my beer

If you're ever north of downtown San Diego, do yourself a favor and stop by.

Thing to Think About Today:
Real time intel: had a late lunch at Slater's 50/50 today.

No, not that Slater.

This Slater's, a burger joint not too far from the airport, in what appears to be an old military base being remade into a high end shopping, dining, and arts center.  Still a work in progress, but Slater's is absolutely, positively worth a visit.  It hits the three criteria I look for:
1. Good beer list:  CHECK, with a whopping 106 beers on tap.  Which totally explains why the guy at the table next to us ordered a Coors Light.
2. Good food: CHECK.  The name 50/50 comes from their house burger mix, a 50/50 blend of ground beef and bacon.  Oh yeah!  Plus, you can geek out and customize your burger with endless possibilities of combinations of sauces, cheeses, and toppings.
3. Good price: CHECK.  My burger cost $9.  I would have paid twice as much.

Amazing first day.  Many more to come.

Wings and Beer: Reunited and it Feels So Good!

Beer #173 Farmhouse Lager / Crown Valley Brewing, Sainte Genevieve, MO

Had a good day today, so I'm going to celebrate a bit.  With wings!  Yes, delicious Buffalo wings.  In my younger days, when my activity level and metabolism allowed such things, wings were the cornerstone of my diet. From age 16 to age 22, I doubt a week went by without at least two wing nights included.  Spending ages 16-18 in a town where every corner had a bar, and every bar had a wing night (and didn't give a shit if some 18 year old kids hung out there), and then spending ages 18-22 in State College, where every night of the week some bar or another has a wing special, you can see how this wing addiction worked for me.  Sadly, as I look to lose weight, not gain it, wings have become a rarity in the schedule.  But not tonight, friends.  Not tonight.

What goes better with wings than beer, no?  Tonight we go with the Farmhouse Lager from Crown Valley Brewing.  A pale straw color, this beer gives you a light aroma of malt. You get a crisp, dry flavor that doesn't bring a wealth of complexity or flavors beyond basic malt and grain.  It's brewed with Vienna and Pilsner malts, which explains why it seems stuck somewhere closer to a pilsner than a more full-bodied lager.   Regardless of what you call it, this one checks in at 4.7% ABV, so I could see this at a tailgate, if you couldn't find a case of Yuengling Lager and/or wanted something a shade lighter.

Looks like beer!

Thing to Think About Today:
Just going to put this out here.  In The Program, Steve Lattimer had a good day, but celebrated slightly differently than I do.  Ah, films about college football.  Have to love 'em.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkdBLGV7-RA

"STARTING DEFENSE!  PLACE AT THE TABLE!"

Today We Visit the Farm

Beer #159 Organic Real Ale / Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton, England

Now well past 40% of the way through this project and still going strong!  Still finding (mostly) great beers, really interesting breweries, and having fun along the way.  Today is another first, as we've drank beer from plenty of of brewing companies, brouwerijs, and brasseries.  However, this is our first farm - specifically, Laverstoke Park Farm and their Organic Real Ale.

This beer pours a light amber color in the glass with a very thin white head.  On the nose, wheat and grass stand out, and when you drink this you pick up light notes of caramel, biscuit, grass, and malt.  You pick up some hop flavors, but as is typical with English pale ales, it's fairly subdued.  An easy drinking beer at 5% ABV, this one will be good for the spring and summer months.  All of the hops and barley are grown on site (which is pretty cool in my book) and as the name certainly implies, this beer has been certified organic by all of the people who do such certifications.  Admittedly, I'm usually not too concerned about whether a beer is certified organic or not, as most of the craft brewers have such a close connection to their suppliers that I feel confident they wouldn't use anything but the best hops, grains, barley, etc. available.

Child Abuse is bad! Drinking is Good!

My only tiny complaint?  The artwork on the label looks more like a public service announcement on preventing child abuse. I prefer something a bit, I don't know, less drawn by toddlers.  Unless they're doing what cigarette companies did back in the day: make their product seem cool to kids too young to buy it, with the hope they develop a brand affinity ahead of time.  In that case, carry on.

Thing to Think About Today:
I love that this farm is working to grow their own raw materials and then brew a tasty beer.  If we're thinking about farms and great produce, then we should spend a moment and think about Three Springs Fruit Farm, near Gettysburg, PA.  Really awesome people who are committed to sustainability and great produce.  Frequent readers will note that I'm always fascinated by breweries with long histories.  We get that here, as these guys are the seventh generation to run the farm.  If you're in the greater Philly/Baltimore/Harrisburg triangle, click HERE and make sure to check out when they're coming to market near you.  Or visit their site to learn more about agriculture than you knew was possible.

Is there a connection to beer, you ask?  Definitely.  We've been lucky enough to sample some hard ciders from Ben's private reserve.  Awesome stuff, and maybe if we all ask nicely they'll start brewing and selling to the public....!

Meatballs, Meatballs II, and Beer

Beer #122 Engels / Brouwerij de Molen,  Bodegraven, Netherlands

The only good thing that happened to me today was making homemade meatballs and sauce.  Not particularly special under ordinary circumstances, but courtesy of Men's Journal magazine, I had a meatball recipe from Mark Vetri at my disposal.  For those not living in my corner of the world, Vetri is an absolute giant in the Philly restaurant scene.  His establishments have received huge, outsized praise from food critics.  Which of course means if he's giving a free lesson on cooking, I'm listening.  This recipe was remarkably simple, and I simplified it further, but I can attest that these were absolutely delicious.  A spherical little piece of heaven.

It isn't all homemade Italian cooking tonight, there's beer to discuss as well.  So let's discuss the Engels, an English cask ale from de Molen, which I found on draft at the Farmer's Cabinet.  It pours a cloudy apricot hue, with a white cloud of foam and you pick up grain, malt, and a pleasing lemon aroma.  When you take a sip, you get flavors of malt, pine, and citrus, with a dry hop bitterness throughout. A bit more citrus flavor than a typical English cask ale, but nothing too extreme.  At 4.5% ABV, this definitely fits the mold of an English Bitter - quite tasty and completely sessionable.  If you find it, drink it.

Proof of life that I was at Farmer's Cabinet

Your daily knowledge: this brewery name translates to "Brewery the Mill," which makes sense because the brewery is housed in a historic mill that dates back to 1697.

Thing to Think About Today:
Well, it's getting late, and I'm getting tired.  If we're thinking about meatballs, I've already given you a link to the recipe, which I highly encourage you to try.  But if you're still thinking about meatballs, then I encourage you to think about Meatballs II, one of those so bad it's almost good sort of movies from the 80s.  Long story short?  Summer camp of misfits has to battle their arch enemies from across the lake to save their camp from going under.  It involves your typical teenage humor, an alien named Meathead who dresses like the Gorton's fisherman, Pee-Wee Herman as a lunatic, the guy who played Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds.... and yeah.  What can I say, people did huge amounts of drugs in the '80s.  Yes, it's a sequel to Meatballs, but I'm a fan of the second more so than the first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slGkfS5-eNY

Trust me when I say that I DESPERATELY tried to find the video clip of Pee Wee Herman uttering a famous line, "This one's for you, and this one's for the horse you rode in on!!!" after making middle finger gestures at someone from the enemy camp.  If you find this, please let me know, as it's the highlight of the movie for me.  Thanks!

Me, Ted?  MEATHEAD!

Candy and Beer. Happy Holiday!

Beer #120 Baby Tree / Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, Somerville, MA

Happy Easter to all - or, more specifically, to those who believe in that sort of thing.  We're fortunate to have a beautiful day here, which is good and bad.  Good, because I can sit on the deck and drink beer and write today's post.  Bad, because both of us have work to do, either projects around the house or work for our jobs, and nothing is getting done right now.  Seems too nice out to do work, right?

Today's beer is one that's been in our fridge for a few weeks waiting for just the right day.  And today seems like a perfect day to open up Baby Tree, a quad from Pretty Things brewed for Easter (yet available year-round).  As the picture shows, this beer is a dark chestnut in the glass, with a very thin off-white, almost tan head.  There are aromas of malt and fruit, and the taste brings flavors of malt, candi sugar, berries, and a hint of chocolate.  Delicious on a sunny, yet breezy and cool afternoon.  "That's an odd name for a beer," you say.  I agree, so I'll let you get the story from the horse's mouth (so to speak).  This beer checks in at 9% ABV, but it drinks like a beer with far less alcohol.

Really interesting story behind the brewers.  Pretty Things is a husband and wife team who work as tenant brewers, renting space from other breweries.  I often give you some brewery facts, which you may or may not read.  However, if you only click on one brewery link, it should probably be this one.  Cool story, fun people, great beer.  What else is there to say?  In addition, they have a side project where they brew beer from old recipes, to provide a historical beer experience.  I'm a history nerd, so I need to get my hands on some of these pronto.

Thing to Think About Today:
Let's all think about what's really important on this Sunday:  CANDY.  I have a killer sweet tooth, and my mom worked as a taste tester for Cadbury and Hershey when I was growing up.  Aw yeah, match made in heaven.  With those expert credentials on the table, you'll certainly trust me when I suggest we all think about the greatest Easter candy ever:  The Cadbury Creme Egg.

For those of you who have survived a horrible life which so far hasn't included the Cadbury Creme Egg, I'll clue you in. It's a milk chocolate egg filled with  a yellow and white fondant filling - when you crack it open, it's like you cracked open a real egg.  However, instead of the risk of salmonella, you get a sugary sweet candy that looks somewhat like an egg.  So much better than real eggs, right?  This delightful candy experience walks dangerously close to the line of too sweet, and I freely admit that eating more than one or two per season might be pushing it.  However, for the one or two that you do eat?  Pure magic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_gEyg7Nt8

A happy Easter to all, and to all, a good night.

Today Isn't Much Better

Beer #112 #133 / Bøgedal Bryghus, Vejle, Denmark

Do you know what today needed? Some time away from the house spent with friends so I could stop being sad. Courtesy of a few good friends, we got exactly that with a trip to Victory Brewing Company for a late lunch and some sensational afternoon beers. Thank guys, much appreciated. I've already reviewed Victory but had a new brew today; their Alla Spina Novello, brewed in partnership with Mark Vetri's Alla Spina restaurant. This delicious beer is an immensely drinkable Belgian blonde. If you're at Alla Spina or Victory, please try this beer.

Today's official brewery for review is one that came on draft at Farmer's Cabinet - the Bodegal #133.  This beer poured a dark chocolate with a tan head, and had a chocolate aroma.  The flavor had notes of creamy chocolate and cherry, with a tart sourness.  Not my typical beer, but quite good.  Marci previously reviewed this brewery here in this post, and shared some great info on the brewery.  Check it out.  Only complaint - it was poured in a 7oz glass.  What's up with that, Farmer's Cabinet?

Thing to Think About Today:
Lost in the shuffle of yesterday was the fact I drank a beer from Kansas.  You may never find yourself in Kansas, and even if you do find yourself in Kansas, you may never find yourself in Topeka.  However, should you find yourself in Topeka, I encourage you to stop by Skinny's for a beer or six.  Went there with some colleagues, and we were mildly surprised to find it to be more of a speakeasy - people openly gambling on their card games (with legal tender), and 32oz cups of beer for something like $2.  No, it's not craft beer heaven, but you can find some craft beers there.  More importantly, you get to be in a real bar that is more worried about their customers having a good time than creating some pretentious experience.  Thank me later.

Happy Holiday, Beer Drinkers!

Beer #98 Munich-Style Golden Lager / Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, Bloomfield, CT

Today we come to what can be considered one of the High Holy days of drinking, St. Patrick's Day.  Everyone throws on some green and goes out to get soused all day- sounds like my kind of event!  Truth be told and maybe I'm an old man, but I haven't ventured out to drink with the masses on St. Pat's in ages.  I guess because I can (and often do) go out and drink on a regular basis, I don't need to try and cram it all in to one afternoon.  I'm not a huge fan of amateur hour, really.  However, I can certainly appreciate those who celebrate today with some beers and wish everyone a safe and happy day!

It goes without saying I'm having some drinks today.  Sure, I suppose I could have found an Irish beer for this post, but I like to keep everyone on their toes.  Instead, today's beer is the Munich from Thomas Hooker, a brewery in Connecticut.  This Helles style lager was on draft at TJ's in Paoli, a great local beer spot.  It pours a clear gold color with a wispy white head.  There's nothing overpowering about the aroma; there's a very subtle yeast and hops aroma.  The taste has malt and sweet fruit notes, with a earthy nuttiness.  Very clean, dry finish with just a hint of bitterness at the end.  Very refreshing, and fits in well with the warm weather we have today.

This brewery was named for Rev. Thomas Hooker, the man who invented prostitution a colonial leader and founder of the settlement that would become Hartford.  His direct descendants include Willliam Taft and Aaron Burr.  Kickin' it old school!

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, allow me to suggest we all think about the most significant contribution to modern society made by the Irish:  the Shamrock Shake!

Shamrock Shakes IS back! Grammar aren't.

Seriously, if there's anyone in America not familiar with the seasonal appearance of this delicious and refreshing mint milkshake, you may have spent the past 25+ years living under a rock.  Congrats on finding the internet today, though!  This shake is as much a sign of spring for me as robins, flowers, filing my taxes, and March Madness.  Once the Shamrock Shake gets here, you know the warm days of summer are just around the corner.  Like many wonderful things, this is a fleeting experience - before you know it, the Shamrock Shake will be a distant memory as we wait through winter for next spring.  Act fast, supplies are limited.

IT'S A TRAPPE!

Beer #85 Rochefort 10 / Brasserie de Rochefort, Rochefort, Belgium

Busy day today - picked up my dad and went to State College to see the last home PSU basketball game of the season.  Free tickets helped.  While the Lions dropped a close game, the program has a bright future with Coach Chambers calling the shots.  Within two years, this team will contend for a Big Ten title.  Mark it down.

However, despite some great father and son bonding time, the day ended on a sad note.  Sad, because Marci made herself a frozen chicken pot pie.  Without me.

Now, many of you might think me missing this meal is a good thing, as frozen chicken pot pie can't possibly the best option for dinner.  I'll admit that it isn't.  However, we're believers in the Marie Callender's chicken pot pie, available in fine grocery freezer cases everywhere.  While I haven't had one of these in years, back in the early days right after college, this was a staple in our household.  Gradually, the pot pie was phased out of the rotation, as we realized (a) we could afford much better meals and (2) damn these are unhealthy to eat on a regular basis.  So kudos, Marci, for kicking it old school today.  I'm more than a little bit jealous.

Enough about frozen foods, what about a brewery frozen in time?  Tonight I'm drinking a Rochefort 10, from Brasserie de Rochefort.  In case you didn't see last week's post on La Trappe, this is another one of the sacred seven Trappist breweries.  Rochefort is located inside the Abbey de Notre-Dame Saint-Rémy, a monastery that has roots back to 1230, but has only been brewing beer since 1595.  ONLY.  And like Marci's dinner tonight, the monks definitely kick it old school, as they keep a simple lifestyle, adhere to strict diets, and only brew enough beer to cover the costs of the abbey and support charitable causes.

The beer itself is divine (monks brewing beer pun for you there!).  It pours a dark, brownish black with a tan head.  There's a malty, chocolate aroma, and the taste brings malt, caramel, and a toasted bitter chocolate.  There's a subtle sweetness there as well.  If you see Rochefort, order one.  It's that simple, but I will say buyer beware: while this beer is delicious, it's a potent 11.3% ABV.  Rochefort does make two other  beers with more manageable alcohol content, so you have some options there.

Monks of old started brewing beer for sustenance; the beer was literally nutrient rich bread in a glass.  If I could drink beer like this every day, I might give up solid food as well.  Even the oh-so delicious frozen pot pie.

Thing to Think About Today:
Let's get something in the open.  Every time I see a Trappist beer, I think of Star Wars.  Why is that you ask?  I bring your attention to Rebel Alliance leader Admiral Akbar, who once famously warned his troops against... well, just watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dddAi8FF3F4

IT'S A TRAP!  As Star Wars is arguably the most popular film of all time, I suppose it makes sense that Akbar and his warning are still a relevant part of pop culture. In fact, so relevant Ole Miss considered adopting Akbar as their.... mascot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7ljrGXktR4

So that's why I think of Star Wars every time the topic of Trappist beers comes up.  I guess I'll leave you with this as your official thing to think about today: ALWAYS be on the lookout for traps.  Particularly beers brewed by monks!

John Wayne Gacy, Marlo Stanfield, Count Chocula: America's Most Wanted

Beer #68 Cereal Killer / Arcadia Ales, Battle Creek, MI

America has a morbid fascination with two things: serial killers and breakfast cereal.  Oh sure, I can look up a bunch of stats on the proliferation of crime dramas on tv and the millions of boxes of cereal purchased each year.  However, we're in the middle of re-watching The Wire (season 5!), so I'm not going to spend my time looking up those stats.  I'll be re-checking in on Marlo's beef with Prop Joe and his efforts to bring Omar out of retirement.   You want to talk about serial killers, start with Marlo.

If I must talk about serial killers, then it makes sense one of my beers from last weekend is Cereal Killer from Arcadia Ales, a barleywine ale on tap at Jose Pistola's.  It pours a dark brown in the glass (I guess; it was dark in the bar) and has a malty aroma.  The taste has flavors of malt and bread with a hint of sweetness, with some toffee hiding in the background.  Maybe a hint of chocolate.  You can definitely taste the alcohol in this one.  A decent beer, but probably not what I was in the mood for, particularly with Mexican food on the way.  So, it wasn't the best choice I've ever made, but it's definitely worth a try if you're a barleywine fan.  I'd drink another one.

Arcadia seems to be redesigning their website, so not much info there.  However, from some other sources, people seem to suggest letting it age for a while.  I had it on draft, so no dice there.  I'm going to go ahead and assume that the beer name is an homage to Battle Creek, which also serves as home to Kellogg's world headquarters.

Thing to Think About Today:
Count me as someone who finds the psychology of serial killers a very interesting topic.  However, it's a bit morbid to think about serial killers, so let's go ahead and think about cereal, shall we?  If we're thinking cereal, we're starting and ending the conversation with the best cereal EVER:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NESJroTWKFQ

Not sure why they only sell this during Halloween season, but rest assured I get multiple boxes each year to satisfy my craving.

BONUS ROUND:  Everyone knows Frankenberry, Count Chocula, and Boo Berry.  But do you know there were two other monster cereals in existence back in the 80's?  Fame and fortune to the first person to correctly identify the two other monster cereals which no longer haunt the mornings.

If you don't know, I'll save you the time from searching google: Answer can be found here.

Yes, Soup For You!

Beer #67 Bittersweet Symphony / Brouwerij t'Gaverhopke, Stasegem, Belgium

After a long day, it's nice to come home and relax.  Which explains why after work I went to Wegman's, then came home and immediately went to work on making soup for dinner.  And no, we're not talking about opening up a can of Campbell's, we're talking about soup from scratch.  Time consuming? Sort of.  Delicious?  Yes.  Rewarding?  Yes.  Easy?  Eh, this one wasn't too bad.  More on that later.

Tonight's beer comes courtesy of a collaboration project between t'Gaverhopke from (surprise!) Belgium and a small American brewery, Tired Hands, which hails from the nearby town of Ardmore.  Tired Hands will get their day in the sun soon enough (with a visit, I hope), but we're crossing t'Gaverhopke off the list today.

I tried this one on draft at The Farmer's Cabinet, and it pours a hazy orange color with a pleasing citrus and yeast aroma.  The taste combined malt and hops, with some citrus notes and a faint hint of caramel.  Really, a very enjoyable beer that I hope to drink more of in the future.  One of the challenges of this beer blog has been when I find a good beer, I might not get to drink it again due to the need to cross breweries off the list. A risk is that really good but temporary collaborations like this one will disappear from existence before I ever get to drink another one.  Say what you want about macro beers, but I can guarantee that Miller Lite is going to not only taste the same, but also be on tap for years to come.  Bittersweet Symphony?  You better drink it while you have the chance....

Things to Think About Today:
Seems too easy to go with the song Bittersweet Symphony from The Verve, right?  I'll skip it and share with you the recipe for tonight's meal, a healthy take on baked potato soup, which we picked up from smittenkitchen.com:

1 head garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white & light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small
5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (start with 5 cups, save the extra if you want your soup thinner)
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper
2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup sour cream

Let's do it:
1. Rinse the head of garlic to remove dirt/loose skin, cut the top third out and discard.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add leeks and cook until soft (but not brown), about 5 minutes
3. Add the garlic head (whole, not chopped), broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt.  Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, until garlic is very soft.
4. Add potatoes and continue to simmer partially covered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Discard bay leaves and remove garlic head.   If you like garlic, take a few soft cloves and mash them with a fork, then return to the pot
6. Add sour cream, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Use immersion blender (or transfer a portion of potatoes & broth to food processor or blender) and process, leaving chunks of potato for texture.
8. Top with something like chives, shredded cheese, bacon bits, or sour cream (or all of them, or none of them), and serve.  Preferably with beer!

Senape's Tavern, My Dear Old Friend.

Beer # 40 XX Bitter / Brouwerij De Ranke, Dottignies, Belgium
Some days I share really interesting notes and amusing tales on my day or the world around us.  Sorry, today isn't that day.  What, you think Hemingway could crank out The Sun Also Rises every single day of the year?  Have places to go, things to do, so this one stays brief.  But I wouldn't leave you without today's beer.

Today's beer comes from the tap at TJ's in Paoli, and the Belgian IPA from Brouwerij De Ranke  pours a hazy, pale yellow with a foamy head.  This has a dry taste, with a hop bite up front.  Strong hop bite, in fact, with little in the way of citrus behind it  Definitely hits you in the back of the throat.  If you're a fan of bitter beers, this one will be right up your alley.  A solid 6.2% ABV doesn't hurt, either.  Good choice, and another good brewery found.

But I wonder - what did this beer do to earn the XX rating?  How close were they to XXX?  These are the things I think about.

Thing to Think About Today:
In a world completely overrun by ubiquitous chain restaurants serving bad food in huge portions, it's nice to see there are still real restaurants out there.  Tonight, I'll be dining at Senape's Tavern - THE BEST pizza in all the land.  Don't bother emailing me with other pizza suggestions, I'll be too busy devouring another slice of their 12-cut square pizza to pay attention to you.  Senape's Tavern is an old, dated back room of a bar with mismatched furniture and the same waitstaff since I was in high school.  Maybe that's why my order hasn't changed since the first time I set foot in that place.  Will some fancy Celebrity Chef be stopping by to profile this place for the Food Network?  No, but I think I prefer it that way.  Let us have our delicious secret to ourselves....