News: Cooking with Beer

Was directed to a very informative article in the Chicago Tribune today about cooking with beer. The article includes a chart that suggests recipes that might go well with each beer style. There is also an Ale-Brined Chicken Wings recipe at the end. (Note that you may have to register to read the article.)

And speaking of recipes, the article also references two websites that might be worth checking out: beercook.com and grillingwithbeer.com. Haven't tried either, but plan to add them to my repertoire.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, cooking, ale, Chicago Tribune, beercook.com, grillingwithbeer.com

Review: South of the Border Beer Hunter

Recently spent a week in Mexico (Sayulita, just north of Puerto Vallarta). Amazing town--small and not terribly touristy. Great weather, but I'm burned out on the Mexican beer. Not surprisingly, not a lot of craft beer! There were 3 beers that we drank a lot of, all brewed by Grupo Modelo (and it's interesting to note that the links to the beers below seem to focus more on sales of the beer than on the taste or other characteristics).
• Pacifico--Probably the better of the three. Typical American Macro Lager. Pale, not much flavor, some malt, zero hops. More flavor than some typical rice/barley lagers. Not great, but good on a hot day.
• Corona--Yep, even at the source, it's still skunky. Bleah. What do they insist on those clear bottles? When not skunky, it's okay with a lime and still better than most American Macros, but just barely.
• Modelo Especial--I was excited to try this one because I really like Negra Modelo and the Especial isn't readily available in the States (at least not in the Midwest). Boy, was I disappointed. This stuff sucks. Think Bud Light. I should have know when I realized that it only came in cans.

There were, however, three other beers that I did try (two of which I enjoyed). The first was Sol. Pretty much the same as above. Somewhere between Corona and Pacifico. The second, Negra Modelo, is always good. The final beer, which I stumbled upon, and which, to the best of my knowledge, isn't available locally, was Noche Buena. It's a dark Christmas beer and was excellent (at least, given the competition). I picked up a bottle every day we went into town. If only every Mexican beer had been this good.

One beer I didn't have a lot of was Bohemia, the Mexican Vienna lager. It's great stuff, but it was a little hard to find, and when I did find it, it was a choice between Bohemia and Noche Buena.

All things considered, I was disappointed, but not surprised, by the Mexican beers I sampled. In the end, I drank a lot of tequila instead.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Mexico, Noche Buena, Corona, Pacifico, Modelo Especial, Mexican beers, Sayulita, Grupo Modelo, Negra Modelo, Sol, Bohemia, Vienna lager

Notes: Fashioning My Brewery

Got a great book for Christmas that will help in the creation of my all-grain home brewery. The book is Brew Ware, by Storey Publishers. I've linked to the Amazon site for the book, too, because Amazon has excerpts.

Interesting things I've read thus far:
• Instructions for creating a tiered brewing structure.

• Instructions for making a carboy drying rack.

• Instructions for making a wooden crate for holding beer bottles.

• I've been having trouble keeping my carboys at a constant temp. The house is too warm, but the basement is too cold. The book suggests immersing the carboy in a tub of water and using an aquarium thermometer to steady the temp.

I'll keep you posted on any projects I make.

Technorati Tags: brewing, brewing, craft beer, homebrewing, Brew Ware, Storey Publishers

News: Craft Brew in a Can

More press for the folks at Oskar Blues Restaurant and Brewery, who put their Dale's Pale Ale in a can.

Still waiting to try it. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it should be headed to Ohio by March.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Oskar Blues, Dale's Pale Ale, canned beer

Update: Poor Richard's Ale

According to the Brewers Association, Rock Bottom Brewing in Cincinnati has committed to brewing Poor Richard's Ale. They'll be tapping on January 17, 2006. Kudos to Head Brewer Guy Bartmess for stepping up!

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Brewers Association, Rock Bottom Brewing, Cincinnati, Poor Richard's Ale, Guy Bartmess

News: Bubbly on a Budget

Okay, so this item isn't entirely about beer, but it is about alcohol—Champagne to be exact. The NY Times wine critic wrote an interesting piece on cheap Champagne. No, Korbell didn't make the list, but it was encouraging to see that you could get some decent bubbly for $30 or less. Just in time for the holidays.

If Champagne doesn't flip your lid, but you still want to pop a cork on New Year's, you might consider a Belgian ale. The Chimay ales, Duvel, and any of the Brewery Van Steenberge ales (Piraat, Gulden Draak, etc., ) are all excellent. The Ommegang brewery, located in Cooperstown, NY, crafts excellent North American versions of the style, too.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Champagne, Belgian ale, trappist, Chimay, Duvel, Brewery Van Steenberge, Piraat, Gulden Draak, Ommegang

News: Poor Richard's Ale

An interesting historical note. This January 17th marks the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth, who was not only a founding father, but also a noted beer enthusiast (America's first beer geek?). Tony Simmons, head brewer of Brick Oven Brewing Company in Pagosa Springs, Colorado has researched and created a credible recipe for a beer that should resemble what old Ben would have quaffed.

Brewers 'round the country are offering this special brew, called Poor Richard's Ale, on January 17, 2006. Unfortunately, Ohio is one of the last 7 states without a commitment to brew, although the Brewer's Association is REALLY pushing to get volunteers in these hold-out states. I'll keep ya' posted if and when it becomes available in this area.

Technorati Tags: beer, brewing, craft beer, Poor Richard's Ale, Brick Oven Brewing, Brewers Association