Monday, May 25, 2015

Strawberry IPA Infusion





I had a remnant from a six-pack of Brutal IPA from Rogue and a pint of fresh strawberries hanging around in the fridge. They were all lonely like, so I decided to bring them together.

The result was surprisingly delicious.

The sweet strawberries compliment the hoppy bitterness making the Brutal be not so, well, brutal.

Cheers!

Strawberry IPA Infusion

Place several cut up strawberry into the bottom of a French press and smoosh with the back of a spoon.Then pour 12 ounces of IPA in with the fruit. Let the beer soak into the berries for 4 to 5 minutes. Finally, press the filter down slowly and pour into a glass.

Delish!


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

A little wee, a little mead


Sap House meadery Blackberry Maple mead paired with Sutliff Dark Honey Berry tobacco was lovely marriage of flavors and sensations, making for a few relaxing moments after a long day of work.

Chillin'


Sunday, May 17, 2015

Relaxing on a Sunday afternoon


Watermelon Lime IPA Infusion





Blending the flavors of fresh lime and watermelon with a hoppy IPA makes for a refreshing infusion. The fruits mellow out the sharpness of the brew, simple and delightful.

Cheers!



Watermelon Lime IPA Infusion

Place several chunks of fresh cut watermelon into the bottom of a French press. Squeeze a couple wedges of lime into the pot and drop the lime pieces in with the melon. And then pour 12 ounces of IPA in with the fruit. Let the beer soak into the watermelon for 4 to 5 minutes.  Finally, press the filter down slowly and pour into a glass.  

I threw some chunks of watermelon into the beer, too. After it was infused.  

Wonderful!




Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Rumberry Jammer


Fresh fruit, good rum, and a refreshing beer are the inspiration for this light refreshing cocktail.

This cool and crisp cocktail is perfectly wonderful on a hot summer day (or any ol' time).

Rumberry Jammer
makes 1 cocktail






Fresh Raspberries
1 Tsp Brown Sugar
Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Oz Good Rum
4 Oz Ginger Ale
4 - 6 Oz Road Jam (or other fruit beer)


Dump a small handful of raspberries into the bottom of a tall glass.

Sprinkle the brown sugar and squeeze a wedge lemon over the berries.

Gently smush the berries and muddle with the lemon juice and sugar.  Leave the berries somewhat intact, don't mash them.

Fill the glass with crushed ice and then add the rum.

Pour in the ginger ale and top off with the beer.

Stir gently and enjoy!







Friday, May 8, 2015

Nor'Yeaster Beer Dinner

Two Roads Brewing Company hosted it's third beer dinner entitled Nor'Yeaster. The menu was made up of five courses paired with a mix of seasonal,pre-release, and limited edition Two Roads brew.

The food was prepared by Chef Plum (Kristopher Plummer) using each beer as inspiration for his flavorful dishes.

As beers were brought to the tables, brewmastter Phil Markowski discussed the brew and answered questions. Then Chef Plum would describe each course and why he paired the beer with it. The pairings were truly inspired.

The folks I was sitting with were the best. We had a fabulous time drinking and eating and sharing the experience. As always, there were photo-ops with old friends and new friends. Chef should consider making ham next time. ;-)


The first course was my favorite summer beer served with local oysters on the half shell. Hubby doesn't eat fish so I got two . . . two oysters, not two beers. Dammit, he loves Road Jam, too! He wouldn't even eat the delecious parmesan cracker because it was "contaminated". Whatever. More for me.

The Road Jam's light fruitiness nicely complimented the fresh, cool oyster(s).

Nicely done.

The second course was the much anticipated (by me) Ghost of All Evil paired with a seared chicken thigh. Ghost of All Evil is Route of All Evil aged in Rye barrels with ghost and chipotle peppers. Oh, my!

The beer did not disappoint. It started with a bit of acrid smokiness followed by a nice peppery taste and a mild capsaicin warming. Then the hops came forward and fnished with more peppery warmth. Nice.

It went very well with the seared chicken thigh.

Nom!


The third course was Road 2 Rouen paired with a roasted carrot avocado salad.  Road 2 Rouen is variation of Two Roads' best selling beer made with Trappist ale yeast and brett added.

The yeasts created a flavor surprisingly unlike Road to Ruin. The effect was much like a sour, tart and mouth watering. Amazing.

The beer and the salad went together agreeably well with a nice combination of contrasting flavors.

Mmmm.





The fourth course was Aquavit Barrel-Aged Unorthodox Stout served with grilled flanken.

Aquavit - water of life - is a Scandinavian liquor that is flavored with spices and herbs - primarily caraway or dill. It  added an interesting flavor to the stout that was subtle and very nice.

A hearty meat seems to always go well with a hearty beer. As was the case with this pairing.

Delish!



The fifth and final course Barrel Aged Henry's Farm served with a phallic looking - but delicious - dessert.

The Henry's Farm was smooth and wonderful.

It went very well with the sweetness of the pastries. A perfect finish.

A good time was had by all!


Saturday, May 2, 2015

Celebrate May with Rogue IPAs




When hubby sent me a message on Facebook letting me know that there was a new Untappd badge -Celebrate May with Rogue IPAs - for drinking some hoppy Rogue brews, it seemed like a pretty good idea to join in on the celebration.

Of course, that was right after he sent me a link letting me know that May 2 is World Naked Gardening Day. Not such a good idea. Watch out for those twigs and berries!



It was a nice day, so I plopped myself into a chair on the deck, kicked back, and settled in to smoke a Rocky Patel & quaff a couple of cold ones.

Altogether, not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Life is good.




Brutal IPA (5.80% ABV) is an American IPA.

I wouldn't call it brutal but I would call it delicious.

It pours a hazy, golden amber with a robust hoppy aroma with hints of pine, fruit, and citrus.

It tastes of sweet malts with a blend of sweet tropical, tart citrus, and earthy hops.

Brutal is pleasantly bitter yet mildly sweet. A good balance of flavors that lingers on the palate.

Very enjoyable.

7 Hop IPA (8.02% ABV) is an American IPA. So named because the beer was brewed with all seven varieties of aroma hops grown  at Rogue Farms.

It pours a cloudy copper color with an awesome lacing head. The aroma is richly hoppy and mouth watering.

The taste is big on grapefruit and pine. Deliciously bitter but not palate stripping. A touch of sweet maltiness balances out the flavors.

Tasty but not slam-back-able. A delicious sipper.