Archive for September, 2008

Tap/Bottle – Bottle

Only twice I’ve subjected myself to high potency beers: La Fin Du Monde and Sam Adam’s Imperial Pilsner. Usually, I avoid anything over 5 or 6% when I’m out and about, and this past Tuesday I was tricked.

Victory Brewing is one of the new lines of beers to have been added to Strangebrew’s roster. After a pint of delicious Bass, I decided to try one of the new offerings. Based on name alone, I chose the Golden Monkey Ale. What I envisioned and what I got were two different things. The words ‘golden ale’ usually bring up thoughts of a calm summer afternoon, but not this time.

The beer was served in a 12 ounce bottle; this should have been a hint. Second, the aroma was a little off. Finally, after a quarter of the bottle, I read the label: 9.5% alcohol by volume. Suddenly, I felt the urge to consume more nachos.

If you managed to try Sam Adam’s Imperial Pilsner last fall, it was intensely hoppy. Golden Monkey can be likened to the Imperial Pilsner, yet it tasted slightly better due to whatever spices Victory mixed in the brew.

The one characteristic of beers that are 9% or above is that they all begin to taste similar. Due to the alcohol content it really dilutes the flavor, and you can’t taste much else. This is why I avoid high alcohol beers.

Halfway through the bottle the flavor smoothed out a bit. I managed to finish it and peel off the label for future reference. For beers like this, you often need the right mindset before you pop the top, not totally be taken by surprise. I’m intrigued to try more by Victory Brewing; I just hope that the rest of their line isn’t so intimidating.

Time for a little word association game. If I say, “Summertime,” what do you think of? Asking a few of my colleagues, their responses were swimming, beaches, and cookouts.

For me, summertime conjures thoughts of watermelon. This fruit is a favorite among the ages. What is more fun for a child than eating watermelon off the rind, allowing the juice to drip down your chin, and getting to spit the seeds?

As an adult, I still enjoy the taste of watermelon. With watermelon season coming to an end, I purchased one to savor the waning tastes of summer.  There were a few slices left after the meal, which I could have saved them for the next day’s lunch.  However, I decided to transform this kid-favorite fruit into an adult’s only beverage.

Combining the watermelon with vodka, I made my own infusion. When we had friends for dinner, this vodka became the base of a delicious martini. This drink can be made with purchased infused-vodka, though that version is sweeter.

Watermelon-infused Vodka

2 cups watermelon, cut into ½” cubes

4 cups vodka

Place watermelon cubes in the bottom of a clean, glass jar. Add vodka. Seal jar with lid, and place in a cool dark place for 1 week.

Using a fine mesh strainer, pour vodka into a bottle for storage.  Can be used in mixed drinks or the following martini recipe.

Watermelon Martini

2 oz. watermelon-infused vodka

1 oz. cranberry juice

Splash lemon-lime soda

Fill a martini shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add vodka and cranberry juice. Shake well. Pour into a martini glass, and add soda. Stir gently, and serve with a small watermelon chunk as a garnish.

Obrycki’s is a Baltimore restaurant icon that was established in 1944 to serve great seafood in a low-key, blue-collar Baltimore style.

So when I was killing time waiting for a flight at BWI, I went in to see what I could find to drink.  And being near noon, but still morning, I decided the world called for a Bloody Mary.  Obrycki’s has its own spin on the Mary, and it is called the Crabby Mary.  I ordered a double and watched the bartender make it:

• 3 oz. of Absolut Peppar
• 2 oz. of Bloody Mary Mix
• Ice

The ingredients are shaken and then poured into a tumbler that has Obrycki’s Spicy Seafood mix on the rim.  The drink is garnished with a celery stalk.

It was the perfect late morning drink.

Tap/Bottle: Tap

I need to drink outside my comfort bottle and sample something different. I am no big fan of the IPA, but for the sake of journalism, I will travel to new frontiers.

At Strangebrew, I ordered an old favorite: French Onion soup. Some days you feel like a nut, some days you feel like soup. To go with my soup I picked a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.

60 minutes has nothing to do with consumption time. It coincides with the brewing process and the length of boil time the wort endures. During this time, hops are continuously added for either 60, 90 or 120 minutes, thus increasing bitterness. The longer the boil the stronger the bitter.  Trust me on this, none of these beers are for sissy Budweiser drinkers.

The color of this beer was seductive enough that I thought nothing of the flavor, until I tasted it. According to my buddy, the look on my face was priceless. I will say this: Dogfish Head makes a fine beer. I just can’t seem to get them down too easily.

Thankfully, my soup arrived, which meant I had something to wash the beer down with. The 60 Minute IPA is slightly easier to get down than the 90 Minute, as you could have figured. The 60 starts off deceivingly smooth and nails you with the bitter when you least expect. However, the 90 is bitter all over. Having never tried the 120, I only can imagine how strong it must be.

I do have a slight bias against IPA’s, I don’t always enjoy bitter beers. I’ll drink them when I want some excitement. Maybe I’m just too weak for IPA’s, oh well. If you feel up to the challenge and enjoy strong flavor, give this one a go.

If you read the previous post, you’ll see that my adoring husband recently made a drink for me.  While I found the drink to better than cognac straight from the snifter, it still wasn’t quite my sort of drink.  However, with him away on a business trip this week, I was able to create my own cognac-based drink without him knowing that I was tinkering with his recipe.  I really didn’t want to burst his bubble, but having enjoyed my cocktail, I just had to share my version of a French Connection.

1 shot cognac (still Hennessy)

1 shot Amaretto

splash seltzer

splash gingerale

Pour all ingredients into a low ball glass filled with ice.  Stir well, and enjoy.