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.

I love cognac.  This has been a taste that I have acquired over the last 10 years.  But for many people, like my lovely bride, cognac has too much bite.  The aromatic liquor is strong and can burn going down.  So I am always on the lookout for a mixed concoction that will soften the harshness.

So the other night I put together the French Connection:

• 1.5 shots of a middle-of-the-road cognac (I used Hennessy)
• .5 shots of amaretto
• ice cubes
• Splash of seltzer

Place the first three ingregients in a shaker, and shake.  Pour in a cocktail glass over ice cubes and add a splash of seltzer.

My darling bride described the drink as a “warm cold drink”.  But she liked it, and it made me smile that we can now share cognac.

Sometimes the simplest cocktail recipes have the greatest names and the best results.  That is exactly what you get with the Woo Woo:

• 1 shot of Vodka
• 1 shot of Peach Schnapps
• Splash of Cranberry Juice
• Ice, divided

Put ice in shaker, and add liquid ingredients.  Shake well, and then pour it into a highball glass filled with ice.

Great for a late night refreshment.

Tap/Bottle: Bottle

Rule of Citrus: None

Besides sampling plenty of Woodstock Inn beverages on our camping trip, I also brought a mix of Flying Dog ales. I’ve noticed Flying Dog in many stores, but I’ve never purchased any of their products. At first I was intrigued when I found out that Ralph Steadman was the artist in charge of the labels. Anyone familiar with Hunter S. Thompson will know who Ralph Steadman is and his brand of drawings.

On the first night of the trip Ed, our resident Bass Master, had come across some white perch on his last fishing trip. With his expert knife skills, he cleaned and prepared the fish so I could cook it over the stove.

The Tire Bite ale blended very well with the Old Bay seasoned perch. Tire Bite is a golden ale, very smooth and refreshing. With a crisp taste and finish it was pretty tough for me not to finish the whole pack I brought.

You can’t really screw up a golden ale- they might be the best tasting beer. Although you can get some that are very watered down, Tire Bite had a good blend of flavor and water.  I have to add Tire Bite to my list of ales to look for next spring and summer.

This was my first foray into Flying Dog products, and it won’t be my last. I just need to work my way up to the double bocks and barley wines they offer.

The Sidecar may be one of the oldest and most varied cocktails in the world.  The origins of the sidecar are murky, but it is considered to be one of the classic mixed drinks from the early part of the 20th century. It can have  brandy or cognac, orange liqueur, and some kind of citrus juice.

Well, at one of our favorite haunts, Michael Timothy’s in Nashua, NH, they just put a Classic Side Car in their new drink menu.  Last week, I tried one out.  It was listed to have the ingredients:

• Remy Martin VSOP
• Grand Marnier
• Sour Mix

Served over ice it makes a strong but flavorful cocktail.

Located on the bustling main street of Woodstock, New Hampshire, you are sure to find the Woodstock Inn and Brewery. On our usual Labor Day camping trip, we made a pilgrimage to the Inn for food and beverages. Besides great food, there is also great beer, and with a sampler option on the menu I opted for four brews from light to dark.

First up, we had the Loon Golden Ale, a dry and crisp beer. With a golden color and slight hop flavor this proved to be a good start to lunch.

Second was the Pemi Pale Ale. Normally, I don’t like pales and IPAs, but this ale was much smoother than most I’ve tried. Pales are a good way to break into IPAs with just enough bitter to keep your taste buds active.

Coming in third we had the Red Rack Ale. In the tradition of a Killian’s Irish, the Red Rack fairs better. With a little more bite than your average red ale, you could say the Woodstock Inn enjoys bitter beers. I too enjoy this ale.

Last but not least was the Old Man Oatmeal Stout. I like a good stout more often over a porter, and this stout was perfect. It was smooth with a hint of oatmeal flavor, some bitters for the back of your throat. This reminded me of the Espresso Porter from Keene’s Elm City Brewery. This was a good way to end off the sampler and lunch.

Another successful trip made better by good company, great food and fine beer. If you happen to be lost in moose country, I suggest stopping in for a Train Wreck Sandwich and a sampler. Happy trails.