Archive for October, 2009

Last Saturday was filled with events for our family.  Our morning was spent watching our oldest run in a regional cross-country meet.  Although the sun was shining, it was a chilly morning to be standing outside.  In the afternoon, our family went apple picking at a local orchard.  By mid-afternoon, it had warmed considerably, making this outdoor adventure more enjoyable for those prone to cold fingers and toes.

As the night would be cold, we purchased apple cider to turn into a warm evening drink.  I never had made mulled cider previously, but it seemed like a simple recipe to master.  I did deviate from typical recipes that call for cinnamon sticks and used ground cinnamon instead.  I also replaced whole cloves with ground cloves.  In spite of these substitutions, I found this cider to be quite delicious.  Plus, having simmered all afternoon in our crockpot, the entire house smelled wonderful.

This recipe lends itself to crowds quite nicely.  Create a large batch in a crockpot, or if more is needed, it can be made in a stockpot.  The “kick” is added to individual glasses, so this beverage can be served without alcohol in order to quench everyone’s thirst.  If you feel like extending the extra effort, I would recommend rimming your mugs for an extra special look and taste.

With many Halloween, Thanksgiving, and assorted fall gatherings drawing near, this is a great recipe to keep nearby.

Spiked Mulled Cider

1/2 gallon cider

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 Tb. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

caramel sauce

brandy

Combine cider, 2 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in crockpot.  Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 3 hours.

Before serving, combine sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a shallow dish that is wider than the mugs (Irish coffee mugs work very well) in which you will be serving the cider.  Apply a small amount of caramel sauce to the rim of each mug.  Invert mug, and twist in cinnamon-sugar mix to coat rim.

Pour 1 ounce of brandy into each mug, and add cider to fill. Stir to combine.

Enjoy!

Bottle/Tap: Bottle

I spent last week raiding my favorite beer spots and finally found a bottle of mythical Vermonster.  As it turns out, it was the only bottle this store had; did I feel bad taking it?  No, because I knew you’d want to hear about it.

We had some friends over for pizza and Dexter watching, so I busted out the bottle to test.  I split the beer in a few glasses and found that the dark amber color was intriguing.  It looked like syrup and had a strong aroma.  Well, it is a 10% barley wine, what did you expect?  I’m not one for barley wines, but I did enjoy this one. (more…)

This week will be a little different than my usual post.  Instead of tasting a beer and telling you about it, I’ll be bringing awareness to your nostrils and taste buds.  Check this out before we go on.  Actually, let me summarize what is happening.

There is a brewery in Vermont called Rock Art Brewery.  They produce beer, and I have never tried any of their stuff but will try to in the future.  To celebrate their 10 years of brewing, Matt Nadeau decided to create the ‘Vermonster’ beer.  According to what he says about the beer it is a barley wine, 10% alcohol and is a real American brew to show that he started in his basement and has moved to a real brewery. (more…)

Bottle/Tap: Bottle

There are some beers that you hear rumors about, and there are some you never find no matter how hard you try.  This one is the latter of those options.  I’ve been hearing about Saranac’s pumpkin flavored beer for a few years and never found it anywhere. . .until I made a trip to Warner, New Hampshire, to watch the Bruins with a friend.  We needed something to drown the sorrows of a bad game and found our remedy in a few six-packs at Market Basket. (more…)

In September, our beer reviewer, John, attended the Wicked Wine & Brew Fest.  While at this festival, he was able to sample many excellent products, including mead from Piscassic Pond Winery.  With little knowledge about mead, except for references to it in literature, such as Beowulf and Harry Potter, an interview with the owners seemed  to be a good idea.  Meeting with Roberta Gerkin, one half of the mead making team, I learned quite a bit about this historical drink.

Piscassic Pond Winery received its license in 2003 and sold its first batch of mead (also known as honey wine) in 2004.  This winery would be deemed small, producing between 500 and 600 cases of mead each year.  Located in Newfields, New Hampshire, their product can be purchased in-state only.

Making mead is a multi-step, yearlong process.  The ingredients for mead are three:  honey, water, and yeast.  These ingredients are combined in a vat, and after approximately six weeks, it has become alcohol.  However, at this point the beverage does not taste very good.  In order to produce mead that is pleasing to the palate, it needs to mature for about a year.  After the initial 6 weeks, it is moved from its initial vat into another vat to continue aging.   Once matured, the mead is filtered, bottled, and labeled.

Like other wines, mead can be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet.  However, being made from honey, mead tends to be sweeter than its grape counterparts.  A dry mead has the sweetness that is similar to a semi-dry wine.  Of course, with 800 pounds of honey needed to make 320 gallons of mead, that shouldn’t be too surprising.

Piscassic Pond Winery also produces different varieties of mead.  They produce both melomels and metheglins.  Melomels are meads that has been infused with fruits, such as elderberry or pumpkins.  Metheglins are meads that have been infused with spices, such as rosehips or winter spice.

I brought a few samples home from my interview.  While I don’t consider myself anywhere near enough qualified to review mead, I do have to admit that I found it to be quite appealing.  From its beautiful golden color to its honey aroma to its rich flavor, I enjoyed my initial foray into mead.

To learn more about mead or Piscassic Pond Winery, please visit their website.