Grilling with Beer

It's Bar-be-que season, and I found this great article about grilling with beer. There are several things I never thought of, like using beer to soak wood chips, or as a spray, or mop sauce. Check out this article for 7 ways to use beer for grilling plus some recipes.

7 Smart Ways to Use Beer When You BBQ, Plus 6 Beer-Blasted Recipes!

Review - Abita Harvest Lager

Another great summer beer. Abita Harvest Lager is a light pilsner sytle beer, brewed with Louisiana strawberries. It has a great balance of strawberry flavoring and is not too over powering. It's a nice tasting light beer perfect paired with summer salads. It's 4.2%ABV.

Abita's Harvest series is one of my favorites, they also make a grapefruit and lemon beer. Their Purple Haze Lager made with raspberries, is something you should try if you like fruit beers.

Website - The Beeroness

Lately I have been obsessed with The Beeroness website. She offers amazing recipes for cooking with beer. Her recipes range from dessert, to chicken, beef, pork, fish, to veggie meals, to smoothies and even onion rings.  She is a gourmet chef who takes the time to create these recipes with a wide selection of craft beers.

She even has a cookbook for sale, but the recipes on the website are still free. Please check out http://thebeeroness.com/ for some great recipes.

Review - Victory Kirsch Gose

I tried Victory Brewing Company's seasonal Kirsch Gose Sour Cherry Beer. It had a tart, citrusy smell. It had a citrusy cherry taste, was very tart and had the definite taste of salt. The after taste was sweet and tasted more like cherries. This was unlike other sour cherry beers I've tried in that it was a Gose style as opposed to an ale. I prefer sour cherries in an ale style beer, but this does make a great dessert beer. It goes well with cheesecake and chocolate. 

Event - The Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Party

For only $25 you can sample wine, cheese from around the world, Lindt Chocolates, and more culinary surprises. This event is rain or shine, it will be under a big tent at the Hamilton Stage in Rahway, NJ.

When: Thursday June 18, 2015 @ 5:30 PM - 9PM
Where: Hamilton Stage
            360 Hamilton Street
            Rahway, NJ 
            07065

To purchase tickets visit the event page here. 

Beer Garden Review - Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten

Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten is definitely worth a trip to Asbury Park, NJ.  At first I wondered why they chose Lake Avenue, instead of the busier and stylish Cookman Avenue. Take the stairs to the second floor and you a great view of Wesley lake and the beautiful houses in Ocean Grove, NJ. The second floor is a roof top garden, with wooden benches and and  large table umbrellas to protect you from the sun. Currently they sell food from food carts on the second floor which you can eat upstairs or bring down to the first floor. In the fall they will have their full menu both upstairs and downstairs.

They have a large selection of both domestic and foreign beers. I was impressed with the bar staff's knowledge of the beers they serve. It's always a plus when the staff can give you good descriptions and suggestions. I tried two beers, my notes are as follows:

Blanche de Bruxelles: Very sweet smell, crisp orange taste. Similar to Blue Moon.  4.5%ABV. Belgium.

Schofferhofer: Sweet fruity smell and citrusy grapefruit taste. Mild tart aftertaste. More of a sweet beer than a sour one. 2.5%ABV. German.

I also had a giant pretzel,that tasted great, and came with two interesting sauces. One was a dijon mustard that had a sweet kick to it. The other was a cheese sauce with a spicy/hot after taste. From what I heard from other guests while I was there, the food is really great.

Check out the food and beer menu on their website www.asburybiergarten.com/

Weekends do tend to get crowded so your best bet is to plan your visit during the week.

Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten
527 Lake Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
07712

Review - Prickly Pear Beer

I recently tried Shiner's Prickly Pear Beer. It's made with the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, which is pictured below.  This is a seasonal beer only offered during the summer. It is a sour beer with 4.9% ABV. It has a nice hoppy, sweet smell. It tastes tart and citrusy, with a slightly sweet after taste. 
I liked this beer, but the flavor was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Usually when trying fruit/vegetable beers I compare them to the real thing, but I've never had prickly pear before. In one word, I would say this was an "interesting" beer.
I think this would pair well with cheese, a very stinky cheese, or nachos/salsa/cheese. My friend suggested sour fruit such as; apple or kiwi. Still another suggestion is pairing it with a banana. My friend did and said it brought out a lot of the subtle flavors.

 

Recipe - Beer Mustard

I've seen several recipes for beer mustard. I've heard that it's really good. I found a basic recipe and plan to make it for my hot dogs this summer.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown mustard seeds

1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds

1 cup dark beer, or as needed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 half pint canning jars with lids and rings

 

Directions:

1.	Soak brown and yellow mustard seeds with dark beer in a large bowl set in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If the seeds soak up the beer too quickly, add more beer.
2.	Transfer the soaked mustard seeds to a food processor along with garlic, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.
3.	Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.
4.	Pack the mustard into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top.
5.	Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles.
6.	Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
7.	Refrigerate the jars of mustard for 2 weeks before using.

 

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com but a simple google or pinterest search will turn up a ton more. 

 

Travel - Italy Beer Tours

ITALY BEER TOURS

I wasn't aware that there was a craft beer scene in Italy until I found this site. They offer a 6 day, 6 night, 12 brewery tour in Italy. Your tour guides are also the authors of  "Italy: Beer Country - The story of Italian Craft Beer." They explain on the website that Italy didn't have a beer history until 1996, when 3 new breweries opened. They are not constrained by any traditional processes or flavors, which has allowed for a lot of creativity. Italy is know for fine products, craftsmanship, wine and food. I can only imagine that these beers to be of the same quality.
To find about more about the tour and itinerary, visit their site at http://www.italybeertours.com/


Pricing information:
A non-refundable deposit of $350 per person is required to confirm your registration. $3495 PER PERSON (DOUBLE OCCUPANCY) and add $595 per person for single occupancy. Full payment is required 60 days prior to departure.

Review - Not Your Father's Root Beer

Small Town Brewey's "Not Your Father's Root Beer" is finally available in New Jersey. There has been a lot of hype about this beer. Usually these fads never live up to the hype. I was extremely skeptical, especially since I would be the first to spike regular root beer and call it a day.
I was pleasantly surprised. It is a spiced ale that tastes exactly like root beer. I only tasted the alcohol in my throat after I swallowed. The regular brew is 5.9% ABV, and perfect for a root beer float.
Small Town Brewery also offers a 10.7% and 19.5% limited edition 22oz bottle, under the same name with the ABV % on the label.

Event - Pour The Core: A Hard Cider Festival

Pour The Core is a hard cider festival taking place in 4 four locations in 2015. Each event will feature over 50 different ciders and various seminars. General Admission tickets are ~$40 if purchased in advanced and will go up the day of the event. The General Admission ticket includes a tasting glass with a 2 oz pour line to sample unlimited ciders.

The Dates and Locations for this event are:
Brooklyn, NY  June 13, 2015
Boston, MA     September 12, 2015
Long Island, NY October 3, 2015
Philadelphia, PA  October 17, 2015

For more information and to purchase tickets check out the festival home page http://www.pourthecore.com/

GROUPON is currently running a deal for the Brooklyn, NY event. You can purchase a discounted ticket by following this link https://www.groupon.com/deals/pour-the-core-cider-festival?utm_source=GPN&utm_medium=afl&z=skip&utm_campaign=200940&mediaId=201773&sid=ty3cGesx

Deal - Craft-Brewing Online Course only $25

Groupon is currently offering a deal for a lifetime membership to Craft-Beer Brewing online course from CraftBeerAtHome.com. This is a $199 value for only $25. This is great for people who don't live near a venue offering in person courses and great to have as a reference when you take on your next brew project. This course is designed specifically for the beginner. If you would like to find out more visit the companies home page at http://course.craftbeerathome.com/


To purchase follow this link, while supplies last https://www.groupon.com/deals/craftbeerathome-com-19-new-york

Review - Triumph Brewing Company in Princeton, NJ

While I was in Princeton, I had the opportunity to sample beers from Triumph Brewing Company. They offer a sampling of seven house brewed beers for ~$15. My notes are below:

Gose Beer: Smells like salt and black pepper.

Lent Beer: Hints of black pepper, Kosher salt, red chili flakes and sage. More subtle flavoring, best paired with food to bring out complex flavors.

Ambar Ale: Sweet smell. Grapefruit taste. Made with cascade hops.

Porter: Dark beer. Smells of coffee and chocolate. Definite chocolate after taste. Dessert Beer.

Dinkel: Light bodied pilsner.

Bengal Gold Indian Pale Ale: Sweet smell and sour taste.

Nutts Brown Ale: Slight coffee smell. Smooth, full bodied and creamy. This is an unfiltered "real ale" brewed in the traditional British style. 

My favorites are the Gose Beer and Ambar Ale. This was my first time trying a Gose beer, and I loved it. However my friend, also tasting the same beers, said he's had better Gose. I guess I will have to try some more Gose beers to compare.  The Ambar Ale would go great with salad, chicken, fish, or seafood. I also liked the Bengal Gold Indian Pale Ale. I have always been a fan of sour beer and this was very drinkable. My least favorite were the Lent Beer and Nutt's Brown Ale. I feel the Lent Beer was trying to combine too many flavors, it could be re-worked into something great.


Triumph Brewing Company currently has two locations (Princeton, NJ and New Hope, PA), with a third location opening soon in Red Bank, NJ. It's worth the trip to check out their range of beers that is constantly changing. For reviews of the past/current beers on Beer Advocate by following this link http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1317/

Triumph Brewing Company
138 Nassau Street
Princeton NJ 08542
(609) 924-7855

Recipe - Beer Mug Cupcakes

These look so cute, they would be perfect for father's day or a beer lovers birthday. They have Baileys Irish Cream ganache filling, but I'm sure you could substitute a nice chocolate beer into the ganache. For the recipe follow this link http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/beer-mug-cupcakes-with-baileys-filling/919c1d91-6463-4b08-88d3-d0eab736eb11/

Beer and Candy Pairing Chart

I found this neat chart on pinterest. These all look great, but I'm really interested in the Sour Patch kids and India Pale Ale and the smarties and sour beer. If you give any of these a try please let me know how your pairings turn out.

Review- Tropical Mango Pale Ale

This is my top pick for a summer beer. It's St John Brewers Virgin Islands Tropical Mango Pale Ale. It's a light refreshing beer made with mango essence. It's not too sweet and taste surprisingly like real mango. This is a favorite of mine and at 4.5% abv I like to have 3 or 4 at a time.

St John Brewers is only carried in a handful of U.S. States and luckily N.J. is one of them. To find a location near you that sells it use the Sheehan Family Companies beer finder by following this link https://sheehanfamilycompanies.com/beer-finder