Showing posts with label Beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beer. Show all posts

BrewMile: Recap of Movin' & Brewin' 

Friday, September 23, 2011 -
We had a great time last Friday at our BrewMile event!  It was a bit cooler than I would have liked, but we had a successful event!

Friends, new and seasoned, all joined us around 6:30 to register, receiving a white or purple bracelet to signify that they were ready to run and drink.  Once the gang was there, we worked our way over to the Monon for a quick one mile run/walk event!  Congratulations to Ryan and Jess for being the first man and woman to cross the finish line in around 7 minutes (yes, my stopwatch stopped working just when I needed it the most!)

After everyone got their fitness in, we worked our arms by sipping on several brews.  Everyone was given a commemorative drinking glass and pretzel necklace to start the festivities.  As mentioned, hubs had two and we also had Flat 12 available.  In addition, guests could bring craft beer to share - we had quite a variety from local breweries, including Sun King, Granite City and a few others.  The drinks were flowing and people were chatting about beer or whatever struck them through the evening.


Of course, we can't forget the beer inspired food.  People, and pups, were snacking on the (and of course, I don't mind - if anything, I encouraged!)


 

Hamburgers and brats from a beer bath were eaten, while people dipped beer bread into the beer cheese dip. There were also stout brownies - a lot of brownies.  Some people were lucky enough to walk away with these rich treats. 



We raised approximately $400 for the cause - couldn't have done it without the support of our Indy friends, new and seasoned!  Who knew playing some beer toss could result in finances?


Thanks to my dear sparkle monster friend, Mal, for passing the photos my way.  I was clearly a slacker of the evening having too much fun with friends!  Hope everyone had a great time!


Weren't able to join us? If you are still wanting to support my fundraising efforts, I would really appreciate it!  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Every dollar counts - I couldn't help fight this disease without the support of my friends and family! 

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The Dogs Can Enjoy Beer too! 

Monday, August 22, 2011 -
As many of you know, hubs is a homebrewer.  I personally think he is quite good at what he does - and no, this isn't because I'm biased!  I'm not too involved in the process, I do a lot of watching.  Once in a while, I may pick up the paddle and stir, other times I may watch the timer while he does something else, add some hops here and there.  But really, my involvement usually comes when it is in a glass and ready to be consumed.

We had been talking for quite a bit about the grain that he expends at the end of the process.  Sure, it is great for flower beds and all that jazz, but when you live in a townhome, flower beds aren't always an option.  I began to do some research because I thought, "why can't we eat it?"  And wouldn't you know, there are quite some recipes out there, from pizza crust to bread, people 'reuse' this grain.  And if they do, why can't I?



During my research, I found that one can use grain for dog biscuits.  Now, a big red flag here people, dogs are deathly allergic to hops.  So ensure any yeast you use for your pooch is hop free.  I found a variety of recipes, but most were pretty basic with four ingredients: grain, eggs, flour and peanut butter.  I decided to welcome our new pup (and of course to keep our current pup, Nala, happy - doesn't she look happy in her Packer scarf?) and make some.




Brew Dog Biscuits
Ingredients

  • 4 cups spent grain (I mixed two different kinds)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
Mix all of these ingredients together. 

Spread into a baking pan.  Score the dough - I used some cookie cutters as well as making straight lines.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.


Take these out of the oven, and break them up according to the score lines you made earlier.  Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake again at 250 degrees for about 4-5 hours.  The key here is to make sure they are completely dry.  If not, they can grow mold and that is a no go for the pups in the house.  So dehydrate if you have one, or just leave them in the oven until you are sure they are dry.

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Brew Bracket - A Craft Beer Tourney 

Thursday, April 21, 2011 -
Hubs and I joined up with our friend Steven and a few others to participate in the IPA tourney of craft brews - Brew Bracket.  I wasn't entirely sure how the event was going to work, but was excited for this portion of the birthDAY celebration.  We happily made our way to the Indiana State Fairgrounds and arrived a few minutes early.  A few minutes early that day in the beer community was a lot early, so we sat around and waited for the festivities to begin.

As we looked around I saw there were four different areas: North, South, East and West.  Later on when we learned how the tourney would work, we were informed how the first round was split into two, narrowing the 16 entries down to 8.  The third round down to four, and so on until it was two against two in the finals.  Two plastic cups - one silver and one orange - were the vehicles to taste the beer blindly.  Then, you cast your vote in a paint bucket and hoped for the best.

It was intense.  Each round was 30 minutes so you had to make sure you left yourself enough time to try all the beers, especially in the first round.  It was also intense because it was a blind tasting.  Though you would normally cheer on your favorites, you really couldn't tell if you cheering them on or not.  I have to be honest: some beers I wouldn't have tried because I had bad experiences with others from that particular brewery.  Unless they were 'free' samples, I wouldn't spend my money on them.  But I would easily try a brew from a brewery that I've loved in the past.  It was intense, a little nerve racking.  I truly wanted everyone to do well, and I found myself crossing my fingers sometimes as I dropped a ticket into the bucket. 

There were some not so good beers and then there were some great beers.  Oh, and there was raffle.  I did not win one of the coveted growlers.  ::enter sad birthday face::

Here is a video of the bracket announcements:

And for those who didn't want to watch it - the finalists were Rock Bottom College Park (Liz) and Rock Bottom Downtown (Jerry).  I have a confession - I knew Liz's brew was in the mix.  I guessed it and I was right.  But I was surprised by Jerry's IPA - I had never tried it before and it was delish as well.  But for both RB's to be in the mix?  No one was expecting such a close family battle at the end (well, I like to think no one was...)

I'm sure you were wondering who the winner was...I know I was...


The winner was announced, and Rock Bottom Downtown brewer, Jerry Sutherlin's IPA brew was liked a little bit more by the taste buds of the room as he brought home the coveted tap handle. 

A BIG congratulations to all of the brewers who participated, and of course to Jerry for a great win.  Thank you to the coordinators of the event - we really had a great time.  Heard some rumors of an Oktoberfest tourney in the works.  Now, that sounds like another perfect way to spend my birthday...

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RAM's Homebrew Competition 

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 -
I heart my husband.  He has found a hobby which he clearly is fantastic at doing: home brewing.  I truly believe it is rewarding not only for him, but for those who get to taste his products.  He brews often, and is especially passionate about ESBs.  So when the RAM downtown had a home brew competition, he had to enter it and I fully supported it.

After our morning at HBG's event, we made our way downtown to taste more beer and hear the results.  Tim had submitted two different brews for the competition - an ESB and a premium bitter.  While we waited for the results (he had dropped off his brews a few weeks prior when we were stopping at Tastings for an evening), we got to taste some special brews on tap.  They included:
  • Glacier Peak Pale Ale - an American Ale that was smooth and clean
  • Anaheim IPA - an IPA that was aged with Anaheim peppers, giving it some spicy kick
  • Java Disorder - a brown porter aged with Bjava coffee beans, my favorite from the tasting
  • Batch #999 - an Imperial IPA
  • Bonus from the RAM Archives, a 2008 Barrel-aged Strong Ale

All were good brews, and we sipped on them while enjoying the afternoon with a few of the Hoosier Beer Geeks (Jess, Rodney and Matt) and friends (Katie and Matt).  We all ordered a few apps and chatted about the beers that were submitted by the group.

I know you are on your toes, maybe thinking "well, how did he do?!" Though hubs submitted some great beer, he did not win one of the first three prizes.  He received some great scores and feedback from the judges.  Ratings were up to 51 as an excellent brew, and hubs got a 'very good' which was fantastic for his first competition.  I'm beyond proud of him as I know he is talented and can make some great brews.  More time, more recipes and more experience will only continue to make him even better.

Thanks to everyone who asked how he did and wished him luck throughout the process.  The support was great - and especially to those who joined us day of!  Hugs to hubby, I raise a glass to you.  Wifey is extremely proud - love you!

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Winterfest 2011 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 -
Brewers of Indiana Guild hosted Winterfest this past Saturday and hubby and I were lucky to get tickets to the sold out event.  Held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, we knew there were going to be a lot of people craving some craft beer, and we were two of them. 

The event began at 3:00 pm for general admission (if you purchased a VIP ticket, you got in at 2:00pm) and hubs and I were in line ready to indulge.  We met up with a variety of friends throughout the day, including some of the Hoosier Beer Geeks and ladies of Sun King Brewing.  We began in the middle and sampled many of the beverages on hand.  There were some great, some good, and some eh products out there - but of course, that is all about your own preference.

The place was busy and everyone was cheerful, nosing their way through 2 oz. pours and jumping from brewery to brewery for a taste.  The winter beer garden outside was a slight cluster, so we didn't stay out there for too long except to grab a taste of Bell's Hopslam Ale.  We tried many of the 150+ brews that were available, a few that really stood out to me were:


There were many others, as well as some I didn't care for.  In addition, many of the homebrewer clubs were also presenting their beers.  And of course, pretzel necklaces and food were also being sold to curb any appetite.

Props to HBG (I think it was Rodney?) for an amazing program - I was impressed not only with the layout, which I completely built my game plan around prior to arrival (thank you for posting early!), but also with the print quality.  A great souvenir to reference what we enjoyed and what we probably won't be tasting again.

Thank you to everyone who put on this amazing event.  Looking forward to the summer months when it is a bit warmer and we can continue to enjoy brews together.  Oh, and of course, I'm looking forward to the HBGCBMTCBL this Spring!

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Elysian Brewing Company 

Thursday, November 4, 2010 -
In preparation for our trip to Seattle, I reached out to Hoosier Beer Geek to get some recommendations on which breweries we had to try.  Though we found Granville Brewery ourselves and La Conner Brewery by accident, HBG sent a map of too many breweries to name via the Beer Mapping Project.  If you are looking to see what establishments are in area to enjoy some craft brews, this is the map for you.  Chatting via twitter, Elysian Brewery was recommended and I put it on my list of "must drinks" and planned to visit.

There are a few locations in the Seattle area, and we ended up in the Stadium District location, which is right by both Qwest Stadium and Safeco Field.  I was so anxious to get inside because their 'Dark o' the Moon' pumpkin stout won a silver medal at GABF.  I love pumpkin, so I was dying to try this great beverage.
This establishment was so much bigger than I ever anticipated.  With an clean and modern industrial feel, it was welcoming - a place I could easily see my friends and I frequenting. 
We grabbed a seat outside since the weather was fantastic and picked up the beer menu.  Not only did they have the pumpkin stout, but another two pumpkin brews on the menu: 
I was ready for a taste of all of them, but was soon to be very disappointed.  I learned they were out of all three of the pumpkin brews.  My heart broke a little, but it picked back up when I received the sampler of brews to try.
The list of brews that were on my sampler included (from left to right):
  • Elysian Field Pale Ale - hoppy with a bite
  • Dragonstooth Stout - probably the smoothest stout I've ever had.  Beyond drinkable, it had great malt flavor and tasted like perfection on a crisp day
  • Perseus Porter - a great porter that was rich in chocolate undertones, very smooth
  • Immortal IPA- a pale ale golden in color that was lackluster to me, a basic 
  • Wise ESB - a redish in color extra bitter brew with an intense malt flavor, but was pleasantly creamy
While enjoying these great brews, we also ordered some lunch.  Hubs ordered a pesto tortellini dish that was on special.  It was a rich dish, full of salty flavor, both from the cheese ravioli as well as the pesto.  I would have enjoyed a few bites (as I did) but would craved something else to satisfy my hunger...

...like my wonderful pastrami sandwich and barley soup.  The sandwich was fantastic and more than a mouthfull.  The thinly slice meat was full of flavor which mixed well with a vinegar tasting grainy mustard.  To bring it all together, gruyere.  The cheese was perfect with this sandwich as it was all held together with some toasted bread.  The soup was warm and filling with perfectly cooked barley and beef broth flavor.  Chunks of tomatoes and celery were the perfect pairing to this fall soup.


For dessert, more beer.  I just had to have a glass of the stout since it was so lip smacking delicious.  I also got a sampling of the Avatar Jasmine IPA.  I absolutely loved it and wished I had sampled it before ordering the stout (though ordering another glass wasn't out of the question.)  The flavor of jasmine was so apparent, but I absolutely adored how it complimented the tastes of a IPA.  I could absolutely see some people not liking it because of that, but it was such a treat and the first time I've ever had a jasmine in a brew.  Delish.

It was a lazy lunch, sipping on brews in fantastic weather why sitting next to the beautiful Safeco Field.  If that didn't make me fall in love with Seattle on day one, I don't know what would have (well, samplings of pumpkin brews would have nailed it!) 

Have you ever tried a jasmine IPA before, and did you like it?  What beer (or other beverage) surprised you upon sampling lately?

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La Conner Brewery - A Beer Mixup 

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 -
After spending a wonderful day in Friday Harbor, hubs and I decided to just drive around to the coastal towns just north of Seattle.  As we were driving through La Conner, I spotted a brewery so we decided to drop in and do a tasting and get a snack.

La Conner Brewery was decorated in wood and had a clean, but rustic, feel about it.  Cozy in size, it was modern, warm and inviting.  We sat at the bar and saw this beautiful display of taps - all brewed on-site.
The bartender was welcoming and very friendly as we settled in and started asking about the brews.  She was happy to provide us with pours of all their products to help us determine which one we would like to savor in a pint glass.  All of the pours were basic beers, not too developed in flavor.  There were:
  • Brown, classic in all ale characteristics
  • IPA, Northwest-style at 7%
  • Wheat, the classic Germany-style Hefeweizen
  • Pale, featuring Yakima Valley hops
  • ESB, which had a rich caramel malt flavor
  • Pilsner, which featured hops from Czeck Republic
 

I settled on the ESB for my first pint as I was looking for a rich beverage to quench my thirst.  As we sipped our first beer, we perused their menu which was utterly fantastic.  Some great items, not to mention the beautiful open kitchen with the wood fired pizza oven in the middle.  I watched enthusiastically as the chef hollowed out dozens of sugar pumpkins, which he informed me were going to the chicken pot pie bowls for tomorrow.  
Since I couldn't get that as a snack, we settled on appetizer to split - artichoke and smoked cheddar dip.
Doesn't this just look creamy and delicious?  Trust me, it was!  The artichokes were finely chopped and mixed with jalapenos and red peppers.  The smoked cheddar was fantastic, as was the seasoning of red pepper flakes (my go-to seasoning) giving it an extra kick.  My ESB complimented it beautifully, and after saying so, I was informed that ESB was also part of the mixture.  A warm and creamy dip accompanied by crisp tortilla chips - perfect snack for mid afternoon.

I was happily snacking along and realized that my pint needed a fill, so I ordered a Hefeweizen...and a clear mix up occurred.  The glass I received didn't look anything like a Hef - where was my cloudy in appearance cold beverage?  Unfortunately, I think the taps were labeled incorrectly.  I guess, if I wanted a Hef, I should have ordered a Pilsner.  I couldn't get the nerve to inform the bartender it was labeled incorrectly, because she was so sure of it (side note - our bartenders had turned over at this point.)  I sipped the Pilsner without saying, and we wrapped our fantastic time (with a minor mishap) at La Conner Brewery.

It was the perfect place to drop in and get some local flair, local food and brews on our anniversary.  I left with a happy stomach (and I believe, a confused bartender...)

Would have you said something, risking the chance of insulting the bartender?  I just couldn't do it - I didn't want to be "that girl" correcting their lineup.

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Granville Island Brewery - A Tasting Room 

Monday, October 18, 2010 -
While in Vancouver, hubs and I made our way to Granville Island. We heard it was a great spot not only for tourists, but many locals made their way to the public market and concert venues.  Hubs and I had two reasons for our visit - the public market and Granville Island Brewery.  We decided to peruse a few shops, have some beer and then make our way to the market.  We arrived just a tad bit too late to take a tour, and the following one was sold out.  So, we settled in at a table and got ready to try some local Canadian brews.
I was immediately ready to order either a sampler or their pumpkin ale.  Despite having pumpkins everywhere, I learned quickly from our server that they didn't have any available (this is the first of two times it will happen to me on this vacation,) so I ordered myself a sampler.  It included the Cypress Honey Lager, Robson Street Hefeweizen and the Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale. 
Here is a basic breakdown:
  • Honey Lager - subtle in sweet honey flavor, it was mild in taste (pictured above, beer on right side.)  It was a standard lager, and I would order a Leinie's HoneyWeis. 
  • Hefeweizen - the unfiltered wheat ale was mild in clove thus not as flavorful as I would have enjoyed.  But a good basic hefeweizen that is for sure.  No orange slice, which is good, but nothing compared to my Sun King love - the Big H (pictured to right.)
  • Cream Ale - this was my favorite that I tried.  Smooth and subtly sweet, it was my first maple cream and I thoroughly enjoyed it on the brisk day (pictured above, beer on left.)  I was ready to order another glass when...
We were told we reached our limit.  Boo.

Unfortunately, this was only a tasting room where guests can be served up to approximately 12.5 ounces.  Hubs had ordered a glass of the Maple Cream Ale and was disappointed he could only try one brew, as I was disappointed to only get one tasting sampler.  
Upside - the tasting room was a great venue, industrial in style and function.  Wall to wall glass ceilings allowed you to see all of the equipment. The brewer who we saw seemed quite passionate about his product during the tours.  Bartender wasn't quite friendly, and our server warmed up a bit (or maybe that was only cause he felt bad that we wanted more beer...) throughout our time.  They had some simple bar food options to snack on, but it wasn't an establishment where you could stay for a few hours.

I did end up having more of the Hefeweizen when we went out later that night for football too, so it was something I returned to when given the option.  It seemed to be a popular local brew from the bartenders and restaurants we frequented, and we were happy to have been able to visit and sip some local brews. 

When you travel, do you get out and see the local breweries in the area?  Have you been to a tasting room where you were limited on your intake?

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