Beers of the Week: Nitrous Hopcide + Ragin’ Bull

Ellicottville Nitrous Hopcide (5.0% alcohol): This Nitro English IPA from Ellicottville Brewing Company in Ellicottville, NY completely made me rethink IPA’s. I am a fan of some IPA’s, but this is not my favorite style of beer. However, I would order Nitrous Hopcide in a heartbeat. The nitro tap elevated this IPA to a level that I LOVE. I see nitro taps popping up at more and more of my favorite bars, but I didn’t know the science behind them. If you want to know more about nitro taps, click here. Nitrous Hopcide pours a burnt, golden-amber orange with a small, creamy, off-white head. Flowery hops dominate the aroma, but a bit of subtle sweetness comes through toward the end. English Pale Malted Barley defines this brew’s crisp, clean flavor profile. Nitrous Hopcide has a robust hops flavor, but the nitro tap helps mellow it out a bit and creates one of the smoothest IPA’s I’ve had. I thoroughly enjoyed this brew and recommend it or any other beers poured from a nitro tap for that matter!

Bolero Snort Ragin’ Bull (5.0% alcohol): This American Amber Lager is brewed in Ridgefield Park, NJ and is one of Bolero Snort’s flagship beers. I had a great experience with the last beer I tried from this brewer, so I had to try another. It pours a clear, dark amber brown – similar to a cup of coffee – with a bright, white head that was gone by the time the server brought it to my table. Ragin’ Bull has a rather mild aroma, but I did detect some floral scents from the hops, a bit of breadiness from the malt and some spiciness. The ingredients come together nicely to create a highly drinkable beer. Unfortunately, nothing stands out. The flavor consists of toasted malts, a bit of earthiness from the hops along with a hint of caramel. This beer is neither bitter nor sweet, though; it’s just kind of plain. Overall, I would say Ragin’ Bull is a decent, well-balanced beer. I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase this brew, but if I had a six-pack, I wouldn’t hesitate drinking them all!

About.com releases fun beer infographic

The ATL Beer Guy

Beer is a surprising and often confounding substance. Enjoyed properly it can be a treasure, abused it can a bane. But, for those of us who are responsible in our imbibing, beer is a magical, uplifting liquid that can bring unparalleled pleasure.

And, because beer is and has been such important parts of society, the folks at About.com have put together a fun and interesting infographic about, well, beer! Take a look and you may just learn something about the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage you did not already know.

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Blueberry Stout French Toast

During the week, I’m lucky if I remember to grab a granola bar as I’m rushing out the door. I never have to time to sit down and eat a “real” breakfast. You know what I mean – eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, cereal, milk, coffee, orange juice ect. So, on the weekends, I like to treat myself. I’m usually a bacon and eggs kinda gal, but every once in a while I get an uncontrollable sweet tooth! I came across this recipe for Blueberry Stout French Toast from The Ales Kitchen and my mouth started watering. This french toast looked so good I wanted to lick my computer screen! Naturally, I had to share with all of you. Enjoy!

Photo Courtesy of www.http://thealeskitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf crusty Italian bread thickly sliced
• 1 cup of Stout beer
• 1/2 cup milk
• Splash of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. butter (You may need more to keep French toast from sticking to pan)
• 4 eggs
• 2-3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Whipped cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Maple Syrup (Optional)

Blueberry Stout Compote:

• 2 cups frozen blueberries (You can use fresh if you have them on hand)
• 1/4 cup of Stout beer
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of cinnamon
• Juice from 1 lemon

Cooking Directions:

Blueberry Stout Compote:

1. Heat up a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add 1 cup blueberries, stout, sugar and lemon juice.
3. Cook for 10 minutes stirring throughout.
4. Add the rest of the blueberries and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Turn the heat to low and keep warm.

French Toast:

1. Preheat oven to 200° farenheight and set a casserole dish inside to warm.
2. Heat up a large skillet on medium-high.
3. In a shallow dish, whisk together the stout, milk, cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Place bread in the dish to allow it to soak up the custard.
5. Flip the sliced bread and coat the other side.
6. Add butter to hot skillet.
7. Cook your French toast a few pieces at a time for about 2-3 minutes on each side. (TIP: Make sure that your pan isn’t too hot or your French toast will turn black instead of golden brown.)
8. Once cooked, place your French toast on a serving dish.
9. Spread cream cheese on one side and place another piece of French toast on top.
10. Pour some Blueberry Stout Compote over your French toast.
11. Dust with powdered sugar.

Dobrou chuť!

Beer Pretzel Buns and Sliders

Pretzel buns are in! I feel like every commericial I see for a restaurant is advertising some type of pretzel burger. This got me thinking, I can make this – and it will probably taste better too! I found this great recipe for Pretzel rolls from Food Marriage. I think pairing these pretzel buns with some homemade sliders will surely make the ultimate meal!

Photo Courtesy of http://www.foodmarriage.com

Ingredients (Makes about 12 buns):

• 1 1/4 cups of beer at room temperature (This recipe uses lager)
• 3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 package rapid-rise active dry yeast (0.25 ounces)
• 4 cups bread flour (It is different than all-purpose flour!)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• Kosher Salt (to sprinkle on buns)

Preparation: (1 hour and 45 minutes)

1. Combine beer, milk, melted butter and yeast in a bowl.
2. Stir in 1 cup flour and salt.
3. Mix well.
4. Slowly add in the remaining flour until all of the flour is mixed in. (Tip: Do not pour in all of your flour all at once, it will be hard to combine.)
5. Place your dough on to a slightly floured surface and knead the dough for about 8 minutes.
6. Shape the dough into a large ball and place in a bowl.
7. Cover and let the dough sit for about 1 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
8. Put the dough back on the floured surface and knead again for about 1 minute.
9. Separate and shape your dough into 12 equal-sized balls.
10. Place the dough balls on an ungreased baking sheet.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise again.

Cooking Directions: (20  minutes)

1. Preheat oven to 425° farenheight.
2. Spray a second baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Fill a large pot with water and add your baking soda.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Add your rolls to the water one at a time and cook until they puff up a bit.
6. Turn them once while they are in the water.
7. Remove your rolls and let dry slightly on paper towels.
8. Place the rolls about 2 inches apart on your greased cookie sheet.
9. Cut 1 1/2 inch wide X’s on the top of each roll using kitchen scissors. (TIP: Cutting slits in your dough will help to remove tension from the surface of the bread when it is baking. Too much tension will results in cracks in your bread.)
10. Sprikle with kosher salt.
11. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Cool on a wire rack.

Burgers:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 cup beer ( I like to use Pilsner Urquell)

1. Mix the ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl.
2. Make patties using your burger mixture.
3. Grill your burgers to your desired temperature.
4. Toast your pretzel buns.
5. Take your five-star burger with a whole other level with tomato, onion, mayo and some bacon!

Dobrou chuť!

Beer of the Week: Magic Hat Elder Betty

Magic Hat Elder Betty (5.5% alcohol): This weiss-style ale from Magic Hat Brewing Company, based in South Burlington, Vermont, pours a hazy, golden-orange with a small, off-white head that dissipates quickly. Although this brew is hazy, it is not quite as cloudy as traditional hefeweizens. Elder Betty has a refreshing aroma of sweet and tangy elderberries and a bit of wheat. However, it smells much sweeter than it tastes. The elderberry is noticeable at first sip, but breadiness and a bit of bitterness comes through at the end to balance out the overall flavor. Elder Betty is a good, flavorful beer, yet light and refreshing at the same time. I purchased this brew on the clearance rack of my local liquor store for $1. This is not my favorite beer, but honestly, I was a bit disappointed I didn’t buy more. Plus, I really like the graphics on the label! Recommendation – Try it!

I didn’t know really know what an elderberry was besides the fact that is was a berry, so if you want to know more, click here!

Homemade Beer Mustard + Mustard Chops

I am a fan of mustard, but sometimes it is hard finding the perfect kind. My supermarket has an aisle full- sweet, spicy, tangy etc. With so many styles and brands, I usually go with what’s familiar. I was surprised when I found out how easy it is to make your own mustard. This recipe from Made With Love by Jackie B. for “Ballpark Beer Mustard” showed me how this can be done. This mustard adds flavor to sandwiches or anything else you desire. I will also share one of my mom’s own recipes that utilizes this mustard.

Photo Courtesy of madewithlovebyjackieb.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mustard powder (or dry mustard)
• 1/2 cup beer (Jackie B. uses Corona, but I’ve seen other mustard recipes use Dopplebocks. (TIP: use whatever beer you are in the mood for that day!)
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. tumeric
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (fressh squeezed or pre-made)

Cooking Directions:

1. Whisk together the mustard powder, beer, water and tumeric in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Simmer 1 inch of water in a saucepan and set aside.
4. Add egg, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar to the cooled mustard mizture, whisking well to blend.
5. Place bowl in the simmering water of the saucepan and whisk until the mustard thickens. (TIP: This process usually takes about 6 minutes.)
6. Transfer mustard into a plastic “squirt” bottle or container of your choice.
7. Regrigerate before serving.

I never liked pork chops because they always seem too dry. My mom has been baking these special porkchops since I was a kid, and they are the only kind that I would eat! The mustard helps keep the pork chops moist and tender. TIP: Use pork chops with the bone.

Mustard Chops:

Ingredients:

• Pork Chops (Bone-in)
• Homemade Beer Mustard
• Seasoned bread crumbs
• Salt
• Pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 400° farenheight for electric stoves and 375° farenheight for gas stoves.
2. Squirt some of your Homemade Beer Mustard into a medium-sized bowl.
3. Pour some seasoned breadcrumbs into another medium-sized bowl.
4. Sprinkle your porkchops with salt and pepper.
5. Dip the chops in your mustard and coat evenly.
6. Transfer your chop to the “bread crumb” bowl and coat evenly.
7. Place the pork chops on a foil-lined pan and bake for about 45 – 60 minutes for electric stoves and 35 – 45 minutes for gas stoves.
8. Flip the chops halfway through. (TIP: For a little extra crispiness, put your oven on broil for about 1-2 minutes for each side of your chops a few minutes before they are done.)

Dobrou chuť!

Craftwomen at Dogfish

Gotta support those craftwomen!

40Breweries40Days

Here is a great article about women who work for Dogfish. Craft Beer should be an equal opportunity creator and imbiber. It makes the world a better place and anything that keeps men and women on the same side is a great thing. So pony up to the bar boys and girls, it is all good with gender and good beer….   

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Poor Henry’s

Poor Henry’s in Boonton, NJ has some unique beers on draft. They have a limited selection of draft craft beers, but change their offerings regularly. They also have a number of craft beers available in bottles that you can pick and choose to create your own beer bucket! I thought this was a nice feature because you can try a few different things. Plus, if you are going with friends you can all try something different and save some cash! I decided to go with the “Beer Flight” for $7. I choose 4 beers from their craft beer draft list. Poor Henry’s also fills growlers for $15! This is about $3 – $5 cheaper compared to other places that do this in the area.

1. Elysian Superfuzz (5.4% alcohol): This Blood Orange Pale Ale from Seattle-based brewer, Elysian Brewing Company, was not quite what I expected. It pours a hazy orange with a small, bright white head. The blood orange creates a citrus aroma and overall subtle sweetness. On the other hand, the hops is still noticeable in both the aroma and flavor. I expected SuperFuzz to be sweet, but it definitely had a Pale Ale taste to it with a distinct bitterness that slightly mellows out from the sweetness of the blood orange. The best way to describe Elysian Superfuzz is a summer version of a pale ale. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer for its ability to combine traditional Pale Ale flavors along with citrus to produce a highly-drinkable beer.
2. Weyerbacher Aquila (7.1% alcohol): This Beligan-style Farmhouse Ale is part of Weyerbacher’s Brewer’s Select beers, so it is brewed in limited quantities. It is a clear golden-yellow with almost no head. Aquila has a malty, earthy aroma to it. As for flavor, this beer was a bit robust for my taste. Toasted wheat and rye malts along with Bravo and Simcoe hops are used to create this brew’s complex flavor. However, the high alcohol content also contributed to the overall strong, bitter hoppy flavor. Overall, this beer was a bit much for me, especially on a 100-degree day. I can appreciate Aquila, but I could see myself drinking this on a cooler night. Not my favorite.
3. Carton Monkey Chased the Weasel (3.9% alcohol): This sour ale from Carton Brewing  is brewed with mulberries and is well – sour! I thought sour beers were growing on me, and I actually enjoyed the last few that I sampled. However, this brew was not for me. It pours a cloudy pinkish-orange with almost no head. The color reminds me of a really ripe grapefruit. Monkey Chased the Weasel smells of citrus along with sweet tartness from the mulberries. I think the aroma was sweeter than what this brew actually tasted like. This beer was way too sour for me. Sourness was all I tasted. The other sour beers I’ve had were able to maintain complex flavor along with a nice addition of sourness. However, I felt that the sour flavor dominated this beer and there was not much else to balance out the flavor. To be honest, when I first tasted it, I was wondering if this batch got ruined or if the keg was old. If you’re intrigued by this style of beer, click here to read more about sour beer and it’s history.
4. Bolero Snort’s Gimme S’mores (5% alcohol): This amber lager was my favorite beer of the flight by far. Maybe it was because I expected it to be horrible, but it was DELICIOUS. Gimme S’mores is a 39th anniversary beer. It really balanced out the s’mores flavor without overpowering the beer. It pours an amber brown with a minimal white head.  You can actually taste the malt, chocolate and cinnamon. It sounds weird, but this beer is not sweet. Bolero Snort was able to blend these flavors along with the natural lager flavors perfectly to create one seriously awesome beer. I could easily drink several pints of this and not feel guilty one bit! I did some research on this brew and it was very hard to find information. If you see this on tap or at your local liquor store, take my advice and buy! You won’t regret it. Plus, it’s summertime, who doesn’t want s’mores?

Sea Salt Peanut Butter Beer Brownie Bars

There is just something about salty and sweet that goes together perfectly. The synergy of those two flavors plus a little something extra create a combination that is sure to satisy any snack attack! This recipe for Sea Salt Peanut Butter Brown Bars from the Dallas Beer Snobs takes this idea to a whole other level and creates the perfect brownies that are sweet, salty, chocolately and nutty!

Photo courtesy of: http://www.dallasbeersnobs.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup softened unsalted buttler, divided + 1 additional tablespoon
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1/4 cup brown ale (This recipe uses Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar)
• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• coarse white sea salt (for garnish)
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

Cooking Directions (Brownies):

1. Preheat your oven to 350° Farenheight
2. Line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray
3. Set aside
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment fixer and cream together the 1/2 cup of butter, sugar and honey
5. Add the eggs one at a time and mix to combine completely after each egg is added
6. Add the beer and 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract and beat until creamty and all of ingredients are combined
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, fine sea salt and baking powder
8. In 1/2 cup increments, combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined
9. Pour the brownie batter into your baking pan
10. Bake for about 30 – 35 minutes (TIP: Check if your brownie bars are done by sticking a toothpick in the center of the pan, if the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are ready)
11. Remove the pan from the oven it let cool completely (This takes approximately 1 hour)

Peanut Butter Filling:

1. Use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer to cream together the reamining 1/2 cup of softened butter and peanut butter
2. Once smooth, slowly mix in the confectioner’s sugar until creamy
3. Mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg and heavy cream
4. Once the brownies have cooled, spread the peanut butter filling on top of the brownies (still in the pan)
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until peanut butter hardens slightly
6. Remove the brownies from the baking pan
7. Transfer to cutting board
8. Melt yout semi-sweet chocolate chips with a tablespoon of butter in the microwave or double boiler (TIP: Melt the chocolate chips in increments so your mixture isn’t too thick)
9. Drizzle the brownies with the melted chocolate and sprinkly some coarse sea-salt on top

Bon Apetit!