The Wonderful Team Readership Award: And the Winners Are…

A great reader is not afraid to ask questions and add to the conversation.

I’d like to thank Brian from Love, Food & Beer for nominating HeadOverBeers for the Wonderful Team Readership Award. It’s great to see all of my fellow bloggers out there supporting one another. If you’re not into awards like this, don’t feel obligated to participate. I just wanted to say thank you to all my readers and show some love for some of the blogs that I frequent. It was hard narrowing the list down to 14 and I hope some of you will pass this along 🙂

I would like to nominate the following blogs that I’ve recently read and enjoyed (in no particular order):

1. Girl + Beer – Minutes with Matt from The Freo Doctor
2. Craft Beer Compass – Wisconsin Beer and Cheese Pairings | Ep. 121 | Black Husky, Carr Valley and Sartori Cheese
3. Bier Battered – IPA Day 2014 is today – This year I am sticking local
4. It’s Just the Booze Dancing – Beer Review – DC Brau The Corruption™ India Pale
5. The Dog of Beer – The Full Moon Post – August 2014
6. Drunken Speculation – Beef and Stout Pie
7. A Taste of Beer – Two Breweries in MA
8. Love, Food & Beer – 4-B (Beer-Brined, Beer-Butt) Chicken
9. Belfast Barman – Craft Beer: Expensive Value for Money?
10. The Half Pint Gentleman – Bottoms Up Belgium
11. The Grill and Barrel – Meet the Brewer: Brett Ellis of Wild Beer Co.
12. Bishop’s Beer Blog – Le Freak – Belgian Style American IPA
13. True Brew Too – Beer and Friends – Chocolate Rain – The Bruery – Bi-Weekly Beer Review Episode 9
14. Life Fermented – Beer Recipe: “Cantankerous Leprechaun” Dry Stout

The Rules of accepting this award are as follows:

1. The Nominee of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her post/page and/or sidebar.
2. The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days (1 week) – this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be ALL on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, etc.
3. The Nominee shall name his or her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during the 7 day (1 week) period.
4. The Nominee shall make these rules, or amended rules keeping to the spirit of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award, known to each reader s/he nominates.
5. The Nominee must finish this sentence and post: “A great reader is…”

Cheers!

 

Beer of the Week: Allagash Saison

Allagash Saison (6.1% alcohol): This Belgian farmhouse-style ale/saison brewed by Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine pours a cloudy bright yellow with a soapy, white two-three finger head. The aroma is made up of wheat, grass and hay upfront followed by sweet orange and zesty lemon citrus as well as a bit of peppery spiciness toward the end. Let this beer sit for a few minutes before you so the suds can go down. Allagash Saison is grainy with citrus and floral notes. A light hoppy bitterness with a meager herbal quality finishes it all off. This isn’t my favorite saison, but definitely a solid beer worth trying if you like this style.

Beer of the Week: Kloster Andechs Vollbier Hell

Kloster Andechser Vollbier Hell (4.8% alcohol): This Munich Helles Lager brewed by Klosterbrauerei Andechs in Andechs, Germany pours a clear, golden yellow with a bright one-finger head and moderate lacing. Vollbier Hell has an aroma of toasted malts, wheat and grass. This brew has a nice flavor profile of dry graininess, lemon citrus, complex malts with sweet undertones and light bitter hops at the end. Vollbier Hell is smooth yet crisp at the same time. Overall, this is a great summer beer – traditional, refreshing Bavarian Lager.

*This beer was purchased at Gary’s Wine and Marketplace.

Watermelon Mint Beer Popsicles

I just can’t get enough ice pops this summer. The Cherry Lambic and Cream Popsicles I made last month stimulated my desire for adult frozen treats and I want more! LucyLooHoo hit the mark with this sophisticated popsicle recipe; Fresh Watermelon Mint & Beer Popsicles drip summer!

Photo Courtesy of lucyloohoo.wordpress.com

Materials:

• Popsicle molds (You can also use a large ice-cube tray or mini plastic cups.)
• Popsicle sticks

Ingredients:

• 2 cups watermelon cubed
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup beer (Recipe uses Samuel Adams Boston Lager, but you can use any lager)
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup (optional depending on how sweet the watermelon is)

Directions:

1. Blend watermelon with mint and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Add beer to mixture.
3. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
4. Add popsicle sticks after 20 minutes.
5. Freeze an additional hour or until completely set.

Dobrou Chut’!

Beer of the Week: Wernecker Haustrunk Pils

Wernecker Haustrunk Pils (4.8 % alcohol): Bottled in a 500 mL swing-top bottle, this pilsner, brewed by Wernecker Bierbrauerei in Werneck, Germany, pours a golden-orange with a thin, white head that dissipates quickly leaving behind minimal lacing. The mild aroma made up of grass, hay, toasted malt, caramel and a bit of hops is simple and inviting. Sweet malt entices the palate followed by earthy hops and a mildly bitter finish to round it out. Wernecker Haustrunk Pils is an enjoyable, uncomplicated pilsner that I can appreciate.

Note: Wernecker Haustrunk Pils is one of the spoils of my recent trip to Germany. This is the first beer I sampled from my shipment, and mm-mm is it tasty!

 

Grilled Drunken Barbeque Shrimp

I’m sick of the typical BBQ food. I’ve been eating it all summer long and am craving something else, preferably a bit healthier. Shrimp is quick and easy to make; with a simple marinade you can elevate plain grilled shrimp into a delicious meal.  Grilled Drunken Barbeque Shrimp from Through Heather’s Looking Glass add some flavor to your meal without the extra work.

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

Ingredients:

• 1-4 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 17.5 oz. bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
• 1 12 oz. bottle of beer
• 1 stick of butter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. To make the sauce, heat the barbeque sauce, beer, and butter just until the butter is melted and the beer is incorporated.
2. Add the cayenne pepper and lemon juice and let the sauce come to room temperature.
3. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
4. Then, add the cooled sauce and let it marinate for another 20 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Heat your grill to 300-350° Fahrenheit and grill the shrimp for 1-3 minutes per side.
6. You can also reserve some of the sauce before you add the shrimp, reduce it by half (just keep cooking it in the pot until you have half the liquid you started with), and use it as a dipping sauce or drizzle over the cooked shrimp if you want even more sauciness on your shrimp.

Dobrou Chut’!