Let's assume this was a Freudian slip...and as such, something that John McCain was thinking, but didn't really want to say (as is the way with many a slip of the tongue) -
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Now, I understand we're looking at a slip of the tongue, but I can't condone anyone being the commander and chief that utters those words. Consider the following from everyone ranging from past presidents, founding fathers, and other world leaders -(CNN) – John McCain issued a promise Tuesday that may cause a bit of unrest with a broad swath of voters:
He'll veto every single beer?
In a slip of the tongue while railing against excessive earmarks at the National Small Business Summit in Washington, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee inadvertently pledged to veto the popular alcoholic beverage.
Watch McCain's slip of the tongue
"I will use the veto as needed. I will veto every single beer — bill with earmarks," he said, as rumblings from the crowd could be heard. "And every single bill that we have come across my desk I will make them famous. I will veto them, you will know their names."
"No soldier can fight unless he is properly fed on beef and beer."
-John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough
"Make sure that the beer - four pints a week - goes to the troops under fire before any of the parties in the rear get a drop."
-Winston Churchill to his Secretary of War, 1944
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-Benjamin Franklin
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer."
-Abraham Lincoln
"He was a wise man who invented beer."
-Plato
"Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world."
-Kaiser Welhelm
For me...never trust a world leader who doesn't drink beer - or recommends vetoing it.
There have only been three beers in my life that were SO bad, I was actually offended.
One was Magic Hat #9. Tasted like hobo piss.
Another was Purple Haze Wheat Beer. Undrinkable.
Another was some Italian beer that I had at the Capital City Carnival. I was pretty damn drunk by the time I had this one, so I couldn't tell you exactly why I didn't like it, or even what it was called. But it was pretty nasty.
And now, I have discovered a new contender for Worst Beer Ever.
It is Legacy Brewing Co.'s Midnight Wit.
It is described on the label as a "Belgian-Style beverage with a medium body and citrus overtones. Silky, creamy, and refreshingly delightful, Midnight Wit is the essence of pure pleasure."
At the bottom it says "Ale brewed with spices." Everything about that sentence appealed to me.
And now, I will digress here and talk a little bit about composting.
For the true novices, composting is the act of taking vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, newspapers, dryer lint and placing it in a bucket with some water with the purpose of letting it sit out in the sun and allow it to "cook." After the vegetable and fruit matter rot and breakdown, it becomes a lovely additive to one's vegetable garden.
Why the digression? Because Midnight Wit tastes like rotted vegetable compost. That's been urinated on by hobos.
Before even taking a taste of Midnight Wit, the smell hits you and immediately invokes a gagging reaction. When you taste it, its like someone has made a beer out of lemon-scented Pledge or lemon-scented Ant & Cockroach Raid. It is horrifying in every way imaginable.
You can read other reviews of this beer here. Keep in mind, most of these people must be frakkin' insane. Someone describes it as "medicinal" and that is indeed only nice thing I could say about it.
Who should buy this?
1) Those who hate life and all that is good in the world.
2) Curiosity seekers and daredevil types.
3) Those who may want to gauge their tastebuds against mine.
Please keep in mind however-those who venture into the world of Midnight Wit and return claiming a liking for it are, forever and always, dead to me.
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One was Magic Hat #9. Tasted like hobo piss.
Another was Purple Haze Wheat Beer. Undrinkable.
Another was some Italian beer that I had at the Capital City Carnival. I was pretty damn drunk by the time I had this one, so I couldn't tell you exactly why I didn't like it, or even what it was called. But it was pretty nasty.
And now, I have discovered a new contender for Worst Beer Ever.
It is Legacy Brewing Co.'s Midnight Wit.
It is described on the label as a "Belgian-Style beverage with a medium body and citrus overtones. Silky, creamy, and refreshingly delightful, Midnight Wit is the essence of pure pleasure."
At the bottom it says "Ale brewed with spices." Everything about that sentence appealed to me.
And now, I will digress here and talk a little bit about composting.
For the true novices, composting is the act of taking vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, newspapers, dryer lint and placing it in a bucket with some water with the purpose of letting it sit out in the sun and allow it to "cook." After the vegetable and fruit matter rot and breakdown, it becomes a lovely additive to one's vegetable garden.
Why the digression? Because Midnight Wit tastes like rotted vegetable compost. That's been urinated on by hobos.
Before even taking a taste of Midnight Wit, the smell hits you and immediately invokes a gagging reaction. When you taste it, its like someone has made a beer out of lemon-scented Pledge or lemon-scented Ant & Cockroach Raid. It is horrifying in every way imaginable.
You can read other reviews of this beer here. Keep in mind, most of these people must be frakkin' insane. Someone describes it as "medicinal" and that is indeed only nice thing I could say about it.
Who should buy this?
1) Those who hate life and all that is good in the world.
2) Curiosity seekers and daredevil types.
3) Those who may want to gauge their tastebuds against mine.
Please keep in mind however-those who venture into the world of Midnight Wit and return claiming a liking for it are, forever and always, dead to me.
The Boston Herald calls it a Koala Bear...
1 oz. dark Creme de Cacao
1 oz. banana liqueur2 scoops vanilla ice cream
Blend everything until smooth. Sprinkle nutmeg on top, if desired.
I understand that this post is supposed to concern libations related to the mid-Atlantic, but I am stuck in Charlotte and bored outta my mind so you will have to deal.
On my first day in Charlotte, my boss and I stopped by a pizzeria and asked one of the locals at the bar what the best regional beer was. He smiled and proudly shouted "Budweiser!" I died a little on the inside.
But fortunately, I continued to seek out regional beers and here is what I found:
At first, I thought the best I could do was Rock Bottom Brewery Charlotte. As my brother-in-law and fellow blogger mentioned, Rock Bottom is a chain but allows its brewers to match their fare to regional tastes. Keeping this in mind, I selected the beer sample and set about my tasting journey.
Souther Flyer Light Lager: Described as a light beer and a "true-American lager." Not much to say here-was pretty tasteless. Seemed like compensation for those who would usually order a Bud.
Prospector's Pilsner: Described as a "German-style pilsner". (Now somebody correct me please, but isn't that a bit redundant?) Anyhow, wasn't bad, kinda nondescript.
Randoloh's Ride Red Ale: Described as a "malty flavor from British Crystal malt with the distinct citrus flavor of Cascade hops." All I recorded was that it was not too sweet and not too bitter. Don't quite remember what that meant.
Stingin' Brits I.P.A. : Now, to understand how remarkable this next beer is, you have to understand that historically I have disliked 95% of the I.P.A.s I have tried. Yet, out of the 7 beers I tried, this was my favorite. It was a "copper-colored ale," which I found odd, since most of the I.P.A. 's I have tried have been very light in color. They use Fuggle hops and it was quite enjoyable.
Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale: This was the beer I expected to like the most-I tend to like brown ales and this particular ale had apparently won the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. Yet I found it fairly nondescript. Ok, but not special
Iron Horse Stout: Again, take note that a stout is my least favorite type of beer. I don't dislike them, but it would be my last choice. In fact, I would rather have an I.P.A. over a stout any day. This particular stout has won the Gold and Silver medal in the Sweet Stout category of the World Beer Cup Competition but still I did not expect to like it. It is actually one of my favorite stouts ever. It was not at all bitter, which is one of the major beefs I have with stout. It has the slightest hint of chocolate but was not overly sweet. I found it to be very drinkable and could have even ordered another, which is rare for me and stouts.
Seasonal: Unfortunately, I did not get the full name of Rock Bottom Charlotte's seasonal, but I do know that it was an Irish Red. It was one of the best Irish Reds I have ever had. It had a delightful spicy-caramel-ly-floral flavor and was lovely. Definitely the best of the bunch.
Side note: I got a salad and it really sucked. Barely edible. Most of the yummy part of the meal was beer-related.
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On my first day in Charlotte, my boss and I stopped by a pizzeria and asked one of the locals at the bar what the best regional beer was. He smiled and proudly shouted "Budweiser!" I died a little on the inside.
But fortunately, I continued to seek out regional beers and here is what I found:
At first, I thought the best I could do was Rock Bottom Brewery Charlotte. As my brother-in-law and fellow blogger mentioned, Rock Bottom is a chain but allows its brewers to match their fare to regional tastes. Keeping this in mind, I selected the beer sample and set about my tasting journey.
Souther Flyer Light Lager: Described as a light beer and a "true-American lager." Not much to say here-was pretty tasteless. Seemed like compensation for those who would usually order a Bud.
Prospector's Pilsner: Described as a "German-style pilsner". (Now somebody correct me please, but isn't that a bit redundant?) Anyhow, wasn't bad, kinda nondescript.
Randoloh's Ride Red Ale: Described as a "malty flavor from British Crystal malt with the distinct citrus flavor of Cascade hops." All I recorded was that it was not too sweet and not too bitter. Don't quite remember what that meant.
Stingin' Brits I.P.A. : Now, to understand how remarkable this next beer is, you have to understand that historically I have disliked 95% of the I.P.A.s I have tried. Yet, out of the 7 beers I tried, this was my favorite. It was a "copper-colored ale," which I found odd, since most of the I.P.A. 's I have tried have been very light in color. They use Fuggle hops and it was quite enjoyable.
Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale: This was the beer I expected to like the most-I tend to like brown ales and this particular ale had apparently won the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. Yet I found it fairly nondescript. Ok, but not special
Iron Horse Stout: Again, take note that a stout is my least favorite type of beer. I don't dislike them, but it would be my last choice. In fact, I would rather have an I.P.A. over a stout any day. This particular stout has won the Gold and Silver medal in the Sweet Stout category of the World Beer Cup Competition but still I did not expect to like it. It is actually one of my favorite stouts ever. It was not at all bitter, which is one of the major beefs I have with stout. It has the slightest hint of chocolate but was not overly sweet. I found it to be very drinkable and could have even ordered another, which is rare for me and stouts.
Seasonal: Unfortunately, I did not get the full name of Rock Bottom Charlotte's seasonal, but I do know that it was an Irish Red. It was one of the best Irish Reds I have ever had. It had a delightful spicy-caramel-ly-floral flavor and was lovely. Definitely the best of the bunch.
Side note: I got a salad and it really sucked. Barely edible. Most of the yummy part of the meal was beer-related.
We have announced a cautious, voluntary product recall of some bottles of Samuel Adams. While there is no problem with our beer, we believe a small proportion of bottles from our outside glass supplier could contain some small bits of glass.
The bottles we've identified as being possibly affected are from one glass plant of the five that we get our bottles from. The issue affects less than 25% of our bottled beer and of that amount, we believe far less than 1% of the bottles we're recalling are actually affected. We have no reports of any injury from our drinkers related to this issue. But because the safety of our drinkers is of paramount concern to us, we are being cautious and issuing the recall for all bottles from this glass plant.
But not to worry, this doesn't mean that you have to stop drinking Samuel Adams! All draft beer is perfectly fine and most of our bottled beer is not in these possibly affected bottles. It's easy to spot the bottles we're recalling: they are all embossed to say "N35" at the base of the bottle below the label (see photo on web site). We are working with our wholesalers and retailers to ensure that the affected bottles are removed from stores quickly.
We wanted to be sure that our loyal Sam fans are aware of the problem and know that we are doing everything we can to address this situation quickly. We are disappointed that because of these bottles supplied to us, we didn't live up to your expectations as a loyal Sam Adams drinker. We believe that we are taking all the right steps to ensure that the bottled Samuel Adams beer out there meets our quality standards and your expectations. If you have any questions about the recall, we created a special web site and a toll-free number 1-888-674-5159 to answer your questions.
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The bottles we've identified as being possibly affected are from one glass plant of the five that we get our bottles from. The issue affects less than 25% of our bottled beer and of that amount, we believe far less than 1% of the bottles we're recalling are actually affected. We have no reports of any injury from our drinkers related to this issue. But because the safety of our drinkers is of paramount concern to us, we are being cautious and issuing the recall for all bottles from this glass plant.
But not to worry, this doesn't mean that you have to stop drinking Samuel Adams! All draft beer is perfectly fine and most of our bottled beer is not in these possibly affected bottles. It's easy to spot the bottles we're recalling: they are all embossed to say "N35" at the base of the bottle below the label (see photo on web site). We are working with our wholesalers and retailers to ensure that the affected bottles are removed from stores quickly.
We wanted to be sure that our loyal Sam fans are aware of the problem and know that we are doing everything we can to address this situation quickly. We are disappointed that because of these bottles supplied to us, we didn't live up to your expectations as a loyal Sam Adams drinker. We believe that we are taking all the right steps to ensure that the bottled Samuel Adams beer out there meets our quality standards and your expectations. If you have any questions about the recall, we created a special web site and a toll-free number 1-888-674-5159 to answer your questions.
Some of the other contributors of this blog went ape-shit (no pun intended), when I told them about this beer. Personally, I never thought twice about it-if you like banana bread (which I do), why not banana bread beer? My only concern was that it would be too sweet.
As it turns out, it is not sweet at all, and is actually one of the most enjoyable beers I have ever had. It is crisp and refreshing, with a moderate banana (not too banana-y-like my new adjective?) taste (more like a mad monkey scientist took a banana and sucked out all of the sugar to create a race of mutants or something) and a hint of clove. It has a beautiful, clear amber color and perfect carbonation. It is, to me, what many pumpkin ales try to be and end up falling short.
This is definitely a type of beer I would buy again. For someone who tends to hate fruity beers, I can easily imagine myself nursing this on a porch on a hot summer's day. I.e., it's a keeper.
...is my new best friend.
It is not a spectacular drink...but it does meet some key requirements. For one, I had all of the ingredients on hand. That's always a good thing. Two, I was too frakkin' tired to care what I was putting in my mouth. That also aids the process.
See, Husband, Two-Year-Old and I went do to Hampton to visit with Husband's father. We were to pick-up Sister-in-Law on the way on what SHOULD be a three-hour drive. I left work at 330PM on Friday, picked up Husband, Two-Year Old, and Sister-in-Law and we headed on on merry way.
We did not pull into Father-in-Law's place until 1130 that night.
Also, that night was spent with Two-Year-Old constantly waking and claiming to having "blanket issues."
Next day was pleasant. Today was the drive back. We left around 1PM and got in around 630PM. Not as bad, but much of that was spent trying to not get lost in DC.
So, what's my point, you ask? I did all of the driving (my choice, I admit it) and I was dead tired. I wanted something other than beer. So I found the recipe for this and, as I mentioned, happened to have all ingredients on hand:
Glass needed: Old-Fashioned (Duh!)
Tequila Old-Fashioned
1/2 tsp. sugar
bitters
1 tsp water
Mix these ingredients together in an Old-Fashioned glass. Then add:
1 1/2 oz tequila
ice
shot of club soda (note: I actually filled to top of glass. I don't have proper Old-Fashioned glasses. Hint, hint to those who know me and buy me presents. I would also like hurricane glasses.)
So, what's the verdict? I veer away from sweet drinks, so this one worked pretty well for me-the sugar took the edge off the tequila, but it wasn't sweet at all. The club soda definitely lightened the drink. I could have used more citrus in it and, should I make it again, would add a squeeze of lime for kicks. It would be a nice go-to drink after a really rough day of work (or driving). Preferably a warm day.
That said, I would not go out of my way to make this drink again-but this one's definitely a keeper if you often end up with a refrigerator bare of any other mixers.
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It is not a spectacular drink...but it does meet some key requirements. For one, I had all of the ingredients on hand. That's always a good thing. Two, I was too frakkin' tired to care what I was putting in my mouth. That also aids the process.
See, Husband, Two-Year-Old and I went do to Hampton to visit with Husband's father. We were to pick-up Sister-in-Law on the way on what SHOULD be a three-hour drive. I left work at 330PM on Friday, picked up Husband, Two-Year Old, and Sister-in-Law and we headed on on merry way.
We did not pull into Father-in-Law's place until 1130 that night.
Also, that night was spent with Two-Year-Old constantly waking and claiming to having "blanket issues."
Next day was pleasant. Today was the drive back. We left around 1PM and got in around 630PM. Not as bad, but much of that was spent trying to not get lost in DC.
So, what's my point, you ask? I did all of the driving (my choice, I admit it) and I was dead tired. I wanted something other than beer. So I found the recipe for this and, as I mentioned, happened to have all ingredients on hand:
Glass needed: Old-Fashioned (Duh!)
Tequila Old-Fashioned
1/2 tsp. sugar
bitters
1 tsp water
Mix these ingredients together in an Old-Fashioned glass. Then add:
1 1/2 oz tequila
ice
shot of club soda (note: I actually filled to top of glass. I don't have proper Old-Fashioned glasses. Hint, hint to those who know me and buy me presents. I would also like hurricane glasses.)
So, what's the verdict? I veer away from sweet drinks, so this one worked pretty well for me-the sugar took the edge off the tequila, but it wasn't sweet at all. The club soda definitely lightened the drink. I could have used more citrus in it and, should I make it again, would add a squeeze of lime for kicks. It would be a nice go-to drink after a really rough day of work (or driving). Preferably a warm day.
That said, I would not go out of my way to make this drink again-but this one's definitely a keeper if you often end up with a refrigerator bare of any other mixers.
I know, I know-this is supposed to be a blog about Mid-Atlantic libations, not Midwest ones.
But I saw this on friggin' Unwrapped (admitted Food Network junkie here) and had to spread the news.
There is a bar in the Hyatt Regency Chicago (on Wacker, not McCormick Place) that serves these:
That margarita is bigger than her head! I wanna margarita bigger than my head! So my new Grail Quest is to seek out one of these babies. Seriously, it's the size of a baby.
Apparently the beer here is so large that you get your own tap. It's 3x the size of the giraffes at Brewer's Alley. Drool....
I wonder how many hotel patrons have been carted back up to their rooms on those little bell carts after drinking one of these....
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But I saw this on friggin' Unwrapped (admitted Food Network junkie here) and had to spread the news.
There is a bar in the Hyatt Regency Chicago (on Wacker, not McCormick Place) that serves these:
That margarita is bigger than her head! I wanna margarita bigger than my head! So my new Grail Quest is to seek out one of these babies. Seriously, it's the size of a baby.
Apparently the beer here is so large that you get your own tap. It's 3x the size of the giraffes at Brewer's Alley. Drool....
I wonder how many hotel patrons have been carted back up to their rooms on those little bell carts after drinking one of these....
This week I have five pretty damn fine brews that I'm looking at. But first a quick note -
Bacon is a wonderful thing. The best thing pigs have ever gifted us with. Vodka one the best things that Russia has given the world. The two together? I have my doubts.
On to the Beer. Like last week - from best to worst...
Three are Pennsylvania brewers, one brews in Massachusetts but is headquartered in Maryland, and the other is out of Louisiana.
There were to that scored out at a nine on my scale. Both were hop-heavy brews...on to it...
Victory Hop-Devil Ale
Victory Brewing Co.
Downingtown, PA
Grade: 9.0
Victory's Hop-Devil starts with a strong hop-heavy aroma, complimented with a nice hoppy flavor with a bitter finish, typical of the better hop brews. The beer pours slightly cloudy, as though unfiltered, but has an attractive golden-amber color.
With even carbonation, the beer drinks smoothly. I highly recommend this to any fans of hops.
Imperial Amber Nugget-Nectar
Troeg's Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Grade: 9.0
The Troeg Brothers entrant into the hops arms race has a stronger, bitter, hoppy aroma than the Hop-Devil, and starts with slightest, almost innocuous sweetness, but finishes with the strong bitterness of the hops in the back of the mouth.
The beer pours clear, but with a similar golden-amber as the Hop-Devil. It pours nicely, with good, even carbonation and holds a nice head.
Winter Warmer
Lancaster Brewing Co.
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Grade: 8.0
Most winter warmers tend to be spicy beers with the flavors of pumpkin and ginger. This is a heartier beer with a malty, caramel infused aroma that nicely compliments its flavor. The beer tastes of malt and with caramel overtones.
The warmer has a beautiful, deep ruby color. When poured the beer looks somewhat like a soda, however it settles nicely.
Turbodog Abita Ale
Abita Brewing Co.
Abita Springs, LA
Grade: 8.0
This beer doesn't exactly attack the olfactory when poured. The scent has an indeterminate metallic undertone with the light odor of an American brewed stout. Oddly, it has neither a metallic nor a very stout like flavor, drinking more like a nut brown with a hint of chocolate. The one nod to the stout-like aroma is the fact that the flavor finishes with a distinct coffee note like certain stouts.
When poured, the beer is well carbonated with a nice head and a deep ruby-brown color.
Golden Ale
Hook & Ladder Brewing Co
HQ - Silver Spring, MD
Brewed - Ipswich, MA
Grade 7.625
This beer has an unusual, though pleasant aroma with a vague malt afterthought in the smell. It has good flavor for a lighter beer, and finishes on a pleasant, smoky note.
While the beer pours with a nice, even carbonation, I would say that the color is a little pale for a golden ale - leaning more towards the color of a good pilsner or pale ale.
The perfect time to have a Hook & Ladder would be with a hot dog on a hot, sunny day at the ballpark.
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Bacon is a wonderful thing. The best thing pigs have ever gifted us with. Vodka one the best things that Russia has given the world. The two together? I have my doubts.
On to the Beer. Like last week - from best to worst...
Three are Pennsylvania brewers, one brews in Massachusetts but is headquartered in Maryland, and the other is out of Louisiana.
There were to that scored out at a nine on my scale. Both were hop-heavy brews...on to it...
Victory Hop-Devil Ale
Victory Brewing Co.
Downingtown, PA
Grade: 9.0
Victory's Hop-Devil starts with a strong hop-heavy aroma, complimented with a nice hoppy flavor with a bitter finish, typical of the better hop brews. The beer pours slightly cloudy, as though unfiltered, but has an attractive golden-amber color.
With even carbonation, the beer drinks smoothly. I highly recommend this to any fans of hops.
Imperial Amber Nugget-NectarTroeg's Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Grade: 9.0
The Troeg Brothers entrant into the hops arms race has a stronger, bitter, hoppy aroma than the Hop-Devil, and starts with slightest, almost innocuous sweetness, but finishes with the strong bitterness of the hops in the back of the mouth.
The beer pours clear, but with a similar golden-amber as the Hop-Devil. It pours nicely, with good, even carbonation and holds a nice head.
Winter Warmer
Lancaster Brewing Co.
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Grade: 8.0
Most winter warmers tend to be spicy beers with the flavors of pumpkin and ginger. This is a heartier beer with a malty, caramel infused aroma that nicely compliments its flavor. The beer tastes of malt and with caramel overtones.
The warmer has a beautiful, deep ruby color. When poured the beer looks somewhat like a soda, however it settles nicely.
Turbodog Abita AleAbita Brewing Co.
Abita Springs, LA
Grade: 8.0
This beer doesn't exactly attack the olfactory when poured. The scent has an indeterminate metallic undertone with the light odor of an American brewed stout. Oddly, it has neither a metallic nor a very stout like flavor, drinking more like a nut brown with a hint of chocolate. The one nod to the stout-like aroma is the fact that the flavor finishes with a distinct coffee note like certain stouts.
When poured, the beer is well carbonated with a nice head and a deep ruby-brown color.
Golden Ale
Hook & Ladder Brewing Co
HQ - Silver Spring, MD
Brewed - Ipswich, MA
Grade 7.625
This beer has an unusual, though pleasant aroma with a vague malt afterthought in the smell. It has good flavor for a lighter beer, and finishes on a pleasant, smoky note.
While the beer pours with a nice, even carbonation, I would say that the color is a little pale for a golden ale - leaning more towards the color of a good pilsner or pale ale.
The perfect time to have a Hook & Ladder would be with a hot dog on a hot, sunny day at the ballpark.
I tell you I saw blood on the bottom of her shoes, not exactly blood, it was gore, hanging there like a runny nose.
Appealing post title, eh?
So in Men's Health, I came across a recipe for a Thanksgiving cocktail that sounded pretty darn yummy. It was a twist on a cranberry cocktail and consists of:
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 heaping teaspoon whole berry cranberry sauce
1.5 oz gin
3/4 oz triple sec
Shake with ice, pour into chilled 'tini glasses.
Tonight we had it paired with an Autumn Cranberry Beef Stew and it was pretty darn yummy. I think I put in too much lemon juice, but I like tart flavors, so you may have to adjust to your own liking. The best part is that the cranberry sauce takes a long time to de-gel so, at the end of the drink, you have drunken cranberry sauce to snack on (I'm a sucker for drinks with built-in snacks, like classic martinis and olives). Other uses? Well, it would be great for a Halloween mixer or a zombie-themed movie night, since the bottom of the glass resembles a cute lil pile o' gore. Men's Health suggested it for Thanksgiving, so I suppose it would be great for that too.
But what I think would make it super special is to make your own cranberry sauce. I was too lazy to do so myself, but if you try it, lemme know how it turns out. I bet it would be good, since I think canned cranberry sauce tastes like Jello gone bad.
I give it 2 1/2 cocktail glasses, but will rely on someone more talented than myself to come up with an actual image to represent this. Deal with it.
Ok, so this wine is from Canada and not easy to come by, but if you're ever there, you shouldn't miss it. I first discovered it at a wine-tasting event in D.C. a couple years ago, but couldn't get a hold of a bottle until I visited Toronto last summer. Sweet but sophisticated (don't think Boone's), and intense. At $15 a bottle, it's well worth it. Just don't make the mistake of trying to bring it back on the plane or you'll shell out $10 for the bubble wrapper!
Okay, at first this sounds a bit nasty, but then imagine it in a bloody mary... and all becomes clear. I haven't tried it yet, but thought I would post it for the more imaginative people here (hello WaltzingMathilda)!
Bacon Vodka
makes up to one pint
Fry up three strips of bacon.
Add cooked bacon to a clean pint sized mason jar. Trim the ends of the bacon if they are too tall to fit in the jar. Or you could go hog wild and just pile in a bunch of fried up bacon scraps. Optional: add crushed black peppercorns.
Fill the jar up with vodka. Cap and place in a dark cupboard for at least three weeks. That’s right- I didn’t refrigerate it.
At the end of the three week resting period, place the bacon vodka in the freezer to solidify the fats. Strain out the fats through a coffee filter to yield a clear filtered pale yellow bacon vodka.
Thank you Brownie Points!
In this week's installment of BR, I sampled five beers, four from mid-Atlantic states - one of which has Maryland ties. Along with those four mid-Atlantic beers is a West Coast brew that came to me on the recommendation of a home-brewer I know.
Let's work our way through them, from best to worst, the worst this week being an innocuous beer that, while not bad, is nothing special...
Stone IPA
Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA
Grade: 9.0
The Stone IPA, brought to you by the same people that brew Arrogant Bastard Ale, starts off with a pleasing, hoppy, floral aroma, and finishes with a floral, citrussy flavor with a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste.
When poured, this IPA has a nice and rich, smoky golden color, with good, even carbonation.
This was truly one of the better IPA's I have had. I highly recommend this beer for the pale ale fan.
Hop Hog India Pale Ale
Lancaster Brewing Co.
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Grade: 7.8125
This is an extremely drinkable IPA (not quite on par with the Stone IPA, but worth the money for a six) that's lightly aromatic with hints of copper and hops. The beer is flavored with caramel overtones with a touch of hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste.
When poured, the Hop Hog has a beautiful, rich amber color, which might be considered by some to be a touch on the dark side for a pale ale. While the beer carries a nice head while in the glass, the body of the beer comes off as over-carbonated.
Stoudt's Scarlett Lady ESB
Stoudt's Brewing Co., Ltd.
Adamstown, PA
Grade: 7.625
Brought to you by the nation's first female brew-master, Stoudt's produces a respectable bitter with an underwhelming caramel aroma touched with bitterness at the back of the nose. As with any quality bitter, the Scarlett Lady ESB is indeed bitter, with the contrasting sweetness of caramel in the beer's aftertaste.
The Scarlett Lady has a beautiful, deep coppery color and is evenly carbonated.
Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale
Troeg's Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Grade: 7.5
This very drinkable but brown ale brewed in the capital of Pennsylvania with an ABV in the 4.5% range is the brew for the person who wants more than one beer, but doesn't want to get stinking drunk too quickly.
It has a very nice, very caramel infused aroma which compliments its smoky, caramel flavor and coffee finish.
Like any good brown, the Rugged Trail is a rich amber-brown.
The beer's biggest flaw is that when poured, the amount of carbonation makes it look like soda.
Fordham Copperhead Ale
Fordham Brewing Co.
Dover, DE
Grade: 6.125
Fordham Brewing is the parent company of the Ram's Head bars/road houses in Maryland. Until recently, the Ram's Head in Annapolis brewed on premises. Now all of the restaurant's brewing is handled at the Dover brewery.
Overall, this is a fairly innocuous beer, flavored largely by what I suspect are copper kettles, thus receiving the Copperhead name. There was an almost nonexistent aroma touched with the vague odor of copper, and the beer itself had no character. It drinks, from a flavor standpoint, like anyone of a number of other indistinguishable ales out there.
The best things that can be said about this beer is that it has a nice coppery color and is well carbonated.
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Let's work our way through them, from best to worst, the worst this week being an innocuous beer that, while not bad, is nothing special...
Stone IPA
Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA
Grade: 9.0
The Stone IPA, brought to you by the same people that brew Arrogant Bastard Ale, starts off with a pleasing, hoppy, floral aroma, and finishes with a floral, citrussy flavor with a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste.
When poured, this IPA has a nice and rich, smoky golden color, with good, even carbonation.
This was truly one of the better IPA's I have had. I highly recommend this beer for the pale ale fan.
Hop Hog India Pale Ale
Lancaster Brewing Co.
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Grade: 7.8125
This is an extremely drinkable IPA (not quite on par with the Stone IPA, but worth the money for a six) that's lightly aromatic with hints of copper and hops. The beer is flavored with caramel overtones with a touch of hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste.
When poured, the Hop Hog has a beautiful, rich amber color, which might be considered by some to be a touch on the dark side for a pale ale. While the beer carries a nice head while in the glass, the body of the beer comes off as over-carbonated.
Stoudt's Scarlett Lady ESB
Stoudt's Brewing Co., Ltd.
Adamstown, PA
Grade: 7.625
Brought to you by the nation's first female brew-master, Stoudt's produces a respectable bitter with an underwhelming caramel aroma touched with bitterness at the back of the nose. As with any quality bitter, the Scarlett Lady ESB is indeed bitter, with the contrasting sweetness of caramel in the beer's aftertaste.
The Scarlett Lady has a beautiful, deep coppery color and is evenly carbonated.
Rugged Trail Nut Brown AleTroeg's Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Grade: 7.5
This very drinkable but brown ale brewed in the capital of Pennsylvania with an ABV in the 4.5% range is the brew for the person who wants more than one beer, but doesn't want to get stinking drunk too quickly.
It has a very nice, very caramel infused aroma which compliments its smoky, caramel flavor and coffee finish.
Like any good brown, the Rugged Trail is a rich amber-brown.
The beer's biggest flaw is that when poured, the amount of carbonation makes it look like soda.
Fordham Copperhead Ale
Fordham Brewing Co.
Dover, DE
Grade: 6.125
Fordham Brewing is the parent company of the Ram's Head bars/road houses in Maryland. Until recently, the Ram's Head in Annapolis brewed on premises. Now all of the restaurant's brewing is handled at the Dover brewery.
Overall, this is a fairly innocuous beer, flavored largely by what I suspect are copper kettles, thus receiving the Copperhead name. There was an almost nonexistent aroma touched with the vague odor of copper, and the beer itself had no character. It drinks, from a flavor standpoint, like anyone of a number of other indistinguishable ales out there.
The best things that can be said about this beer is that it has a nice coppery color and is well carbonated.
Everybody has their favorite places for stocking up on beer, wine, and other liquefied fruits and grains.
Living in Frederick County, MD, I have my local place where I will pick up a six for my weekend quick fix of beer or even a bottle of the fermented grape. Unfortunately, the local place, which will remain nameless, is a little over-priced - so I do pay a premium for being able to get my alcohol only five minutes from my house rather than 25 minutes.
For the store's size, it has a respectable selection of micro-brews and imports - ranging from sixes of Wychwood's Hobgoblin to Lancaster's Hop Hog. It carries a variety of beers from across the country, but if I am really looking for something I haven't tried before, there are several places that I will look to go.
In the greater Frederick area, my favorite place for price and selection tends to be Ye Old Spirit Shop on Seventh Street, just off of Route 15. The store has an impressive selection of beer and some high quality reasonably priced wines.
For the fan of microbrews and imports, this store is something of a playground - no, it's not one of those huge, warehouse-like super-stores - but management has done a wonderful job of cramming their store full of beers from England, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and from all over the United States. For a list of the brands and varieties, click on the link above and go to the "Beer" page where you can click on a button that will allow you to view the store's inventory.
A smaller location that I will sometimes go in Frederick is Riverside Liquors, next to the Blockbuster Video just off of Route 26, heading towards Walkersville. They don't have the selection of Ye Old Spirit Shop - for either beer or wine, but they are reasonably priced and do carry a couple of the lower end (price-wise) quality wines that are sometimes hard to find at the Spirit Shop.
Then in Williamsburg, for wine there's The Chef's Kitchen which Kelly talked about briefly in this post.
Another favorite of mine for the vino, and it's not so much about a huge selection as it is about good wine at a good price in a town that's just a pleasant day trip, is the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery in Shepherdstown, WV. The bakery, located on German Street in Shepherdstown, the main drag in the home of Shepherd University - once a Civil War hospital.
The bakery holds periodic wine tastings and is just an easy place to relax and unwind.
[More]
Living in Frederick County, MD, I have my local place where I will pick up a six for my weekend quick fix of beer or even a bottle of the fermented grape. Unfortunately, the local place, which will remain nameless, is a little over-priced - so I do pay a premium for being able to get my alcohol only five minutes from my house rather than 25 minutes.
For the store's size, it has a respectable selection of micro-brews and imports - ranging from sixes of Wychwood's Hobgoblin to Lancaster's Hop Hog. It carries a variety of beers from across the country, but if I am really looking for something I haven't tried before, there are several places that I will look to go.
In the greater Frederick area, my favorite place for price and selection tends to be Ye Old Spirit Shop on Seventh Street, just off of Route 15. The store has an impressive selection of beer and some high quality reasonably priced wines.
For the fan of microbrews and imports, this store is something of a playground - no, it's not one of those huge, warehouse-like super-stores - but management has done a wonderful job of cramming their store full of beers from England, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and from all over the United States. For a list of the brands and varieties, click on the link above and go to the "Beer" page where you can click on a button that will allow you to view the store's inventory.
A smaller location that I will sometimes go in Frederick is Riverside Liquors, next to the Blockbuster Video just off of Route 26, heading towards Walkersville. They don't have the selection of Ye Old Spirit Shop - for either beer or wine, but they are reasonably priced and do carry a couple of the lower end (price-wise) quality wines that are sometimes hard to find at the Spirit Shop.
Then in Williamsburg, for wine there's The Chef's Kitchen which Kelly talked about briefly in this post.
Another favorite of mine for the vino, and it's not so much about a huge selection as it is about good wine at a good price in a town that's just a pleasant day trip, is the Shepherdstown Sweet Shop Bakery in Shepherdstown, WV. The bakery, located on German Street in Shepherdstown, the main drag in the home of Shepherd University - once a Civil War hospital.
The bakery holds periodic wine tastings and is just an easy place to relax and unwind.
During this weekend's football fest, I sampled four beers - some with distinctly different feels and flavors.
I am running on a ten point rating system, rating the beers on bouquet, flavor, color, and carbonation. Each aspect is rated from one to ten, ten being the best, one the worst (ie: 1 could be poor taste, flat, over carbonated, poor aroma, etc.). Those numbers are added together and divided by four, resulting in a final score for each beer.
The beers, from best to worst (worst still being a drinkable beer) -
Harpoon Munich-Type Dark
Harpoon Brewery
Boston, MA
Grade: 8.25
I will preface all of this with the following statement - I prefer dark beers. That's not to say that I don't like pilsners or lighter ales, every type of beer has its place, but my preference leans to the dark.
This beer has a mild Bock-like bouquet, with a hint of a malty aroma. The flavor is mild, smooth and malty with a vaguely sweet smokiness in the aftertaste. It pours well with a nice head and nice, even carbonation, and has a deep, rich dark brown, almost ruby, or garnet coloring.
Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter Winter Warmer
Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub, LLC.
Idaho Springs, CO
Grade: 8.0
This is not your typical winter warmer, which usually is an ale tinted with spices - often with a flavor of gingerbread or pumpkin pie spice. This is like a chocolate version of a lambic, replete with the same sort of sweetness that the fruit-infused beers have.
It's a funny, flavorful beer with the aroma of mellowed Ovaltine. On the label, the beer boasts that the ale is "brewed with cocoa powder and honey." The tastes of the key ingredients make this quite definitively a dessert beer, a nice compliment to the post-meal experience.
Nicely carbonated, with a deep reddish-brown color, this beer is not going to appeal to people that want their beer to taste like beer. Those who do not appreciate lambics would likely grade this considerably lower - probably in the 4.0 to 6.0 range.
Hop-Ocalypse IPA
Clay Pipe Brewing
Frederick/Westminster, MD
Grade: 7.875
I wouldn't go quite as far as the boast on the label - "A hop flavor so delicious...it will change your world," but it is a pleasing, drinkable beer.
Everything about this beer is pleasant.
It's nicely carbonated, gives a good head on pour, has a rich, golden color - maybe a shade darker than what one would expect of a pale ale - and a nice, floral, hoppy flavor that matches its floral bouquet.
Dogfishhead 90 Minute Imperial IPA
Dogfishhead Craft Brewing
Milton, DE
Grade: 5.75
I was not thrilled.
I have heard a lot about this beer, which gets dry-hopped for 90 minutes at the end of the brewing process. I was expecting a hop-laced pale ale - instead it came off as a vaguely hoppy wheat beer. The bouquet was lightly floral with a strong, acrid tone and the flavor was similar.
While the color was good for an IPA (the only aspect of this beer that I scored higher than a 5 at 8), the carbonation was similar to that of ginger ale.
[More]
I am running on a ten point rating system, rating the beers on bouquet, flavor, color, and carbonation. Each aspect is rated from one to ten, ten being the best, one the worst (ie: 1 could be poor taste, flat, over carbonated, poor aroma, etc.). Those numbers are added together and divided by four, resulting in a final score for each beer.
The beers, from best to worst (worst still being a drinkable beer) -
Harpoon Munich-Type DarkHarpoon Brewery
Boston, MA
Grade: 8.25
I will preface all of this with the following statement - I prefer dark beers. That's not to say that I don't like pilsners or lighter ales, every type of beer has its place, but my preference leans to the dark.
This beer has a mild Bock-like bouquet, with a hint of a malty aroma. The flavor is mild, smooth and malty with a vaguely sweet smokiness in the aftertaste. It pours well with a nice head and nice, even carbonation, and has a deep, rich dark brown, almost ruby, or garnet coloring.
Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter Winter Warmer
Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub, LLC.
Idaho Springs, CO
Grade: 8.0
This is not your typical winter warmer, which usually is an ale tinted with spices - often with a flavor of gingerbread or pumpkin pie spice. This is like a chocolate version of a lambic, replete with the same sort of sweetness that the fruit-infused beers have.
It's a funny, flavorful beer with the aroma of mellowed Ovaltine. On the label, the beer boasts that the ale is "brewed with cocoa powder and honey." The tastes of the key ingredients make this quite definitively a dessert beer, a nice compliment to the post-meal experience.
Nicely carbonated, with a deep reddish-brown color, this beer is not going to appeal to people that want their beer to taste like beer. Those who do not appreciate lambics would likely grade this considerably lower - probably in the 4.0 to 6.0 range.
Hop-Ocalypse IPAClay Pipe Brewing
Frederick/Westminster, MD
Grade: 7.875
I wouldn't go quite as far as the boast on the label - "A hop flavor so delicious...it will change your world," but it is a pleasing, drinkable beer.
Everything about this beer is pleasant.
It's nicely carbonated, gives a good head on pour, has a rich, golden color - maybe a shade darker than what one would expect of a pale ale - and a nice, floral, hoppy flavor that matches its floral bouquet.
Dogfishhead 90 Minute Imperial IPA
Dogfishhead Craft Brewing
Milton, DE
Grade: 5.75
I was not thrilled.
I have heard a lot about this beer, which gets dry-hopped for 90 minutes at the end of the brewing process. I was expecting a hop-laced pale ale - instead it came off as a vaguely hoppy wheat beer. The bouquet was lightly floral with a strong, acrid tone and the flavor was similar.
While the color was good for an IPA (the only aspect of this beer that I scored higher than a 5 at 8), the carbonation was similar to that of ginger ale.
For those who want the perfect wine to go with their meal, check out Wine That Loves, wine that's expertly designed for the foods you love.
This is one of those wines you take a sip of and realize instantly what a steal it was. Nice big flavor, on the dry side with tastes of spice and berries- maybe even a touch of pepper. I'd love to have paired this with a nice piece of dark chocolate, but it worked just as well with the cheeseburgers we had instead.
Check out their web site.
We got this in Williamsburg, at a wonderful place called A Chef's Kitchen, where the chef and his wife, John and Wanda Gonzales, hand pick a lovely selection of wines for their small store. The best part? ALL of the wines are priced at $10. All of them. And after having bought several bottles from them, I trust their taste implicitly. And if you're ever in Williamsburg, I would suggest (based on recommendations from my in-laws) that you make the effort to join them for dinner.
Check out this article from the New York Times:
Forget about I.P.A.’s, strong, hoppy brews developed by the British centuries ago to withstand the ocean voyage to colonial India. Americans are now making double I.P.A.’s, Extreme I.P.A.’s, even Unearthly I.P.A.’s.
Not being one to pass up a deal, I picked this wine up because of the lovely label and the equally pleasing price ($8.99). Its appears to be made by the Our Daily Red people, who describe it as:
Clockspring Vineyard in Amador gives us this unique Zin!!! One will find a wine that intersperses white pepper on the tongue with a medium weighted body-- a very adaptable wine that can be can be enjoyed with all types of food or on its own. This is not a high alcohol, prune and jam job most often associated with this region.
Me, I would say its the wine version of black cherry cola. Not unpleasant, but also not complicated- quite drinkable. I thought it was sweet (interesting that they say its not a "prune and jam job", considering cherry jam is the strongest note I found), and I couldn't catch the white pepper taste at all.
