Chocolate Stout Freak Shake Freakshake In college I worked with a guy named Freak. Large and imposing with a heart of gold under layers of ink and steel. I refused to call him Freak, making up new names for him. Finally, he stopped me, asked me why I was so opposed to using that name.… Read More
Beer S’Mores: Stout Chocolate Bar and Belgian Ale Marshmallows There are foods I only like for nostalgic reasons. Fritos and bean dip, Jello-cake with whipped cream frosting, Taco Bell. It reminds me of growing up, in a house with ten people, and meal time was more of a defrost-and-feed triage. S’mores has one foot in… Read More
Beer people, we have our own language. Our own accepted set of standards. In most settings, with most normal humans, it’s unacceptable and off putting to ask a stranger if you can sample the beverage in their hands. Try it, go to a random Starbucks and ask the guy who waited in line behind… Read More
Bourbon Stout Cherries We would love to pretend like barrel aged beer is something a trend setting, bearded, flannel wearing brewer invented just a handful of years ago, igniting a craft beer phenomenon that’s taken over the bottle shops. But that’s not the case. In the dawn of civilization, when beer and humanity where in their… Read More
I know what you’re thinking. You think that I put a Pumpkin Ale in that pie. It’s a fair assumption, and not a bad route to take when beerifying (that’s a word) a pumpkin pie. Sure, you can use that. Go ahead, be my beer-cookin’ guest, it’s not a bad choice. But for this… Read More
Can we still be friends if I tell you that I don’t really like slow cookers? I resisted getting one for years, and then, like the culinary lemming that I can often be, I caved and asked for one for Christmas. As I kid, I hated them. I saw it only as that thing… Read More
The best thing happened on Thanksgiving. Just about 18 hours prior to Turkey Tip-Off, my small gathering of 4 people more than tripled into a 14 person party that ended in cocktails, poker, and eating pie right out of the pan. How great is that? I was happy with the idea of a small gathering,… Read More
Let’s talk. If you are new to the Beer Scene you might not know about bourbon barrel aged beer. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Beer that has been aged in bourbon barrels giving it flavors of that remnant bourbon that once took up residence in that same barrel. Because bourbon is aged for years,… Read More
There’s a good chance that when you think about cooking with beer, a meat recipe comes to mind. Your Dad’s beer marinated ribs? Beer can chicken? Beer braised pork? There’s a good reason for that. Not just for the spectacular flavors that craft beer can impart on the meat, but because beer, especially high acid… Read More
The best part about visiting a brewery is the opportunity to sample those special release beers that never make it into bottles. Those brews that are only made in small batches, put into casks that sometimes make it to local pubs or events but will never make it into bottles in your local distributors shelves.… Read More