August / Not just a state of wine

California is top of mind for consumers when one thinks of wine produced in the United States. California’s winemakers have taken reign to even trademark Napa Valley, comparatively to the Champagne region in France. One ingredient, fermented grape juice has entirely transformed the beverage industry and until recently many winemakers have created new blends and profuse accessories too attract the common man and woman. When pairing food and wine, many believed that wine went with finer cuisine, typically French, and beer went with… well, hot dogs.

As I see many of my friends and family take to wine with respect and ultimately, beverage separatism, I see that they are potentially the same advocates who should approach beer with the same excitement. Beer will challenge your senses and help to peel away the notion of beer as simply a product for quick consumption. What other beverage can enhance the range of life’s simple pleasures from fishing with buddies to having dinner at a fine restaurant, other than a great brew?

Some of my A-list breweries from California include: AleSmith, Anchor, Anderson Valley, Firestone Walker, Lost Abbey, Lagunitas, Sierra Nevada, and Stone. Beer trumps wine in two distinct ways – carbonation and at least four hearty ingredients: water, hops, yeast, and barley. I recommend that the next time you want to have grilled steak and are at the liquor store, peek in their beer section and grab an Pale Ale (like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) along with your Cabernet Sauvignon.




Red Rocket Ale
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Healdsburg, California
bearrepublic.com

Red Rocket takes off into the glass with explosive carbonation and portrays a garnet color and tan cushiony foam leaving plenty lacing. Aroma initially opens with sweet hops then settles down with some fruit, burnt sugars, and roasted malt. Wonderful flavors of balanced hops, brown sugar, and roasted malt. No other red ale exemplifies the style so well while incorporating hops into every interaction in the brew to the bitter end - love it. Another amazing beer from Bear Republic – also try their Hop Rod Rye.

Appearance: 4.5
Smell: 4.5
Taste: 5
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 4.5
Overall = 4.65

Style: American Amber / Red Ale
Alcohol By Volume : 6.80%
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 22oz. bomber / brown bottle
Pairings:
Cheese: Sharp Blue, Cheddar
Cuisine: Grilled steak, spicy black bean hummus & pita bread
Glassware: Pint glass
Price: $4.89 each



PranQster
North Coast Brewing Co.
Fort Bragg, California
northcoastbrewing.com

Pours hazed apricot hue with a light sheet of lace that hugs the stemless pinot noir glass. Feeble aroma but picking up sweet vanilla, little spice, and a surprising whiff of oaky chardonnay. Amazingly, the flavor makes up for everything the nose lets down. Pranqster lives up to its name by unveiling a world-class taste. Each sip brings candi sugar that laces the lips with notes of spicy hops, pale malt and that quintessential Belgian yeast flavor. This brew is full of flavor and brings a strong mouthful with an expected powerful carbonation. This beer has high drinkability, but consume with moderation, for PranQster will fool you with it’s high alcohol content.

Appearance: 4
Smell: 2.5
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 4.5
Drinkability: 5
Overall = 4.05

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Alcohol By Volume : 7.60%
Availability : Spring & Summer Release
Sample Size: 12 oz. brown bottle

Pairings:
Cheese: Aged Gouda, strong Cheddar
Cuisine: Apéritif, Shrimp Salad, mussels, Digestif,
Glassware: Over-sized wine glass, snifter
Price: $7.94 four pack

July Brew Review / Texas Pale Ales

Texas Pale Ales

This month we stay local and explore two brews crafted right around Southeast Texas. First we visit the new and out of the chute, Southern Star Brewing Company from Conroe to taste their craft-canned Pine Belt American Pale Ale. Next, we’ll sample an American IPA (India Pale Ale) from the well established and Texas favorite, Saint Arnold Brewing Company of Houston.


Pine Belt Pale Ale
Southern Star Brewing Company
Conroe, Texas
southernstarbrewing.com

Slightly hazy-copper color with a light beige meringue head that has good staying power. Syrupy grapefruit and fresh, floral pine oil control the nose along with some slight toasted malt. The body is medium with a fine carbonation, giving a zesty mouthfeel that becomes creamy as it warms. Fresh cut grass and the oily Columbus hop character quickly take over the palate to provide a clean bite of citric, grapefruit character and with juicy fruit gum, which yields a crisp fresh taste. Malty undertones of crust and caramel help to balance Pine Belt’s flavor while the hop bitterness progressively increases and loiters on the tongue after each sip. I found this local gem at Spec’s in Houston and I look forward to when this beer is available in Beaumont.

Appearance: 4.5
Smell: 4
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 5
Overall = 4.4

Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
Alcohol By Volume : ?
Availability: Year Round

Sample Size: 16oz. can
Pairings:
Cheese: Camembert, Fontina,
Cuisine: grilled lemongrass chicken & vermicelli / see below for marinade.
Glassware: pint glass
Price: $6.49 / four-pack



Elissa IPA
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Houston, Texas
saintarnold.com

Pours transparent copper-orange with a nominal, light ecru head that dissipates quickly and leaves a faint collar. Cascade hops dominate the aroma’s foreground with some caramel to the back. The taste surprisingly balances with sweet malt caramel and biscuity flavors then finishes with a middling hop presence that is citrus and pine that fades quickly leaving a lingering bitterness. The malt is not sticky or overly sweet; it is simply the dominant flavor. Smooth bodied with medium carbonation lend a dry finish.

Appearance: 3.5
Smell: 4
Taste: 3.5
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 4
Overall = 3.7

Style: American IPA (India Pale Ale)
Alcohol By Volume : 6.60%

Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 12oz. bottle
Pairings:
Cheese: Limburger
Cuisine: vegetarian Indian dishes, spicy chicken Pad Thai,
Glassware: pint glass
Price: $7.99 / six-pack

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The difference between an American Pale Ale an a American IPA (India Pale Ale) is that when IPAs were transported from Britain to the British colony of India, these brews would require more hops to be used as a preservative to make it through a four-month sea journey. In turn these IPAs acquired a deeper color and a more bitterness from the hops. American brewers who brew IPAs try to replicate the British IPA using American ingredients. Saint Arnold Brewing Company donates a percentage of the proceeds of from Elissa IPA to the Galveston Historical District for the preservation of the brew’s namesake; a tall moored ship similar to those commerce vessels that transported India Pale Ales from Britain to India.

American Pale Ales like Southern Star’s Pine Belt are quite popular and are an adaptation of English pale ales to reflect local ingredients native to America, often without heavy hopping and a less caramel flavor than their English counterparts. Southern Star’s Co-founders Dave Fougeron and Brian Hutchins began production of their first signature brew in March of this year from their 10,000 foot warehouse in Conroe. Southern Star Brewing Company is the one of the only microbreweries in the state of Texas to package their craft beer in a can.

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, tender inner white bulbs only, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
3 chilies, seeded and minced
1 scallion for garnishing

Method:

In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. Add the chicken meat to coat.

In a small skillet, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of the water and cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the lemongrass, shallot, and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl and top with the scallion. Serve with steamed white rice.

June Brew Review / Tasty Sojourn

Weihenstephaner HefeWeissbier
Brauerei Weihenstephan
Freising, Germany
brauerei-weihenstephan.de

The dark mustard hazy color hefe displays capacious pillowy foam. Aroma of banana, lemon, vanilla, and spice along with light malts and a little whiff of hops. Flavor hits with a very solid creamy wheat taste – banana and lemon again, clove, cracker, delicate hops and extremely slight bubblegum. Nicely carbonated mouthfeel with a fine pepper tinge. Please refrain from garnishing with a lemon or orange, as it will mask some of the greatness actually in this beer.

Appearance: 4
Smell: 4.5
Taste: 4
Mouthfeel: 4.5
Drinkability: 4.5
Overall = 4.2

Style: Hefeweizen
Alcohol By Volume : 5.40%
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 12oz. bottle
Pairings:
Cheese: Edam, Feta
Cuisine: Weisswurst (white sausage), Sushi
Glassware: Weizen glass
Price: $7.99 six pack


Skinny Dip
New Belgium Brewing Inc.
Fort Collins, Colorado
newbelgium.com

Skinny Dip is a replacement and retuned recipe of New Belgium’s retired brew, Loft. Pours a clear light copper color with an ample head. Aroma is biscuity cookie and very malty with a minute hop presence. Flavor notes of kaffir lime and cascade hops sit to the back while the malt dominates. The mouthfeel is similar in fashion to Fat Tire as it begins with sweetness and is then topped with light to moderate carbonation.
Skinny Dip is a exceptional session brew that is not only refreshing, but is perfect for those looking for the ‘figure-friendly’ alternative to those light or ultra beers this summer. If anyone cares, Skinny Dip is only 114 calories per 12oz serving.

Appearance: 3.5
Smell: 4
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 3.5
Drinkability: 4.5
Overall = 4.1

Style: American Blonde Ale
Alcohol By Volume : 4.20%
Availability : Spring & Summer Release
Sample Size: 12 oz. brown bottle
Pairings:
Cheese: Monterey Pepper Jack, Havarti
Cuisine: Salad, Seafood, Quiche
Glassware: Pint glass
Price: $7.99 six pack


Weihenstephan, founded 1040 AD is the oldest established brewery and have created an amazing benchmark of the Hefeweizen style. To break it down, Hefe- yeast and Weizen- wheat, typically referes to an unfiltered wheat ale that has yeast added for natural, bottle-conditioning. If you enjoyed the Weihenstephaner please try the “Holy Grail” for Hefeweizen from Austin’s Live Oak brewery. They do not bottle but you can find the beer on tap at a few different bars in Houston, Austin, and around Texas (not yet Beaumont).

May Brew Review

Cusquena Premium Peruvian Beer
Compania Cervecera Del Sur Del Peru S.A. / Cusco, Peru / cusquena.co.uk

Cusquena streams into the pint glass from the unique brown bottle and displays a frothy two-finger head and a transparent golden straw color. Aroma of malt, caramel, and a slight Saaz floral hop character. The taste parallels the aroma and is very balanced and carbonated with a light body. This is a surprising beer and is a great transition from the true mass-marketed American Macro Lagers. Cusquena is refreshing and a fantastic buy for these hot Texas summers.

Appearance: 3 

Smell: 3 

Taste: 4 

Mouthfeel: 3.5 

Drinkability:4.5

Overall = 3.6

Style: American Macro Lager 

Alcohol By Volume : 5.00%

Availability : Year Round

Sample Size: 11.2 oz. brown bottle

Pairings:
Cheese: Monterey Jack
Cuisine: Ceviche (see my easy recipe below), Braised Pork Tacos, Chicken Tikka Masala
Glassware: Pint glass

Price: $7.50 six pack

 ApriHop

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery / Milton, Delaware / dogfish.com

Brown bottle reads, “A serious India Pale Ale brewed with real apricots.” Pours an orange-amber color, with an approaching crown of dense, fluffy, and creamy suds.  Apricot, slight pineapple, and pine oiled hops notes fills the nose. Middling apricot taste with dashed tartness and a hoppy bitterness that settles in the middle then balances with subtle malt character. Finishes with a medium mouthfeel that is crisp, quite dry, and a good bite expected for an India Pale Ale. ApriHop is an amazing beer that is not artificial or overpoweringly sweet; just a harmonious marriage of real fruit and real beer. 

Appearance: 4
Smell: 4
Taste: 4
Mouthfeel: 4
Drinkability: 4.5
Overall = 4.05
 
Style: Fruit Beer (India Pale Ale)
Alcohol By Volume : 7.00%
Availability : Spring Release
Sample Size: 12 oz. brown bottle

Pairings:
Cheese: Manchego
Cuisine: Hummus, Cuban Pork Tamales, Salad

Glassware: Pint glass
Price: $9 four pack


Style Profile:
Cusqueña (pronounced CUS-KEN-YA) is produced near the lost city of Machu Picchu-center of the Incas civilization in the Peruvian Andes. It is made with pure glacial mountain water from a source at 18,000 feet in the Andes and is the only Latin beer brewed to the German purity laws of 1516.

Within the style of Fruit Beer, components such as hops and malt may be intentionally subdued to allow the fruit character to dominate. The fruit should simply add an extra complexity and should be supportive to the beer while not artificial, but not be so prominent as to unbalance the final result. Remember that adding fruit should generally add flavor not sweetness to fruit beers. Kudos to Sam Calagione and his extreme style at Dogfish Head Brewery for creating his off-centered ales; always a treat.

Peruvian Ceviche Recipe

1 pound sea bass, chopped finely
1 cup lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 scallions, finely chopped
4 serrano chiles, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, sliced
Tortilla chips, for serving

In a non-reactive dish, such as a glass bowl, toss together the sea bass, lime juice, salt and garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Drain the fish; it will have made a milky liquid. Add the scallions, chile and cilantro and stir gently together with the fish. Garnish each serving with slices of avocado and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips and a bucket of Cusquena.

April Brew Review

Shiner 99 / Munich Helles Lager

Spoetzl Brewery / Shiner, Texas / shiner.com

Pours a bright, clear, straw color with ample suds. Smells of grain malts and a very faint sweetness/honey and spice coming through from the Hallertau hops. Taste of forward leaning malt with hops that lean to the back. Light-medium mouthfeel with calm carbonation and average drinkability for a Munich lager. A common representation of the style that pays tribute to Shiner's rich German tradition and heritage. Bring some to your next crawfish boil (see picture below.)

appearance: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 3.5 | drinkability: 4
3.75 overall

Style: Munich Helles Lager
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 5.0%
Availability: limited release
Sample Size: 12oz brown bottle

Pairings:
cheese: Havarti, Brie
cuisine: spicy crawfish, fried oyster po-boy

glassware: flute or Pilsner glass
price: $6.99 6/pack

Allagash Tripel Reserve

Allagash Brewing Company / Portland, Maine / allagash.com

Bottle is corked and caged with a #68 batch stamp. Brew streams into the goblet translucent golden-orange with a frothy dense head. Extremely convoluted aroma of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, with hints of banana. Taste brings rich flavors of candi sugar, caramel, banana, clove, and a tad bit of citrus tartness with light pepper. Carbonation pops in the mouth and levels out with some alcohol warmth. Fruity sweet and dry finish that is quite drinkable. One of the best, if not the best Tripel brewed in the United States. Try drinking Allagash Tripel as an aperitif with the suggested parings, with a dessert, or especially excellent on its own as a digestif.

appearance: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4
4.55 overall

Style: Tripel
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 9.0%
Availability: year-round
Sample Size: 750ml corked and caged bottle

Pairings:
cheese: Stilton, Roquefort, Feta
cuisine: Greek salad, asparagus, lemon squares

glassware: goblet, snifter
price : $9.25 bottle

Style Profile:

In 2005, five years from their Centennial Anniversary, Shiner began brewing an annual series of limited edition, commemorative brews, tipping a hat to their rich German roots. Shiner kicked things off with their 96 Märzen-Style Ale followed by 97 Black Lager (Schwarzbier), then 98 Bavarian-Style Amber and now Shiner's 99 Munich-Style Helles Lager. Click here for more info on Shiner's Anniversary Brews.

Tripel is a strong blonde/pale ale originally created and popularized in 1934 by the Belgian Trappist monastery at Westmalle. Allagash stands out as one of the best breweries in America with an anchored portfolio of Beligian inspired style beers such as White and Dubbel, while some brews are barrel-aged in bourbon soaked oak. All Allagash beers are always bottle-conditioned, meaning that they are not pasteuized and they contain live yeast to being a new process of fermentation.

Below is a video from Allagash brewing company. They are in process of creating one of America's first spontaneous fermented beers, which are also called Lambics and are made from wild yeast and aged hops. After fermentation the Lambic will age in French oak and possibly be added with fruit and should be ready in 2009.

http://allagash.com/news_cool_ship.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD_49kfVJeE

March Brew Review

Storm King Imperial Stout

Victory Brewing Company / Downingtown, Pennsylvania / victorybeer.com

Pours opaque black with amazing head retention. Aroma of plums, mocha coffee, and faint anise with an alcohol nose comparable to barleywine. The taste brings intricate flavors of biscotti, toasted almond, bread crust, dried red fruit and bittersweet chocolate. Alcohol moderately warms the mouth, then finishes quite bitter, yet pleasantly with a creamy and full mouthfeel. Storm King is an impressive and complex dessert stout that stores and cellars for up to five years.

appearance: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4.5
4.60 overall

Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 9.10%
Availability: Year round
Sample Size: 12oz glass bottle

Pairings:
cheese: razor sharp cheddar
cuisine: chocolate mousse

glassware: snifter
price: $10.99 6/pack

Guinness Draught & Smithwick’s Ale (All Irish Black & Tan)
Dublin, Ireland / Guinness, LTD

The first brew pour is Smithwick’s with an amber color and intentionally no head. The nose has subtle roasted malts and faint hops. Next, Irish stout from the Guinness Draught slowly pours over the Brütül turtle that trickles on top the Smithwick’s. The famous Guinness surge appears and the creamy tan head assembles at the top of the glass. Nose is dominant of light malts and coffee. Taste mellows and is not overly exciting for a stout, but is pleasant. The roasted malt is most noticeable with a lightly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Guinness’ body is thin to medium. As the brew knocks back, the Smithwick’s arrives with a suitable amount of nimble caramel and toffee up front with a malt backbone. Mouthfeel is light bodied that rummages for more hop character. Finishes clean with smooth drinkability.

appearance: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | mouthfeel: 2.5 | drinkability: 4
3.25 overall

Styles: Dry Stout & Irish Red Ale
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): Avg 4.35%
Availability: Year round
Sample size: (G) nitro-can & (S) glass bottle

Parings:
cheese: paragon, provolone
cusine: smoked salmon, hearty Irish stew

glassware: pint glass / mug
price: (G) $7.49 4/pack (S) $7.49 6/pack

Style Profile:

To prepare an All-Irish Black & Tan, first fill a glass halfway with Smithwick’s (pronounced Smit-icks), then add the Guinness Draught from their nitro-can with the widget rocket. The top layer is best poured slowly over an upside-down tablespoon or a Brütül turtle (purchase at Brutul.com or Spec’s) placed over the glass to trickle over the ale to avoid splashing and mixing the layers.

Russian Imperial stout is a strong, high alcohol, complex stout originally brewed back in the 1800s in London to impress the Tsar of the Russian Imperial Court.