A great overview of some of the best labels in beer.
Aleheads Labelmania
Apr 7
Yucca Time
Mar 28
I grabbed two pounds of yucca for $1 at Haymarket, an outdoor market in Boston where you can get some really cheap produce if you have an eye for what’s not overripe yet. After a short search for inspiration, I found that preparing them as a Cuban-style side is the way to go. This and the stuffed peppers I made to go with them made for an excellent meal.
I learned how to cut yucca from an amusing video. With a chef’s knife, I cut the yucca into short sections and cut off the skin in broad strokes.
After they were cut, I boiled them in salted water for twenty minutes, until they were soft but not mushy. After this, I cut each section in half so I could remove the inedible hard fiber from the middle of the root.
Meanwhile I sautéed a mix of garlic, onions, and spices.
- olive oil
- 1 diced onion
- 7 minced garlic cloves
- juice of 1 (huge) lemon
- cumin
- black pepper
- thyme
- cayenne pepper (to taste, I used a ton)
- paprika
Lots of cayenne pepper
After everything was cooked they were mixed together in a bowl. The yucca absorbed a lot of the now-spiced olive oil when combined.
For the stuffed peppers I didn’t plan on getting fancy, I just wanted to use ingredients I already had, but it turned out I had some really ideal stuffed pepper ingredients. The filling included:
- premade tomato pasta sauce
- white rice
- vegetarian fake meat protein crumble stuff (ground beef would work of course)
- capers
- white port
- Worcestershire sauce
I prepared the rice, protein, and other ingredients separately, then combined them and put them in red pepper halves. I cooked these in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes, removed them to sprinkle with shredded jack cheese, then cooked for another 25 minutes.
A good dinner deserves a good drink, so I decided to try a margarita variation I had been planning on attempting.
Sadly, as lovely as this all is, the limes were not ripe enough and kind of ruined the end result. I’ll revisit this experiment in the future.
That didn’t ruin the meal though. Here is the end result.
The yucca was tender yet firm, and had absorbed a lot of savory and spicy goodness. Yucca ends up a bit like potato, but is more vegetable-like and fibrous. The stuffed pepper was quite tasty: the salty savoriness of the Worcestershire sauce and sharp sourness of the capers really shine here.
And that’s all for this meal. It’s nice to add yucca to the culinary arsenal, and I’m sure I’ll use it more in the future.
This was probably the most delicious thing I’ve ever cooked! And it involves beer, so let’s talk about it. Recipe at the end.
I recently got a fancy new cast iron casserole pot.
Apparently it uses some fancy casting technique that makes it much thinner than cast iron usually is, with all the benefits. The thing sure is light for iron. Hey, as long as it works.
So I want to make beer-braised pork. I’d like something on the sweet side, and I happen to have one of these in my cellar:
This is Iron Hill Quadrupel, which I’ve been aging for about a year. I reviewed this brewery a year ago, and had a similar beer called The Quadfather which may or may not be the same beer. In any case, age has treated this one extremely well, and it’s packed with rich and sweet malty complexity.
One glass for me, the rest for the pork. And speaking of the pork:
We’ve got a 4.5 pound pork butt, ready to go.
First thing to do is make a dry rub. I used salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, coriander, and ground mustard seed.
I rubbed this all over the pork and set it in the fridge for an hour. After that, I browned the pork on each side. Next, it was time to add the vegetables and beer for the pork to braise with.
Here we have the beer and pork along with garlic, carrots, onion, celery, apple slices, cloves, and a bay leaf.
I let this cook for two and a half hours at 325 degrees with periodic check-ins. Here is the result:
At this point it smelled amazing! But there was still more to do. I drained the juice into a sauce pan and to the juice I added balsamic vinegar, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. After about half an hour of simmering it was reduced to a nice sauce to top things off.
My beer pairing for the meal was quite different from the beer I cooked with. It was Stone Levitation Ale, a robust and hoppy session ale that contrasts the sweetness of the dish and complements the more savory flavors.
This dish was absolutely incredible. The sheer complexity makes it hard to describe, but it was a tender, juicy savory-and-sweet party and every taste bud was invited.
If I were to change anything, I might cook the pork even longer. It was quite tender, but not quite melt-in-your-mouth tender. Also, a hot pepper added to the mix might have added a nice contrast. But these aren’t complaints. The dish was damned near perfect as it was.
The recipe took inspiration from here and here along with my own modifications.
Beer Braised Pork with Vegetables
Main Ingredient:
- 4-5 pound pork butt
Dry Rub Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp salt
- 50 grinds black pepper
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp coriander
- 2 tbsp ground mustard seed
Braising Ingredients:
- 18 oz. good ale
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 whole cloves
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
Instructions:
- Mix dry rub ingredients in a bowl
- Rub all over the raw pork
- Refrigerate for at least an hour
- Brown the butt on stove, turning over to get all sides
- Add braising ingredients into casserole dish
- Cover with tin foil with holes poked in it
- Cook at 325 degrees for at least 2.5 hours
- Pour extra juices into saucepan
- Add sauce ingredients
- Simmer and reduce 30 minutes or until half the volume is left
- Skim off the fat
- Pull pork apart, move to plate
- Pour sauce over pork and veggies
- Eat!
Last weekend I visited an old friend in Los Angales for Halloween. While California is known for its beer, LA is not. Nonetheless, I stopped into a BevMo chain liquor store to see if there was anything local to try. The staff member was exceedingly friendly and helpful and led me to this brilliant beer.
ReaperAle is based in Lake Elsinore, CA, about 50 miles from LA. I’m not sure if I’ve heard of them before. Their beer labels feature dark Gothic imagery prominently featuring the grim reaper. Appropriate for the season, to be sure.
The beer is Redemption Red Ale. I poured a bomber into two pint glasses for me and my friend. First thought: looks more like a brown than a red. The dark transparent brown contrasts the finger of fluffy white head.
The taste is a surprise. It’s a mix of familiar elements combined in a way I’m not sure I’ve experienced. Initial response is that we have a mix of a red and a brown in flavor as well as in color. It’s malty grain up front, with the sweetness supporting as undertones. A robust nutty flavor reminiscent of pecans comes first, along with some red fruit, maybe overripe strawberry. In comes the sticky caramel. The hop side is considerable. Herbaceous citrus hop flavors rise up enough to balance out the sweeter flavors and add a crispness that keeps the experience refreshing. The finish is long, perhaps due to the stickiness of some of the flavors, and enjoyable to the end.
Both my friend and I loved this beer. The kicker was when I learned it was 6.2% abv. What!? This beer delivers a whole lot of awesome at an abv that begs you to have another. And then maybe another after that. This is a great beer and I hope to try more from ReaperAle in the future.
A friend and I drove up to Haverhill (hay-vrill) Massachusetts on an impulse day trip to have lunch and do some hiking. I love Haverhill Brewing Company and I wondered if they had a brewpub. They do, though I almost missed it because it’s called The Tap, not to be confused with the like-named but less exciting establishment in Boston’s Faneuil Hall.
It’s a charming little bar, quiet this time of day save for a few locals taking a pit stop. There is a separate dining room and an impressive collection of beer steins above the bar. It smells like a mix of bready wort and hot buttery popcorn.
The menu looks enticing, so we start out with some brie crostini covered with house-cured smoked salmon and cucumber caper relish. The toppings outshine the crostini, but isn’t that always the case?
Haverhill has 8 regular beers and one special. We get two flights of five beers each, to try each of the regular beers and two of the special.
Here is an attempt to recap everything I tried:
HaverAle
Presumably this is the flagship session beer. Nicely sets the stage. Light sweet malts and a healthy dose of hops. Straightforward but enjoyable.
Homerun APA
Like the HaverAle, but hoppier. This one seems lost between the better balanced HaverAle and the Leatherlips that comes next.
Leatherlips IPA
The beer that got me interested in Haverhill to begin with. The hops are very dry and very sharp. It’s a unique hop profile but they nailed it. Pine and resin. It’s trying to go over the top, but there is enough malt sweetness to reign it in. Not sure what the hop blend is, but there seem to be some citrus notes back there too. Again: just enough to keep the bitterness from going too far. I’m a big fan of this one.
Whittier White
Change of pace. This is light and nice. The expected white beer flavors are present. Coriander and orange peel. A lot more coriander than I’m used to, I think. But I love coriander, so it’s cool by me.
Gestalt
Altbier. Not a style I chase after, but this one is definitely nice. Medium-bodied brown beer with a mix of sweet and savory malts. I grabbed a bomber (under $4, wow!) to take home, so I’ll get to explore it more soon!
Ascention
A Belgian ale. The problem with flights is that some of the beers you try get kind of lost in the flavors of the others you’ve tasted. I remember mild hops and candi-sugar in a golden ale underneath. Not bad, best as I can tell.
Nico Kölsch
Was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. This is one of the beer styles that really needs to be fresh, so it’s perfect to order at a brewpub. Very light colored, not much head. Beautifully smooth and crisp. Restrained tropical fruit malt notes. Not much hops; just enough to do their job. Next time I’m here I’m going to have to get a full glass of this.
Black
I don’t remember the actual name of this beer, but it was on the flight list as “Black” so we’ll go with that. I think it was a black lager. Tasty enough, but not my style. It may have been an influence on their next, much more interesting beer.
Cask Special: India Dark Ale
Sounds like a more accurate title for the trendy Black IPA style. These usually don’t do much for me, but this one is really good. The sign says it’s dry-hopped with Amarillo hops. Based on the dry-tasting hop flavors in their other beers, I think these folks are a fan of Amarillo. I think it was even hoppier than Leatherlips, but the dark malt flavors are even better at handling it. Roasty but crisp malt flavors, maybe some chocolate, complement the insane bitterness. Works well on cask, with a frothy mouthfeel and a lower temperature.
Partway through this the main course came around.
Fish and chips! Along with onion rings and cole slaw. The slaw and tartar sauce, both home-made I assume, are probably the best part. Everything is getting dipped. The fish is good, but though the menu says they’re beer-battered, the crust is actually rather neutral. Tasty, in any case.
I really enjoyed that not only was brewing equipment in view, but there was actually work being done while we were there. In the main bar a few tanks were visible, and in the basement there were a few random windows displaying even more equipment.
After lunch we wandered off to Wicked Big Cafe where I had a mean cup of espresso in the friendly little coffee shop.
And after that, we took a hike through Winnekenni Park, which had some really nice trails around a large lake.
Pretty awesome day trip, especially given that you can get here in under 40 minutes from Boston! I’ll definitely be back soon.
A dark, rainy Friday night at Sunset Grill & Tap calls for something new. The waitress told me she had trouble finding their single Kasteel glass, but wow was it a gorgeous one. In the venue’s dim light the beer appeared to be an unassuming dark brown. It was under the Flemish section of the menu, noted as a cherry beer. Sour cherries incoming, I hoped.
The aroma of sweet cherries was noticeable as I poured. The taste: it’s all cherries. But it’s complex. Imagine the perfect well-carbonated sweet cherry soda. Then pour in some rich cherry liquor with more complex dried cherry notes. That’s what this beer tastes like. There is a bit of sour, but not much, and perhaps a touch of bubble gum.
This is an exploration of everything a cherry can do, all in one beer. It finishes clean and is easy to drink. Easily recommended as a unique and successful brew.
Best of Summer 2010
Aug 21
It’s Been a Good Ride
It’s a rainy day in Boston. It promises to be a rainy week. If this signifies the end of summer (along with the sudden appearance of pumpkin beers at the local liquor store) it may be time for a retrospective on the great beers that we’ve enjoyed these last few glorious months.
Mayflower Summer Rye at Deep Ellum
Mayflower Summer Rye
I’ve never had a beer at a mere 3.8% abv that was this flavorful. A good lemony citrus tang along with adequate hops. The rye acts as an anchor, surprising, at first seeming out of place, but adding the body needed to balance things out. A nice spicy finish runs into your next sip. Refreshes and satisfies. Another bottle, please!
Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale
It’s a “pale wheat ale” but if you told me it was an IPA I wouldn’t argue. Aroma is glorious. Smells like hop heaven. Fresh, lush hop intensity: grass, grapefruit, pineapple, and other tropical fruit. Someone suggested mango: I hear that. The first sip brings more of the same. The wheat stands back, but maybe brings a little heavier sweetness. Crisp and refreshing through it all.
Dogfish Head Festina Pêche
Still loving this one, discovered last year. Very simple, in a way, though unusual. It’s lemony and sour up front, as a Berliner-weisse should be. The tartness makes the beer very palate-cleansing and refreshing, but doesn’t go too far. On the other hand is fresh peach sweetness. A very fruity, ripe sort of peach, as though you had just squeezed one into your glass. Some malt flavors present, but not vying for attention. Dogfish Head’s progressive experimentation hits the nail on the head with this one.
In Conclusion
It’s been a great summer for beer lovers. Let’s hope these ones show up again next year, along with some stiff competition!
My usual partner-in-crime is abroad, so tonight I’m enjoying some old favorites, and cracking open one of my favorite beers for a review.
The meal is just some quesadillas with jack and cheddar cheese. I added a few spoonfuls of Xochitl salsa. I’m torn on this salsa: it has good roasted tomato and fresh jalapeño flavors, which I love, but some of the spices go in the Italian direction, and I have a pet peeve regarding salsas that taste anything like pasta sauce.
The beer is Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly. I’ve tasted quite a few double IPAs lately, and this is definitely one of the best, along with Hop Stoopid and Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA. Many oak-aged imperial IPAs have the same problem: the oak just gets lost behind the hop overload. Not at all in this case. The full and deep oak flavors, particularly the vanilla, stand out with as much potency as the sweet caramel and sugar glaze malt flavors. And of course there are the hops. Not as aggressive as you’d expect from a beer that was both dry-hopped and run through a hopback. Very fresh, herbaceous hop notes. Grass, grapefruit, and orange. There is a lingering bitterness on the finish, but it never overwhelms. A truly great beer.
As a micro-dessert I have a Celtic sea salt Béquet caramel. I’ve been addicted to these ever since I discovered them at South End Formaggio. A lot of salted desserts hold out on me, but this one has no shortage of delicious grainy salt mixed homogeneously throughout. The caramel itself is soft and not particularly sticky, making its texture almost as much a joy as the rich and buttery caramel taste.
Six Burner, formerly Firefly, just had their first beer pairing dinner. This place has been one of my brunch standbys for a long time. The Six Burner incarnation has switched from lighter bistro fare to comfort food, but it is as good as ever. Comfort food was definitely the name of the game at this beer pairing dinner. Let’s talk food!
Mac & Cheese with Caramelized Onions paired with Sam Adams Boston Ale
This pairing shows that they mean business. The pair works on several fronts. The sweet malts in the beer and the caramelized onion in the mac & cheese are similar flavors that complement each other nicely, while the hops in the beer provide the right contrast to emphasize the softer cheese flavors. Great.
Chicken Sausage with Fig and Orange Marmalade and Polenta paired with Sam Adams Honey Porter
The most unique offering of the night. I love figs, and they’re a classic complement to the honey in the porter. The heavier maltiness of the porter adds some depth underneath this relatively lighter dish. There is some spiciness in the polenta that brings the whole thing together. Great.
Beef Brisket Shepherd’s Pie paired with Sam Adams Black Lager
A tasty execution of a classic. It has a spiciness that I’m not used to in shepherd’s pie, but it works. The black lager’s roasty notes complement the dish but it is light enough in body to not weigh down the whole thing. Great.
Apple Crisp paired with Sam Adams Cream Stout
I’m assuming that the idea here is that the tartness of the apples matches the sweetness in the stout. Honestly the Sam Adams Cream Stout is a little light in flavor and body for my preference in the style. The dessert itself is good though, and stands out by itself as the highlight of this course. Good.
I had the chance to talk to the owner while I was there. She is planning on doing beer pairing dinners every month, with Peak Organic (meh), Long Trail (could be good), and, at my suggestion, Allagash (yay!) as a maybe. I will definitely be back, since overall, this dinner was Great!
I’ve been exploring the craft vodka scene a little, and enjoying the results. I hope to do another post in the future about the nuances and varieties of vodka in general, but I still have a lot to learn. It’s hard to find good resources on this subject. Too many people dismiss vodka as simply “neutral” or “flavorless”, exasperated by the fact that many vodkas tout their “smoothness” in the way Budweiser advertises its “drinkability”, that is, as a euphemism for tastelessness.
In any case, let’s focus on a recent find that has been very good to me. Cold River is a craft distillery in Maine. They make two potato vodkas: regular and blueberry. I have a bottle of the blueberry vodka, and oh man am I loving it.
This is not your average flavored vodka. Many flavored vodkas are 70 proof instead of the usual 80 proof. This is because in many flavored vodkas so much sugar and artificial flavoring is added that it significantly reduces the amount of actual vodka. Cold River Blueberry is 80 proof, and has a very different taste than a sugary, syrupy flavored vodka. The blueberry flavor is a little sweet, but is more reminiscent of fresh blueberries, which actually have some tart and acidic flavors in there. Think about eating a blueberry fresh off the bush rather than the filling of a blueberry pie. The vodka itself has some gentle bread notes. When drank neat, the bread flavor makes you feel like you’re drinking a blueberry muffin. This is not a bad thing per se, a little strange in some sense, but who drinks vodka neat anyway? The stuff shines in cocktails, where the fresh blueberry flavor can be put to good use.
My favorite way to drink this vodka so far has been in a lemon drop. No, not one of those sickly-sweet lemon drops bars seem to serve. This is a more sweet-tart approach. Here is the recipe I’m using.
Blueberry Lemon Drop
- 2 ounces Cold River Blueberry vodka (or other vodka for typical lemon drop)
- 1 ounce lemon juice (fresh preferred of course)
- 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
Shake on ice, strain into martini glass. Optionally, use extra lemon juice to wet the rim and dip it in sugar. If you happen to have fresh blueberries in the fridge, you definitely need to drop two or three of those in here too!
Blueberry and lemon are naturally a winning combination. Since our flavored vodka isn’t adding sugar, it’s easier to be sure you’re adding the right amount of simple syrup. All things considered, this is probably the best lemon drop I’ve had. Enjoy!