Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I usually look at the photos of cookbooks and not much else. But I have had the pleasure of being in the audience with Chef Adam Dulye on two separate occasions and learned a lot both times.
Which is why I will be actually looking deeper at the latest beer cookery book, The Beer Pantry which “is a primer on cooking that complements beer, teaching readers how to think like a chef when pairing their favorite craft brews with culinary ingredients.”
I have had Guinness branded potato chips in the past, they were fine but not really redolent of Irish Stout. I also had Beer Chips in the further past and they were just sweet, almost like sugar frosted chips if I remember correctly.
So I will be interested to see how Mikkeller fares in the chip department. I would go for the malt, yeast and hops flavor over the smoke.
I have had only two barrel-aged coffees so far in my life. (I know that I am behind) but I am intrigued by this new hoppy / whiskey version from Fireside Coffee.
It is pretty expensive but this is why…
“We age our coffee beans in a Founders Brewing Company barrel for 2 weeks before roasting them. The barrel is used twice before we get it…. once for whiskey, and once for beer. The aging process infuses the coffee with light and smooth beer notes, and hints of hops & whiskey.”
Not to mention it is small batch beans and not some large Starbuck-ian amount.
As I was doing some CyberMonday shopping, I came across this from the fun website ThinkGeek. Don’t know if I would order it except for a gag but thought I would pass it on to those who like to tease people at Christmas.
Yeah, I have a thing for Egg Nog lattes and ice cream (Beer too if one would be made). But I only buy them during the holiday season. Since it is that time of year and since fancy ice cream is blowing up in L.A., I went out to taste two different versions.
Starting with the Boozy Egg Nog of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. This is what I expect in a cone. It has the full spice profile but it also has enough of the “boozy” party to replicate (to an extent) the full experience.
McConnell’s version tasted close to the ideal. But it was an off white cream color without any speckles to it. I felt like I had mis-ordered and gotten French Vanilla. It had the nutmeg and spice but it was a bit too mild for my taste.
There are some good beer dinners out there but Angel City has teamed with Chef Jonathan Pimental for a 5-Course Beer Dinner that focuses on the sea.
On Wednesday, November 29th at 7:00pm, Pimental (formerly of Spago and Patina) will take guests “Down the Cape” with a “Boston inspired menu with Latin twist.”
Be prepared for the following menu:
“Ahi Tuna Stack on a crispy Potato Sope with Lima Bean Puree and finished with a fresh Mango Serrano Salsa. Other courses will showcase fresh Prawns and Maine Lobster flown in from the East Coast, each thoughtfully paired with an Angel City brew. Round-off the evening with Churro-Inspired Funnel Cakes topped with caramel shards.
My top three foods to pair with beer starts with burgers and pizza but BBQ is right there too. And you can sample two venerable Pasadena institutions beer and BBQ on October 18th starting at 6:30pm.
Craftsman Brewing and Brewmaster Mark Jilg is the beer half. The five-course dinner will be curated by Gus’s BBQ. The food will be paired with five Craftsman beers. Jilg will talk tasting notes, style, history and more for each beer.
Seating will be limited and purchasing advance tickets is advised.
If you needed to combine your IPA or dark ales with jerky to make it a one-stop shop. Well NW Bierhaus has the meat for you. (They also have wine accented jerky as well).
You can get IPA in regular or hot or dark ale in regular or (you guessed it) hot. I cannot vouch for whether the difference between the two ales or spice levels is noticeable but could be a fun gift for the beer fan who you have grown tired of buying Bevmo cards for.
If you did not make it to the Brew at the Zoo this year, you can still check out the special beer made by the Brewery at Simmzy’s for that festival at Simmzy’s Zoo Brew Dinner which will feature Hasani’s Silverback Summer Ale.
To recap: “Head Brewer Brian Herbertson was invited by the Los Angeles Zoo to work with Hasani to create a beer based on ingredients sampled by the gorilla during a special tasting.”
On Wednesday, September 13th, Simmzy’s will present a four course dinner expertly paired by Head Brewer Brian Herbertson, and Advanced Cicerone Greg Bechtel. A percentage of profits form the event will benefit the Los Angeles Zoo.
Menu:
Morning Session Saison
Fresh melon and Peach salad with spring greens, goat cheese and herbed croutons
Tips Up IPA- (Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo Hops)
Fried Chicken with a creamy lemon, buttermilk sauce served with a fresh sweet corn
Hasani’s Silverback Summer Ale (Belgian Single with Blood orange)
Roasted pork tenderloin with a Blood orange sauce on a bed of wood-fire roasted green beans and crispy sweet potatoes
Simmzy’s Porter
Chocolate Mousse with fresh whipped cream and Salted caramel brittle
When you can’t have beer or when you have a sweet tooth, you can try Beer-flavored hard candy? Brew Candy® “comes in a mixed bag of three tasty flavors: Honey Ale, Hoppy IPA, and Roasty Stout.”
I don’t know how they taste. I would assume the honey and roasty flavor tastes less like beer and probably are more sweet oriented. The hoppy might be interesting depending upon what hops are used or what hop flavor they were looking to emulate.