tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304577092024-03-13T21:31:24.878-07:00Beer for ChicksThe Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-40947707345699577792011-05-01T13:40:00.000-07:002011-05-01T13:51:06.536-07:00Wine, Waves & Beyond ... and Whoopie Pie!<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PiEr300p4B4/Tb3EU7q-8MI/AAAAAAAAAnc/Pn6sxVvBt8c/s1600/Whoopie+Pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PiEr300p4B4/Tb3EU7q-8MI/AAAAAAAAAnc/Pn6sxVvBt8c/s1600/Whoopie+Pie.jpg" /></a>Y'all know I love a good dessert and beer pairing. Well at a Beer Pairing Dinner previewing the upcoming<b> <a href="http://www.winewavesandbeyond.com/">Second Annual Wine, Waves & Beyond</a></b>, I came across one doozy of a delightful pairing. We're talking Whoopie Pie here - and one not only featuring but paired with delicious beers from Paso Robles, CA brewery <b><a href="http://www.firestonebeer.com/">Firestone Walker</a></b>.</div><br />
What we used to call a BFO (Big Fat Oreo) back home, pastry chef Willie Vey (from the adorable<b> <a href="http://www.applefarm.com/dining/">Apple Farm Restaurant and Bakery</a></b> in San Luis Obispo, CA) has transformed into haute deconstructed cuisine, featuring delectable dark chocolate, bruleed 'fluff' and classic whoopie cream. To add insult to injury (both the good kind) Chef Vey topped the pie with a caramel sauce made with Firestone Walker Brewing Company's cocoa-y and espresso-y Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout. An amazingly big, but well-balanced beer that's been aged in bourbon barrels. <br />
<br />
The Whoopie Pie was paired with another Firestone Walker beer. This time it was the much sought after 13% limited reserve series barrel-aged American Barleywine called Abacus. Boozy whiskey and woody oak aromatics combined with milk chocolate and sweet malty undertones to make this a perfect Whoopie Pie pairing. <br />
<br />
If you want in on this beery Whoopie Pie goodness (along with the added backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Ocean), check out this year's<b> Brew Masters Dinner</b> at the Wine, Waves & Beyond which is taking place on<b> Saturday, June 4th at 6:30 pm</b> at the <b>Cliffs Resort</b> in Pismo Beach, CA. All proceeds from this event go to support the <a href="http://ampsurf.org/"><b>Association of Amputee Surfers</b></a> (AmpSurf). The dinner is $60.00 and you can buy tickets to the Brew Masters Dinner as well as other WW&B events by <a href="http://ampsurf.org/shop/cart.php?m=product_list&c=9"><b>clicking here</b></a>.<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
Firestone beers will be paired with each dish prepared by executive chefs from area restaurants. Some of the featured pairings include the Cayucos Abalone Ceviche with Meyer Lemon Marinade and Black Bean Relish paired with Firestone Honey Blond, Hearst Ranch Skirt Steak Tacos with Pickled Exotic Garden Watermelon Radish and Kumquat Slices paired with Firestone Union Jack. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <br />
(</span></i><a href="http://www.winewavesandbeyond.com/images/BrewMasters-dinner-menu.pdf"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click here for a complete menu</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">.)</span></i>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-64011115283093430952011-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:002011-01-18T07:30:49.130-08:00Houblon Who?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h-VqBJE1ipI/TTC1d6k5PRI/AAAAAAAAAlY/zUpdlaLllFE/s1600/houblonchouffe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h-VqBJE1ipI/TTC1d6k5PRI/AAAAAAAAAlY/zUpdlaLllFE/s1600/houblonchouffe.jpg" /></a>This is Houblon Chouffe Dobblen IPA Tripel from <a href="http://www.achouffe.be/en">Brasserie d'Achouffe</a> brewed in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes. It's a big beer with an even bigger name. But for this beer chick, it's a perfect blend of old-world Belgian sass and new-world, west coast smack you upside the head with some hops. <a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/Media/angrybirdscheer.mp3"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Insert 'Angry Birds' cheer here!</span></i></a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i><span style="font-size: small;">I had the opportunity to sit down at a lunch with Chris Bauweraerts (can't pronounce it)</span>, the founder of Brasserie D'Achouffe, the famous 28-year-old Belgian brewery who now acts as the brewery's ambassador, and here's what he said about my delicious Houblon Chouffe.<br />
<br />
This beer was first brewed in 2006 with the American market in mind. Using three kinds of west coast hops, including Amarillo (which is my favorite hop), La Chouffe brewed a kind of Belgian Double (or Imperial) India Pale Ale, and it was really the first of its kind. Bauweraerts amends the IPA distinction calling it an 'International Pale Ale' as this style of beer is the marriage of old-world and new-world styles that is sometimes poo poo'd by traditionalists.<br />
<br />
I appreciate tradition and can sometimes be quite the purist, however, I love this developing style and felt that this beer was made <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism">just for me I think</a>. Bright and fruity, with complex malty and spicy notes and floral aromatics that starts just like a strong Saison and finishes dry and tight and grassy and citrusy. Unfiltered, and bottle-fermented, this beer comes in at 9% ABV, which I didn't pick up on because of the supreme balance, but of which I was quite happy upon discovery!<br />
<br />
If you love this beer, you should also try some of my other favorite Belgian (or Belgian <i>Style</i>) IPA's. <a href="http://deranke.be/en/index_en.htm">De Ranke XX Bitter</a>, from Brouwerij De Ranke in Belgium, Allagash Brewing Company's <a href="http://www.allagash.com/hugh_malone.htm">Hugh Malone </a>from Portland, ME and <a href="http://www.greenflashbrew.com/our-beers.php">Green Flash Le Freak</a> from Vista, CA.The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-56193026831933419472010-12-28T16:42:00.000-08:002010-12-30T14:33:18.386-08:00Aarti's Beer Party<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h-VqBJE1ipI/TRpYE_yM_gI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/yCiQolTv-xQ/s1600/cpandaarti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h-VqBJE1ipI/TRpYE_yM_gI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/yCiQolTv-xQ/s200/cpandaarti.jpg" width="200" /></a>I had a great time drinking beer and eating great beer snacks with my friend and fellow beer chick <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/aarti-sequeira-bio/bio/index.html">Aarti Sequeira</a>, who happens to be the winner of Season 6 of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star/index.html">The Next Food Network Star</a>, and now she has her very own rad show called <b>Aarti Party</b> (She also has an awesome blog at <a href="http://aartipaarti.com/">aartipaarti.com</a>). <br />
<br />
I've received about a trillion emails asking everything from what glassware we used at the party, to how we came up with the beer pairings for Aarti's delicious and interesting dishes, to what beers to pick if the ones listed on her show aren't available in your area.<br />
<br />
The first dish that Aarti made was called <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/indian-snack-mix-chewda-recipe/index.html">Chewda</a> a crunchy Indian snack mix made with cornflakes, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, plantain chips, golden raisins and my favorite fried curry leaves. I thought that a crisp, dry and lighter bodied beer would be best here. A traditional Kolsch is perfect for its depth of flavor and its lightly sweet finish. I chose the <a href="http://www.reissdorf.com/koelsch/start.php">Reissdorf Kolsch</a> by Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf, a brewery in Cologne, Germany. Alternatives: Schlafly Kolsch from St. Louis, Missouri; Goose Island Brewing Co. Summertime Ale and Alaskan Summer Ale from Juneau, Alaska. <br />
<br />
The next pairing was the Lebanese pita snacks called <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/lebanese-meat-stuffed-pitas-arayes-recipe/index.html">Arayes</a>. They are baked with a spicy beef and pine nut filling. I chose the dry and nutty <a href="http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brews/year-round-brews/black-butte-porter/default.aspx">Deschutes Black Butte Porter</a> from Bend, Oregon. Don't let the look of this beer fool you. It pours dark, but it's got a light and bright body, nutty and smoky flavors and a dry finish that works perfectly with this snack. Also try this recipe with Anchor Brewing Company Porter from San Francisco, CA; Sierra Nevada Porter from Chico, CA and Bell's Brewery Porter from Kalamazoo, Michigan. <br />
<br />
Finally, Aarti's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/fish-tacos-recipe/index.html">Fish Tacos</a> featured pan-seared mahi mahi with coriander and ancho chile powder, with warm corn tortillas, garlic-mint mayo, shredded cabbage, and pickled banana peppers. They were paired with <a href="http://www.allagash.com/white.htm">Allagash White Ale</a>) from Portland, Maine. This beer is brewed with coriander and bitter orange peel that harmonized with the spices in the dish and also providing herbaceousness and citrus! Alternatives: Unibroue Blanche De Chambly from Chambly, Quebec; Alaskan Brewing Co. White Ale from Juneau, Alaska or Blue Moon Belgian White Ale from Coors.<br />
<br />
Just like with wine, the right beer glass can make a huge difference in the flavor, aromatics and the mouthfeel of a beer. Spiegelau makes the beautifully designed glassware that we used at the party. Their <a href="http://glassware.riedel.com/index.php/spiegelau/beer-classics.html">Beer Classics</a> line has a "Stemmed Pilsner Glass" that I use when I'm evaluating almost all beers.<br />
<br />
Now I can cross "Get on the Food Network" off my bucket list! Thank you to all who watched and wrote. Beer is good!The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-34306779859942153622010-12-24T16:46:00.000-08:002010-12-30T13:46:30.829-08:00Cook It: French Onion Beer Soup<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h-VqBJE1ipI/TRz9h2OqIXI/AAAAAAAAAlU/t0q1dXexiow/s1600/frenchonionsoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h-VqBJE1ipI/TRz9h2OqIXI/AAAAAAAAAlU/t0q1dXexiow/s1600/frenchonionsoup.jpg" /></a>In Los Angeles, we Beer Chicks know that fall is here when the clouds come onshore all the way up to Beverly Hills and it finally starts to rain (read mist). We know it by the crazy drivers who apparently only come out when it rains. But mostly we know it by an intense craving for our special <b>Rad French Onion Soup</b> made to perfection with the addition of <b>Flanders Red Ale</b>!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In order to make the perfect French Onion Soup, we've experimented with several "best" recipes featuring different "secret" ingredients ranging from Cognac, Sherry, Port Wine and dry white wine, but it wasn't until we heard about the addition of Balsamic Vinegar as the celebrated element that we got that spark of beer inspiration.</div><br />
Why are we so excited about Balsamic Vinegar you might ask? Well, because the same fermentation (<i>Lactobacillus</i>) that gives Balsamic Vinegar its sizzle of puckering sour acidity is also used in one of our favorite beer styles, Flanders Red Ale.<br />
<br />
A Beer Chick's mind is always going in ways that try and figure out how to add beer to everything, so out goes the Balsamic Vinegar and in goes the Flanders Red Ale. In this recipe we used a beer called <b><a href="http://www.rodenbach.be/en/default.php?from=Index.php%3F" target="_blank">Rodenbach</a></b> from Brouwerij Rodenbach out of Roeselare, Belgium. Brewed since 1836, this beer is a blend of 75% young beer and 25% aged beer. This deep, dark red-brown ale is fruity, slatey and oaky, with a puckering tartness that harmonizes perfectly with the carmelized onions and cuts through the melted French Gruyere cheese of the perfect French Onion Soup.</div><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 40px;"><b>The Beer Chicks Rad French Onion Soup</b></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><b><br />
Ingredients:</b> <br />
1/2 stick of butter 6 onions sliced 6 garlic cloves, sliced<br />
1/2 cup Rodenbach Flanders Red Ale*<br />
6 cups beef broth<br />
1 teaspoon <a href="http://www.sierranevadagiftshop.com/novelty/food/sierra-nevada-9-oz-squeeze-mustard.html" target="_blank">Sierra Nevada Porter Mustard</a>**<br />
1/8 teaspoon truffle oil (optional)<br />
Salt & pepper<br />
4 French bread slices, toasted<br />
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese</div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><b><br />
Directions:</b></div><div class="instructions" style="margin-left: 40px;">Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender and very brown and carmelized (about 40 minutes). Add the Flanders Red Ale to deglaze the pan and simmer about 3 minutes. Combine beef broth and mustard and add to the saucepan. Simmer about 35 minutes. Add truffle oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into broilerproof bowls, making sure there is room for the toast and cheese. Top each bowl with slice of toast and grated cheeses. Broil until cheeses melt, brown and bubble. Enjoy with a Flanders Red Ale or for a completely different but equally delicious pairing, try a peppery and citrusy Belgian Saison! <i><br />
<br />
*Other Flanders Red Ales that would be great with this recipe are Duchesse de Bourgogne from Brouwerij Verhaeghe, Vichte Belgium or La Folie from New Belgium Brewing Company, Fort Collins, CO.</i></div><div class="instructions" style="margin-left: 40px;"><i>**We love this mustard that we bought during a visit to Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, CA. You can substitute it with any Dijon mustard.</i></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-69415373983780730022010-02-05T15:19:00.000-08:002010-03-05T13:56:46.447-08:00Doctor Please, Some More of These<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/mamaslittleyellapils-776479.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/mamaslittleyellapils-776478.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Many people think that because we are big beer geeks that we <i>only</i> like "big" beers. Au contraire mons frères! Just because most of the bad beer that's out there in the world (you know who you are) are Pilsner style lagers, doesn't mean that it’s the Pilsner's fault. Today, several craft breweries are making delightful light-bodied, nuanced Pilsner style lagers that are made with great ingredients and traditional methods!<br /><br />One of our favorites (and an amazing take on a Rolling Stones song) is a beer from Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado called Mama’s Little Yella Pils. This beer is a bit of an amalgam of both German and Czech styles of Pilsner, using very traditional Czech Saaz hops as well as Bavarian hops from southern Germany. This beer also differentiates itself by using 100% pale malts, instead of the cheaper corn and rice that is found in a lot of other – ahem – lower quality beers.<br /><br />This beer is deliciously refreshing, bright, crisp and dry with a completely clean finish. Perfect for a lunch with the girls or when you want to take your football Sunday to another level.<br /><br />A point of interest is that Oskar Blues is a brewery that puts its beers in cans. But once again, don’t assume that a beer in a can isn’t a high quality craft beer. Today’s cans are much different than the cans of yore. They are now lined with a coating that keeps the beer from tasting metallic. Cans are also virtually unbreakable, are lighter to ship and keep the beer protected from light – which is what causes beers to be skunked (not age)!<br /><br />Wanna try some other great Pilsner style beers? Try these Beer Chicks picks:<br /><ul><li>Reality Czech - Moonlight Brewing Co </li><li>Pikeland Pilsner – Sly Fox Brewing Co. </li><li>Goose Pils – Goose Island Brewery </li></ul>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-61763935580760498532010-01-22T11:35:00.000-08:002010-01-22T13:03:20.820-08:00Mmmmmm........<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/whippedcream-746723.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 195px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/whippedcream-746721.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>One thing a beer chick likes is chocolate. One thing a beer chick likes better than chocolate is whipped cream. One thing a beer chick likes better than whipped cream is whipped cream made with 12% abv Belgian-style dark ale brewed with cocoa nibs & toasted pecans! What?<br /><br />So...it was MLK day and I was teaching a beer and food pairing cooking/drinking class at <a href="http://cookingclasses.surlatable.com/">Sur la Table</a> at The Grove in Los Angeles with my writing partner and fellow beer chick Hallie Beaune. Everything was going along swimmingly and according to expectations. There were potatoes marinated in Scottish ale and rosemary, fresh beer braised bratwurst on a bed of apples and sauerkraut, beer battered coconut shrimp, German chocolate oatmeal stout brownies - you know, the usual.<br /><br />Well, turns out, somebody forgot to grease the pan for the brownies and suffice it to say, they didn't look so good. That's when genius Sur la Table staffer Autumn made the most amazing beer infused whipped cream to "distract the eye" from the ragged edges and bottom of the still very good tasting brownie. She used <a href="http://www.thebruery.com/beers/index.html">The Bruery's 2 Turtle Doves</a> beer and she whipped it up in two seconds!<br /><br />Wanna add beer to your desserts? (Or just eat a bunch or whipped cream straight from the bowl?) Aside from just pouring the beer on top, here's the fastest simplest way to do it. Simple, yet so effing good!<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"><blockquote></blockquote>2 TURTLE DOVES INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />-2 Cups Heavy whipping cream, cold<br />-1/4 Cup powdered sugar, sifted<br />-1 tsp pure vanilla bean <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.surlatable.com/product/id/129279.do">paste</a><br /></span>-1/8 Cup 2 Turtle Doves Belgian Ale <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> (or another Chocolate Stout or Russian Imperial Stout or Belgian Strong Dark Ale)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />Add the cream, sugar and vanilla and with a standing mixer with whisk attachment or electric hand mixer, beat ingredients (you can use a hand whisk; it just will take longer). Start slowly and then increase the speed so its as fast but not splashing out of the bowl. When the cream just starts to thicken, slow the speed of the mixer and slowly add the beer in a steady stream. Slowly increase the speed of the mixer again and continue whipping until the cream forms soft peaks.<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> (Warning: Autumn did tell me that if you whip the cream for too long it could curdle...just sayin.)</span></span></blockquote><div><br /></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-20839927710291827832010-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:002010-01-10T10:43:50.544-08:00THE SESSION #35 - ROUND UP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com/wp-content/sessions/session_logo_all_text_300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 195px;" src="http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com/wp-content/sessions/session_logo_all_text_300.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><i>With our first New Year's Resolution not to procrastinate already broken, here is our Round-up of The Session #35...on January 6th! It was truly a pleasure to hear from everybody involved and to be a part of the beer blogging community! Reading your blogs and seeing the brews that passed our lips and yours, we've concluded that 2009 was a good year for beer. We certainly drank more beer this year than perhaps ever before, (which lead to some ugly mornings...).<br /><br />We asked all of you beer lovers/bloggers to reflect upon your growing relationship with beer, how it felt in '09, and what you want for your beer life in 2010. Thanks to all the beer writers out there who shared their best beers of '09, the brave bloggers who revealed their beer mistakes of the past year, and all who offered their hopes and dreams for the coming year of beer. We raise a glass to all of you. We look forward to taking our book tour to even more beer cities and hope to meet all of you over a local craft beer! </i></span><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" face="georgia"> </div> <div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><i><br /><b><u> Here are the highlights of some of the best beer experiences you all had in '09:</u></b></i><br /><br /></span> </div> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"> Jason Zeisloft @ <b><a href="http://abeerinhand.blogspot.com/" id="egkf" title="A Beer In Hand is Worth Two in the Fridge">A Beer In Hand is Worth Two in the Fridge</a></b> mentioned the Jolly Pumpkin La Roja du Kriek, that he had at the Michigan Brewer's Guild Summer Festival as a fave. Nice choice!<br /><br />Brad Petit @ <b><a href="http://lapetitebrasserie.blogspot.com/" id="bd:g" title="La Petitie Brasserie">La Petitie Brasserie</a></b> looked back fondly on Ballast Point Sculpin, Founders KBS and Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze.<br /><br />Alastair Reece @ <b><a href="http://www.fuggled.net/" id="w1bj" title="Fuggled">Fuggled</a></b> qualified a best beer as one that he wanted to drink over and over again, choosing the 'magnificent' Kout na Sumave 10 Golden Lager.<br /><br />Peter Estaniel @ <b><a href="http://www.betterbeerblog.com/" id="ducd" title="Better Beer Blog">Better Beer Blog</a></b> said that the hands down best was Sam Adams Utopia, exclaiming that, 'It is the most complex food product I have ever had the pleasure to put into my mouth.' (Props for use of the phrase 'food product').<br /><br />Daniel Harper @ <b><a href="http://danielharper.blogspot.com/" id="zjx1" title="Endosymbiosis">Endosymbiosis</a> </b>marks his visit to New Holland Brewery as a best of, their The Poet on cask getting his highest mark.<br /><br />Thomas Vincent of <b><a href="http://geistbear.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2010/1/1/4414790.html" id="elms" title="Geistbear Brewing Blog">Geistbear Brewing Blog</a></b> loves his tasty local North Carolina Hefe, Lone Rider Shotgun Betty.<br /><br />Stan Hieronymus @ <b><a href="http://appellationbeer.com/blog/" id="m2tw" title="Appellation Beer">Appellation Beer</a></b> fell for the first vintage of <i>The Abyss</i> and fondly remembered 'Knocking back ounces of Southampton Cuvee Des Fleurs with <a href="http://www.homebrewchef.com/" id="ziul" title="Home Brew Chef Sean Paxton">Home Brew Chef Sean Paxton</a> at GABF.'<br /><br />Leigh Linley @ <b><a href="http://goodpeopleeats.blogspot.com/2010/01/session-new-beers-resolutions.html" id="s:00" title="The Good Stuff">The Good Stuff</a></b> found her heart beating rapidly for Flying Dog's Raging Bitch and confirmed the 'awesomeness' of Nogne-O's IPA.<br /><br />We loved the pick from Derrick Peterman @ <b><a href="http://beer-runner.blogspot.com/2009/12/session-35.html" id="anep" title="Bay Area Beer Runner">Bay Area Beer Runner</a></b> who lauded the 'Best Beer That Makes Me Damn Proud to be Raised in the Midwest: "Blue Sky Rye" by Free State Brewing.'<br /><i><br /><b><u><br />As for beer mistakes and regrets, you've had a few....</u></b></i><br /><br />Alistair Reece @ <b><a href="http://www.fuggled.net/" id="xjcu" title="Fuggled">Fuggled</a> </b>made us laugh with graphic names for the usual suspects, 'Bud Light (Butt Wipe) and Pabst Blue Ribbon (Pap Smear)' while his worst craft beer was Ybor Gold Light, as he put it, '... if a worse beer in the US exists then thank goodness I am yet to try it.'<br /><br /><b><a href="http://beersagas.blogspot.com/" id="p1j4" title="Beer Sagas">Beer Sagas</a></b> confessed that their biggest beer mistake was not stocking up on Nøgne Ø's Christmas beer Special Holiday Ale<br /><br />Brian Yaeger at <b><a href="http://beerodyssey.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-2010-to-one-and-ale.html" id="ko1r" title="Red, White, and Brew">Red, White, and Brew</a></b> warns against the Sun Valley Brewing Co. (Hailey, ID) because, 'Spoilage is just about the worst offense ever.'<br /><br />We were moved by Simon Johnson's lament @ <b><a href="http://www.reluctantscooper.co.uk/" id="j22_" title="Reluctant Scooper">Reluctant Scooper</a></b> - 'My only regret is that it took me so long to understand just how important place, time and company are to beer enjoyment. For me, 2010 is going to be more about the context and less about the beer. But only just less :-)'<br /><br />Nemsis @ <b><a href="http://www.beertaster.ca/" id="txr0" title="BeerTaster.ca">BeerTaster.ca</a></b> writes about 'the absolutely miserable yet mind bogglingly successful "Bud Light Lime". God awful stuff made for people who hate beer. Take an empty beer bottle, fill it with "Sprite" and you have the same taste. Here in Southern Ontario they couldn't keep the stuff in stock. I saw people driving away with pick-up trucks loaded with it. Makes me want to hang my head in shame."<br /><br /></span> <div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;">Smitty<b> @ <a href="http://nashvillebeergeek.blogspot.com/" id="g17l" title="Nashville Beer Geek">Nashville Beer Geek</a> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">made us do a spit take with his description of his worst '09; Bud Light Chelada, </span></span></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">'If Satan had a beer bar in hell, this would be on the menu.' (Hilarious!)</span></span><br /></span> </div> <div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><u><b><i>Here is our favorite embarrassing beer moment of 2009:</i></b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Peter Estaniel @</span><b> <a href="http://www.betterbeerblog.com/" id="v72p" title="Better Beer Blog">Better Beer Blog</a></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">: 'My most embarrassing moment of 2009 happened during Halloween when I switched from beer to tequila and started to headbutt my buddy’s Spanish-style Conquistador costume. He fabricated his armor from some sheet metal he purchased, so I was literally headbutting armor as opposed to a plastic facsimile. I ended up passing out on a chaise lounge they had in their backyard by a firepit.' </span></span> </div> <div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /><u><b><span style="text-decoration: none;"> And finally, what New Beer's Resolutions are on the table for the 2010? (Here's to hoping we all keep them!)</span></b></u></i><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jon Abernathy - </span><b><a href="http://www.thebrewsite.com/" id="pg4g" title="The Brew Site">The Brew Site</a> -</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 'Stepping up the beer writing is going to be one of my big goals for this new year.' (For us too!)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Jay R. Brooks - </span><b><a href="http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com/" id="cd5x" title="Brookston Beer Bulletin">Brookston Beer Bulletin</a></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> - 'This is probably going to sound odd, but I think I’d like to drink more beer in 2010. As it is, I drink almost every day. - In 2010, I want to do this more. Just be out more, drinking with friends.' (We'll have more beer with you Jay!)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Daniel Harper @ </span><b><a href="http://danielharper.blogspot.com/" id="uuyl" title="Endosymbiosis">Endosymbiosis</a></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> wants to stop his beer hoarding and 'just drink the damned thing.' (We'll take some off your hands!)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Leigh Linley @ </span><b><a href="http://goodpeopleeats.blogspot.com/2010/01/session-new-beers-resolutions.html" id="plmu" title="The Good Stuff">The Good Stuff</a> </b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">will be honing her knowledge of Italian Craft Beer on her honeymoon in Italy in September (Congrats Leigh!)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Ally Shaw @ </span><b><a href="http://impymalting.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/new-beers-resolutions/" id="d-9j" title="Impy Malting">Impy Malting</a> </b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">hopes her 'leap of faith' investing in BrewDog pays off in 2010. (That's putting your money where your beer is!)<br /><br />Mark Dredge @ </span><b><a href="http://pencilandspoon.blogspot.com/" id="yr4d" title="Pencil and Spoon">Pencil and Spoon</a></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> will be on a quest to convert some lager or wine drinkers and host some beer tastings and dinners to 'tell people about the joys of great beer.'</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sean Inman @ </span><b><a href="http://www.beersearchparty.com/?p=1873" id="hxvh" title="Beer Search Party">Beer Search Party</a> </b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">has a goal: 'To taste a beer from each and every state in </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">the United States. I certainly hope there are beers from each 50 then </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I have to somehow get my hands on them.' (Call us when you're in Los Angeles, we'll help you!)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> John @</span><b> <a href="http://thebeernut.blogspot.com/" id="v0cj" title="The Beer Nut">The Beer Nut</a></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> plans to see more of the UK in 2009, and 'London in particular. I plan to continue that in 2010 with Brighton and Cardiff already looking likely, and I really should do a proper beer tour of Belfast before the promotional rail offers end.' (Good on ya John.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Mario @ </span><b><a href="http://www.brewedforthought.com/?p=2068" id="c8fy" title="Brewed For Thought">Brewed For Thought</a></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> hopes to not chase down beer so much in 2010, 'With so many big, wild, limited beers out there, it can be maddening (and expensive) trying to track them all down.' (Let's just hope that they all find you!)</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Cynthia Trevino @ </span><b style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><a href="http://beeranswers.com/2009-reflections-of-a-craft-beer-newbie/" id="c05v" title="Beeranswers.com">Beeranswers.com</a></b><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> plans to </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:100%;">'Taste and cook with a wonderful new beer every week.' (We're on board with that!)</span><p style="margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </p> <p style="margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:100%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(19, 79, 92);"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></b></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:100%;">Lisa Morrison @ <b><a title="Hop Press" href="http://lisamorrison.hoppress.com/2009/12/29/new-beers-resolutions-from-the-hop-press/" id="v.:o">Hop Press</a></b> says that in addition to the two beer books that she promises to finish (we want to read 'em Lisa!), that one of her New Beer's Resolutions is to "</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:100%;">Continue to beat that drum with the message that that beer is as sophisticated a beverage as wine and is just as worthy of being served with respect at the finest restaurants. But can still hang with you on a random Saturday with friends, too." (Right on, Lisa!)</span><div> </div> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><b><i><u> And off the beer topic..</u></i><u>.</u></b></span></span> </div> <div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;"><br /></span> </div> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">We'd like to congratulate James D @ </span><b><a href="http://twopartsrye.blogspot.com/2010/01/session-35-new-beers-resolutions.html" id="pt.u" title="Two Parts Rye">Two Parts Rye</a></b><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> for pulling off this caper: 'My method for sneaking a flask in on a cold rainy day at Ohio Stadium was borderline genius. My poncho is in a little plastic bag. I put the flask in the poncho. When security asked me what was in my pockets. I handed the security guy the poncho, and by the transitive property of being sneaky, the flask. Showed them my phone, wallet, etc. Security handed me back my flask. I was proud of myself, and when the skies opened, thankful to have a pint of Manhattan pre-mixed.' (Awesome.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cheers to the New Year!!!!</span></span>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-90413992851379046852009-12-09T13:00:00.001-08:002009-12-09T17:13:20.171-08:00ANNOUNCING SESSION #35: NEW BEER'S RESOLUTIONS<a href="http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com/wp-content/sessions/session_logo_all_text_300.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 199px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com/wp-content/sessions/session_logo_all_text_300.jpg" /></a><br /><div>So, this month, we at Beer for Chicks (and the upcoming thebeerchicks.com) have the pleasure of hosting the 35th installment of <strong>The Session</strong> - which is a group writing project where beer writers and bloggers from around the globe write on a single beer-related topic on the same day. This beer scribe phenomenon occurs on the first Friday of every month, and ours is happening on January 1st, 2010. That's right kids ... New Years Day.<br /><br />The New Year, of course, is the ultimate time for reflection of the previous year's mistakes as well as a time of making resolutions to make our lives better in the future. Its also the time of year where all the lists happen. You can't turn the TV on without seeing a "Best of 2009" list: the best movies, best iphone apps, best sports moments, the best scandals, the best sports stars in scandals, etc...<br /><br /><b>So we want to know what was your best and worst of beer for 2009? What beer mistakes did you make? What beer resolutions do you have for 2010? What are your beer regrets and embarrassing moments? What are you hoping to change about your beer experience in 2010?</b> We, for instance, resolve never to drink two draughts of Scaldis (Bush) Noel as our final two (of many) beers of the evening resulting in us losing our cellphone in the street. We resolve never to pair a malty strong Belgian Dubbel with any dish with Celeriac in it <i>ever</i> again! (also a "worst" of 2009.) We resolve to start an amazing barrel-aged beer collection despite our propensity for immediate gratification. <br /><br />Last year there was a great New Year's theme from Beer and Firkins' Brewmiker, but each year is different and the beer world is constantly changing! So please share with us your greats and mistakes of 2009, and what kind of beer-o-phile do you aspire to be in 2010! Don't be afraid to be revealing....</div><p>Please send a copy of your responses or a link to your post to both christina@thebeerchicks.com & hallie@thebeerchicks.com.</p><div>Cheers to you, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!<br />Christina Perozzi & Hallie Beaune</div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-61821455811896935422009-11-11T09:42:00.000-08:002009-11-11T11:17:31.030-08:00CHEERS, BEING A HEALTHY BEER DRINKERMy friend and neighbor Tom Sparks asked me to help him out on this great piece about beer for idealbite.com that got picked up by ABC News.com! Sadly, he didn't get to see it because just weeks later on November 5, he passed away from a stroke at age 33! The day we shot this was filled with beer and laughter, as most of my time was with Tom. He will be missed. Please check out his piece called "<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8946580">Cheers, Being A Healthy Beer Drinker.</a>"<br /><br /><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8946580"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 223px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/tomsparks-757336.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">Tom's stroke was caused by a condition called antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), a disease that causes unnatural clotting of the blood. If you would like to donate to the APS Foundation of America, the only nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to bringing awareness to APS, go to <a href="http://www.apsfa.org/">www.apsfa.org</a>.</span><p></p></div></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-20898530316719256302009-11-06T09:09:00.000-08:002009-11-06T09:51:29.132-08:00A FRESH TAKE ON TRADITIONThis is the third installment of our (along with my writing partner Hallie Beaune) stint as guest bloggers at <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/index.php">Penguin.com's author blog</a>. We've had fun and gotten a lot of great feedback. Thanks to those of you who read and please read below for our final Penguin blog...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/holiday-beer-777192.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/holiday-beer-777158.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Fresh Take On Tradition</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">11/6/2009</span><br />Getting together with friends and family over the holidays can be full of conflicting feelings; You love your relatives, you want them to go home immediately. You appreciate the wisdom of your parents, you want them to stop telling you where you went wrong. You're happy to blow off steam at the annual office Christmas party, you don't want to see Suzy from accounting get drunk and remove her top. Holiday gatherings often fill one with the desire to find another strong drink or the door, or both. And if you are giving into ritual, you may want to host your own gathering, but feel a bit uninspired while watching the cranberry sauce slowly slide out of the can into the pot.<br /><br />Enter beer: a breath of fresh air in the cold weather. An offering that will make your holiday party stand out among all others. Pairing beer with classic holiday dishes keeps the boredom out and enhances the food as well as any wine or spirit could. In fact, slipping some craft beer in next to traditional dishes is a great way to educate your guests' palates. And this time of year is full of fall/winter ales that hold all of the flavors of the season: Pumpkin, nutmeg, fig, pine trees, etc. Here are a few pairing suggestions we offer as a way around the ordinary holiday happenings.<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Turkey and Stuffing that Won't Make You Yawn</span>: This dish transforms when paired with <b>Craftsman Triple White Sage.</b> This is a mean recommendation because you can only get this beer on tap around Los Angeles, as it is a local brewery that doesn't bottle yet. This is a Belgian Tripel brewed with handpicked sage, perfect for picking up the spices on stuffing and the earthy flavor of roasted turkey. 9% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't Throw out that Fruit Cake:</span> Paired with a <b>Scaldis Noel</b>, a seasonal Belgian Ale with complex flavors of spice, dried fruit and caramel, and a big 12% ABV, makes you a lot happier that your Aunt Betty sent you yet another tin.</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pumpkin Pie with a Kick:</span> Pair this with <b>Dogfish Head's Punkin' Ale</b>, a beer made with pumpkin that offers notes of allspice and brown sugar. At 7% ABV, this beer adds a nice kick and magnifies the rich flavors of this old ubiquitous favorite.</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Latkes Like You've Never Seen Them:</span> Potato pancakes are delicious with applesauce, we suggest ditching the sauce and buying a bottle of <b>Unibrioue Ephemere</b>, a beer from Chambly Quebec that is brewed with apples and coriander. Not too sweet like cider, but full of apple flavor and a crisp, clean mouthfeel that lifts those Latkes up to a new level.</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Those Sugar Cookies In Various Shapes</span>: You can't resist making these for your holiday party, but if you Try this with <b>Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice</b>. This Winter Warmer tastes like creme brulee and caramel and, well, sugar cookies. Even when these babies go stale, you will still be happy eating one chased by this beer.</li></ul>Try some of these suggestions and you won't be sorry. Pair with pride, and you'll turn holiday tradition on its head with the addition of wonderful and seasonal craft and artisanal beers. But, of course, along with the introduction of new aspects of celebration comes responsibility. Make sure that you tell Uncle Frank that drinking one Scaldis Noel is like drinking three (or four) Keystone Lights. Lord knows we don't want the same thing that happened last year happening again this year, that's for sure!The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-63089821650850035732009-11-03T11:13:00.000-08:002009-11-03T11:56:26.463-08:00BEER CHICKS GUEST BLOGGERS FOR PENGUIN.COM - TAKE 2My writing partner, Hallie Beaune, and I - aka your favorite beer chicks - are <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/christina-perozzi-and-hallie-beaune-authors-naked-pint-our-bloggers-week-11-2">guest bloggers</a> this <span style="font-size:100%;">week on <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/index.php">The Penguin Group's blog</a>! Check out what we wrote about our love of pairing food with beer..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Foods That Taste Better With Beer</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Tue, 11/03/2009</span></span> <p> </p> <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399535345,00.html?The_Naked_Pint_Christina_Perozzi"><img src="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/covers/all/5/4/9780399535345L.jpg" align="left" height="158" hspace="12" width="105" /></a>(View entire post <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/five-foods-taste-better-beer-christina-perozzi-hallie-beaune">here</a>)<br />We're not haters. Just because we're beer lovers doesn't mean that we dislike wine. (Lovers, not fighters...) We're big fans of fermented grape-juice. We admire wine's nuance and mystique. We have bottles of Bordeaux aging alongside our beer collections. The bottom line, however, is that beer just happens to be more versatile in flavor profiles. It simply offers a wider breadth of flavors than wine. (We're prepared for some angry letters.) There are some beers as sour as a kumquat or fresh yogurt, there are beers with pine tree resin flavors that coat the tongue. There are beers that taste like a shot of espresso and others brewed with coriander and juniper. Beer's many flavors and styles are liberating and pair well with a plethora of foods. This is why we knew that part of our book had to be devoted to beer's relationship with food - why we discuss the beauty of the beer dinner - and why we called upon chefs to share recipes that use beer as an ingredient. Beer belongs with food. If you're just delving into the craft beer world and are beginning to move your beer pairings beyond bar menu items like Buffalo wings and chili cheese fries, be prepared to taste food again for the first time.<br /><br />Here are five foods that we feel pair best with beer. Skeptics, it's time to zip it, and let your taste buds decide. Beer lovers be prepared for validation.<br /><br />1) Grilled Artichokes - Notoriously difficult to pair with wine, artichokes make most wines taste sweet due to a complex compound (cynarin) that affects our taste buds. Indeed, the flavors of an artichoke are difficult to describe, but a Saison can be a perfect pairing with its citrus and spicy notes that enhance the artichoke's flavors. Just imagine a squeeze of lemon and a dash of pepper.<br /><br />2) Spicy Curry - Heat is hard to handle, especially with red wine. Some whites work well enough, but they lack the beer's bubbles that help ease a fiery tongue. Try a Belgian Golden Ale, or a beer brewed with spices used in Indian foods, like coriander and clove (perhaps a Witbier). Let the beer pick up the sweetness of those spices while maintaining a dry hop backbone for the full flavor and cool, prickly bubbles to help cut the heat. Or go another way and try a Belgian IPA (not to be confused with an American India Pale Ale or IPA), a style known for a dry hop that can slice through big and bold flavors.<br /><br />3) Burgers - Perhaps this isn't a revelation. No doubt, most people have washed down many a burger with a nice cold "lite" brewski. But that's not what we're talking about here. If you've only paired a burger with a light crisp lager, you're missing something special. We like to pair our burgers with a tannic and dry IPA (now we are referring to the American IPA). What better way to cut through the fat and full flavors of a burger with cheese and onions, and hopefully bacon, than a nice hoppy effervescent IPA? It's the bite that you always wanted with your burger, cleansing the palate with each sip.<br /><br />4) Cheesecake - Oh so many beers work with this classic dessert. The richness of cheesecake, like bites of cheese itself, benefit from the bubbles (as most of these pairings do) and different flavors of beer transform this dessert. An Oatmeal Stout adds chocolate and coffee notes, a Peche (peach) Lambic adds sweet and tart fruity notes. A dry funky Gueuze adds an earthy complexity with a sour, clean finish. Just as cheese loves to be paired with beer, cheesecake, in its many variations, is seduced by beer as well.<br /><br />5) Ice Cream - Who drinks wine with ice-cream? No one, that's who. But beer and ice cream are fast friends. The richness of the cream plays well with a bit of CO2, and the multitude of ice cream flavors provide endless possibilities of accompaniments to a variety of beers. Think how much better that root beer float would be, if you took out the "root" and just went with the beer instead. Think Double Chocolate Russian Imperial Stout with vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, the beer float is gaining popularity as the dessert of choice by Gelato lovers who have become craft beer connoisseurs.<br /><br />So there you have it. A primer of beer and food pairings to get you salivating and thinking in the right direction. Again, we're not haters, and we've got nothing against traditional beer pairings like Bratwurst and Oktoberfest beers, but the fun in dining with craft beer is in the experimentation. You might get it wrong sometimes, but we're willing to bet that, more often than not, you'll get it right. And when it's right, it's <em>Oh So Right! </em>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-10649193588272851282009-11-02T10:39:00.000-08:002009-11-02T10:54:31.200-08:00BEER CHICKS BLOG FOR PENGUIN.COM (USA)My writing partner, Hallie Beaune, and I - aka your favorite beer chicks - are <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/christina-perozzi-and-hallie-beaune-authors-naked-pint-our-bloggers-week-11-2">guest bloggers</a> this <span style="font-size:100%;">week on The Penguin Group's blog! Check out what we wrote about how our relationship with beer went from hate to pure unadulterated love.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Our Love Affair with Beer</span><br />Monday, 11/02/2009<br /><br /><table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td> <div class="content"><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399535345,00.html?The_Naked_Pint_Christina_Perozzi"><img src="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/covers/all/5/4/9780399535345L.jpg" width="105" align="left" height="158" hspace="12" /></a>(View entire post <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/blogs/our-love-affair-beer-christina-perozzi-hallie-beaune">here</a>)<br /><p>People ask us all the time, while wearing thinly veiled expressions of shock and bewilderment, how it is that two young [sic] women became beer experts? We are, in turn, often surprised by this amazement, but have discovered, through many heart to heart discussions with these people, a somewhat universal, preconceived notion of how one becomes a beer expert. It goes a little something like this: Two small babies are sitting in an empty wading pool playing with their Malibu Barbies (heads only) in the dusty backyard of a shotgun shack. They see their Uncle Billy Bob/Billy Ray/Bobby Joe, staggering in his sweat-stained, wife-beater t-shirt, take a big swig of Coors Lite and then smash the can on his forehead. Right then and there, the two dirty babies look at each other knowingly, both thinking the same thing... when we grow up, we wanna be beer experts!<br /><br />While it's true, we were "different" girls - the kind who liked football and muscle cars (Christina), and who dressed up as The Phantom of the Opera for Halloween (Hallie) - when we imagined what our future lives would hold, our dreams were filled with the classics: ballet shoes and Academy Awards, not bottles of artisanal craft beer. Beer wasn't even a glimmer in our wide eyes. We didn't seek it out, and it certainly wasn't something we expected.<br /><br />Our real love story with Beer is kind of "When Harry Met Sally"-esque. When we first met Beer, we hated it, yet were mildly intrigued by it. And over the next couple of years when we'd run into Beer again, our opinion of it didn't improve much. The Beer we knew lacked substance, it thought it was the best thing around, it just wanted to keep things "light," it just wanted to get us drunk and take advantage of us. But then one day, much later, Beer approached us in a different way, with charisma and style. It had depth and originality, it was interesting and diverse. It began to reveal its secrets to us. We found that Beer actually had many layers and flavors we hadn't known before. It was more than just blustering machismo. So we decided to give Beer a chance, and discovered that when Beer was being true to itself, when it wasn't trying to water itself down to the lowest common denominator, we actually liked Beer. A lot.<br /><br />Then we started socializing with Beer, not thinking too much about the impact it was having on our lives, but all the while growing closer and closer to Beer. Before we realized it, we were ignoring our old friends - like that sweet, cute Apple Martini and sneaky strong Harvey Wallbanger, who was always good for a laugh - and spending a great deal of time with Beer. We denied it of course, but we were falling in love with Beer. And becoming intimate with Beer was bringing other wonderful things into our lives, like the taste for nuance in finely crafted food, local quality ingredients, well-made wine and spirits, cave-aged cheeses, complex chocolates, etc. Beer kept bringing us these wonderful gifts. Whether it was the sour ale made from cherries growing in a small Wisconsin town that seduced us, or the Belgian-style Triple brewed with sage picked from a brewer's backyard, craft beer continued and continues to reveal to us an endless variety of flavors, it keeps us interested and coming back for more.<br /><br />We want everyone to share in this passionate experience of knowing craft beer. When you open yourself up to the wide world of craft beer you'll find a love that you can't deny, and a favorite beer all your own. Harry said it to Sally, and we said it to beer, "You know, the first time we met, I really didn't like you that much." This week we hope to enlighten your lives one beer at a time. It took Harry and Sally 12 years and three months. It might only take you one sip.</p> <p> <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+Naked+Pint">The Naked Pint</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/Christina+Perozzi">Christina Perozzi</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/Hallie+Beaune">Hallie Beaune</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/craft+beer">craft beer</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/ale">ale</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/lager">lager</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/guide+to+beer">guide to beer</a>, <a rel="tag" href="http://technorati.com/tag/Perigee">Perigee</a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-78248637151204395902009-10-05T22:26:00.000-07:002009-10-05T23:16:43.245-07:00LA BEER WEEK! OCTOBER 15-25<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/labeerweekad-760411.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 214px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/labeerweekad-760270.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >When is a week not a week? When its LA Beer Week of course! The Los Angeles beer scene, once thought of as a wasteland has really come into its own in 2009, as exemplified by the virtual explosion of beer festivals in the greater L.A. area over the past several months. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >And now comes LA Beer Week, to be held at venues all over the Los Angeles metropolitan area October 15-25, highlighted by the closing weekend celebration, the L.A. Beer Week Festival, at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge Saturday, October 24 from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Over 70 craft and artisan breweries from across California and throughout the world will be pouring their wares –– many of them special release and esoteric beers –– at the L.A. Beer Week Festival, which will be held in the unique setting of the five-acre Rosarium at Descanso Gardens, beautifully landscaped with plenty of shade trees, roses, streams, ponds and even hop vines! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >High-quality artisan food will be available from Patina Catering, including grilled meat and seafood, sandwiches, salads, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. There will also be live Gypsy Jazz, courtesy of Gonzalo Bergara Quartet . Tickets for L.A. Beer Week Festival are now on sale only at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.labeerweek.com/tickets.php">www.labeerweek.com/tickets.php</a>, and are selling swiftly. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >Admission is $40 and includes entrance to the historic Descanso International Rosarium, the live music, and unlimited 4 oz. pours of beer. Food is not included in the ticket price, but is available to buy at the event, CASH ONLY (ATM or credit cards will not be accepted). Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance; they will not be sold at the door. Proceeds will benefit the non-profit <a href="http://www.sperofoundation.org/landing.html">Spero Foundation</a>, which raises awareness and capital for charities that bring hope to people in need. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;" >The 11-day L.A. Beer Week is a far-reaching celebration of beer culture in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as surrounding areas, and will feature a palate-pleasing array of breweries, local taphouses, tastings, pairings, examples of beer cuisine, meet-the-brewer events, and culinary and home-brewing demonstrations.<br /><br /><blockquote>Check out some of the amazing events scheduled:<br /><ul><li>Oct 14: An L.A. Beer Week Pre-Party featuring 20 beers from Stone Brewing Company and special guests at Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach.</li><li>Oct 16: The debut of new Firestone Walker and Nectar Ales at Hollywood’s Blue Palms Brew House. </li><li>Oct 17: The second annual Oktoberfest party at Verdugo Bar in Glassell Park, featuring food, music, contests and genuine German beer. </li><li>Oct 19: An evening of G. Schneider & Sohn beers and sausage at downtown L.A.’s Wurstküche. </li><li>Oct 21: A Moosbacher beer tasting at Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel. </li><li>Oct 21: Green Flash meet-the-brewer night with Chuck Silva at The Daily Pint in Santa Monica. </li><li>Oct 22: Molecular Beer Dinner featuring beers from the Bruery in OC at Seal Beach’s Beachwood BBQ. </li><li>Oct 23: Chimay meet-the-brewer night with Dominique Denis at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena.</li></ul><br />For more information and events, visit <a href="http://www.labeerweek.com/">www.labeerweek.com</a>. </blockquote>More events are being added daily, including a possible Beer for Chicks event so STAY TUNED!</span></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-12198775755416316982009-09-03T10:58:00.001-07:002009-09-03T11:41:51.704-07:00SOURCING MYSELF OUT OF A JOB!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=6fda2efc77&view=att&th=12376b4c84b51288&attid=0.2&disp=emb&zw"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 240px;" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=6fda2efc77&view=att&th=12376b4c84b51288&attid=0.2&disp=emb&zw" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>I'm pissed! About three years ago I had this great idea to do a widget or an application that would recommend beers, pair food with beer, tell you something about the beer and beer style that you were buying at the grocery store, etc. All I needed was time and money, and...oh yeah...the ability to execute any of it! Well, folks, it's too late for me now. <a href="http://www.greatbrewers.com/">GreatBrewers.com</a> has come up with an amazing application that does all the things that I wanted to do and more. I hate to admit it, but I have to give credit where credit is due....this application is rad.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://greatbrewers.com/beercloud">BeerCloud</a> is an amazing mobile app that helps you pair beer with food, track down your favorite beers in your neighborhood, pull up a full description of any beer by reading its (get this) BARCODE! The app even uses your mobile GPS feature to map the closest stores, bars and retaurants carrying your favorite beer. In addition, with this app you'll be able to:<ul><li>Scan a beer's barcode with your phone's built-in camera to see a thorough product description.</li><li>Use Mobile Beer Finder to track down a beer in your neighborhood with your phone's built-in GPS.</li><li>Use the Mobile Beer Sommelier to get recommendations for complementary beer style accompaniments for more than 250 foods.</li></ul><img src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/beercloud-724919.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 100px;" border="0" alt="" /><div>The app was developed by Eric MacKay, Jingsheng Wang and Tom Byrne and right now is only available for Android phones. To download to an Android phone to to the App Market and search for "BeerCloud."</div><div><br /></div><div>An iPhone version of BeerCloud is currently under development and, according to MacKay, should be available in the next 30 days. GreatBrewers.com also hopes to have a web based version for all other mobile devices, including Blackberry, Palm and Windows Mobile OS devices by the end of 2009! </div><div><br /></div><div>Pretty soon you won't need me anymore. :(</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "><span style="font-size: 9px; ">Written by <a href="http://www.beerforchicks.com/profile/3iuyeplay1hna" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 118, 163); ">The Beer Chick</a></span><span style="font-size: 9px; "><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 9px; "><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 118, 163); "><img alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; max-width: 476px; margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; vertical-align: middle; height: auto; float: left; cursor: pointer; " /></a></span><span style="font-size: 9px; "><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(0, 118, 163); ">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /><br /></span><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 9px; "><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/09/sourcing-myself-out-of-job.html#comments">Click HERE to comment.</a></span></div></span></div></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-35865594943936008672009-08-24T09:22:00.000-07:002009-08-24T22:21:54.263-07:00JULIE & JULIA & CHRISTINA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/cpjulia-794623.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 224px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/cpjulia-794615.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So... as I'm sure you are aware, I'm a big geek. Obviously I'm a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">colossal</span> beer geek, but I'm also a devoted food geek as well. And like any girlie geeky foodie devotee, I flocked to <a href="http://www.julieandjulia.com/">Julie & Julia</a> a couple of weeks ago when it first came out. I left the movie inspired. I felt a kinship with <a href="http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/">Julie Powell</a>, as she did with Julia Child. Here was a girl who worked at a crap job, and decided to start a blog documenting something she loved so that her life would have some meaning and some fun! As a result she got a book deal and an amazing writing career. <div><br /></div><div>As you may or may not know, I've been temporarily ensconced at my parents tragically-craft-beer-free house recovering from <a href="http://www.emedicinehealth.com/achilles_tendon_rupture/page3_em.htm#Achilles%20Tendon%20Rupture%20Symptoms">rupturing my Achilles Tendon</a>. Luckily this means that I have full access to my mother's completely <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">un</span>molested (read unused) 1975 copy of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Art-French-Cooking-One/dp/0375413405">Mastering the Art of French Cooking</a>." I started reading it with the idea to make the famously classic Boeuf Bourguignon that was featured in the book and the movie, but then I flipped the next page (p. 317 in my edition) and to my delight saw a recipe for <a href="http://foodmonkeys.blogspot.com/2008/01/carbonnades-la-flamande.html"><i>Carbonnades a la Flamande</i></a> or Beef and Onions Braised in Beer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Julie Powell <a href="http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/2003/01/02.html">made this recipe on New Years Day 2003</a>, giving a nod to beer's significance in cooking - however, she didn't happen to mention the most important thing! The style and type of beer that she used. Julia Child calls for "2 to 3 cups light beer, Pilsner type" but also later tells you to add 2Tb light brown sugar to "mask the beer's slightly bitter quality." I'm thinking...why not just add a beer with a sweeter, maltier quality and forgo adding the sugar? I know I'm messing with Julia right now, but I might as well add my beer knowledge to the mix and see what happens, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I took a deep breath and tried my hand at the fabulous <span style="font-style: italic;">Carbonnades a la Flamande</span>. My dad had top round in the house, so I used that. I sliced the beef, dried it and browned it in bacon fat (mmm bacon fat) a little at a time like Julie and Julia say to do. I set the beef aside and browned the onions in the same pot that I browned the meat in. I did everything Julia said, just like Julie did, I added crushed garlic to the onions (off the heat of course) and seasoned with salt and pepper.<br /><br />Then I layered a casserole dish with beef/onions/beef/onions. I added a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouquet_garni">bouquet garni</a> of parsley, bay leaf and thyme. I added 1 cup of organic beef stock. And here's where I deviated: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Instead of adding a light lager and sugar, I added a bottle (12 oz) and a half of </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.unibroue.com/products/maudite.cfm">Unibroue Maudite</a>, a delicious, malty and spicy Belgian-style Dubbel (the only ingredient I had to go out and buy at the Baron's in Temecula). After bringing the casserole to a simmer on the stove top, the whole thing went into a 325 oven until the beer was "fork-tender" - 2 and a half hours.<br /><br />Then I drained the sauce from the casserole into a sauce pan. I added a starch/wine vinegar mixture and simmered it for a couple of minutes and then I poured the sauce back onto the beef and onions. Then, voila, it was done. I served it to my very appreciative parents over buttered noodles.<br /><br />This dish was delicious and relatively easy compared to Boeuf Bourguignon and the other fricasee dishes in the book. The maltier beer seemed to work. I tasted none of the bitterness that Julie and Julia talked about, just delicious melt in your mouth perfectly seasoned beef and onions. We drank the remaining 4 Maudite with the dish as an amazingly perfect no-duh pairing.<br /><br /></div><div><div><div>So now, I'm just like Julie & Julia. Do you think anyone will make a movie called "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Pint-Unadulterated-Guide-Craft/dp/0399535349">The Naked Pint</a>"? God, I hope so! Dare to dream.... dare to dream!</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Written by <a href="http://www.beerforchicks.com/profile/3iuyeplay1hna">The Beer Chick</a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; " /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/08/julie-julia-christina.html#comments">Click HERE to comment.</a></span></div></div></div></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-80804044190968035312009-08-12T10:05:00.000-07:002009-08-24T21:00:25.793-07:00HEY LADIES, ITS NOT BEER, ITS MEDICINE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/Beer_rx-735591.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 140px" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/Beer_rx-735591.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'm no doctor. I think we all know this. As a matter of fact, I frequently use a line I borrowed from Paula Deen. "I'm not your doctor honey, I'm your <del>cook</del> beer sommelier!" But I've <a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2007/11/beers-to-your-health.html">written before</a> about how beer had ingredients that could be good for your health. I've prayed and hoped and dreamed that research would prove that beer is good for us so I can tell my mom to zip it! Now, maybe its finally here.<br /><br />Check out this article by <a href="http://www.miller-mccune.com/news/beer-helps-build-strong-bones-1422">Miller-McCune</a>. In it they say that "habitual beer drinkers had higher bone density than habitual wine drinkers or teetotalers..." Hmmm.....exciting!<br /><br />Want more? Check out the article <a href="http://www.miller-mccune.com/news/beer-helps-build-strong-bones-1422">Hey, Ladies ... It's Not Beer, It's Medicine</a> by Tom Jacobs at <a href="http://www.miller-mccune.com/news/beer-helps-build-strong-bones-1422">Miller-McCune</a>.The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-30490109633721803592009-07-31T15:25:00.000-07:002009-08-24T21:54:15.601-07:00BALL DROPPED ON BEER VETTING<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/EmptyPintcaption-797352.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/EmptyPintcaption-797350.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />More than any other beverage in the world, people identify with the brand of beer they drink. If you like to think of yourself as the rugged outdoorsy-type, it’s quite possible that you love the “head for the mountains” attitude of a Busch beer or drink Coors which has been marketed as a “refreshment as cold as the Rockies.” If you daydream every day about sunning yourself on a pristine beach as you sit typing TPS reports in the cubicle at your 9-5, it’s quite probable that at 5:02pm you’re on your way to drinking a Corona.<br /><br />These are stereotypical images, yes, but in our experience, generally speaking and flavor aside, the type of beer people drink usually says something about who that person wants to be or who that person wants to be seen as. That’s Advertising and Marketing 101. But that leads us to the question: In a year where the current administration has been fraught with vetting issues, why oh why would someone have let Sgt. Jim Crowley - the man lambasted as a racist and accused of acting ‘stupidly’ – why oh why would anyone have let him drink a Blue Moon, a Belgian-style WHITE ale?<br /><br />And did anyone happen to notice that Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., the man at the center of the racial controversy was considering of drinking a Red Stripe, a beer which is often associated with its country of origin, Jamaica, and all the Rastafari / Reggae implications (fair or unfair) that go along with that lifestyle: which, according to Wikipedia, alludes to “Afrocentric social and political aspirations” and other things that could be frightening to white people. Thank God he changed his mind and went with the local (well, East Coast anyway) brewer, Sam Adams.<br /><br />Whose job was it to vet the beer choices consumed at the most widely broadcasted, written, tweeted, and blogged about happy hour east of the sun? Just because one doesn’t necessarily have to worry about a beer having “tax problems,” doesn’t mean that a beer can’t speak volumes about its drinker’s character. President Obama picked a Bud Light – crisp, clean, refreshing, literally the most popular beer in the world and a seemingly safe, politically correct choice. The President of the United States drinking Bud Light looked about as wholesome as babies, football and apple pie. Except for the fact that Bud Light is no longer owned by a U.S. company. (In fact, none of the beers are from American-owned companies.) Oh, and also that the choice of a huge overseas corporation irked a lot of local craft and artisanal brewers who thought that the time had finally come for craft beer to be welcomed into the White House and publically lauded by the President of the United States.<br /><br />For craft brewers it was as if President Obama drove up to the “Beer Summit” in a Toyota. In the political arena, nothing is just a little thing. Everything is scrutinized and politicized. And the lack of forethought that went into the implications of these beer choices is astounding in these hyper-mediac times. Obama might as well have been drinking Daschle Ale or Bill Richardson Pilsner.<br /><br />We’ve been (ahem) “vetting” beer for years now and as beer sommeliers have immersed ourselves in the beer culture. We would have been happy to offer these fully vetted suggestions. Here are some craft beers that we would have chosen if we had been asked, which we obviously were not (Call us, Rahm Emanuel) for the illustrious “Beer Summit:”<br /><br /><blockquote><b>Death and Taxes, Moonlight Brewing Co. </b>Fulton, California: Nothing is certain but death and taxes. But this schwarzbier is certainly a good way to bridge the gap. With roasty toasty coffee notes, this is a dark beer with a light body. ‘nuff said. 4.2% Alcohol by Volume (ABV).<br /><br /><b>Collaboration Not Litigation, Avery Brewing Co.</b>, Boulder, Colorado: A Belgian Strong Dark Ale with notes of dark fruit, spice and molasses. This ale is actually a collaboration between two breweries who released a beer of the same name, Salvation, they chose to work together on a brew instead of fight over the name. Can’t we all just get along? 9% ABV.<br /><br /><b>Brew Free or Die!, 21st Amendment Brewery</b>, San Francisco, California: An American-style IPA served in a classic can. Bitter enough to cut through politics as usual, but balanced with a malty sweetness that will keep racial tempers from flaring up. 7.2% ABV.<br /><br /><b>Tea Bagged Furious, Surly Brewing Co</b>., Brooklyn Center, Minnesota: Perhaps the gentlemen at the summit needed a little distraction and comic relief, in which case we suggest the topic of another media-fueled feud: The Rachael Maddow vs. Lou Dobbs fight, accompanied by this appropriate conversation-starter beer. Another American IPA with a much bigger punch than the above mentioned. The hops in this brew would have kicked away any memories of ‘mother’ comments, I.D. mix-ups, or ‘stupid’ foibles. ABV Unknown.</blockquote><br /><br />There’s one more beer we’d like to suggest:<br /><br /><b>Arrogant Bastard, Stone Brewing Co.</b>, Escondido, California: This one’s for us! 7.7% ABV.<br /><br />Or maybe we should all just have had Black and Tans……<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune</span>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-76048636146256519912009-07-23T13:06:00.001-07:002009-07-23T19:30:46.715-07:00MY BOOK - THE NAKED PINT - AVAILABLE FOR PRESALE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/nakedpintbook-787102.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 232px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/nakedpintbook-787059.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>You know that thing that's been keeping me from being a good blogger? That ethereal book that only existed because I said it did? Well, now - hopefully - you can see that I'm not a big fat liar. The book that I wrote with fellow beer chick Hallie Beaune, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.thenakedpint.com/">The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer</a>, is now available for pre-sale at <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Naked-Pint/Christina-Perozzi/e/9780399535345/?itm=1">Barnes and Noble</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Pint-Unadulterated-Guide-Craft/dp/0399535349/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1248401390&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>, as well as other online retail outlets. Hooray! Here's the description"<br /><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">The Naked Pint</span>, Perozzi and Beaune offer a down-to-earth guide to craft and artisanal brews that celebrates beer for what is truly is: sophisticated, complex and flavorful. Covering everything from beer basics to the science behind beer, food and beer pairings, home brewing, and tips for perfecting one's palate. This edgy no-nonsense guide exposes hidden truths, debunks misconceptions, and reveals the power that comes from knowing your ales from a hole in the ground!<br /><br />We also got two rock stars of the beer world to read it and here's what they said:<br /><br />"The Naked Pint is a great read for anyone interested in all things beer - from beer style descriptions to cooking with beer to brewing your own beer at home. The authors know their stuff; they understand that beer can be complex without being overly complicated and take beer seriously but don't take themselves too seriously."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-Sam Calagione, President <a href="http://www.dogfish.com">Dogfish Head Craft Brewery<br /></a></div><br />"No one turns people on to beer the way that Christina and Hallie do. Along with their passion and expertise, they bring a wit and levity that exemplify the renegade spirit of craft beer. They possess the skills of a sommelier..yet take you on the even more inspired journey into craft beer."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-Greg Koch, CEO and co-founder, <a href="http://www.stonebrew.com">Stone Brewing Co</a><br /></div><br />Also, please check out the newly launched website for the book <a href="http://www.thenakedpint.com">thenakedpint.com</a> to get more book release and book tour information! Yeah, I'm an author!<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/07/my-book-naked-pint-available-for.html#comments"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a><br /></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-83885582399838829152009-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:002009-08-24T22:10:32.130-07:00BEERS FOR YOUR NON-BEER DRINKING FATHER<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/dadsmall-791007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 222px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/dadsmall-790997.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Remember how I told you in my <a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2008/05/beers-for-your-mother.html">Mother's Day blog</a> last year that my dad was a Lindemans Peche drinker, and that I didn't really want to talk about it? Well, after many sessions of group family therapy, I can tell you that, yes, it's true. My name is Christina and my father drinks girlie beers (and the crowd says "Hi Christina.") It's fine. I'm okay. I've learned acceptance and I've come to realize that my father is my father. He is who he is, and I'm not going to change him. I'm sure that not even public humiliation in the form of a blog post from his only daughter will get him to start really drinking beer.<br /><br />From what I've gleaned from my time on this earth, is that most people don't have a difficult time getting their fathers to drink beer. There's the game watching, the pool playing, the fight watching, the car washing, the golf, the barbecues. Nope, not my Dad. I mean, he does some of those activities, just none of them are accompanied by a beer.<br /><br />Using lines like, "If you loved me, you'd attend," I have forced him to come to some of my beer events, however. And at those events he will <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">begrudgingly</span> try the beers that I give him. And to my astonishment, he's liked a few of them. And so, without further ado or fanfare, I will list the beers that you can give to a Peche Lambic drinking, comfortable with his own masculinity and not needing to drink beer to prove it kind of dad.<br /><br />I hope this list is useful to the 5 of you who may or may not exist on the planet Earth.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Malheur Biere Brut</span> - De Landtsheer - Buggenhout, Belgium, 11% abv.<br />The fact that my Dad liked this beer shocked the hell out of me almost as much as it did when my mother loved Jahva Imperial Coffee Stout. I thought that this biere de champagne would be way too high alcohol content for him, but he loved it. I should have guessed because the malt and spice level is quite high that he would have. The only problem is that this beer is quite expensive - for a beer - over $40 at the store. And since my Dad will only eat at restaurants that accept coupons and give free refills, the biere de champagne that I gave him for last year's Father's Day is still sitting unopened like a frosty trophy in the fridge in his garage in Temecula, CA. Its being saved for an unknown special occasion that will never come. And no, he's not trying to age it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Lost Abbey Lost and Found Ale</span> - San Marcos, CA - 8% abv.<br />This was another beer that my father actually enjoyed. It was paired at the time with a really great blue cheese with raisin bread and walnuts, so my dad was all over it. Clovey and spicy with hints of dark fruit - figs and plums. I think I'm getting it. My Dad likes malty, spicy beers with an undisputed high alcohol content. Okay, now I'm starting to understand!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aventinus</span> - G.Schneider & Sohn - Kelheim, Germany - 8% abv.<br />Bill also dug this delicious malty beer as well. Aventinus is "the world's oldest top-fermenting wheat doppelbock." Again spicy, and again with notes of raisins, dates, figs, prunes, bananas and cloves. This beer is deceptively light-bodied on the palate but will kick your ass.</blockquote>And that's it. Those are the beers my Dad likes so far. Please wish me good luck as I continue my quest to convert him - and my mother. Luckily my brother drinks beer, but I can guarantee you that his fridge is stocked with a 12 pack of Coors Light. What's a beer chick to do? But I digress. What I meant to say is Happy Father's Day to my non-beer drinking, non-reading my blog Dad. I love you!<br /><div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Written by <a href="http://www.beerforchicks.com/profile/3iuyeplay1hna">The Beer Chick</a>, June 16, 2009</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2008/06/blog-post.html#comments"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a></div><br /></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-9861033634432730862009-05-22T12:27:00.000-07:002009-05-22T15:54:02.083-07:00CATHERINE THE GREAT - THE 1ST BEER CHICK<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/catherinethegreat-768565.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/catherinethegreat-768563.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Did I tell you that I'm dating a hot Russian guy now? Oh yes, I am. And for some reason, I seem to be drinking a lot more Russian Imperial Stout (RIS). (I know there's a real dirty joke in there somewhere, but let's not go there.) Of course, hearing the name of this beer, one assumes that it comes from Russia. But you know what happens when you assume?<br /><br />NOT from Russia, this amazing style of beer is actually a British invention. The Anchor brewery (no not the one in San Francisco) were the originators of this strong dark and rich beer that is generally much maltier, smokier and stronger than other English or Irish style stouts. Why Russia then?<br /><br />Well, supposedly, in days of yore, the Empress of Russia Catherine the Great loved the style and demanded large quantities of the ebony elixer shipped to the Baltic and beyond. Some say that the beer was fortified with a high percentage of alcohol in order for it to make this long journey over land. Fortunately the beer lasted the distance and Catherine's love of this stout made it immensely popular not only in her native Russia, but in England as well. In fact, it is said that her support of the beer way back in the 1780's is what has contributed to this beer style's popularity even today.<br /><br />I love this style, but previously, I really only drank it in the winter, when the alcohol would warm my bones when the temperature would dip below 60 degrees (c'mon, I'm in L.A.) But now that I've been concentrating on things Russian, I realize that it's a wonderful year-round beer! Here are some of the Russian Imperial Stouts I've been imbibing as of late:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout<br />North Coast Brewing Company - Ft. Bragg, CA</span><br />Tsarina Alexandra, the last Tsaritsa of Russia is known for her destructive and notorious friendship with the mystic Grigori Rasputin. And while this Old Rasputin from North Coast might be dark, there's no hidden agenda here! This beer is like espresso, with secondary notes of bittersweet chocolate and licorice. Its deliciously deceptive at 9% abv. This is my go to RIS.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ten Fidy Imperial Stout</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Oskar Blues Brewery - Lyons, CO</span><br />Thick, black and super creamy, this RIS is huge. Huge coffee and huge chocolate this beer has a hot malty dark molassas sweetness. Lots of smokey goodness in this beer. Oh, did I tell you that its in a can? Gotta love that! 9.5% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Lord Imperial Stout<br />Three Floyds Brewing Co. - Munster, IN</span><br />Super rich with big chocolate and vanilla, this beer comes in at a huge 13% abv. Super sweet and smooth, this beer has roasty and smokey notes almost like charcoal, with - dare I say - notes of soy sauce (but in a good way.) Virtually no head, this beer is like engine oil (also in a good way.) Darkness is spreading ladies and gentlemen.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Czar Imperial Stout<br />Avery Brewing Company - Boulder, CO<br /></span>Once again, this RIS shines with flavors of cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, caramel, toffee. Big espresso flavors with tons of sweet dark fruit. This one actually has a nice hop presence providing a bit of a balance. But its still a sweet, creamy, fruity, smokey dream. 11% abv.<br /></blockquote>I know I said it before, but it's important to remind y'all that Russian Imperial Stouts generally have a very high alcohol content. We're talking 10% and upwards. You know I'm okay with that, but be careful when you're drinking these, as you can easily end the night ass up. As a matter of fact, these beers used to be marketed using the tagline "Strong as a double scotch, less than half the price." YEAH! In this economy, we need some more bang for our buck. Speaking of the Russian hottie...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/05/catherine-great-1st-beer-chick.html#comments"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-75008684238289715912009-05-21T14:19:00.000-07:002009-05-21T17:45:01.365-07:00A LITTLE DECADENCE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/decadence-749220.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/decadence-749218.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So, I'm finally back for real! The book is done. The rewrites are done! And now I can get back to what I love doing best. Drinking great beer and writing about it. I won't ever leave you like this again! It's time for a little celebration. In fact, I celebrated a little too hard the other night and one of my friends said that our debauchery was "decadent," like it was a bad thing. That got me thinking about the last time I had some decadence in my life.<br /><br />I mean, I know that the economy is in the tank, but does that mean that we all have to give up decadence? I think not. Now is just the time to take the escapist route and enjoy beer, especially because its cheaper than wine and champagne and spirits. Hell, let's have a little decadence...and by that I mean Decadence Anniversary Ale the seasonal treat from Alesmith Brewing Company in San Diego, CA. (Insert cheering crowd here.)<br /><br />Decadence was released in 2005 to celebrate Alesmith's 10 year anniversary. Each year its different, and each year the beer embodies the definition of, what else? Decadence! For instance, 2005 was a smooth and rich English-style Old Ale, 2006 (which was awesomely nicknamed "Dead by Dawn") was a caramelly and resinous American Strong Ale, 2007 was a smokey and piney Imperial Porter, and 2008 was a traditional fire spit inducing and toffee tinged English-style Barleywine.<br /><br />Thanks to Ryan Sweeney, who is owner of the fabulous beer bar Verdugo in L.A., I was lucky enough to try a special barrel aged version of the '07 Imperial Porter, and it was SICK in its goodness. This beer <span style="font-style: italic;">started out</span> with notes of chocolate, toffee and caramel and won the gold medal at the 2008 San Diego County Fair's Craft Brewer's Competition. Imagine it now aged in bourbon barrels, and all that vanilla, Maker's Marky, woody, oakey goodness. This beer poured a brown engine oil with a creamy white head with secondary notes of dark fruit and coffee. I almost died it was so good! I keep imagining what this beer will taste like when it has even more age on it. Oh and it's 10% abv. And you know how much I like that.<br /><br />Oscar Wilde said "America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between." I'm not exactly sure what that means, but if Barbarism or Civilization are beers a fraction as good as Decadence, I'm willing to try them!<br /><br />If you see this beer anywhere, do what you can to get it. Trade, steal, sell your guitar, whatever. It'll be worth it.The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-56971148735727332702009-03-17T14:46:00.000-07:002009-03-17T20:03:39.448-07:00LIFT A PINT FOR ST. PADDY<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/halliegood-785536.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/halliegood-785523.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you are a beer aficionado like me, you know that drinking green beer isn't the way to celebrate this beer drinking holiday. Green beer is just the crappy fizzy yellow beer with food coloring. That's no cause for celebration! Celebrate with the "most Irish" of all beers styles, the Stout.<br /><br />My writing partner, fellow beer chick and dear friend - beer expert and author <a href="http://www.beerforchicks.com/profile/HallieBeaune">Hallie Beaune</a> wrote a great article for <a href="http://www.rundown.com/">The Rundown</a> today for St. Patrick's day about, just that! Yummy Stouts really are the best beer to drink if you'd like to honor the Irish in all of us.<br /><br />Here are the five domestic craft Stouts Hallie recommends on the <a href="http://www.rundown.com/">Rundown</a> with which to imbibe this fine St. Paddy's Day!<br /><br /><blockquote><strong> <a style="color: rgb(50, 53, 89);" target="_blank" href="http://www.avbc.com/beers/barney-flats-oatmeal-stout/">Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout</a></strong><br />A smooth, easy-drinking stout. Velvety on the tongue, with notes of mocha and a nice hop presence on the finish for balance.<em></em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-rasputin.htm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(50, 53, 89);"><strong>North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout</strong></a><br />Like a shot of espresso or a dark, bitter bite of cacao-heavy chocolate, this brilliant stout is intense. A perfect nightcap, at 9.5% alcohol, it'll send you home singing. <em></em><br /><br /><a href="http://bisonbrew.com/chocolate-stout.asp" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(50, 53, 89);"><strong>Bison Organic Chocolate Stout</strong></a><br />Brewed in Berkeley, this sustainable stout lets you be truly green on St. Patty's Day. With notes of subtle Dutch chocolate, it won't knock you over the head with saccharine Hershey bar flavors.<em></em><br /><br /><a href="http://www.alaskanbeer.com/porter.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(50, 53, 89);"><strong>Alaskan Brewing Smoked Porter</strong></a><br />Malt smoked over alder wood gives this beer a distinct flavor. Excellent when aged in a bottle (it mellows out the smokiness), so snag older vintages or store bottles in your closet for next year.<em></em><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(50, 53, 89);" target="_blank" href="http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brews/reserve-series/the-abyss/default.aspx"><strong>Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss</strong></a><br />Aging in French Oak and Bourbon barrels gives this hard-to-find stout a depth worthy of its name. Savor notes of bitter chocolate, espresso, molasses and licorice before the 11% alcohol kicks in.<em></em><em><br /><br /></em>And make sure to check out the <a href="http://www.rundown.com/">Rundown</a>.<br /></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/03/lift-pint-for-st-paddy.html#comments"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-22019718305991055902009-02-18T13:13:00.000-08:002009-02-25T13:48:45.910-08:00FOR FRAOCH SAKE! HEATHER ALE<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/fraoch-730900.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 256px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/fraoch-730899.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Me likey beer that gets creative with ingredients. Some of these beers are the new-fangled brain children like Craftsman Brewing Company's Cabernale that is made using Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and The Bruery's Trade Winds Tripel made with Thai Basil. Some other beers with funky ingredients harken back to older traditional styles and days of yore.<br /><br />Take Heather Ale for instance. Having origins that date back to 2000 b.c., this is a delicious and delicate style from Scotland that uses, you guessed it, heather instead of hops to provide balance to the malt. Heather is one of Scotland's most prolific plants, growing over millions of acres as ground cover. Sweet, fragrant and strong, the Scots used this prolific plant instead of hops, which wouldn't grow in Scotland's climate.<br /><br />And as is the Scottish way, there are many legends, poems, myths and folklore surrounding this ancient beer style. One story is that the first whisky was accidently made when heather ale was distilled by warming over a fire...and you know how I love the <a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2008/07/water-of-life.html">Scotch</a>!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/heather-734665.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 167px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/heather-734640.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></div> Another story is that an ancient Scots king, who after winning a bloody battle over the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picts">Pict</a> tribe, found a Pictish father and his son by a cliff. The King, who wanted the secret recipe for the Heather Ale tortured the father and his son for it. The father finally agreed to reveal the secret if the King would kill his son quickly. The King agreed and threw the boy's body off the cliff. He turned to the father but he said, "But now in vain is the torture, fire shall never avail, here dies in my bosom the secret of the Heather Ale." Then he threw himself at the King and they both fell from the cliff. Isn't that heartwarming?<br /><br />If you feel like trying this rare style of beer and being part of Scottish history, you should start with the Fraoch (pronounced FRAY-OOK) from The Brewery Craigmill in Lanarkshire, Scotland. This delightful beer is a light amber ale with floral peaty aroma, full malt character and a spicy herbal flavor and dry wine like finish. 5% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/02/for-fraoch-sake-heather-ale.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-90521921313103188952009-02-11T12:11:00.000-08:002009-02-16T12:17:09.408-08:00VALENTINE'S DAY SUCKS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/images/blackheart.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 210px;" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/images/blackheart.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this in blogs past, but I pretty much hate Valentine's Day. In my opinion, more than any other day (including 'Take Your Kid to Work Day') Valentine's Day is the single worst day of the year. Elaborate or casual, with boyfriend or single, rich or poor, Valentine's Day has always been one huge disappointment. I hate the cards, the cheap chocolates, the doilies, the flying fat babies with arrows, all of it! As far as I'm concerned, Valentine's Day can kiss it.<br /><br />It's times like these, when the dark spectre of Cupid rears his ugly head on the horizon, that I turn to the one thing that doesn't disappoint me...my one true love, craft beer. Thankfully, some great brewers also know that V-day sucks and make us beers that will help us through this difficult time. Here are my beer picks for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">poopy</span>, stinky Valentine's Day. (It is completely intentional that some of these beer picks are sour or bitter!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Bloody Valentine - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Alesmith</span> Brewing Company - San Diego CA</span><br />Released shortly before Valentine's Day, My Bloody Valentine is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Alesmith's</span> bolder, stronger cousin of their great Halloween specialty ale, Evil Dead Red. Caramel sweet malt is delicately balanced with floral American hop varieties for a truly unique drinking sensation. A deep mahogany red color and a big, aromatic hop profile are the signatures of this seasonal ale -with an evil 6.66% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">abv</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dissident - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Deschutes</span> Brewing Company - Bend, Oregon</span><br />Because I say nay to Valentine's Day, I am a dissident, breaking from the Hallmark and Sees Candy establishment. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Deschutes</span> makes a beer to celebrate this spirit of dissent. Brewed with candy sugar and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Montmorency</span> cherries, this beer is huge at 8.8% alcohol. This beer also uses two types of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">brettanomyces</span> (wild fermentation) which means that this beer has good and sour notes. Because its aged for 18 months in oak wine barrels, this beer also finishes nice and dry. Think chocolate and sour cherries, with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">molasses</span> and wood. A great beer with which to tell V-day to eff off.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Honesty Ale - Craftsman Brewing Company - Pasadena, CA</span><br />The Dissident is a sour cherry ale, more in the lines of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Flandres</span> Brown Ale, but Craftsman Brewing Company's Valentine's Day seasonal Honesty Ale tastes like a true <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lambic</span>. Sour and funky with a fruity cherry finish, this beer is more tart than sour. Clean, crisp with a big nose of fresh cherries and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">citrusy</span> finish, this beer goes really well with that sour feeling that is left after Valentine's Day. 5% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">abv</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stone Brewing Bitter Chocolate Stout - Escondido, CA</span><br />Who me? Bitter? Okay, maybe. But sometimes there's nothing better than bitter and this Bitter Chocolate Stout from Stone Brewing Company is a prime example of that. Brewed for Stone's 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">th</span> Anniversary, this beer pours a deep engine oil black. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Roasty</span>, malty and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">chocolaty</span> in the nose, this beer uses unsweetened and unprocessed cacao from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Chuao</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Chocolatier</span>.<br /><span class="quote12th">This beer has coffee and licorice accents and a thick, rich, creamy, silky <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">mouthfeel</span> from the oatmeal used. This one also packs a wallop at 9.2% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">abv</span>. So if you're feeling as bitter as me, this is the beer for you.<br /><br />Oh, and a Happy Effing Valentine's Day to you all!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Written by <a href="http://www.beerforchicks.com/profile/3iuyeplay1hna">The Beer Chick</a>, February 14th, 2009</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/02/valentines-day-sucks.html#comments"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30457709.post-59007540183441485712009-01-09T13:33:00.001-08:002009-01-09T16:12:47.685-08:00The Mike O'Meara Show<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imgsrv.wjfk.com/image/DbLiteGraphic/200805/2441082.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 134px;" src="http://imgsrv.wjfk.com/image/DbLiteGraphic/200805/2441082.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'd like to thank <a href="http://www.themikeomearashow.com/">The Mike O'Meara Show</a> for having me on today! The guys were great to me and cracked me up during our tasting over the airwaves. I'm getting a lot of emails about the beers that I had them taste, so I'm putting the list up here! If you didn't get to hear the show live you can go to the Mike O'Meara Show website and listen to the podcast!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Magic Hat #9</span><br />A delicious pale ale from South Burlington, VT. Dry, crisp, fruity. This beer uses a 150 year old strain of top fermenting English yeast. There's nothing offensive in this beer. Nice and sessionable. A touch of apricot on the nose. 4.6% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dogfishhead 90 Minute IPA</span><br />If you are a hophead you will love this beer from Milton, Delaware. This is an Imperial or Double India Pale Ale, which means that its super hoppy. Which means that this beer is floral, grassy, super bitter and super dry. Esquire Magazine said that this beer was "The Best IPA in America." At 90 IBU's (International Bittering Units) it just may be one of the hoppiest ones, that's for sure. Notes of raisins and citrus in the background. 9% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chimay Blue</span><br />The monks sure know how to make good beer. Chimay Blue is a classic Belgian Trappist ale. Deep brown in color and high in alcohol, this beer has spicy clovey notes with hints of nutmeg, plum and other dark old world fruits. This very vinous beer has secondary notes of raisins and caramel. 9% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aventinus</span><br />This beer is from Schneider and Sons from Kelheim a town in southern Germany or Bavaria. It's a Weizen Bock beer, which really just means an extra strong wheat beer. This beer is full bodied with big roasted bananas and clove on the nose and caramel, nutty, woody notes on the finish. 8.2% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tripel Karmeliet</span><br />An abbey ale from Buggenhout, Belgium, this super effervescent Tripel is made with three grains: oats, wheat and barley. Bright yellow in color this beer has classic Tripel hints of pepper, citrus rind, honey and a dry flat hop finish. 8% abv.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Written by <a href="http://www.beerforchicks.com/profile/3iuyeplay1hna">The Beer Chick</a>, December 6, 2008</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/uploaded_images/04-790962.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/rss.xml">Get Beer for Chick's Feed</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christinaperozzi.com/2009/01/mike-omeara-show.html?showComment=1231545900000#c5809053052260275739"><span style="font-size:85%;">Click HERE to comment.</span></a></div>The Beer Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00884038485548163728noreply@blogger.com7