Savor the Season - Thank You.

Thank you all of you who came to visit me tonight at the Tasting Experience at the Savor the Season event benefiting Break the Cycle. As per many of your requests, I'm posting the list of the beers I featured at the tasting. It was so much fun meeting so many people in my industry that are interested in quality over quantity and taste above all!

I need to also thank from the bottom of my heart Craftsman Brewing Company and Unibroue for once again providing me with some of the best beer in the world! Your beers won raves and made me look good.

I also wanted to say what a thrill it was to meet Bonnie Graves - Wine Consultant and Sommelier or as she says "Fancy Wine Girl," Joni and Denise of Saltistry or as I call them "the Salt Girls." You have to check out their salt gifts (truffle & salt - need I say more?) at their website. It was a thrill to meet Hasty, Madame Chocolate, THE most amazing Chocolatier ever, and Barrie Lynn, the Cheese Impressario - think 6 year aged artisanal cheddar in a dried hibiscus flower! GO CHICKS! You rock it! We will definitely work together again! All we need is a bacon girl....any out there?

Beer Celebration !!

I had a great time this past weekend hanging out at Stone Brewing's 11th Anniversary Party in Escondito, CA.

It was a fabulous event with thousands of craft beer fans and LOTS of really great beer.

Highlights were talking and filming with Stone Chairman, CEO and fellow beer blogger Greg Koch whose mantra, "Fizzy Yellow Beer is for Wussies," resonates in every one of his company's beers; and getting to walk around the event tasting and comparing beers with Mark Jilg, Owner and Brewmaster at Craftsman Brewing Company.

Other great things were Port Brewing's own Vince Marsaglia in a tent making Arrogant Bastard Ale Onion Rings (yummy), and getting freshly brewed soda's (my favorite was bright blue, tasty and refreshing) from people who call themselves The Society of Barley Engineers.

Here are some of my favorite beers of the festival:

Craftsman Berliner Weiss - Pasadena, CA
This is a style of unfiltered wheat beer that traditionally uses two different types of yeast that produces a light, bright, lemony, zesty and slightly sour beer. I had this paired with bratwurst and sour kraut and was a very happy chick. This is a new release from Craftsman shouldn't be missed. According to Mark, this beer is less than 4% abv. Perfect for the hot last dog days of summer.


Green Flash Summer Saison - Vista, CA
I loved this beer. This is a GREAT example of a well-rounded, perfectly balanced Saison. I find that some Saison styles made in the United States, although good beers in their own right, are much more similar to an American Hefeweizen than a true Saison, but Green Flash nailed it with this one. Rustic and earthy, but with a round finish, distinctive dryness and spicy high notes, this beer killed.

Victory Brewing Prima Pils - Downingtown, PA
This beer was a refreshing break from all of the really BIG beers that I was drinking. It was light and nuanced, reminding me of a true Czech Pilsner. Once again, I remind you girls that lager beers, even though we associate them with the bad tasting, industrialized beers of today, can actually be great beers if made with noble ingredients in a craft environment. This Pils is a nice example of that. Good balance, nice hop finish, malt-roundness, not too bitter.

Thomas Jefferson Ale -
Taps Fish House & Brewery - Brea, CA
I was glad to see my friend Victor Novak from Taps at this event. I really liked this beer, which he said is a beer Jefferson would have had brewed at Monticello two hundred years ago. They describe it as "deep reddish-brown, very full-bodied, with a hint of toffee and a complex, malty finish. " It was a delightful ale at 9.5%.

Savor the Season 2007

Okay, so I have been accused of not letting people know about events early enough, so here is the next one more than a month in advance! This one is kind of high-falutin, and not all about beer, but I'm thrilled to be included and to introduce a whole new group of people to the wide world of beer. I'm still figuring out what I'll be doing in my tasting garden area, but it will be cool, and I will keep you updated.

Here's what was written about the event in gayot.com.

Break the Cycle, an organization protecting the rights of teens experiencing dating violence, is celebrating more than a decade of work with Savor the Season 2007 - a grand tasting gala showcasing Los Angeles' top culinary talents for a night of food and wine, exclusive "tasting experiences," live and silent auctions, music and more. This year's lineup of chefs includes Michael Bryant, Bin 8945; Gautam Chaudhry & Mikel Mark Kim, Tanzore Restaurant & Lounge; Sal Marino, Il Grano; Bijan Shokatfard, Geoffrey's; Jared Simons, Violet; and Suzanne Tracht of Jar, among others.

VIP guests will relish in the Tasting Garden Experience in the Bamboo Garden, led by five culinary experts - Christina Perozzi, The Beer Chick; Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario; Bonnie Graves, founder of Girl Meets Grape; Hasty Khoei, Madame Chocolat; and Joni Fay Hill & Denise Daclan of Saltistry.

General admission is $100; VIP package costs $250 and includes admission to the cocktail and hors d'oeuvres reception, early admission and silent auction preview, exclusive access to the Tasting Garden Experience, reserved seating and hosted parking, and gift bags with keepsake cookbook.

The VIP reception begins at 5 p.m. and the main event begins at 6:30 p.m. For tickets, call Break the Cycle at 310-424-2805 or visit www.savortheseason.org. Wallis Annenberg Building at Exposition Park, 700 State Dr., Los Angeles.

Lift a Pint for Michael Jackson

We've had a big loss in the beer community today. Beer expert Michael Jackson, whom I've mentioned several times in this blog, has passed away. I've read every book that he's written and often looked to them for guidance and answers. Here's what All About Beer Magazine wrote about him today.

"It's not often you get to know an honest to goodness giant. Michael Jackson was a giant, indeed, and his place in the beer community was unique. Now, he's gone. Not exactly surprising, given the state of his health, but still a shock.

Michael gave us our voice and vocabulary, and grounded the history and traditions of beer. Beginning in the seventies with the publication of the World Guide to Beer, Michael began beating the drum demanding more respect for beer. He swirled and tasted beer, filling pages with new words. He traveled unceasingly, discovering styles and traditions long gone or on their way out the door. He chided the mainstream press for its beer provincialism. He even wore one glove, just one glove, to mock a similarly named celebrity.

Originally a newspaper reporter, a badge he wore with pride, he never lost the newsman's love for a breaking story or a tight deadline. He was a prolific writer, an expert in whiskey and fine food as well as a pioneer beer writer.

We will all lift a pint in his memory.

Daniel & Julie Bradford"

Cheers Michael! I hope you are enjoying that big beer chalice in the sky!

If You Build It...

As promised, here is the menu and information for the awesome Summer Beer Bash that Hallie Beaune and I are hosting with Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen in Santa Monica on Monday, August 27th.

I'm not making any promises, but its looking like the brewers themselves might just be there for our reverence and beer geek questions! And don't forget that a portion of the proceeds are going to benefit Heal the Bay!

Click on the picture or here to enlarge and see the info.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all there!

Stressed Spelled Backwards

THIS is a Beer Cupcake, a delicious looking morsel whose original photo and post is on a Manhattan based web log called "Big City Little Kitchen." I read about this on another web log called "Confessions of a Beer Geek" (great title).

Gena at BCLK says that the addition of beer adds "richness and moisture and balances the sweetness of the sugar." She topped these little morsels of heaven with a cream cheese glaze and says that they are a "crowd-pleasing, not-too-sweet dessert."

Gena made these cupcakes with Guiness, but I suggest using something a little more exotic, like Young's Oatmeal or Double Chocolate Stout or Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - something big and stouty and chocolatey and coffee-ish. Here's the recipe:

Cake

• 1 cup of good craft or artisanal Stout, Chocolate Stout or Imperial Stout
  
• 1 stick, plus 1 tb, unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tb vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Glaze*

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350; butter a muffin tin.

Combine the beer and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into muffin molds and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack.

Using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth, sift in sugar, and beat. Add milk, and beat until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cupcakes.

*To create a thinner glaze, use a tablespoon or two more milk; for a topping more akin to icing, use less milk, and perhaps more sugar. In either case, add a little sugar or milk at a time, mix, and check for desired consistency.

The Champagne of Beers

Many women still say to me, "I'm not a beer drinker." And I'm still shocked and appalled by this huge ... lie. The last woman with whom I had this discussion said to me, quite snottily I might add, "I primarily drink champagne." I retorted with, "Well, good for you Miss Thang, I have the perfect beer for you!"

Biere de Champagne or Biere Brut, as it is also called, is not the mass produced beer known as "The Champagne of Beer." When I say Biere de Champagne, I'm talking about a relatively new and, I must say, fan-effing-tastic style of beer. Basically, this beer is brewed in Belgium and then undergoes the "methode de champenoise," or the same kind of bottle conditioning, maturation, remuage (riddling) and degorgement (disgorging) that actual Champagne goes through. Some of these beers are actually shipped to the Champagne region of France for this special treatment.

These beers are delicate, yet still rich and complex, spicy and aromatic, amazingly effervescent, highly carbonated, and really really good. Most of them are also pretty high in alcohol, but the balance is so nice, and carbonation so high, that you might not be able to tell it by the mouthfeel or viscosity.

These beers usually come in 750ml Champagne bottles, complete with cork and cage. You can find them at your local wine store that sells craft and artisanal beers. They are a little pricier than other beers, but they're cheaper than most great Champagne, and they're well worth it! Trust me. (Just be careful when you open them because they can overflow quite easiliy - a la real Champagne.)

Here are some highly regarded Biere de Champagne beers:
(FYI - Drink these in a champagne flute.)



DeuS (Brut Des Flandres)
Brouwerij Bosteels, Belgium
This beer rocks it. Light straw colored with huge carbonation, this beer almost floats in your mouth. Spicy and peppery, this beer drifts in the middle to fruity apricots, pears and ginger. You'll definitely recognize the Belgian yeast qualities: a slight Orvallian earthy funk. There's also some good lemon rind on the dry finish. In my opinion, an excellent beer.
11.5% abv.

Malheur Biere Brut (Brut Reserve)
Brouwerij De Landtsheer NV, Belgium
According to the leading beer expert in the world, Michael Jackson (no not that one - c'mon girls!) Malheur Brut Reserve "has a remarkably flowery aroma, with suggestions of vanilla; restrained, tightly combined, fruity flavors (apricot? citrus?); and a very dry finish." I thought that it was quite spicy and filled with sweet malt. A very good beer. I'd love to try the
"Michael Jackson Commemorative Selection 2006."
11% abv.

Malheur Brut Noir
Brouwerij De Landtsheer NV, Belgium
A friend introduced me to this beer, which he told me is called "Black Chocolate" in the States. This is much less dry that the previous two beers. Touches of clove and cinnamon with notes of dark old-world fruit: cherry, plum and fig jam. Nice vinous quality. Some heat with alcohol you can taste, but the sharp carbonation cleans this beer up to a medium body.
12% abv.