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OC Beer Society 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off & Bottle Share

Posted on January 29, 2014
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, OC Beer Blog, OC Beer Society, Peace Brewing, Photography, Travel, vacation, wanderlust
Comments: 5

Orange County Beer Society annually coordinates a chili cook-off and bottle share at Peace Brewing in Anaheim and it’s one of my favorite events to attend. It’s not your typical beer event because it’s located at someone’s home and therefore it’s smaller and more intimate. Bradley Daniels and his wife, Daira, graciously hosted the event at their home which is also known as Peace Brewing due to the garage-turned-brewery-and-taproom. Brad has been brewing for years and makes the most delicious homebrew. He’s been featured in several magazines for his crazy rad backyard and homemade brewery. His beautiful home makes for an ideal bottle share venue and we were all lucky to be in attendance.

Brad and his wife Daira

Chase Dipple’s Arm

A portion of the bottles that were shared

Obviously there was several tasty chili’s to taste and an important vote to cast for the best chili, but besides that there was an abundance of appetizing side-dishes and desserts to accompany the spread of chili. I myself brought some buttermilk beer biscuits and chocolate beer madeleines which I will be posting about later this week. They turned-out very good and the feedback I heard was very positive! My buddy, Greg Nagel from OC Beer Blog, received the winning number of votes for his chili that he has adapted from the Sriracha Cookbook. I tried his chili and it was just as good as I remember from last year’s cook-off and this makes him raining champ two years running. The pressure is on for next year!

Greg is the winner!!!!

A special thanks to Ron Bland from OC Beer Society for planning and coordinating the event. Ron is always putting together the most high-class bottle shares. I always know that I will get to taste super rare beers when Ron is involved. I can’t wait for him and Andrew to open their highly anticipated BrewHouse in San Juan Capistrano, CA. It’s slated for opening in a few months (allegedly).

Left to right: Ron, Brad, Greg, Andrew

The evening was wonderful; bottles were shared, laughs were had, food was eaten. I had a lot of fun photographing Greg’s daughter and her frenzied energy. She’s so photogenic it was hard to edit the photos!

I have said this before but I will reiterate it to everyone, beer is great but beer people are greater. I could have drank diet coke all night and still had a blast because these people are truly outstanding and sensational people. I hope you all are lucky enough to meet them one day! Let’s meet-up at a beer event sometime, huh? I will be the one taking pictures in a beer and baking hoodie.

Seattle Beercation

Posted on January 20, 2014
beer, beer blog, Beer Tasting, Beercation, Chuck's Bottle Shop, Day Trip, Photography, Roux, Ruben's Brews, Seattle, Seattle Cider Co, Travel, Two Beers, Urban Family, vacation, wanderlust, Where Ya At Matt
Comments: 4

Ballard is fast-becoming the “place to be” in Seattle for many reasons but most arguably is for the breweries that keep sprouting-up in the area. Ballard is quickly becoming the best location for a new nano brewery because of it’s decently priced industrial space surrounded by a large residential population. Ballard is a great neighborhood for people who work downtown since it’s a short drive over the bridge and you don’t have to deal with the prices or the inconveniences of living downtown. There has been at least three new breweries in Ballard this last year and I suspect the growth will continue as the demand remains high.

Lucky for me, my sister and her husband lives in Ballard so I have a place to stay when I come to visit. I had flown into SeaTac late Thursday night and we dropped-off my bags and went to eat at her husband’s new place of work, Roux. He also works on the food truck “Where Ya At Matt” and the owner has just launched their brick-and-mortar restaurant, Roux, in Fremont. I was excited because I haven’t had the food yet but heard nothing but good things. I split a burger with my sis, along with hush puppies, jalapeno poppers and the apple salad. Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of the food because I was too hungry and my mind was functioning on a basic level of “must stuff my face” and I didn’t think to take pictures. It’s a bad habit that I need to break. Anyways, the hush puppies were super crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle with little chunks of jalapeno to give it a good spice kick. I could eat a whole bowl of them right now. The burger was juicy and delicious, but the interesting part was the bacon they put on top. It was almost candied but not sweet, and I was in love. The cocktails they had were impressive; I liked the refreshing combinations. The next morning my sis had to work and so did her hubby, Syd, so I took my sweet time to roll out of bed and in the afternoon I walked (40 mins or so) down to Ruben’s Brews.

Ruben’s Brews is located near the corner 14th and 53rd in downtown Ballard. The industrial design is something I am very familiar with because that’s how most OC tap rooms are constructed, but this just felt somehow cleaner and more modern. It’s possible the calming green and yellow colors incited a feeling of excitement and creativity that the grey’s around here just don’t give me. It was surprisingly busy inside considering they just opened their doors a mere 30 mins before I arrived at 3:30 pm on a Friday. I found the only open standing table and ordered my first beer, the Nitro Dry Stout. This 4.9%ABV beer is lusciously creamy with a roasted, dry finish. It reminded me of the beers in the UK which is fitting because their co-founder is from there. The second beer I had was the Belgian Rye Imperial IPA (8.2%ABV) and I was a huge fan. It had a nice rye flavor without being over-powering and all the fruity qualities I love from a good Belgian yeast. It’s notable that Ruben’s have a lot of beers on tap that are brewed with rye malt, which you don’t see all too often. The tap room was spacious for a new brewery but they have already out-grown it in the short 1 1/2 years of being open and are reportedly looking for a larger location.

After Ruben’s we went to Chuck’s bottle shop for dinner (from the food truck Where Ya At Matt) and a few drinks. I was functioning on food mode so I didn’t get any photos of this but I really enjoyed Chuck’s. It’s well-known in the beer scene because they have great beers on tap and a kick-ass bottle shop. I saw a lot of drool-worthy beers available for purchase at Chucks but sadly my luggage was already at capacity. It’s no wonder that the place was packed (no tables available) full of locals. In Seattle, you can bring your dog and kids basically everywhere. Most business owners are totally cool with you bringing your dog inside their stores. It’s totally foreign to me because I would love to bring my puppy everywhere but So Cal is so uptight about animals it’s crazy. It’s also awesome to see families with kids inside Chuck’s and Ruben’s because it’s not only fun for the parents and they can be social but it’s like a community gathering center. It kinda feels like Seattle is treating me like and adult and allowing me to make my own damn choices and it feels good. Thanks, Seattle.

Me and my sis, Jen, spent most of the following day visiting some of the wondrous parks that surround her neighborhood. We went to Gas Works Park, Discovery Park, and Golden Gardens Park. The first stop was at Gas Works and we had fun watching Jen’s corgi, Charlee, go chasing after the geese and making them fly into the bay. The park features a large, steep hill that is a popular spot for flying kites or taking pictures and an abandoned coal manufacturing plant that has been fenced-off and stands at the center of the park. It’s beautiful and eerie. I am glad they kept the structure because it makes the park so different and perfect for photos. The next stop was to Discovery where I wanted to see the lighthouse. Apparently you aren’t supposed to drive to the lighthouse even though there is a paved road? It’s very confusing. The West Point lighthouse is what I wanted to see so we made it fast, and it was worth it. I had a view of Mt. Rainier from the beach that was breathtaking. The final stop of the day was to Golden Gardens where we walked along the beach and had a view of sail boats and the coastline as the sun set. It was an exhausting but satisfying day.

The following day, my last in town, we went to the Ballard farmer’s market and walked around downtown. After spending a few hours looking at shops and the stores we got some street food and grabbed a beer at Urban Family. Urban Family is a brewery that has a storefront right in the middle of downtown amidst all the adorable stores. I enjoyed a Saison Maiden (5.8%ABV) with a hot dog in Urban Family’s modern taproom. The saison was well-made and light to compliment the heavy food.

It was time to head to the airport but not without one last stop to Two Beers which is thankfully on the way to SeaTac. It’s in a brightly colored industrial building track and even with dark clouds looming, the colors popped against the grey sky. Two Beers is right next to Seattle Cider Company and both share a combined tap room next door called The Woods. The taproom is styled very well with rustic wood tables and grain sack lights. I ordered the cask with Theo’s Chocolate and peppermint and it was rich and delightful. Syd ordered a Semi Sweet by Seattle Cider Co. and I stole several sips of that beer. It was so good! It reminded me of a good Chardonnay but without being buttery. I wish I had more time to taste beers from Two Beers and Seattle Cider Co. but I was going to miss my flight so I had to go. Until next time, Seattle. Love you.

New York and Brooklyn Brewery

Posted on January 15, 2014
Bar, beer, Beer Tasting, Brewery, Brewing Equipment, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn Brewery, Day Trip, Evil Twin, Jamaica, Lucky Dog, New York, Photography, Pony Bar, Torst, Travel, vacation, Vanessa's Dumpling House, wanderlust
Comments: 10

The last stop on our honeymoon was a three day layover in New York before we flew back home to LAX. The flight from Belgium to LHR then JFK wasn’t terrible, but the layover was so short we ended-up running to our connection flight and barely made it on time. Finally back in the US we settled into our hotel in Jamaica and ordered delivery food and spent the night relaxing and unwinding.

The creepy lot of dead school buses across from our hotel.

The following day, we took a taxi to the Jamaica subway station and took the J to downtown Brooklyn. I had never been to New York before and the J train was a wonderful way to be introduced to the city. It was an above-ground subway train so we had the opportunity to see the neighborhoods and the beautiful old buildings. We went straight to Vanessa’s Dumpling House for some lunch and it was so nice to have a different style of food. The boiled dumplings were delicious and screamingly hot. The “pot sticker” type of pork dumplings were super crispy on one side and had so much flavor. We people-watched while we ate and sipped on our beers. Since we had a few hours to kill before Brooklyn Brewery opened we decided to hop across the street to Lucky Dog and happily discovered they had a pretty decent craft beer selection. We drank a Traditional Lager by Yuengling Brewery and enjoyed the company of fellow craft beer lovers. After chatting with some new friends for a bit we headed down the street to Brooklyn Brewery.

Brooklyn Brewery was a fun experience. Brooklyn Brewery was started in 1987 by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter. Hindy learned how to brew during a six year stay in various Middle Eastern nations only to return to his home town in 1984 to found Brooklyn Brewery with his neighbor, Potter. Garrett Oliver has been head brewmaster since 1994 and is also an accomplished author and has since become partner in the brewery. I had heard lots of praise of their beer but it’s difficult to source in So Cal. We tasted the Cuvée La Boîte, Brooklyn Lager, Sorachi Ace, and Brooklyn Pennant Ale ’55 to name a few. The Cuvée La Boîte was light and fruity with a bubbly mouth-feel and the Sorachi Ace was very balanced with a nice hop flavor. The tasting room was big with tall ceilings and long wood communal tables. Wooden taster coins burned a hole in my hand as we rushed to get a seat before they were all filled. Tasting the very enjoyable beers and hanging out for a few hours, we left to get some food and ended-up going to Brooklyn Bowl.

I had previously seen via Food Network that Brooklyn Bowl has the best fried chicken. Having tasted it, I am not sure if I agree but I can confidently say it was damn good. It was kinda pricey to get in just to eat ($15 per person cover) but I was so hungry at that point I didn’t care. After stuffing our faces, we continued on to Tørst. Fun Fact: Tørst means Thirst in Danish. The man behind Evil Twin beer, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso, and his business partner Daniel Burns opened the bar in March 2013 so it’s still very new. Burns, the former head of Momofuku’s test kitchen, and Jarnit-Bjergso have come together to make a hip bar covered in reclaimed wood and artsy ecstatic that just happens to also serve a kick-ass tap list of beers. Not only do they have hard-to-get Evil Twin beers but they have other mouth-watering options to try. For example, I had the Gose by Westbrook Brewing Company and it was simply divine, and that’s coming off my trip to Belgium. I also had As Follows by Stillwater Artisanal Ales, which is one of my favorite gypsy brewing companies. After a long day and very fun evening cabbed it back to Jamaica.

The following day we didn’t do much in the morning because I wasn’t feeling that great (perhaps it was the gross hotel we were staying at?) but managed to drag ourselves to downtown to visit Pony Bar in Hell’s Kitchen. We took the underground subway this time and I am not as much of a fan of the underground as I am of the above-ground but it was certainly manageable. The car parking prices were outrageous so I am glad we didn’t attempt to rent a car…$35 per hour to park is just crazy. We walked a few blocks and found the Pony Bar to be seriously packed at 6pm. We managed to find a few seats open and bellied-up to the bar for a few beers and food. I ordered the grilled cheese since I was still not feeling that great and Sean got a BBQ sandwich. Both were good but a little greasy. My favorite beer from the Pony Bar was the Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout by Boulder Brewing Company. We decided to head back to the hotel early since we had to leave the next morning and we wanted to save what was left of our money. Next time we go I think we will stay in the city so our commute to do anything won’t be so long and arduous. Those long and hot subway rides aren’t the most fun thing in the world but it beats paying $40 for a taxi. It’s good to be home!

Sound Brewery Blackberry Scones

Posted on January 13, 2014
baking, Baking with beer, beer, Beer Tasting, Cooking with beer, Photography, recipe, scones, sound brewery
Comments: 1

I love a good scone. Scones are so under-utilized and under-appreciated in the world of baked good and pastries. What’s not to like? They are flaky, moist, flavorful, and can be modified to fit almost any additional ingredient. I don’t think they should only be for brunch and tea time; I say we break free of these rules and enjoy a scone at any time of the day whenever we damn well please. Are you with me? Good!

I recently went to Seattle to visit my sister and her husband and while I was there they gifted me several beers. Naturally, I wanted to use one for baking so I choose the Sound Brewery’s Entendez Noel Belgian Quad (11.4%ABV) because I thought the flavors would lend an excellent hand to a fruit scone. Fruity quad with a sweet and slightly sour blackberry sounded like a match made in heaven.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups AP flour (plus more for work surface)

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 stick cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)

3/4 teaspoon course salt (I used a chunky black Hawaiian sea salt…but you can use any sea salt)

3/4 cup beer

3/4 packet of powdered buttermilk

1 egg yolk

1 cup blackberries (or however many you want to incorporate)

I know what you are thinking….powdered buttermilk?! Well, it’s a terrific option for those who want to incorporate beer but don’t want to mess-up the consistency of what you are making and who just has buttermilk on-hand all the time? I know I don’t. I bought dried buttermilk packages and I keep them in the back of the cabinet just in case I want to make something and the only ingredient I am missing is buttermilk and I don’t feel like running to the store. It’s 1 package dried buttermilk + 1 cup water = 1 cup buttermilk. It’s so easy to substitute the water for beer and it adds so much more flavor! Don’t judge, just try it 🙂

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt and powdered buttermilk into a food processor and pulse until incorporated. Add in the cold butter and pulse until it has the consistency of sand. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk and beer together. Pulse in the egg/beer mixture slowly until the dough just comes together.

2. Put the dough on your floured work surface and flatten slightly. Start folding in your berries, gently. It’s ok if it starts to get a bit messy, but you want to have at lease one or two berries in each area you want to cut a scone from. I usually cut scones in triangles from a circular shaped-dough but this time I shaped the dough into a rectangle and cut them into more square shaped pieces (about 10-12 pieces). I placed the pieces about an inch to 1 1/2 inches apart on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I also pushed a few berries on the top of a few pieces that looked like they could use more berries. I then sprinkled a little vanilla sugar on top of the pieces before putting them into the oven. Cook for about 18-20 minutes and you can optionally broil them for a minute to brown the top (which I like to do). Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Optional Blackberry Frosting:

I also made a blackberry frosting to drizzle on top because I wanted to get that intense purple color and I needed to use the rest of my blackberries. I blended the rest of the blackberries in my fabulous new ninja blender then strained it through a fine mesh strainer (about a 1/2 cup’s worth). I then added powdered sugar until it was the right consistency that I wanted (1 cup, or 1 and 1/2 cups??) and used a spoon to drizzle the frosting over the cooled scones. It’s totally optional but it sure did taste good 🙂

Lasts: 1-2 days in airtight container

Yield: 10-12 scones

Season: Any

Level: Beginner

Brussels & Touring Cantillon Brewery

Posted on January 8, 2014
beer, Beer Tasting, Beercation, Belgium, Brewery, Brewing Equipment, Brussels, Cantillon, Day Trip, Moeder Lambic, Photography, Travel, Tripel, vacation, wanderlust
Comments: 4

It’s no secret that I love beer. I love beer so much that I will go to Brussels to get the great white whale known as Cantillon, and I will let you in on a secret, it was worth the trip. Sure, if you have beer-connections you probably have had a scant tasting of Cantillon before but it’s so fleeting and the tease is almost unbearable. Why must we suffer so much in California while the Belgian get to swim in their funky-tart-sparkly goodness? Ok fine, I am not really complaining because we certainly aren’t suffering from a shortage of amazing beer here in So Cal but I still would love to have the constant access the local enjoy. Although, I am sure if it was widely available it wouldn’t carry the same special glow it does now. Grass is always greener argument aside, it was the brewery visit of a lifetime.

We traveled by train from London to Brussels and got in line to get a taxi to our hotel. It was already 4pm when we got there so the brewery tour wasn’t happening since they close at 5pm and we just wanted to de-stress in out hotel room and re-group on our plan for dinner. After waiting for at least 15 minutes for a taxi, we finally were first in line and we started to have our bags shoved in the trunk. Since we had 2 main bags and two carry-on’s (full of wedding stuff) it was difficult for the taxi driver to fit it in the trunk. I kept softly suggesting he put a bag in the backseat with me until he turned and rudely yelled at me that “they normally can’t do that.” Geez, welcome to Brussels. We ended-up having to put a bag in the back with me and take the short 15 minute drive to our hotel the ibis Styles Brussels Centre Stéphanie (then was called the Business Suites Louise). I think the taxi driver felt bad for yelling at me because he gently asked Sean if it was our first time in Brussels while unloading our bags. Checking-in was pretty painless and the hotel was really modern and nice. It was just a few minutes from the Louise shopping center and about a 15-20 minute walk to Moeder Lambic.

We dumped our bags and walked to Moeder Lambic for a few beers and hopefully some food. After consulting yelp, trip adviser and google it was widely considered the best beer bar in the surrounding areas and we didn’t have to get a taxi so that means more beer money. The walk was nice, little rainy but nothing to complain about, and it gave me a chance to snap some photos. We reached the bar and snatched-up a table and ordered some beers and logged-in to the wifi and settled in. Bonus: the servers were pleasant and spoke English! We drank the XX Bitter by Brouwerij De Ranke, Kriek 100% Lambic by Brasserie Cantillon, Band Of Brothers De La Senne by Brasserie de la Senne and Adelardus Tripel by Brouwerij Kerkom. Needless to say, they were all amazing. I ordered the Lambic by Cantillon because I wanted a Cantillon right away and it was fruity and tart and Sean had the XX Bitter which had a nice bitterness to it. He also got the Band of Brothers on cask and loved it and I had the delicious tripel Adelardus. I have a soft spot for tripels and this was yeasty, light and packed with flavor. We did get some of their house-made cheese that is a soft cheese mixed with beer into a really soft spreading texture. It came with hearty bread and roasted barley for crunch. It was so good but after not really eating all day we needed more food to match the amount of beers so we headed to the next little place we could find some more substantial food. We ate pasta and drifted off to sleep with dreams of Cantillon bottles and yeast plum fairies, excited for tomorrow.

The next day started as a disaster. We had not brought the correct charger adapter for our phones so we had no map function to tell us how to get to Cantillon. We were planning on walking there so we just decided to start walking and see if we could find the place by asking around and perhaps there would be signage. Most of the people were more than willing to help try and tell us where to go in broken English but after wandering for 4 hours I started to get impatient. The upside was we got to see a lot of the city and take a bunch of pics but the downside was I was getting hangry and it was getting late so if we didn’t find Cantillon soon we would again miss our window for the tour. Luckily, the bartender at Bier Circus wrote down the address for us so we could flag a taxi and finally be heading in the right direction. Most taxi’s in Brussels don’t know where anything is and even if you are saying the name right, without an address you are basically screwed. We finally arrived to Cantillon a little after 3pm excited and relieved and ready to experience the wonder and magic!

We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who handed us a booklet and informed us it was a self-guided tour. I was surprised but excited, I hate drawn-out tours that feel like forever! We were told to walk to the end of a dimly-lit hallway and follow the numbers 1-8. 1 started with the mash tun and your standard brewing equipment but it was much older with fun wheel pully systems. They say it’s like traveling back in time and I am inclined to agree. I forgot about the stress of the day and started to drink in the musty and dusty charm. Cantillon is a family brewery where Lambic, Gueuze, Faro and Kriek are made and where nothing has changed since 1900 when it was founded. The beers, tools and brewing process are still the same as in the beginning. Some of the bottles that line the hallways look like they have 100 year-old dust on them.

We wandered through the tour stops and saw the grain mills, the open fermenter, the barrel room, the old-as-hell corking machine, and the bottling line. The grain storage was up in the rafters and dark with a little light streaming through the windows it felt like a secret fort that I could go to get away from the world. That is probably where I would hang out if I worked there (minus the bar). The barrel room had an eerie feeling (similar to the one at Laphroaig) that I think has something to do with the “angle’s share” coming from the barrels. Is it errie because of the beer ghosts? The bottling line area was cool because of the way they have the bottles stacked, it was like a work of artful patterns just begging to be marveled upon. After the tour we had our allotted tasters of the Classic Gueuze, Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio, Rosé de Gambrinus (loved this one: raspberry flavors were so fresh and clean), we ordered an additional bottle of Zwanze (2012) (made with rhubarb but had a terrific acidic tartness like grapefruit or oranges) and sat content in the tasting room next to a roaring fire and relaxed. It was nearing closing time so they closed the tap room and we purchased the Rose, Mamouche, 50 Degrees N – 4 Degrees E and the Fou’ Foune along with a t-shirt and a sweater. Satisfaction levels at an all-time high, we flagged a taxi and asked if he could take us to the Delirium Cafe but he didn’t know what we were talking about so we ended-up heading back to the hotel. We ate at the Journal Bar and decided to head back to the hotel early and end our trip on a high note. Overall Brussels was a busy city that wasn’t my favorite from the trip but the tour at Cantillon and the lovely evening at Moeder Lambic made it worthwhile. The city had sparks of beauty hidden beneath the surface, you just have to know where to look.

Best Craft Beer Bar In London

Posted on December 30, 2013
beer, Beer Tasting, Beercation, Cask, London, Photography, Road Trip, Travel, uk, Uncategorized, vacation, Whisky
Comments: 4

When I say “Best Beer Bar In London” I mean just that. I know people are going to argue and call me a blasphemer but I am basing this off my standard of amazing beers in terms of selection, quality, hard-to-find gems, prices, etc. We went to several pubs and I could understand the argument that the best beer pub will also have the quintessential environment of a UK/London pub with dark wood and low lighting separating tables and sections of the bars with real ales on tap but to me it’s more than the furniture that makes the bar. It’s the atmosphere in the air, the joyous feeling of revelry, and the wondrous long list of beers meticulously picked to share with the masses. It also helps to have great burgers and fries. I am talking about Cask Pub & Kitchen in London, UK.

I had already done my research on beer destinations in London and we had planned to come to Cask for dinner so we started the day by having a taxi drop us off at Big Ben and we made a large circle around the River Thames to eventually make it back around to Cask to end our evening. We basically walked from like 10 am to 6pm or something, but that’s just what you do when you are exploring a new place. It just makes sitting down at the end of the day just that much sweeter. We started at Big Ben and started walking along the river on the Victoria Embankment towards the Hungerford Bridge. It was overcast with chilly wind but that didn’t detour our excited spirit to be wondering around London. We strolled along the river and crossed over the bridge, stopping to take photos along the way, and explored the park right next to the London Eye.

We decided to visit the Aquarium which was a bit pricey (and sadly not as good as the other aquariums I have been to including the ones in Atlanta and San Diego) but it was a fun experience. It was also nice to get away from the busy streets for a little while to explore the exhibits. They had large shark tanks, beautiful sea horses and the jellyfish that I can stare at forever.

After the Aquarium we walked across the Westminster Bridge and wandered down Abingdon street next to the House of Parliament and Victoria Gardens. I was surprised how green everything was and how many parks there is in London. It was overwhelming how beautiful it was. It’s such a interesting mix of old buildings with awe-inspiring architecture and big green trees that makes a simple walk so wonderful. We walked along the Millbank until we reached Vauxhall Bridge where we turned right (away from the bridge) towards Cask. We stopped at the White Swan to grab a few beers since it was still a little early and it was nice to regroup and rest a little. The White Swan was the typical elegant pub with the dark finished wood and real ale taps and a quiet relaxing setting. It’s extremely pleasant and we contemplated staying there for the rest of the evening before heading back to the hotel but we pressed on to Cask that was only a few blocks away from the White Swan.

Walking into Cask was a different experience than most of the other pubs we had been to because it was loud. Strangely enough in most of the UK/Ireland pubs we went to were mostly quiet and it really makes you realize that us Americans are freaking loud. I had to keep reminding myself to keep my voice down but thankfully Cask was already loud and crowded for the early evening happy hour. Filled with a bunch of people in suits, it was clear this was a local favorite for people getting off work and winding down. That’s always a good sign. We snatched a table before they were all gone and settled in for drinks and food.

The food is from “Forty Burgers” which is like a separate restaurant within the bar because it has it’s own name but it’s all good to me. Quoted from their site: “Not content with using the very finest beef available in the UK, we then make our burgers with a very special and unique blend of beef: 40 day aged rib and 30 day aged rump.” I love the concept of aging beef so I was excited to give these burgers a try. I got the cheese burger and wasn’t disappointed. It was well cooked (meaning not over-cooked) and the stilton cheese on top just made it so luxurious. It was so good I didn’t even take a picture of it because I was consumed with devouring the deliciousness. Also, the fries were perfect. They were skin-on double fried with wonderful large chunks of sea-salty goodness that is making my mouth water just typing about it.

The Beers!!!! We were so surprised how tremendous their bottle selection was. They had Cigar City and Clown Shoes to mention a few surprises and we were a bit overwhelmed where to start. I ordered the Wet Dream by Evil Twin which is an American Brown Ale (8% ABV) that was quite tasty. Sean got the Dark Helmet Rye Schwarzbier by Westbrook Brewing Co. (5.9%ABV) that was also very good. Going with my Evil Twin theme, the next beer I ordered was Noma Oxalis (5.5%ABV) Pale Ale that was a yummy light pale with tons of fruity and crisp hoppy flavor. The next beer Sean got was Holy Hoppin Hell pt1 by Weird Beard Brew Co. (8.5%ABV) Imperial IPA and that was sweet but also very good. We also discovered they had Pappy VanWinkle 20 year and 23 year on the bar list so we had to order both and compare years. When would we ever get to have Pappy VanWinkle again? I haven’t seen it on any bar menu before so we jumped on the chance. It seemed fitting since we had just come from Islay a few days ago and now fancied ourselves as educated whisky drinkers. At least, more educated than previously thought. Sean made a new friend while at the bar, Leigh or Villabone (on Twitter) who bought us a beer for our honeymoon so Sean returned the favor and bought him a Spontancranberry by Mikkeller and he loved it. It was so awesome meeting someone who was super into craft beer and also had friends in So Cal because he used to travel here for work and do bottle shares. It’s the craft beer that brings people together!

London was great, albeit exhausting. Fortunately we had a train ride into Brussels the next day so we could relax before our next big city. I feel as though we only cracked the surface of all that London has to offer. I would love to come back and put Cask up against any other craft beer bar and spend more time wandering the city in the process. Cheers!

Winter Welcome Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on December 26, 2013
baking, Baking with beer, beer, cookies, Cooking with beer, Custom On It, DIY, Oatmeal Cookies, Photography, recipe, Samuel Smith, Winter Welcome
Comments: 1

I asked Sean what baked goods he wanted me to make for Christmas and he replied, “oatmeal cookies!” I was slightly surprised because I half expected sugar cookies or something elaborate like cinnamon rolls. I hadn’t made oatmeal cookies for a while so I jumped at the opportunity to make delightful beer-laden treats for the holiday. We went to the local store to buy more eggs and butter and also picked-up a Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome to bake the cookies with since it seemed fitting and I don’t believe I have used that beer before. It was a wonderful beer to cook with because of its strong malt flavor and slightly sweet hints of caramel and raisins which lend well to this hearty cookie.

I also want to mention Custom On It, a company who sent me some rad bottle openers with my website logo on it! I fully didn’t expect the color to be white and I am pleasantly surprised because it’s super unique and awesome. It’s really heavy-duty so I think it will last me several bottle openings and abuse by house guests. I couldn’t be happier with the quality of this item. If anyone is looking for new swag to offer and want to have it customized with your company logo or company name I recommend contacting them!

I made a beer syrup by adding 1 cup of beer with 1/3 cup of white sugar and cooked it down in a skillet until reduced by half and thickened. I cooled down the beer syrup before using it.

Ingredients:

2 cups AP Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup cocoa nibs

2 sticks of unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup beer syrup

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Make your beer syrup and set aside. See instructions above. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Using room temp butter (or microwave the butter for 15-20 sec.) beat the butter and brown sugar and white sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until combined and color is starting to lighten and butter is getting fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and oats) together in a mixing bowl with a whisk until combined.

2. Add eggs one at a time into the butter until combined. Add the vanilla and the beer syrup to the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Add the flour mixture with the speed on low in batches until just combined. Fold in the cocoa nibs and chocolate chips until evenly dispersed.

3. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto a cookie sheet that has parchment paper or a silpat to prevent sticking. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges. Be careful not to over cook, they will become hard once cool. Rotating once during baking is optional. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 40-50 cookies

Lasts: 1 week

Season: Holiday/Winter

Level: Beginner

These cookies are delicious! They certainly are hearty cookies, and some of them I cooked a little too long and became really hard but still tasty. I leaned from my error and cooked the rest of the cookies a little less and even though they might seem like they are under cooked in the middle when you take them out, trust that they will set-up once cooled and will have delightfully crunchy edges and a chewy soft center just like I had envisioned for this cookie. I also used dark 72% chocolate for the chips which I just chopped off a larger bar of chocolate because I like rustic large chunks of chocolate but chips are fully acceptable for this recipe. Enjoy!

Fyne Ales In Scotland Are Mighty Fine Indeed

Posted on December 23, 2013
B&B, beer, Beer Tasting, Brewery, Day Trip, fyne, Fyne Ales, Hawkshead, honeymoon, Islay, kennacraig, loch, Photography, porter, Road Trip, Scotland, Travel, uk, vacation
Comments: 0

We made a point of it to take the time to stop at new and exciting beer destinations, something that was quite a feat when trying to make good time on long travel days to catch a bus/ferry/train, and I am so glad we did. The few detours we took were well worth it and it just goes to show that the best travel plan is to not have one set in stone. Luckily, I had previously looked-up anything with the keyword “brewery” or “beer” and starred them on my google map so we had known about Fyne Ales and spotted signs on our way through the Lochs to Islay so we were determined to stop by on our way back through the area. Also our innkeepers at the B&B recommend them so we knew it was going to be good.

I had previously ranted about how beautiful the lochs were and I was plenty excited to drive through them again as we made our way from the Kennacraig port to Dunscore to our next B&B stay. I was particularly smitten with the Fyne loch and Inveraray so after some research I found that the Fyne loch turns into the Fyne river that runs next to the Fyne Ales Brewery. The brewery is just slightly off the main highway, down a rocky dirt road next to a picturesque farm with highland cattle lies the Fyne Ales Brewery.

Fyne Ales Brewery was developed by Jonny & Tuggy Delap to bring quality beer back to a part of the country where it was badly lacking. They were founded in 2000 and have experienced a lot of success (and won several awards) leading them to have a need to expand and plans are in the works for a larger facility. They started FyneFest, a music and beer festival held in the courtyard of the brewery with over 50 breweries in attendance. It has been a big hit and they continue to up the stakes for interesting beer and creative ways to celebrate with the community.

I am so smitten with the adorable look of the farm-style buildings and also so jealous since we don’t have this kind of historic beauty in Southern California. We arrived to the brewery and after snapping a few pictures went inside for a few beers. There was a nice taproom with several beers on tap and a bunch of seating next to a small shop displayed on shelves. I was surprised to see The Bruery’s Sour In The Rye available on the shelf for 20 pounds! We ordered a Zombier which is an English Porter 6.9%ABV and was delicious. I had the Hurricane Jack American Pale Ale 4.4%ABV that was a beautiful golden color with tons of flavor. It was crisp and wonderful. Some things I noticed at Hawkshead as well as Fyne Ales is they were doing Real Ales as well as kegged and forced carbed style beers. It was nice to have both options to give your palate a change from the norm. I can’t tell you how much I craved the colder kegged beers after having so many cask style real ales. I never thought I would miss it as much as I had. You can really tell a great brewery by their treatment on the baseline styles like a Pale Ale and IPA’s and I was loving the pale from Fyne. We also tried some of their new IPA Project beers and they had some wonderful citrus and fruity notes to them. Impressive since the UK isn’t known for a great IPA (excluding BrewDog). Overall, it was a wonderful stop in the road trip and I would love to visit again and perhaps bring a bottle to share with some of the locals who were the nicest people.

After our lovely afternoon at Fyne we were on our way to Dunscore to stay at our B&B called the Boreland Farm which is quite literally a farm. We traveled way off the freeway (a bit inconvenient) to an adorable little farm with a separated little cottage to call our own. It was getting dark so we went into the next little town and enjoyed a pint or two with the locals and watched a darts tournament in the bar with dinner. Something I loved about Scotland is it seemed that everyone had a dog with them and were allowed to take them everywhere, including bars and restaurants. There was a little dog with an elderly gentleman who sat by the fire and drank a pint like a pro and warmly chatted with us for a bit. We finished our dinner and traveled back into our sleepy B&B for a good nights rest before a travel day then London!

At the farm B&B

OC Brew Ho Ho 2013

Posted on December 19, 2013
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, Brewery, Cismontane, Noble Ale Works, OC Brew HaHa, Photography, Travel
Comments: 0

On Dec. 7th the 2nd Annual OC Brew Ho Ho at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA took place despite the unusually wet weather and merriment was had by all. This is one of my favorite events all year but I might be a little biased because it was on my birthday weekend (I just turned 30…scary I know) and to me it signifies the start of the holiday season. I am always impressed by the OC Brew Ha Ha/Ho Ho events because they just get it right and put on the most organized, fun, beertastic events I have ever been to.

The event featured over 50 different craft beers and 30+ different craft breweries in attendance. Some of the most exciting were the new local breweries that will be opening in the beginning of 2014 and everyone got the chance to taste their anticipated beers. Bottle Logic coming soon to Anaheim, CA showcased some very well-made milk stouts (which is one of my favorite styles) and an impressive ginger saison. Ginger beer can be overly aggressive and overwhelm the palate but this beer was very well-balanced and tasty. It’s surprising because I am not a huge ginger fan…it has to be done very well otherwise I make the “yuck” face…and nobody wants to see the yuck face. Another brewery coming soon to Anaheim is Hoparazzi Brewing Company that will be featuring some of the most exciting barrel-infused sour beers to be brewed locally. They had a peach sour beer that you had to ask to get at the event but it was so worth it. It was a nice break for my palate after all the dark, sweet, coffee beers I had been tasting.

The other beers I really enjoyed was the White Russian beer by Noble Ale Works and the collaboration beer created for the event The Ghost of Jacob Barley by Beachwood BBQ Brewing and Noble Ale Works. Noble has blown-up in 2013 and they are by far one of the most exciting breweries to watch in 2014 because they continue to surprise with interesting and innovative beers. Not to mention the brewery is really close to my house, which makes them geographically convenient. Seriously, their White Russian beer was on cask and was still perfect temperature and tasted exactly like a White Russian cocktail. It was damn delicious. The Dude would be proud.

The event didn’t just offer beer, albeit a strong draw for the event, but they offer great local food trucks and little pop-up shops for early Christmas shopping. They had several cute t-shirt stands and a cool candle shop that made candles in cut beer bottles. On top of all that, they had famous DJ Richard Blade of the LA Station KYSR (Star 98.7), originally as host of a Saturday night “Totally 80’s” program and short features in the afternoon drive-time period. He succeeded in being the life of the party inside the tented area, amping-up the crowd with well-liked dance tunes keeping the party going all day long. He also helped me succeed in getting some awesome dance pics so thanks for that! Santa was also there to pose for pics and give kisses to the crowd spreading the holiday cheer.

One of the best things you can do at the OC Brew Ho Ho event is people watch. People really get into the Christmas spirit and dress-up in fun costumes and let their inhibitions wash away with the rain and get weird. It’s a good weird, mostly. I had so much fun meeting new people and chatting with beer friends that I wished the event was longer but I suppose things would’ve gotten really weird if we were allowed to burn the evening oil. One thing I really appreciate about these events is they allow people to wind-down for an hour after the beer stops flowing and also the option to leave their cars and get them by noon the following day so everyone is safe. There is also cold water and food available for people to keep their beer levels in check and a free breathalyzer station to check yourself before you wreck yourself…ha!

Thanks again for the great time and I hope to see you all there again next year!

Noble Ale Works and Beachwood BBQ Jacob Barley Cookie Sandwiches

Posted on December 9, 2013
baking, Baking with beer, barley, Beachwood BBQ, beer, beer ice cream, Beer Tasting, cookies, Cooking with beer, DIY, ice cream, Noble Ale Works, Photography, recipe, The Bruery
Comments: 1

Remember when I made these brown sugar cookies with Mrs. Stoutfire and I said they would be perfect for cookie sandwiches? Well, I made them again but this time I used the special release beer “The Ghost of Jacob Barley” by Noble Ale Works and Beachwood BBQ brewed for the OC Brew Ho Ho that took place this last weekend on Saturday, Dec. 7th. The beer is a Portola coffee infused winter warmer that has terrific spiciness and holiday spirit which is perfect for the brown sugar cookies.

Here is the recipe for the cookies: https://beerandbaking.com/2013/07/16/mrs-stoutfire-cookies-with-beer-brown-sugar/

Just substitute the Mrs. Stoutfire for the Jacob Barley beer instead.

Once your cookies are baked, you can make a wide variety of fillings to make your cookie sandwiches. I made two different kinds of fillings:

1. Jacob Barley Buttercream

To make the buttercream take two sticks of soft unsalted butter and mix in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add in sifted powdered sugar at about a 1/2 cup at a time until the taste is to your liking. It should take at least 2 cups of powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Once you like the consistency and taste (not too buttery and not too sweet) add in little tablespoons of the jacob barley syrup that you had reduced earlier. You can also add in vanilla instead of the beer syrup, but the beer syrup makes the complex flavors really pop! Be careful to notice how loose the frosting gets because if you add too much it could curdle and that’s frosting you would have to dump and do over. I would add in teaspoon amounts and stop at about 5 teaspoons. Pipe the buttercream between two room temp cookies and you’re done!

2. Everything But The Stick Ice Cream

Ingredients:

6 egg yolks

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2/3 cups granulated sugar

2 vanilla beans

1/2 cup beer syrup

Directions:

1. Heat the milk and sugar together in a pot until the sugar dissolves or the milk almost boils. Remove from heat. Whisk the egg yolks together and then ladle hot milk into them slowly to temper the eggs and avoid cooking them. Add the tempered eggs into the milk mixture and add back to the heat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the custard will hold a finger line on the back of your spoon and not run into itself. Take off the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer.

2. Scrape the inside of the vanilla beans and add to the strained custard mix. Add the whole beans into the mixture and chill in an ice bath. Once chilled for at least 15 minutes then place in the fridge to get really cold for 3 hours or overnight.

3. Using an ice cream machine, pour your mixture without the vanilla beans into the mixer and turn on. The ice cream should take about 15-30 minutes to become hard enough consistency to scoop out and transfer into the freezer to set. Right when you are about ready to transfer to the freezer, add the beer syrup to the mix and allow to set. It should take a few hours to be ready to scoop into the sandwiches or just eat in a bowl. I waited overnight and then let the ice cream thaw for about 30 minutes on the counter before making the ice cream sandwiches.

These cookies are so perfect for ice cream sandwiches because they are sturdy and crunchy and won’t get soggy fast when the ice cream starts to melt. The Everything But The Stick beer is a collaboration between Noble and The Bruery which was made to taste like a creamsicle or orange and cream bar that goes extremely well with vanilla bean ice cream. I don’t taste the orange so much in the ice cream but the vanilla is huge! These are damn good. What’s great is you can make these in advance and they make a great addition to entertaining.

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