A Little Labor Day Grillin'

A Little Labor Day Grilling Guide!!!!

Well, since this upcoming weekend is the Labor Day Holiday and the unofficial end of summer (but we do not want to think of that), I figured that it would be a good time to talk about some basic beer and food pairings for all of those that are going to be BBQ’ing and grilling over the weekend.

Food pairings are not just for wine you know. While any great BBQ, whether it is burgers, hot dogs, or chicken, can totally be enhanced with an ice cold beer (in the words of Jimmy Buffet – Cheeseburger in Paradise) who doesn’t enjoy a good burger with a beer. But I am talking about going a few steps further and moving beyond the typical “standard” BBQ offerings.

For example, grilled chicken is a popular protein to grill. Now if you were going to cook this with a little spices or salt and pepper, a good beer pairing would be a light Amber Ale. The slightly sweet and citrusy flavors of the ale would definitely compliment the aromatic flavors of the grilled chicken. However, if you were planning on smoking or using a BBQ sauce on the chicken instead, then I would probably go for a porter because of the toasted flavors of the beer would balance out the smoke or BBQ flavors.

Another favorite for the backyard pit are grilled pork chops. Instead of just throwing them on the grill, lets get a wee bit little silly and spice it up by adding a bit of homemade apple relish glaze on the top. Add a side of potato salad or macaroni salad, or to even stay on the crazier side, how about a Roasted Quinoa salad? I am not knocking potato salad as it is one of my favorites: The more the better, but why not change it up? So now that we have the main course and the sides, what kind of beer would pair well? In this case, I would suggest a Belgian-Style Dubble or even an IPA. The intense characteristics of the grilled pork fat would stand up great and compliment the hoppy and bitter flavor of the IPA, while the fruitiness of the Belgian Ale would pair nicely with the apple relish glaze. And even an American Brown Ale would match very well with the roasted Quinoa.  In this case though, I guess you would have to drink three beers to experience all of the distinct flavors: Definitely not a bad way to start a barbeque!!!

If you like shellfish (however, don’t compliment yourself or people might think you are shellfish), clams or mussels pair great with a German Hefeweizen. I enjoy steaming the clams and mussels in a white wine, garlic, basil and thyme sauce. The hefe pairs very well with this dish because it brings out the salinity of the seafood while at the same time rinsing and cleansing the palate. A Belgian Saison would also go great with this dish. Since we are still cooking shellfish, I also love to cook shrimp. After they are cleaned, I put them on the grill and cook them up for a bit. Once they are almost finished, I glaze them with a homemade lemon garlic sauce. Sometimes I will thicken it with corn starch, but you can also keep it thin and for a bit lighter main. However, pair this with an American Wheat Ale and you are in shrimp heaven. The slight tart flavor of the ale meshing with the citrus of the lemon is like a splash of liquid sun soaked fields. Or in other words, it is just a great combination and has an amazing flavor profile.

For those of you who are on the lighter side of grilling (or vegetarians) and wanted to make a salad instead either as a side or main course, you cannot go wrong and pair it with a Belgian Witbier. The aromas of orange and coriander adds to the zest of a light citrus dressing on the salad and also will bring out the flavors of feta and/or goat cheese (if used).

So with all those main dishes (I hope you are all hungry now) beer can also be paired with cheeses and desserts. For example, an English Style Pale Ale would complement a nice Brie or Blue Cheese. Just as snobby as those wine folks!!!! And on the dessert side, Cheesecake would go great with a Barley Wine or Fruit Lambic.

So my three big rules when pairing food with beer (and this also applies to food and wine pairing as well) Are:

1). Match Strength with Strength – light and delicate foods deserve light and delicate beers, stronger flavors of foods pair up with stronger beer flavors. You do not want to overpower one or the other with too heavy of flavors.

2). Balance – look for flavor profiles and balance each other out. A sweeter beer will balance out the spiciness (chili heat) of the food: Where as a hoppy beer would only emphasize the heat.

3). Look for the common ground – while balance is important, look for some common flavors. I.E. - the nuttiness of an English Brown Ale would complement the nuttiness of an aged Asiago Cheese. An Imperial Stout has chocolate and cocoa characteristics that would pair with sweet desserts.

And that is my beginner’s guide to pairing!!!!!

P.S. I also must mention, although this is not a pairing but more of using beer as an ingredient, and it is also one of my Mom’s favorite dishes to make: It is beer can chicken. Essentially, you put the entire chicken on the grill; raise it up and with the can of beer open stick the beer can in the bottom of the bird. This way as the meat cooks over the grill it takes on some of the flavors of the beer (depending on what kind you use) and it makes the chicken extremely moist where it literally falls off the bone (the chicken also gets a bit loopy from the beer intake!!!!). Good stuff. I think my Mom drinks half the can of beer first though. Cannot imagine why?

So get out and cook some good food this weekend and pair it up with some damn good beer!!! And as always, RAISE A PINT OF ALE AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!! CHEERS  

IPA Overkill

ENOUGH OF THE IPA's ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!

This past Saturday, I had another book signing at the Taste of Brews Beer Festival in Long Beach, California. It is unfortunate that I was not in the great Midwest or I had surely attended the crème de la crème of beer festivals, The Taste of the Midwest Beer Festival in Madison, Wisconsin: However, (in the words of CONAN THE BARBARIAN), “BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY"…

Looking back to an earlier post of mine from a few weeks ago, I mentioned a few tidbits about beer variety that is plagued festivals all over Southern California. Well, another beer fest proves my point: ENOUGH WITH THE IPA’s ALREADY: Especially on the West Coast. Out of thirty or so breweries that were at this festival, they all had a jockybox with two taps, unless they were pouring from bottles. Every brewery there had at least one IPA on tap of the two that they brought with them to sample. Now you might think that is not much, but if you multiply that number by the number of breweries that are attending these different festivals, and most of these companies are from Southern California, well, that is a hell of a lot of IPA’s. And at one festival do you need to have 30 IPA's? The idea of beer festivals is to try something new, not rehash the same old products. Really, how many IPA's do you need to see on the store shelves? I want to ask the question: Can you guys be a bit more creative and brew something other than six varieties of the same IPA? And I am really pointing the finger at a certain brewery out of San Diego that charges WAY too much for a six-pack of their mediocre beer.

Now I do enjoy the occasional IPA. If it is the middle of summer (or winter for that matter) there is nothing like a cold refreshing IPA, East Coast or West Coast style, savoring the herbal or spicy characteristic qualities, to smooth out those computer blues. However, on the West Coast, this is where my lack of innovation comment comes into play. And I have seen this over and over again at beer festivals all over Southern California. I honestly cannot understand this. I hate to say it but I think these breweries out this way trick the masses into buying a lackluster product because this trend will simply not go away and people will fall into the IPA trap and purchase them.

I understand the sales trend: IPA’s do sell so you need to keep up with the market demand, but the problem persists that now (as it has been for a few years) the market is flooded with an influx of IPA’s and unfortunately, most of them are crap and really do not taste very good. It is now about how bitter or what type of fruit can we throw in to the original recipe to “create”, and I use that term VERY loosely, another version of the same tried and true beverage. These hybrids are usually unbalanced, overly bitter, and uneasy on the palate to warrant another taste. Honestly, how many IPA’s, double IPA’s, triple IPA’s, fruit IPA’s, Extra Bitter Fruit Bowlshit IPA’s are needed before someone stands up and breaks the cycle? All these products do is push out room for innovation from other companies that want to produce and bring something new to the market.

I mentioned the Taste of the Midwest Festival because the IPA trend finally imploded on itself about 5-6 years ago throughout the Midwest brewing culture. While yes breweries are still making IPA’s in the Midwest, and I am sure that there was some or more than some at the Madison blowout this past weekend (which also hosts over 200 breweries - so yes there are going to be a couple - but look at the ratio) but I can honestly say at least those companies experiment and try many more different recipes and brew a lot more varieties than their California counterparts. And that is really a shame, considering how many products come out of California in all different industries.

At some point, and I think it is coming soon, this craze will implode on itself on the West Coast just as it has in other parts of the country, and another “HOT” beer will take its place. Actually, come to think of it, I think it is already starting to happen with SOUR BEERS starting to stake their ground!!!!

West Coast Behind once again I guess. :(

I really do enjoy new products and types of beers appearing to replace what is currently on the market. That is what sparks competition between companies. But "new products" means "new products" not the same product with a different label.

 But I do want to end this post on a good note and not be glum. To each his own and drink what you really enjoy, because it might not be around for much longer.

And as always, RAISE A PINT OF ALE (OTHER THAN AN IPA – TRY SOMETHING NEW) AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!! CHEERS  

The Michigan 300 --- well, over 300 now!!

THE MICHIGAN 300

This past June, Michigan had surpassed the other forty-nine and became the number 1 state in the U.S.A. in craft beer production. With now over 300 craft beer breweries, you will not find a shortage of great adult beverages to enjoy anywhere in the state. Even if you are stuck out in the sticks somewhere. 

 

With Bell’s Brewing, of Kalamazoo, leading the pack with over thirty five years of craft beer brewing experience, many others have popped up and followed the path over those years. Some have opened and closed and others have struggled on through the slow times and the recessions, but the quality and knowledge that has persisted through and through the decades has not changed a bit.

 

Beer cities all over Michigan including Detroit (of course), Grand Rapids (which by the way has the highest concentration of craft breweries in the world per square mile), Traverse City, Holland, Royal Oak/Ferndale, and Frankenmuth (go GERMANS) should be proud of their product and how they changed the face of the beer industry forever. The breweries in these cities (and others) started a revolution of sorts all those many years ago when the set out to create great tasting beverages that strayed away from the norms of the industry. With a great deal of inspiration, innovation, and experimentation, these little guys came to the forefront and challenged the big boys.

 

Now of course it is hard to compete with multi-billion dollar companies like Anheuser Busch/InBev, Miller Inc., etc., especially when it comes to things like distribution and store shelf space, but when the masses are buying your product and it is holding its own against the big players that is a tremendous feeling. It all comes down to supply an demand: And why the hell not demand a good brew?

 

The only downside to this (well not if you own the brewery) is that at some point in the lifespan, the buyout offer might come from one of those aforementioned big boys with enough cash that would turn anyone’s head. While I definitely understand the temptation, and I have seen it happen a lot already, one has to hope that the quality remains the same. When production goes up in that amount though, is it always a bit difficult to keep up the quality standards. The recipes may change (because of the increase in volume) or they might bring in their own brew master to make the beers. There are a number of factors that could effect the quality. But the bottom line is that if the "love" and "passion" in the creation of the product is not present, the "magic" dissipates. And that rings true in many other situations as well.

 

You just have to fight the power I guess.

 

Either way though, congratulations to my home state of Michigan for the many years of great craft beers that have been pouring out of the tap handles: And to that magic number 300!!!

 

Go Michigan, The Great Lakes State, and as always, RAISE A PINT OF ALE AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!! CHEERS  

A Book Siging Post

A Book Signing Post

 

This past weekend I had a book signing {and did a little beer tasting, just a little} at the Hollywood Rockstar Beer Festival. The event, which was held at the Avalon Hotel, right across the street from the Capital Records Bldg., was a large indoor venue that provided a nice air conditioned relief from the LA Summer Heat Wave.

 

While this festival is a little smaller than most of them (there are only around eighteen to twenty breweries) there are usually a good selection of Los Angeles and Southern California based brewers with a possible one or two that are from out of state.

 

Los Angeles based beer festivals are sometimes disappointing because of the lack of variety. Now before anyone asks why, which I will give the long answer in another post, the short answer is that it has do with what the companies have to offer and sample. I also do not want to offend anybody. But once again, it boils down to lack of variety.   

 

With that being said however, one of the standout beers was from Mad River Brewing in Humboldt, California. This small town brewery showcased their Lazy Lemon Ale that was a perfect brew to beat the summer heat. The lemony-zest like flavor was just enough to encourage a second [or third] taste.

 

Another showcase was from Common Ciders. Their Blackberry Sangria Cider had a very nice balance of tartness up front (from the Sangria) with the slight sweetness of the blackberries on the back end. I am NOT a sweet cider fan as I prefer the dry ciders, but this one was just right: Not overly sweet. But, it was another great way to help stay cool when having one of those "sweaty hot flash" moments.


And honestly, what I have found in doing my research is that the overly sweet ciders do turn a lot of people off, especially after they have drank that initial first pint. Also, what I have found with the sweet ciders is that after having that second pint, they really just do not taste that good overall. It is if the sweetness just masks whatever other flavors are trying to come forward and you just pucker from the excess sugar. And too many will give you one hell of a hangover - NO GOOD!!!! :(  

 

In the end though, I really enjoy doing signings at all kinds of beer and wine festivals (yes, I did say wine as well). I like to speak about my book (obviously) but I also enjoy chatting with the festival goers about the different types of beverages that the reps are pouring from their taps and like to hear different opinions on what beers people like and dislike. The differences on these opinions is very interesting.

 

I must admit though, the craft beer festivals of the Midwest do have a bit more character than ones that I have attended on the West Coast. They are just a bit different over here yonder. But hey, in reality, who am I to EVER turn down and sample a good brew!!!!!!


Check out any festivals that are in your area this summer and get sampling. And as always, RAISE A PINT OF ALE AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!! CHEERS