Sierra Nevada and Russin River Teaming Up Again!

This article was posted on Sierra Nevada's blog today, I personally have loved the collaborations they have done in the past and am looking forward to trying this one as well!

 

 

Brewing with Russian River

When Vinnie Cilurzo brings you growlers, you rejoice. Vinnie, co-owner and brewmaster of Russian River Brewing Company, visited us recently with a few hundred ounces of an experimental Beer Camp Across America brew in hand.
Vinnie’s a proactive fellow. After our teams talked about a recipe, we proposed a late-September brew date for the first batch. He had the itch, though: Vinnie jumped on his 20-gallon MoreBeer homebrewing kit and churned out round one. Along with that special liquid, he also brought several rock star folks from breweries abroad: Hedwig Neven, brewmaster of Duvel Moortgat, and Jean-Marie Rock, longtime brewmaster at the Orval Brewery. Jean-Marie is renowned for his handle on Brettanomyces, a wild yeast prone to funky, nuanced flavors and is embarking on a new adventure. Vinnie learned a thing or two from Jean-Marie and today receives plenty of acclaim for using “Brett” in his barrel-aged beers.





Gathered in our tasting room, Vinnie, Hedwig, Jean-Marie and our founder, Ken Grossman, all sampled Vinnie’s Beer Camp Across America handiwork. It doesn’t contain Brettanomyces, but Belgian yeast imparts its own unique characteristics. From the growler flowed a straw-colored blonde ale, its head modest but brilliance high.
“It’s going old school on the hops,” Vinnie said. “Brewers Gold for the bittering and Celia, a type of Styrian Golding hop, which I believe Hedwig here from Duvel uses a lot of.”
Celia hops also went toward dry hopping.
“It’s very dry,” Ken noted with a smile after his first sip. “I think it’s pretty well balanced…”
For round two we’ll scale the beer up to our 10-barrel pilot brewery here in Chico, California. How soon? Vinnie walked through our doors this morning.

http://www.sierranevada.com/blog/beer-camp-across-america/brewing-with-russian-river

So Close and So Delicious

 

Beer: Berwick IPA

Brewer: Berwick Brewing Company

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.50%

Description: Berwick IPA pours a hazy golden yellow color with a fluffy white head that dissipates, but leaves a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma is a wide bouquet of hops dominated by scents of pine, grapefruit, and a touch of raisin, all backed up with sweet malt. It’s apparent that this is a well-balanced beer, based solely off the aroma. The taste follows the aroma and the bitterness from the hops hits the palate first, with citrus and pines being the most dominate. Sweet biscuit malt then washes over the palate before a long dry finish. The body of this beer is in the medium-to-full range with a great support to display the hops and add sweetness, leaving a lingering bitterness on the tongue. This is one of the best IPAs available on the East Coast and has an absolutely perfect balance. We are beyond lucky to have such a fantastic offering so close to home.

Food pairing: This is an IPA that is great to have with spicier dishes. If you are at home, pair this with a medium-cooked burger topped with pepper jack cheese and jalapeños. The caramelized ends of the burger will accentuate the sweetness in the malt, and the hop character will absolutely be in love with the spicy peppers. Another fantastic pairing with this beer occurs if you are at the brewery itself, and that’s with the Graham Standard pizza, a pizza topped with hot sauce, sausage, and Wisconsin cheese curds. If you’re not a fan of spicy dishes, pair this beer with salmon topped with lemon pepper. The oils from the fish have met their match in the carbonation of the beer, and the lemon citrus flavors will blend faultlessly with the citrus flavoring from the hops. The combinations with this beer are endless and with good reason - it’s absolutely delicious.

The final word: An absolutely stunning IPA. It is hard to imagine that an IPA this well-made is right here in our own backyard, but it is and we should all be taking advantage of it. It’s made better in the fact that it is a very approachable IPA for novices and craft beer fanatics alike. The hops are certainly present, but not overpowering enough to put someone new to the style off. The only complaint I have is that it is not yet available in six-packs, because I certainly want to have at least that many around. Be sure to get your hands on this breathtaking IPA and spread the good word about this well balanced brew made right here at home.

Rating: W W W W V

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles and on draft at Berwick Brewing Company- Berwick, PA

Hüge Flavor!

Brewer-Nimble Hill Brewing Company

Beer- Hügelfest

Style- Märzen/ Oktoberfest

ABV- 6.00%

Description- Hügelfest pours a beautiful amber orange color with an off white head that lingers throughout leaving a nice lacing on the glass.  The aroma is a nice balance of sweet malt and earthy hops, just what you would want from an Oktoberfest.  The beer may be a bit more hop forward than your standard Oktoberfest, but it makes it even more enjoyable as this does not take away one bit from the balance of the beer.  The first sip showcases the hoppiness of this beer, but those hops are quickly washed over by the malts leaving a pleasing caramel almost chocolate sensation on the palate that loiters for quite some time.  The body is in the medium spectrum with a good amount of carbonation that tickles the tongue.  I must confess that Oktoberfest beers are not always my favorite style as I do not enjoy overly malty beers, but Hügelfest is certainly an Oktoberfest that I can enjoy in large quantities, something I certainly intend to do and I highly recommend that you do the same!

Food pairing – Hügelfest is the perfect accompaniment for any German styled dish.  So of course if you are celebrating Oktoberfest at home break out the Bratwurst, Knockwurst, or Schnitzel and you will have something to celebrate when combined with Hügelfest.  However, if you are simply looking for a nice dinner at home with an enjoyable beer, pair this with your next pork roast or roasted chicken dinner.  The caramelized meat will blend seamlessly into the caramel malts in the beer and the hefty carbonation will cleanse the palate perfectly.  Looking for something a little simpler?  Try pairing this beer with a nice ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with German mustard, kick things up a notch by having it on a pretzel bun.  This is a wonderfully straightforward beer that can find a home with more complex dinners or with a simple sandwich, so be adventurous and try this with a wide variety of dishes.

The Final Word – Whether you are a fan of the beer style or not I highly recommend that you try Nimble Hill’s Hügelfest.  They are fairly new to the brewing business but have certainly hit the ground running with great beers such as these along with their Cluster Fuggle pale ale and Midnight Fuggle robust porter.  It is wonderful that such fantastic beers are being brewed right in our backyard.  Nimble Hill was also recently picked up for distributorship by LT Verrastro, so now these fantastic beers can reach an even wider audience.  So do yourself a favor and stop by the brewery or any establishment that carries Hügelfest and try this fantastic beer.

Rating- 

Where can I get it? -  It is available on draft at the brewery in the tasting room at Nimble Hill in Tunkhannock, PA; The Keys- Scranton, PA; and Twigs- Tunkhannock, PA

Space Beer?

Dogfish Head Brewery brews beer with real moon dust!

 

This story has been kicking around the internet a lot recently and with good reason, it is a really awesome story!

Do yourself a favor and read up on it!


Dogfish Head Celest-jewel-ale brewed with moon dust

Enjoyable Forevermore

Brewer- Stone Brewing Company

Beer- Enjoy By 9-13-13 IPA

Style- American Double/ Imperial IPA

ABV- 9.40%

Back-story- Stone in widely known for their aggressively hopped beers whether it is Ruination or even Arrogant Bastard, no one could make the claim that Stone is afraid of putting too many hops into their beers.  So Stone decided to push things a bit forward with their obsession with hops and begin producing the Enjoy By series of imperial IPA’s.  The point behind the series is to get the freshest beer possible into the hands of the consumer and for the consumer to enjoy this tasty beverage while it is still fresh.  The problem with many craft beer stores is that the wide variety of beers means that many can and will sit on the shelf for a long period of time and therefore, not be fresh.  The very visible ENJOY BY date stamped on the front of the bottle avoids these problems and you can be ensured that it is a very fresh product, in this case a fresh and aggressively hop forward beer.

Description- Enjoy By 9-13-13 pours a golden amber color with creamy white head that smooth’s out leaving a slow moving heavy lacing on the glass.  The aroma is absolutely dominated by hops of the freshest variety, a slight hint of dankness and resin backed with strong citrus and tropical fruits, something like peaches and grapefruit come to mind, all wrapping around a sweet grain bill in the background.  The taste is absolutely wonderful, but also surprising.  The first assault on the palate is not hops at all, but instead a sweet and soft malt profile before the hops comes in on the attack.  The hops are on full display here with ripe peaches, grapefruits, orange, mango, nectarines, pine, and grass all hit the palate at once and make for an enjoyable and stimulating experience before finishing long and dry.  The mouth feel tends towards the medium to full side of the spectrum, but this is expected for a beer to handle the heftiness of this many hops.  Speaking of the hops, while this may seem to be a one-sided affair as far as balance, the more you sip the beer the more you find that it is actually quite balanced.  This is an absolutely stunning beer, let alone a world class IPA!  If you can find some do yourself a favor and get it!

Food pairing – Food pairing for an aggressively hopped beer such as this one can be challenging and any light dishes will easily get overpowered, that being said I cannot recommend strongly enough to enjoy this beer on its own to pick up all the subtle nuances occurring within.  One of the best types of dishes to enjoy with Enjoy By is Mexican, and I mean REAL Mexican dishes not Taco Bell.  Another pairing with this beer would be a nice Venison steak dinner with a tart cherry sauce, the caramelized meat would be great with the malt bill and the tart cherry sauce will meld seamlessly will the wonderful fruit flavors emanating from the hop bill.  Honestly though, this is a beer that I enjoyed alone as I wanted to take it all in and enjoy every last sip without any competing flavors and with good reason, it is an absolutely amazing beer!

The Final Word – This is by far one of the best IPA’s that I have ever had, hands down.  This is certainly an IPA that ranks up there with Russian River’s- Pliny the Elder and The Alchemist’s- Heady Topper. The unbelievable freshness from the hops is on full display in this world class beer.  The bitterness can be overwhelming for some of the uninitiated, but certainly not for all the hopheads out there in the world.  I cannot speak for all of the Enjoy By releases, but I can speak for the Enjoy By 9-13-13 and say that this is an absolutely stunning beer and it is unfortunate for everyone out there who did not get a chance to try this beer while it was at its peak freshness.  However, there will be more Enjoy By releases, just hope and pray that it will be in your area and if it is grab it will you can and drink it as soon as possible.

Rating-

Where can I get it? -  Although the freshness date has passed, you may still be able to get hold of a bottle of 2, the Enjoy By 9-13-13 was made available in the following states: CA (Bay Area and central), CT, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, VA, and VT

A Great Pumpkin

 

Brewer: Terrapin Beer Company

Beer: Pumpkinfest

Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer

ABV: 6.10%

Description: Terrapin Pumpkinfest pours a dark amber color with a thick creamy beige head that leaves a very thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is very enjoyable and alluring, just what you would want from a pumpkin beer. The spices dominate the nose, especially cinnamon up front, and that wonderful fresh pumpkin pie aroma cuts right through with just a hint of sweet malt. The palate is also dominated by the spices up front before being washed over with Munich malts that bring about thoughts of a lovely Oktoberfest beer, blending with bready and caramel malts. The beer finishes long and dry with the spices lingering on the palate. The body of the beer leans toward the medium side of the spectrum with a moderate amount of carbonation – a very nice balance. This is a well-balanced pumpkin beer that does not overdo with the spices and has an excellent malt selection to give the beer a nice body – a very enjoyable fall beer.

Food pairing: The richness and sweet malty balance of this beer makes it a perfect pairing for rich and hearty foods that are great in the cooler months. Pumpkinfest is a perfect pairing with a rich and hearty beef stew; the beer is perfect for highlighting the tender meat sweetness. This beer also pairs very well with many German dishes and is at home with any pork dish, with a malt backbone that brings out the caramel flavors of the meat but enough heft and carbonation to cleanse the palate and leave behind a nice balance of spices. However, Pumpkinfest also finds a very happy partner with roast chicken. Also, feel free to try with rich desserts such as carrot cake or, of course, some warm pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. Pumpkinfest is also a fantastic beer to have on hand to cook many dishes with, so get out there and be adventurous!

The final word: Terrapin Pumpkinfest is certainly a pumpkin beer worth a taste. In a market that is beyond saturated by pumpkin beers that tend towards being over-spiced, it is nice to find one that is very nicely balanced and actually pulls in some Oktoberfest inspiration. Terrapin is a brewery that consistently brews high-quality beers, and Pumpkinfest is no different. The only major complaint is that Pumpkinfest is sold in four-packs, as a nice six-pack of this one would make the beer even better. So be sure to pick some up this fall season and enjoy this beer while breathing in that lovely autumn air.

Rating: W W W V

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles in Northeastern Pennsylvania at: Wegmans, Dickson City; J & H Beer, Wilkes-Barre; Goldstein’s Deli, Kingston; and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer, Wilkes-Barre.

http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/838206/ID-TAP-THAT:-A-great-pumpkin

Cooking with Beer

Treating oneself to the simple pleasures in life is a luxury that we can all afford and a true key to happiness. Great beer, enjoyed in reasonable quantities, is certainly one of these. A well-paired dish only enhances the pleasure factor, one complimenting the other. However, to improve the pleasure factor even more, there is a movement afoot to cook with your beer for a fully engrossing pleasurable experience.

Sure, we have all had a beer while cooking in the kitchen or on the grill, but this movement is far more than that and even moves beyond the traditional beer-battered fish and chips or Guinness stew, not to knock these traditional and wonderful foods. However, the current interest in craft beer goes hand in hand with the rising interest in artisanal food, so it would be expected for the two interests to intersect. This naturally gives rise to new and exciting dishes that combine beer and food, and while there is still room for many traditional meals, there is a vast array of new dishes available to the consumer.

Many breweries have taken to incorporating fantastic restaurants into their tasting rooms, or as separate institutions within the brewery – breweries such as Stone, whose World Bistro & Gardens in California offers such fantastic dishes as garlic, cheddar, and Stone Ruination IPA soup; Stone Pale Ale and garlic stir-fried Brussels sprouts; and Stone Arrogant Bastard battered onion rings. A bit closer to home in Cooperstown, N.Y., is Brewery Ommegang, whose Belgian-themed café offers such delicious choices as frites with Abbey Ale and cumin ketchup and mustard with Witte Ale and honey or the magnificent Three Philosophers chocolate fondue. These are just some samples of wonderful combinations that can arise from combing beer with food.

However, this movement extends far beyond the reaches of brewery restaurants and continues right at home with a vast amount of recipes available to make delightful dishes using your favorite craft beer. If you’re confused about where to start, you can simply search the Internet or find a wonderful array of cooking with beer cookbooks now available, such as “The Best of American Food & Beer,” “The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.,” or “The American Craft Beer Cookbook.” These are all great starting points to get cooking and contain a great abundance of general information about beer as well.

When creating dishes, there are a few things to keep in mind, but as with all cooking, experimentation is not only suggested, it is required. One basic thing to keep in mind, though, is to keep like flavors with like flavors; that is if you are looking to create a dish with spices, try using a beer with such a profile, like an IPA, or if you want a more chocolate base, say for a dessert, a stout or a porter are the perfect starting points. Now of course there are exceptions to these, but for a base point to start from, these ideas work best until you become more acclimated to cooking with beer.

Another great tip is to use darker beer with red meat and lighter beers with lighter meats; a similar opinion falls true for cooking with wine as well. However, cooking a hamburger made with grass-fed beef and mixed with an imperial stout will trump anything that red wine could do in that situation.

So, are you ready to get adventurous now and get cooking? Well, in keeping with the impending fall season and with the endless amount of pumpkin beers available to us now, I listed several recipes on my blog, idtapthat.org, using pumpkin ale as the beer base. Recipes such as pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin beer bread, and pumpkin ale cinnamon rolls are all listed and just waiting for you to give them a try.

While food and beer have long had a lovely relationship with one another, this new foodie dimension that has been added to this relationship has truly opened some tasty doors into new frontiers for cooking. So get into your kitchen and get cooking – just don’t drink all your ingredients before you finish!


http://timesleader.com/news/WK_Food/838204/Cooking-with-beer

Pumpkin Ale Cheesecake with Beer Pecan Caramel Sauce

 

Ingredients

For The Cheesecake 
 
• 9 standard sized graham crackers
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 4 tbs melted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 16 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup pumpkin ale
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs flour 

For The Caramel Sauce 
 
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin beer
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/3 cup pecans

Directions

• In a food processor add the graham crackers and brown sugar, process until only crumbs are left. While the food processor is still running, add the melted butter and process until it resembles wet sand. Dump into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Press into the bottom until well compacted.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the brown sugar, white sugar and cream cheese. Mix until well combined. One at a time, add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined, scraping the bottom, before adding more.
• Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon nutmeg and salt, mix until very well combined.
• Add the beer and stir until combined.
• Sprinkle the flour over the bowl, stir on medium speed until just combined.
• Pour over the crust.
• Bake at 350 for about one hour or until the center no longer jiggles when you shake the rack the cheesecake sits on, it will still look wet in the center. The secret to a great cheesecake is not to over bake it, it's better to slightly under bake it for a smooth mousse like texture.
• Chill until set, about 3 hours.
• To make the caramel sauce, add the sugar, beer and corn syrup to a pot and stir over medium high heat for about 1 minute. Stop stirring and allow to boil, untouched, until it turns an amber color, about 10 minutes (230 on a candy thermometer). Add the butter and cream, stir until combined. Add the pecans and stir. Allow to cool to approximately room temperature before serving over chilled cheesecake.

http://thebeeroness.com/2012/09/27/pumpkin-ale-cheesecake-with-beer-pecan-caramel-sauce/

Pumpkin Spiced Beer Bread

 

For this recipe I used pecans, but I would also recommend walnuts, sliced almonds or even pistachios. For pumpkin ale use any brand you prefer.

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 12 oz bottle of Pumpkin Ale

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9”x5” loaf pan.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and all the spices. Stir together until well combined. Stir in the nuts as well. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the beer. The beer will foam up –this is good. Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the center of the well to incorporate. Mix only until just combined – do not over mix or it will destroy the bubbles and the bread will be dense.

Pour the dough into loaf pan gently smooth out the top with a spatula (I actually don’t do this step, but if you want a prettier loaf you can choose to do it.) Bake in the oven for 50 – 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the dough comes out clean.

http://acozykitchen.com/pumpkin-spice-beer-bread/

Pumpkin Ale Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Serving: 8 rolls

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1/2 ounce active dry yeast

1/4 cup pumpkin ale

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

For the filling

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

For the frosting

1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

1/4 cup butterscotch Schnapps

Directions: 

1. Heat the ale in a saucepan to about 110 degrees. Pour the ale into a bowl with the yeast and sugar, and whisk. Let it sit for about 10 minutes or until foamy. 
2. Once ready, add in the rest of the ingredients and combine with a mixer on low speed. Once all the ingredients are in, continue mixer on high speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is smooth. 
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough double in size in a warm area for about 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Once ready, pinch out the gas bubbles and roll out the dough to a length of 14 inches. 
5. Dust the dough with flour and gently roll until its 8 inches by 14 inches. Lightly brush the melted butter onto surface.
6. For the filling, mix the ingredients in a bowl until it’s a thick, spreadable paste and the chunks of butter are the size of peas. Spread on the dough, leaving a ¼ inch gap on the edge of the border.
7. Preheat the oven to 375. Roll the dough lengthwise, so that the finished log is about 14 inches long. Cut off the ends and cut the log into 8 even portions. Place the rolls on a buttered pan, spiral side up, side by side. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and lump-free. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the sugar. Once the sugar and cream cheese are mixed thoroughly, slowly add in the schnapps the same way as the sugar. 

   9. Spread on the rolls while they are still hot.

 

 

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/11/03/pumpkin-ale-cinnamon-roll-recipe
 

Profile of Anchor Brewing Company

Anchor Brewing Company has long been on the radar for craft beer drinkers, mainly because they were one of the first true craft breweries of this new revival. In 1965, Fritz Maytag, scion of the washing-machine company, purchased the fledgling Anchor Brewery for what he later described as “less than the price of a used car.” He came to know the company through the fantastic steam beer they were brewing at the time; the only problem was that not many other people were enjoying this beer and the company was going out of business - until Maytag stepped in and saved it.

The first step Fritz took was reevaluating the recipe for Anchor Steam Beer and changing it to all-barley malt instead of the cheaper corn syrup it was using at the time. Reviving this old style that was popular during the gold rush in California was not an easy task, but Maytag was up for it, and the venture proved to be very successful. He soon moved on to reviving other styles of beer with an equal amount of gusto and success.

In 1974, Anchor bottled its first porter. The porter style comes from England, but in 1974 no English breweries were even making such a style of beer. Soon Anchor’s porter caught on, as did the style, and, with good reason, Anchor’s porter is a standard for the style. However, Fritz Maytag did not simply rest on his laurels.

Soon the brewery was beginning to revive and invent other styles of beer, such as the American IPA. In 1975, Maytag set out to create a uniquely American beer to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride to warn against the impending British attack. The resulting beer was the groundbreaking Anchor Liberty Ale. The beer used the newly developed cascade hop in abundance and became so popular that in 1983 it entered into permanent rotation for the brewery.

Also, in 1975, Anchor debuted its first Anchor Christmas Ale, a delicious brown ale whose magnum bottles have become a yearly collecting tradition for many fans ever since. As if that was not enough, in 1975 the brewery began selling Old Foghorn, the first barley wine-style ale to be brewed in America in modern times. Not too bad for a brewery that was on the verge of complete collapse just a decade earlier.

The brewery has continued to grow in popularity over the years and many modern breweries credit Anchor Brewing Company with the inspiration to enter the craft beer market. Many brewers’ first introduction to craft beer were beers being brewed by Anchor.

With the pedigree of beers that Anchor has created over time, it could simply create the same delicious beers and not produce any new ones. However, thankfully for us, Anchor has not done this, and over the past few years, the brewery has actually released several new, and delicious, beers.

In 2010, they released Humming Ale, an American pale ale that featured the recently discovered Nelson Sauvin hop that gives the beer a dry citrus, almost white wine-like quality. In 2011, they released Brekle’s Brown, an absolutely stunning American brown ale. This year alone, they created another two fantastic beers: Anchor California Lager, a crisp smooth easy drinking lager, and BigLeaf Maple Autumn Amber, a delectable red ale.

While America may be relatively new to the beer world when compared to world history, we have certainly brought some amazing styles and flavors to the market, with a lot of thanks going to Anchor Brewing Company and Fritz Maytag. Certainly, within the craft beer world, and hopefully within the general world of beer, Anchor will always be remembered as a brewery that pushed boundaries and made better beer for all of us to enjoy.

http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/819354/Steam-powered-booze

BigLeaf = Big Flavors

Beer: BigLeaf Maple Autumn Amber

Brewer: Anchor Brewing Company

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

ABV: 6.00%

Brief background: This is the first year that Anchor has produced BigLeaf Maple Autumn Amber. The brewery has created some new and wonderful beers over the past few years, and this is no exception.

Description: Anchor’s BigLeaf pours a deep reddish amber color with a frothy white head that disappears quickly, but leaves a delicate lacing on the glass. The aroma is extremely pleasing to the nose with scents of sweet maple, caramel, a slight nuttiness, and earthy citrus hops underneath it all. Thankfully, the taste follows suit with the nose and the palate is first hit with earthy and citrus hops before being washed over with a maple and toffee sweetness that instantly makes one think of fall evenings, and finishes long and dry with a maple sweetness lingering on the taste buds. The body of this beer falls somewhere between light and medium, giving it a very session-beer quality. The carbonation is impeccable for the style: enough to cleanse the palate but still leave a lingering stickiness of the wonderful flavors. BigLeaf is another absolutely wonderful beer from Anchor Brewing Company and the perfect new addition to my fall seasonal lineup of beers.

Food pairing: Amber ales traditionally go well with a wide variety of meat dishes and BigLeaf is no exception; however, the strong maple flavors can make for even more interesting food combinations. For an interesting mixture, try starting a lazy weekend morning off with maple pecan pancakes, bacon, and a glass of BigLeaf. If you are looking to do your drinking a bit later in the day, try pairing this beer with a hearty bacon-wrapped shrimp dinner with smoky barbeque sauce for a true delight. BigLeaf also holds its own when matched up with desserts, especially those we associate with the fall season. To really end your day on a high note, try having a slice of cinnamon apple pie and a side of vanilla bean ice cream with BigLeaf and enjoy all the wonderful flavors that the autumn season has to offer in one sitting.

Is it worth trying? Of course it is! Anchor Brewing Company consistently brews fantastic beers, and BigLeaf is no exception. While I do love pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers this time of year, it seems that there is an overabundance of them with more breweries making new ones each year. It’s very refreshing to see a brewery bring a new fall seasonal beer to market that is not following suit with what has already been done many times; not to mention, BigLeaf is delicious. Be sure to add this beer to your fall seasonal arsenal and enjoy the impending fall weather!

Rating: W W W W

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles at: Wegmans, Dickson City; Goldstein’s Deli, Kingston; and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer, Wilkes-Barre.


http://www.theweekender.com/news/WK_Food/819356/ID-TAP-THAT:-BigLeaf-=-big-flavor