Iron Fish 8/27/11

Cool Ice Sculpture, by Richard Glodowski, a chef at Iron Hill

IRON FISH, a Black Belgian Imperial IPA, is a collaboration beer from Flying Fish Brewing Company and Iron Hill Brewery in Maple Shade.

This fish was created to be a complete FAD Brew.  A future release is currently being Barrel Aged with Brett and Cherries, thereby covering every EVERY single fad at once.

The beer was excellent, and there was a great turnout at the event despite Hurricane Irene.

Chris LaPierre (Iron Hill), Suzanne Woods, Gene Muller & Casey Hughes (Flying Fish), Mark Edelson (Iron Hill), Kevin Finn, and Curt Decker (Noddinghead)

Brooklyn Brewery and Peter Luger's

On Saturday, 08/20/11, Suzy-QCB and I ventured into Brooklyn for a tour of the Brooklyn Brewery.  The tour itself was about 15-20 minutes long, shorter than most we have been on, and since they are in the middle of a major expansion, the tour was limited to the main section of the brewery.  Regardless, the tour guide was great, and his presentation of the history of brewery, complete with all the trials and tribulation was quite entertaining.  I won't spoil it, so you'll have to go there yourself.

The tour did not include free samples, however, for only $20, you could buy 6 tokens, or you could purchase single tokens for $4.  Each token allowed you to enjoy a 12 oz beer on tap, with "Blast", a 9%ABV Double IPA being the only exception (2 tokens).

Together we sampled 4 beers: EIPA, Brown, Blast, and Radius.  All of the beers were great, but our favorite was "Radius", a Belgian-style session beer.

Before moving on to our dinner and a brief food pairing review, here are some pics from inside of the brewery:

We then moved on to the world-famous Peter Luger's Steak House, voted Best Steak House in NYC 26 years in a row, and regarded as many as the finest Steak House in the world! 

I am not a food critic, nor am I a culinary expert, but Garrett Oliver, the head brewer for Brooklyn Brewery IS.  Here are excerpts from his book, "The Brewmaster's Table" that actually served as the catalyst for this entire trip. 

"Peter Luger's Steakhouse, founded in 1887, is one of the oldest restaurants in NYC, and home to the best steak in the United States. I can hear the protests already, the accusations of chauvinism - but these will be coming only from people who haven't eaten at Peter Luger's.  I was once skeptical myself, I am now a convert....

...Brooklyn Lager is on draft, and our amber lager is the perfect accompaniment to the steak.  Peter Luger's broiler operates at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so hot that the surface of the meat caramelizes instantly, leaving the center juicy and red. When the snappy hops cut through the butter (the steak is swimming in it), and the caramel malts meet the steak, you will forget that wine even exists."

After experiencing this first hand, I concur on all counts.  It was easily the best steak I' have ever tasted, and the Brooklyn Lager was absolutely perfect with it!  Absolutely AMAZING!

The Bacon was also very impressive! 









All told, my trip to Brooklyn cost nearly $250, but it was worth every penny, as it was an unforgettable experience!

Brooklyn Lager Review

Suzy-QCB's Birthday

At Texas Roadhouse

I had a Samuel Adams Boston Lager with my meal.  It's the best beer they offered, but luckily it goes pretty good with great steak.

Breakfast Pairing 080411

Recently, while enjoying a Samuel Adams Chocolate Cherry Bock at Hawthorne's Cafe on 11th St in South Philly,  I was chatting with the owner, Chris.   He said, "Can you image how great it would be with our French Toast on a Saturday morning?"  I decided that imagining or holding off simply would not do, so I ordered another beer and the French Toast right away.

Mind you, this was not your everyday French Toast, it's the real deal.  The edges of these 2 huge triangular slices of bread had an excellent caramelized crust that was extra crispy in spots, while the inside was rich and moist.  Sprinkled with powdered sugar, served with fresh fruit, and butter & syrup on the side.

The Chocolate Cherry Bock and the French Toast were both great on their own, but when they came together it was pure magic!

The sweet malt worked nicely with the powdered sugar, while latching on to the caramelized portions of the bread, melding with the bready center.  The roasted malt was absolutely perfect with the super crispy edges.  And in tandem with the hops and mild carbonation, it cut through the fat and cleansed the palate, making every bite as good as the first.

Although the French Toast was awesome on its own, I tried it with butter, syrup, and then both.  The Chocolate Cherry Bock worked with every combination, but it was hands down the best with both!

Additionally, the sweetness and tartness of the berries paired well with that of the chocolate and cherry in the beer, making the pairing a huge success!

Check out the Samuel Adams Chocolate Cherry Bock Review below

Dinner Pairing 073011

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout with Steak.  Official review coming soon.  Stay tuned...

With the Best Intentions, BUT

One of the pitfalls of my current profession is that I have a lot of downtime while being on call. Of course I keep myself busy, and most everything I do revolves around making the transition to a career within the Craft Beer Industry, which everyone knows is my only true passion.

In addition to constant study, one must be in the scene meeting bartenders, industry reps and other patrons...essentially becoming part of the scene. Sampling a wide array of craft beers is also a part of it. Oh the horror, I know. At the same time, I am still working, and as such, I cannot get all banged up drinking moderate to high ABV beers, so I gravitate toward session beers.

Last week I visited one of the bars in Philly that I frequent but shall remain nameless. I reviewed the tap list and I saw the perfect beer for the occasion; a 3.2% ABV "Dark Mild", so I ordered it. The bartender made a face like she was sucking on a lemon and shook her head no. I gave her a blank stare and she said, "it's only 3.2% and it tastes like water that they soaked a little malt in". Under normal circumstances I would have stuck with my decision, but I was mentally exhausted so I made another relatively low ABV selection.

Although I was perturbed at the time, the more I thought about it, the more irritated I became. I'm sure she meant well. She knows me, and probably figured that it was too weak for a Beer God, but quite frankly, that is NOT her decision to make! Ponder this for a moment:

1. The brewer made the substantial effort to brew this beer (and everything else involved in the process).
2. Someone had to sell this beer to a distributor
3. The distributor then sold the beer to the bar
4. The bar owner/manager thought enough of the beer, the distributor, or the brewer and made the decision to purchase it
5. The consumer then ordered it
6. And finally, the bartender killed all of it with her actions

It is one thing to make suggestions regarding the selection of beer, but quite another to do what she did. She did not take into consideration the needs of the patron. Hell, let me sample it so I can decide for myself. Perhaps I would have disliked it? If that were the case, I would not have ordered it, but at least the beer would have failed on it own merits, or lack thereof.

This probably happens all the time, so I will make a point of speaking with the manager regarding this issue in an effort to reduce these occurrences.

-- Rick S.

Stillwater Saison Darkly

Great Night Out in Philly

On Saturday evening, Suzy QCB and I had the following The Farmers' Cabinet:

• Hanssens Kriek 6% {Belgium} - 3 words (from their menu): WOW, WOW, WOW. this is a gem we were lucky to procure. a classic\traditional lambic with loads of sourness and cherries (hold onto your britches!) and a slight funk
• Del Borgo Enkir {Italy} 6.1%
• An English Bitter on Cask - don;t remember the name, but it was one of the last pours, so it was a bit still and oxidized, but not bad

We also sampled the following:

• Hof Ten Dormal Blonde {Belgium} 8%
• Timmermans Strawberry {Belgium} 4% (NOT a Fan)
• Kulmbacher Eisbock {Germany} 9.2%
• Schlenkerla Rauchbier Oak Smoke {Germany} 8%

Last but certainly not least, we also shared a Cheese Plate (and smoked Duck)...based on the recommendation of their resident cheese wizard/guru....AMAZING!!!!

-- Rick S.

Herr Rick's Birthday

For my birthday, I had the following @ The Farmer’s Cabinet in Philadelphia:

• A “House Brewed” Brett Saison (forgot the official name & details)
• McKenzie Saison Vautour {PA} 7%
• Tired Hands Handfarm Saison {PA}
• Fantome Hiver {Belgium} 8%
• Haviestoun Old Engine Oil – High Gravity Version {Scotland} 9%
• JW Lees Harvest Ale 2009 {England} 11.5%
• J.W. Lees Harvest ale aged in Calvados Barrels {England} 11.5%

All I'm going to say at this point is the least impressive beer was still amazing!!!

Deschutes The Abyss

Earth Bread and Brewery

Suzy-QCB and I

Herr Mike and I

Aventinus

Delirium Tremens

Farnsworth House 031211

ChenChen, Herr Mike, Suzy-QCB, Me, Crazy Gurl, and Brad

St Patrick's Day

Suzy--QCB and I at Dublin Square

Hulmeville Inn 022711

With ChenChen, Herr Mike, and the lovely Suzy-QCB

Oerbier

New Year's Eve 123110

With Suzy-QCB, Herr Mike, and ChenChen. We started off at Farnsworth House, and finished at my place

Xmas Eve 122410

...over Mom's

Note the QCB on the left 

Beer and Cheese Pairing 121110

Michelle, Tom, Gloria, Herr Mike, Me, Suzy-QCB, Greg, and Crazy Gurl.  By the looks of things, I think Greg ate ALL of the BLUE Cheese

 

Part of the Lineup

Chili

Beer Cheese Soup

Enjoying some "Dark and Decadent"

I think I was hammered. Can you tell?