Archive for the ‘Beer Pairings’ Category

Craggie Brewing gets approval for growlers
According to the Twitterverse, the newish Craggie Brewing just got growler approval from the TTB and will be available in Feb. Their 7.75gal kegs will be available around the same time. They are still waiting on recipe approval their Antebellum Ale and hope to have that on draft around town by April. The Public House at the brewery is open Wednesday-Saturday from 4:00-10:00 pm. The brewery will also be hosting The Freaks of Asheville calendar auditions starting this weekend.

Highland Brewing 15th Anniversary Party on January 22
The snow got in the way of Highland’s big 15th Anniversary Party the other week, but that doesn’t keep a brewery down! The party is rescheduled for next Friday, January 22. Music by Now You See Them (one of our local favs!) and the Funktastics, plus food by Barley’s Taproom.

Winter Warmer Festival will warm you next weekend
The annual Winter Warmer Festival is next Saturday, January 23 at the Haywood Park Hotel. This winter fest of local and regional breweries is sponsored by French Broad Brewery and the Asheville Brews Cruise. Tickets are $37/pp and can be purchased here. Even cooler, Tres Hundertmark—the executive chef at The Lobster Trap and in-house brewery The Oyster House—will attempt to beat the Guinness world record for most oysters opened in a minute. Go, Tres, go!

FLIGHT in Hendersonville to host beer dinner
On January 26, FLIGHT restaurant in Hendo will host a beer dinner with French Broad Brewery. The cost is $40/pp. We don’t have menu details, but you can call the restaurant at 828-694-1030.

Asheville beer on Twitter?
Slowly, more of our breweries/brewpubs are joining the throng of the Twitterverse. @HighlandBrews @PisgahBrewing @CraggieBrewing @AshevillBrewing and @AvlGreenMan. Am I missing anyone?

As we approach the third anniversary of the humble storefront next week, we want you to be part of some changes to the store. (And I’ve opened the comments today, because I’m sick and need you to think for me.)

Last week on Twitter (@bruisinales), we asked a simple question: Which ratings system to you prefer, letters or numbers? In this completely unscientific poll in which a total 21 tweeps replied or sent Direct Messages, 19 said they preferred numbers stating that numbers gave a more accurate representation; the other two said they preferred letters, stating the letters give “wiggle-room.” It’s interesting to note these two very different responses also split down the lines of their respective territories. Most went with “numbers” and many were West Coast buddies, the locale of RateBeer; and the two that said “letters” were from the Boston area, home to BeerAdvocate.

We ask, because we’re updating our shelf talkers. And we know what we prefer, but what do you prefer? Which is more helpful while you shop, letters or numbers? This store is your store, so help me decide. And thank you all for the collective brain!

That’s right! We’re doing an exclusive private tasting on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m at Bruisin’ Ales with the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. What better way to dive head-first into Christmas than with beer and chocolate? The tasting will include five of their holiday truffles, each paired with two Belgian holiday beer samples. This will be a fun, educational tasting to give your taste buds a work-out and see the complements and contrasts of beer and chocolate. Only 30 spots are available.

$15/pp !! TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW !!

Champagne – The dry, earthy flavors of Italian prosecco and Remy Martin Petit Champagne Cognac are subtly present within a light-bodied Madagascar dark chocolate. (w/ shaved white chocolate)

1. Unibroue “16″—Aging in cool storage for two years, this anniversary ale from Unibroue is a Belgian Strong Pale. “16″ is sweet with effervescent carbonation from Belgian yeast. Add to that a smack of caramel, clove and apple, maybe even banana? Bubble gum? [10.0% abv]
2. Gouden Carolus Noël—A dark, beautiful ruby beer, this is the top-selling Belgian holiday ale at Bruisin’ Ales every year so far. Malty, but not overly heavy, this beer is so delicately balanced with its strength by cinnamon, nutmeg, and loads of dark fruit like fig and plum. Festive! [10.5% abv]

Gingerbread – Traditional gingerbread spices and organic molasses with 65% cacao dark chocolate. Covered in milk chocolate and sprinkled with baking spices.

1. Unibroue “16″—Aging in cool storage for two years, this anniversary ale from Unibroue is a Belgian Strong Pale. “16″ is sweet with effervescent carbonation from Belgian yeast. Add to that a smack of caramel, clove and apple, maybe even banana? Bubble gum? [10.0% abv]
2. Baladin Noël—A Belgian-style beer by the brilliant Teo Musso from Italy, this holiday winter warmer has a floral nose and fruity palate with a sweet toffee finish. Delish! [9.0% abv]

Cranberry walnut– Organic cranberries, reduced with fresh squeezed orange juice, paired with Nicaraguan dark chocolate from Black Mountain Chocolates in Swannanoa. Rolled in toasted ground walnuts.

1. Gouden Carolus Noël—A dark, beautiful ruby beer, this is the top-selling Belgian holiday ale at Bruisin’ Ales every year so far. Malty, but not overly heavy, this beer is so delicately balanced with its strength by cinnamon, nutmeg, and loads of dark fruit like fig and plum. Festive! [10.5% abv]
2. Baladin Noël—A Belgian-style beer by the brilliant Teo Musso from Italy, this holiday winter warmer has a floral nose, fruity palate with a sweet toffee finish. Delish! [9.0% abv]

Cabernet & Anise – A reduction of Bacchus Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, CA), gently infused with organic star anise, in a Peruvian dark chocolate ganache. (w/ dark chocolate star)

1. De Struise Tsjeeses—Another Belgian Strong Pale along the lines of “16″, Tsjeeses has an earthy aroma yet sweet citrusy flavor. A tart, dry finish is accented with hints of roasted nuts. Loads of flavor in this one. [10.0% abv]
2. ‘t Smijse Kerst—A little sweet, a little sour, this beautiful Christmas beer is the beefy one of the whole bunch. Dark, rich, and viscous, note the hints of chocolate, caramel, cherry and apple. A little honey and raisin on the finish tastes like the holidays! [11.0% abv]

Eggnog – A sweet white chocolate butter ganache with nutmeg and vanilla bean is warmed in the finish with a touch of Remy Martin cognac. (w/ freshly grated nutmeg)

1. De Struise Tsjeeses—Another Belgian Strong Pale along the lines of “16″, Tsjeeses has an earthy aroma yet sweet citrusy flavor. A tart, dry finish is accented with hints of roasted nuts. Loads of flavor in this one. [10.0% abv]
2. ‘t Smijse Kerst—A little sweet, a little sour, this beautiful Christmas beer is the beefy one of the whole bunch. Dark, rich, and viscous, note the hints of chocolate, caramel, cherry and apple. A little honey and raisin on the finish tastes like the holidays! [11.0% abv]

Hey! Remember back in May when Asheville was so, so very lucky to score a full weekend with innovative brewery owner and founder, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head? Well, our baby sister-in-beer (by choice, not biological parenting), The Beer Wench (@thebeerwench), did a very cool video interview with him at the release of Life & Limb in California a few weeks back. She covers a lot of ground here.

By the way, we have all of Sam’s books in-store. Great gifts and great reads for the beer lover. Oh, and shhhhhh, but we also got one more case of Life & Limb. It’s in the back, though. You must ask for it!

Every year, we make a few suggestions about serving beer at the Thanksgiving table. While wine always still seems to be in the forefront of a fancy sit-down, lovers of beer know that the complex flavors of our favorite beverage are much better at complimenting/contrasting the tastes of the holiday season. (Let’s not forget that beer is also a wonderful burst of flavor in the cooking process, too.) Here are a few recommendations. Share with the family and do a full beer-pairing with your meal! We’re linking to BeerAdvocate ratings here, so you can read what others taste in the beer. Reviews help! And while you may experience completely different flavors on your palette, reading what others taste is helpful.

TURKEY: Even though it’s a bird, and most typically pair white wine with it, turkey actually is mostly dark meat (compared to chicken). This means a heftier brew will pair nicely with it, no matter how you prepare it. For roasted birds, we usually try to contrast the with the bird’s flavor. Try Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux (750ml), the winter Saison seasonal by Dupont, famous for resurrecting the Saison style with Saison Dupont (750ml, also a great pairing, but a little lighter on the palette). Avec Les Bons Voeux is lightly spiced with quite a bit of alcohol [9.5% abv]. Saisons are also known for their grassy, earthy flavors (Jason calls this “horse blanket”) that bring a certain organic “taste of the season” to the table. Another American craft that is available year-round, but particularly delicious with a holiday meal, is Dogfish Head Raison d’Etre. A darker selection than the prior recommendation, this Belgian-style brown ale [8.0% abv] has the taste of roasted malt and caramelized raisins. Finally, a craft beer that does the job right is the 2009 Allagash Fluxus (750ml). The recipe on Fluxus changes annually. This year’s release is pretty rare, even for a small-batch brew—a Belgian-style Saison made with sweet potatoes and black pepper [8.5% abv]. It carries the alcohol very well with the sweet, sinuous character of the potatoes followed by a lovely spiced black pepper finish on the back of the throat. Delicious! This one is VERY limited, so get it while you can!

SMOKED TURKEY/HAM: Smoking turkeys is a popular way of preparing the bird in the South. Also, many families prefer to serve ham at the table. For these stronger, smoky flavors, we suggest something that compliments the flavor. De Molen Pek and Veren (750ml) is a fantastic pairing for ham. This Dutch stout carries an [8.0% abv] and offers a unique twist from its peat-smoked malt. Smoked meats and cheeses pair very well with this beer. The Italian beer, Le Baladin Super Baladin (750ml), is a sour ale in the Flemish style, but lighter in color. The tartness—think sweet and sour cherries—is toned down by the smokiness of the meat, giving you a great balance of flavor. (Note: Flemish-style sour ales are often “gateway beers” for red wine drinkers.) Finally, a German recommendation: Weihenstephan Korbinian Doppelbock. A popular choice at Bruisin’ Ales, this doppelbock tastes of roasted, almost burnt, grain with hints of dark fruit and caramel.

OTHERS TO TRY:
The Bruery Black Orchard (750ml): This “black witbier” is like a witbier gone to the dark side. Just a bit more body (and balance) than a true white witbier with additional malt, this one has subtle spices of chamomile along side the traditional spices of coriander and citrus peel. Very refreshing and surprisingly light at [5.7% abv]. Dark does not necessarily mean a “heavy” beer!

Traquair Jacobite (12oz): This English ale is a traditional Wee-Heavy with a twist. Based on an 18th-century recipe, it has the addition of coriander and chocolate malt, adding hints of earthy biscuity flavors, brown sugar, cocoa and dark fruit. [8.0% abv]

Smuttynose Wheat Wine (22oz): Wheat wines from several breweries have made a big impact in 2009. By combining the characteristics of a traditional Barleywine with the bready, chewy mouthfeel of a wheat beer, these are perfect for the holiday table. Hefty, warming and sweeter than our other recommendations, Wheat Wines are actually very versatile. This one also has a pretty hefty dose of hops in it, making it a true American style. Nice combination of sweet up front and bitter on the finish. [10.5% abv]

Meantime London Porter (750ml): England is home to the true Porter style, and frankly, you can’t beat the real thing. Meantime’s is based on a recipe from 1750 and has no less than seven different types of malt used. Super roasty, smoky, and little sweet, this traditional porter gets its bite from the malts, although hops are used in the brewing process. [6.5% abv]

If you need a specific recommendation for your holiday table, don’t be afraid to ask us. Jason, Mike or I will be happy to assist you to find the perfect Thanksgiving beers for your table! Cheers!