It’s been a crazy week around these parts. We got a ton of new beer last week. Three Graces Diary once again graced us with their cheeses at the Magic Hat tasting. The injured K-9 is almost better and gets his bandages off in just two days. The St. Patty’s Day party at Windows was a ton of fun on Saturday, so thanks if you came out. Today we got our new display case, which is a huge 8′ monk. Really! You just have to see it.

Unibroue dinner rescheduled
The Unibroue rep had to cancel last minute, so the beer dinner at Zambra is tentatively rescheduled for April 24. We were really looking forward to this awesome menu (and an opportunity for dinner out), but alas, these things happen. Rescheduled is better than cancelled at least. But, hey! Peter tells me that Zambra is adding Unibroue to their beer list. Cheers to that!

Duvel/Ommegang dinner rescheduled
Um, yeah. Because of the above, we’ve got to move what was the “Tax Day Dinner” to early June. Date tentative. Location still to be determined.

With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Monday this year, maybe you want to stay close to the homestead instead of fighting the bar scene. (Again, please no green beer. We beg you.) Toronto Chef, Ezra Title, has some holiday recipes that sound tasty for a laid-back home party. Below is a good one to use and serve with your favorite Irish-style stout.

Irish Stew With Mushrooms and Potatoes

2 1/2 lb lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp pure olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp flour
1/4 cup white wine
1 bottle dark stout beer
3 cups chicken or lamb stock
10 fingerling potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 lb black trumpet mushrooms, trimmed and washed
2 tsp creme fraiche
1 tsp prepared horseradish
Salt and pepper

In a medium pot, heat olive oil and butter on medium-high heat; season lamb with salt and pepper and brown lamb on all sides. Remove lamb and saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic on medium heat. Season vegetables with salt and pepper, add flour and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Deglaze pot with white wine and reduce by three-quarters. Add beer, bring it to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Place lamb back into the pot, cover with chicken stock and cook until lamb is extremely tender, about 45 minutes.

Add fingerling potatoes to pot and cook until they are tender, another 20 to 25 minutes.

In a separate pan, saute black trumpet mushrooms and add them to the pot. Stir in creme fraiche and horseradish and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper, if needed.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Beer match: Dark Stout Style Beer

The tastings are completely off again this month—and also, every single thing we planned managed to fall really close together. It’s confusing, we know. So, the only events we’re having this month are listed below. (Or on that little calendar thingie on the right.) Four of these events happen in just a week’s time, March 13-21, covering three breweries, two tastings, one dinner, and one pairing.

We’re declaring this to be the Unofficial Bruisin’ Ales Beer Week (& A Day).

March 6—Pisgah Open House
Randall Goes to Pisgah
Cash bar

March 13—Brewery Tasting
Magic Hat Opens Pandora’s Box
Free

March 15—Beer Pairing
St. Patty’s Day Party at Windows on the Park
$30/pp 

March 20—Beer Dinner
Unibroue Dinner at Zambra
$60/pp

March 21—Brewery Tasting
Terrapin’s Side Project
$2/pp, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway fundraiser

March 22—Nap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found this awesome recipe while perusing the Beerinator forums today. SellTibet—who, by the way, drove all the way from Raleigh with friends to get Baptista—designs a nice little winter meal with the missus.

Ingredients:
5 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 oz dried Bing cherries
3oz dried tart cherries
2 pork tenderloins, unwrapped
1 tsp each salt & pepper (estimated)
1 tsp dried rosemary (estimated)
12 oz Bell’s Cherry Stout

Combine all the ingredients to your favorite slow-cooker and cook for ~6 hours on Low (should take less time on High).

[edit]

We made a meal out this by adding 1 cup of whole wheat couscous to the remaining liquid stew in the cooker, turning the cooker on to high, and cooking for an additional 10 minutes until the couscous was cooked. Flavor-wise, this turned out quite well though the pork was a little dry at the time it was served. If we make this receipe again I will use some of the liquid in the crock-pot to cook the couscous separately and pull apart the tenderloin to let it soak in the rest prior to serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but did we mention it’s our birthday today? (Or anniversary, whatever you want to call it.) Bruisin’ Ales is officially one year young today! Last year, we recall opening nervously—and quietly—just a few days before Christmas, testing the waters with barely any advertising other than a nice sign out front. We opened with a respectable 365 or so brews. This we remember because someone said “a beer for each day of the year.”

So here we are, one year on, and the humble storefront has 650+ brews and growing! (Now that we think about it, we’re probably closer to 700, but who’s counting?) Thank you, Asheville, and folks coming from near and far to support our little shop. We hope to be here for a long time, bringing beer to the people!

Here’s the weekly round-up and since this will be our last post before Christmas, let’s just say Happy Non-Denominational Holiday to you and yours, no matter what you celebrate! Celebrate with beer!

Wall Street Journal
The WSJ has been all over the beer biz as of late. First they wrote about the monks and beer at Westvleteren (Thanks to Johnny Mike and Palmer); then an overview of the Trappist brews; then Larry Bell and Bell’s Brewery was in the news over his distribution dispute.

SAVOR
The Brewers Association is sponsoring SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience in Washington D.C. on May 16-17 as part of American Craft Beer Week.

Beer waste is now fish food
New Belgium Brewery in Colorado is working with entrepreneurs to convert their beer waste into food for local fish farms. Enjoy that Fat Tire, fishies. (And, no, we cannot get Fat Tire in North Carolina.)