Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ...What More Does a Girl Need?

This weekend my husband and I attended the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival at the National Harbor in Maryland.  For the price of admission, we got a free tasting glass that allowed us to sample as much beer and bourbon as we wanted, a barbeque pork dinner, and generous tastings of roasted whole pigs.

I have to admit we were completely overwhelmed upon entry into the festival.  It seemed as though every where we turned there was food and drink we wanted to consume.  A quick lap around the perimeter helped us develop a plan and we soon settled into to enjoy ourselves for the next several hours.

It was great fun to sample beers and bourbons that we had not yet seen in any of our favorite alcohol establishments.  We made it a goal to focus our initial efforts on beverages we had never tasted before while the taste buds could still focus.  Our only complaint is that there were not more brewers or distillers on hand to answer questions or pitch their products.  We did have enjoyable conversations with Rick Wasmund from Copper Fox Distillery and Mike Kennedy from Evolution Craft Brewing.  In my mind, however, the festival staff and festival exhibitors missed a great opportunity to interact with serious booze hounds in a fun, relaxed environment.

Now for for a few tasting highlights...

Brew Dog Punk IPA - This IPA was paler in color and sweeter in taste than I expected.  It was a great thirst quencher at the hot and steamy festival.  The flavor was lemony, grassy, with maybe a hint of pineapple.  The hops are there, but not in your face.

McSorley's Pale Ale - This had a much lighter flavor than the copper color would make you believe.  Easy to drink, it has a very subtle fruity flavor and scent.  I think the dark ale is the way to go, however for more flavor.

Evolution's IPA - I thought it was the best this Delaware brewery had to offer at the festival.  Agressively hoppy and citrusy, it had a nice floral scent and a good looking amber color.  It was a great beer to pair with the spicy pork barbeque.

Russell's Reserve 10 year - This was an excellent bourbon.  Its complex toffee-like flavor was warmed by vanilla undertones and just a bit of bite and maybe a little orange.  It was a pretty amber color and was smooth on the tongue.  Both my husband and I enjoyed this a lot.

Copper Fox Rye Whiskey - A new offering from Wasmund's Copper Fox, it starts with the same fruitwood scent and flavor as his single malt, and in fact includes some of his malted barley.  Strong and earthy, we enjoyed it best with a splash of water.

Booker's - This was a lovely sipping bourbon.  Smoky vanilla and oak flavors that finished clean on the tongue.  It was a wonderful balance between strong and smooth, and had no bitterness.  An expensive bottle, I will save future glasses for special occasions.

Baker's - Another intensely flavored, but smooth bourbon.  Maybe a bit more carmel and nutty flavors than the Booker's...I think it would be great as an after-dinner drink.

We tried many, many more than this, but I no longer trusted my taste buds or my taste memory at a certain point, so for honesty's sake they are not included in this entry.  We were joined by our friends Wendy and Dave who enjoyed the festival as designated drivers.  We had fun with them and appreciated their willingness to keep us safe.

Beer Review: Magic Hat's Summer Scene Variety Pack

Last weekend, we helped our friends Dave and Wendy host some out-of-town guests in celebrating the impending birth of their first child.  They share my entertaining philosophy that you never want to run out of refreshments.  With that approach,  however, you sometimes end up with leftover food and drink. The attendees didn't drink as much beer as we expected, and because the soon-to-be parents aren't drinking they asked my husband and I to take it off their hands.  I mean, really, what we do for friends, right?


Well, with a big sigh, I loaded up our cooler with the remains of a Magic Hat Brewery Summer Scene Variety Pack.  Actually, we were thrilled because we both enjoy beer from Magic Hat.  It wasn't an imposition...it was a special treat.  I suggested to my husband that we could review the beers for the blog and he willingly agreed.

First up...#9, as described by the brewery it is indeed a not quite pale ale.  You know that song "Revolution 9" on the Beatles' The White Album (Remastered)?  That song played in my head as I swallowed my first sip.  My tongue was a bit confused and didn't quite know where to land.  I felt a similar confusion the first time I heard that Beatles' song.   Magic Hat's #9 was not at all what I expected.  Its apricot flavor was a pleasant surprise.  The texture is thinner and more drinkable than you expect with this flavor, but it is best when very cold.  This beer was an interesting mix of mix of hops and sweetness.  It lacks the bitterness of an IPA, and is not as sweet and heavy as a lambic.

Next was their latest IPA, Blind Faith.  It was a lovely golden-orange color with a creamy head that dissipated slowly.  The beer had a strong hoppy flavor that would hold up well against strongly flavored foods.  I imagine it would quickly overwhelm more delicate dishes, though.  It was very drinkable, but not terribly thirst-quenching.  I really like IPA, but I don't think I would drink very many of these in a row.

Our third selection was Wacko, the summer seasonal.  Both my husband and I  were surprised by the pinkish hue of the beer as we poured it into the glass.  A quick glance at the label and we realized why...beet juice!  Dwight Shrute would be proud.  It was light and refreshing with a subtle citrus flavor...a real lawnmower beer as they say.  However, my husband said he didn't think many men would want to be seen drinking a pink beer at their local bar.

The final offering in the summer variety pack was a ginger-flavored ale called Odd Notion.  The brewery is offering a seasonal rotation of different beers under that name, so this only applies to summer 2010.  We both enjoyed it.  I think it is another strong choice for summer...thirst-quenching and refreshing.  The ginger is not too sharp or overpowering, more of an enhancement to the yeast and hops.

Granita for Grown-ups

I often get a little carried away at the farmer's market and it can be a struggle not to purchase more produce than we can use in a timely fashion.  Case in point - I picked up some locally-grown blueberries recently without a clear idea of what I would make with them.  They just looked yummy.  I started planning to make some more popsicles, but decided that I would rather have something with a bit more adult sophistication, instead.  Enter the blueberry basil granita.

With a recipe from Epicurious as my guide, I picked basil from our backyard to provide an herbal element that pairs well with fruit.  And with a nod to my dark side, I added a splash (or three) of citrus vodka.

Blueberry Basil Granita
Makes 4 servings

1 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water
8 fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp lime zest
4 tsp honey
2 1/2 Tbsp citrus vodka (optional)

Wash the blueberries and pick out any stems.

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Pour into an airtight container and freeze until slushy.  My batch took about 3 hours to reach the right consistency.

Scoop out into individual servings.

If you are feeling sophisticated, too, you can garnish each serving with a sprig of basil or a couple more blueberries.  If you are not feeling sophisticated, stick out your tongue stained blue with berry juice.

Smoothielicious

Readers of this blog know that I'm not the biggest fan of bananas.  I buy them because my husband likes them for his lunch, but I don't just pick one up, unpeel it, and start eating.  They are good for you, so I do try to include them in my diet.

I can handle the fruit as an ingredient, just not the main attraction.  Banana bread is a favorite, and you can find two good recipes in earlier postings (Mom's Banana Bread and Orangette's Banana Bread).  One cannot live on banana bread alone, however.  There are other ways to deal with bananas that are starting to turn brown on your kitchen counter.

First, let me say to those of you who don't feel you have the time to deal with your browning bananas and are tempted to just throw them out...don't.  Put them in your freezer instead before they get overripe.  You can put them in peel and all, as I do.  The peel will turn even browner, but the inside will be just fine.  You can also peel the banana, cut into slices, and put the slices in freezer bags.  The frozen banana can then be used for baking or smoothies, which is another way I like to use my ripening bananas.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Makes 1 generously sized smoothie

1 ripe banana (frozen or chilled is what I prefer, but not required)
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
1/4 cup milk

Put all ingredients in blender and blitz away until desired consistency.

The amounts in my recipe are just rough suggestions.  You should make adjustments to make your smoothie thicker or thinner, and emphasize your preferred flavors.  Also, I used non-fat dairy (cow's milk) products, but you can use full-fat or soy based products.

SMOOTHIE VARIATIONS: I think bananas are key to creating the best smoothie texture, so they are almost always included in mine at home, but I mix them up with other ingredients.  I like them with strawberries and orange juice, cantaloupe and pineapple juice.  Be creative in using fruit you have at home, combine them with different juices, flavored yogurts, etc...You the proportions that make it the most tasty for you.  One more note.  I don't add crushed ice to my smoothies cause I like them a bit thick, but my husband likes it that way.  You may too, so give it a try.

Make 'Em Laugh

I need a laugh today, and I thought you might, too.  So, I dug deep in the vault for some classic "walk into a bar" jokes.  Don't worry, they are pretty family-friendly.  Enjoy.

I heard this one from the iconic Willie Nelson...

A duck walked into a bar, jumps up on a stool and asked the bartender "You got any grapes?"


The bartender said, "no," and the duck left.  The next day, the duck returned and asked the bartender once again, "You got any grapes?"


The bartender said, "NO GRAPES."


The duck left.  The next day, the duck came into the bar and asked the bartender, "You got any grapes?"


"NO.  I don't have any grapes.  I didn't have any grapes yesterday, I don't have any today, and I won't have any grapes tomorrow!  If you ask me again I'll nail your damn feet to the bar!!"


The duck left.  He came back into the bar again the next day, jumped up on the bar, and asked, "You got any nails?"  The bartender said, "no."  The duck said, "You got any grapes?"

Hee.

A blind man walks into a bar with a seeing-eye dog.  When the blind man reaches the center of the bar, he snatches the dog up by his collar and starts swinging him around and around.


The bartender speaks up and says, "Hey, what the hell are you doing?"


The blind man says, "Just taking a look around."

Here's another...

A bear walks into a bar.  He goes up to the bartender and says, "Can I have a large Gin and...............................................Tonic, please?"


The bartender replies, "Yeah, sure, but what's with the big pause?"


The bear holds up his paws and says, "I'm a bear!"

Happy Friday.