Feature Beer Friday: Clown Shoes' Galacticake Douple IPA

By Eric Ducote

Good morning again everyone and welcome back to Bite and Booze for a mid-May version of Feature Beer Friday!  I have enjoyed writing these posts every week as I try some new beers and dig a little deeper into some old favorites.  This week I'm revisiting a brewery that I used to drink regularly, but seems to have faded a bit as the local guys surged.  Clown Shoes Beer originated from Massachusetts, and although they recently were bought by Harpoon Brewing (or their parent company, if we're getting technical) they retained their independence and "craft" status because Harpoon is itself a craft brewery.

I've always enjoyed Clown Shoes... their Hoppy Feet and Hoppy Feet 1.5 were both outstanding black IPAs when that style was all the rage, they consistently put out excellent creative stouts, and their label artwork is always top notch.  However, it had been a while since I had bought any their brews, so when I saw a relatively fresh (canned 3/8/18, always check the dates on hoppy beers!) 4-pack of their Galacticake Double IPA at Robert Fresh Market, I figured it was time to stock the fridge with a little more Clown Shoes.

Clown Shoes Galacticake Double IPA

The beer pours a rich copper color, clear and filtered, with a frothy bubbly head that took a few minutes to dissipate.  The malt that gives the beer it's deeper color is definitely present on the aroma with some caramel sweetness, but backed up nicely with fruity hop aromas like pineapple and plum.  The taste is well balanced between the caramel sweetness and the bitter fruity hop flavors.  The Galacticake is a 9% abv DIPA, but the malts and hops hide the alcohol very well.  There is an earthiness to the hops, but some fruit as well, and a nice blend of flavors that complement each other to form a bitter bouquet, but not one that lingers unpleasantly on the finish.

In summary, this is definitely an old-school throwback DIPA, aiming for a malt-hop balance and relying on bittering hops more than just all the late addition hops that we're getting from the hazy juice bombs.  However, it's a delicious well brewed throwback DIPA that I'd be happy to purchase again.   Cheers! 

Feature Beer Friday: 11 Below's Oso Bueno American Amber Ale

by Eric Ducote

Happy Good Friday everyone! I'm coming to y'all on back to back days (be sure to check out yesterday's MLB opening day Wakey Whiskey post) with an all new Feature Beer Friday.  I've ventured out of state a few times already, but today will be my first feature from the state of Texas. My mother was over in Houston a few weeks back and was nice enough to bring a few 6-packs back for me (it's like she knows I like beer) so here's the first review from that haul.   

11 Below Brewing is a relative new-comer to the Houston, TX area, a city that not too long ago was virtually a craft beer wasteland outside of Saint Arnold and is now blossoming with breweries everywhere you look. Houston itself is home to around 20 breweries now, not counting the rest of the metro area, which is large to say the least. If you are ever in Houston (to check out an Astros game maybe?) 11 Below can be found in an industrial park just to the NNW of the beltway.  They are open every Thurday and Friday from 5 to 9, and Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 6.  Like all the other Texas breweries, they operate on a token system, where $10 buys you admission and you get three tokens to redeem for beer.  It wasn't too long ago that Louisiana breweries operated their tours/tastings in a similar fashion, and hopefully Texas can catch up to the taproom trend before long. 

Oso Bueno Amber from 11 Below Brewing

Now for the beer itself, Oso Bueno is an American Amber Ale, a stalwart of styles that has been popular for years among novice and expert craft beer drinkers.  The style is defined by the BJCP as: "An amber, hoppy, moderate-strength American craft beer with a caramel malty flavor. The balance can vary quite a bit, with some versions being fairly malty and others being aggressively hoppy. Hoppy and bitter versions should not have clashing flavors with the caramel malt profile." Oso Bueno (which translates into "good bear" and don't miss the pun...) clocks in at 5.3% abv and 22 IBU, which puts it on the lower end for the style and has me expecting that this will be a more malt-forward example.

This beer pours a reddish brown, deeper than what I would consider a true amber color but not all the way into brown ale territory. True to expectation, the aroma on this one is rich with toffee and caramel, with just a hint of hop bitterness adding a bit of a floral note. There are no surprises on the taste, the malt sweetness dominates and provides a nice change of pace from all the NEIPAs I've been drinking lately. This offering is a smooth easy drinking malty amber ale that definitely has a place in my fridge. Unfortunately nothing from 11 Below is available in Louisiana yet, but if you are ever in Houston (or other parts of SE Texas) and you see the Good Bear, don't hesitate to give it a try.

Cheers, and happy Good Friday to you all! 

Beers with Chuck: Magic Marshmallow Breakfast Milk Stout from Tin Roof Brewing

by Chuck P

St. Patrick’s Day in Baton Rouge is a very big deal. People line up sometimes overnight to secure their spot for the annual parade and prepare for a long day of drinking. There’s lots and lots of Jameson and Guinness being consumed and unfortunately, a lot of very unnecessary green beer. Luckily for us Tin Roof Brewery made sure to give us a better option this year with their third consecutive specialty release the Magic Marshmallow Breakfast Milk Stout.

To keep with the theme of the day, the guys at Tin Roof decided to go all out and include Lucky Charms cereal into the brew recipe. How much Lucky Charms you might ask? We’re talking 72 boxes of magical deliciousness! They also used a marshmallow flavored coffee and lactose to give it some creaminess.

On my first pour I noticed the hint of the cereal coming through with a bit of the coffee on the aroma. Greeted with coffee first, some vanilla creeps in, but after it began to warm up I thought the vanilla faded giving way to more of the coffee. The lactose was minimal in my opinion, but still noticeable. The cereal itself arrived at the finish but was subtle which I liked with a bit of bitterness rounding it out.

Tin Roof has been crushing the small batch game recently with the release of the Santeria Double IPA (aka the beer formerly known as JUJU), Haze Hunt Triple IPA and now with the release of Magic Marshmallow they continue to bring down the house. Unlike the aforementioned Santeria and Haze Hunt which were both brewery exclusives you can find this breakfast milk stout on tap at your favorite craft beer watering holes.

Congrats to Tin Roof on another delicious brew. I can’t wait to see what type of specialty beer they do for Easter!*

*Tin Roof has nothing scheduled for release that’s Easter themed. Or do they???

Feature Beer Friday: Fremont Brewing's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout

by Eric Ducote

Hello everybody, and welcome to the first Bite and Booze edition of Feature Beer Friday!  This is a reprisal of a segment I used to write (nearly) weekly for my old beer blog, BR Beer Scene.  Basically every Friday I'll be featuring a new beer with some background information, a review, and if I'm sharing it, what my friends think about the beer.  I used to score each one based on a 100-point scale focusing on 4 critical aspects, but this time around I think it'll just be a general review.  There is never a shortage of beer laying around the Bite and Booze HQ, so look for an eclectic mix of beers both locally and from around the world.

Today's choice is one from the Bite and Booze cellar, the 2015 Coffee Edition release of their Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout from Fremont Brewing out of Seattle, Washington. I recently hosted a baby shower (good times ahead!) over at the Bite and Booze HQ, and Jay was more than willing to break this one out for everyone to try! If you think there's a lot going on in that lengthy beer name, you're absolutely right. This stout features layers upon layers of flavor.  The base beer is their Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout, which is then aged for up to 18 months in bourbon barrels, before being blended with barrels of different ages and bottled with coffee added.  Fremont Brewing releases this specialty once a year around the middle of October.

First thoughts on the appearance is that there is minimal head, but that's not really surprising for a 2+ year aged beer that clocks in at 14% alcohol.  As long as it's not flat it should still be good to drink, and this one was perfectly carbonated for an aged imperial stout.

The nose on this one is crazy complex, with roasted chocolate notes coming through from the base beer, coffee present but not as strong and the bourbon aging dominates giving a bright oak and vanilla overtone to the richly dark base.  If I was still keeping score this would earn a nearly perfect mark for the aroma.

The taste is more of the same, just a well layered complex imperial stout where all the flavors play well but also compliment each other.  The bourbon barrel aging is still the star of the show, but the coffee and dark malts support it extremely well.  A bourbon barrel aged beer without a strong and flavorful base can start to taste too much like whiskey without body, and this beer's base more than supports the bourbon flavors imparted upon it.  It finishes smooth, the 14% abv is well concealed by the stronger flavors, maybe too well as this is an easy sipper!

Fortunately I had a few friends to share this beer with, or the strong abv and amazing flavors would have combined to sneak up on me.  If you are ever up in Seattle or see some Fremont Brewing beers on the shelf elsewhere, give them a try.  And if you see some of their Dark Star series, bring me one!  Cheers!

Beers with Chuck: Attacus Atlas from Parish Brewing

by Chuck P

I know I’m a bit late to the party with my review of this beer. After I received these from my good friend Buddy Etheridge things got pretty busy here at Bite and Booze HQ. Then I was attacked by the vicious flu not once, but TWICE which put me and my taste buds out of commision for about a month. Now that I’m back from what felt like the grip of death I felt the time to break out my 4-pack of Attacus Atlas from Parish Brewing had come.

This Triple IPA is packed with a crazy amount of Galaxy hops and Idaho 7, a fairly new hop that was released in 2015, to counter the amount they had to use to get the high 9% ABV. Honestly, I didn’t get a lot of booziness from it as I expected but I’m sure after a few of these it would creep up on you.

Attacus Atlas pours a nice yellow/orange mimosa-esque hue which is pretty much what most of the juicy IPA’s tend to look like, at least to me. The aroma is a mild mix of orange and mango, but my nose still may not be 100% yet. Taste wise the hop juice hits you right off the bat in a big way. The citrus notes come in nice and smooth with a bit of creaminess. There was some bitterness on the finish but to me it’s very mild.

Once again Parish knocks it out of the park with another strong entry into their ever growing hop portfolio. I’m glad my taste buds were able to get back to normal so I could truly enjoy this beer. Let’s all hope this one shows itself more often.

Beers with Chuck: Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee Barrel Aged Quad 2015

by Chuck P

Back in the summer of 2015 I made a trip up to Portland, Oregon on a guys trip with Jay and a few of our friends. Portland is a destination spot for craft beer lovers with a plethora of local and regional craft breweries spread throughout the city. One of my goals for this trip was getting my hands on some local beers to take back home as well as any other West Coast brews that are unavailable here in Louisiana. Luckily, I was able to find some brews from Firestone Walker out of California and had to bring this particular brew back with me: The Stickee Monkee Barrel Aged Quad.

A Quad or Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale whose ABV normally runs between 10-13%. It’s a full bodied beer with a rich malt backbone. Normally I’m not drawn to this style but after having a taste at a local pub I was hooked.

Unfortunately Jay’s brother Eric had bought the last bottle in the cooler, but my disappointment was short lived as the bartender informed me he had a bottle in the back he could sell me but it wasn’t cold. This was perfect because that meant I could take it home and enjoy it back home. Success!

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2017. I was about to head to a Friendsgiving that my buddy Damon was hosting and I was trying to decide what beverages to bring. After searching through my cellar I spotted the Firestone Walker box hiding behind a few Bourbon County bottles. With two years of aging on it, I decided to open the bottle up and see how she was doing.

Pouring it into a glass the beer was a deep mahogany color with a nice foamy head that dissipated quickly. While pouring, the booziness made itself known in a big way. I smelled it immediately which is just the way I like it.

Hiding behind the booziness you get scents of oak, coconut, vanilla and toasted brown sugar.

Flavor wise, the booze is right up front but very smooth. Other flavors that I picked up were caramel, fig, dates and some cocoa along with the vanilla and brown sugar I got from the nose. The long, warm boozy finish was absolutely perfect and had me reaching for another taste.

The few people I shared this with at the party really enjoyed it and were sad to see it go so quickly. Hopefully I’ll be able to get my hands on another bottle again.

Back To Basics: Rotolo’s Craft & Crust

by Chuck P

Rotolo’s Pizzeria has been a Baton Rouge institution for over 20 years, especially to LSU students living in the Tigerland area where they first opened their doors. We all have our favorites from their menu like the classic Sweep The Floor (now known as The Krewe), the delicious Chalmette Cheesesticks and their insanely popular $5 calzones every Wednesday.

Through the years owner Mitch Rotolo was able to open more locations and now has over 30 franchises spread out across the south. But after a while he felt like the original spirit of Rotolo’s got lost somewhere along the way. Mitch was looking to get back to his roots and focus on scratch ingredients and new takes on classic recipes that would re-ignite his creative spirit; and just like that, Rotolo’s Craft & Crust was born.

With a new outlook and focus on authentic recipes with a twist mixed with an impressive draft beer selection and laid back atmosphere, Mitch, Jr. and his crew are determined to have the new concept reflect their new company motto: Good food, good vibes, no bullsh*t.

Recently the Bite & Booze team took time out from our busy schedule and headed over to have a team lunch and check out their new menu. Here’s just a few of my favorites.

The Game Warden

This appetizer caught my eye immediately. Beer-battered fried alligator and almond crusted duck tenderloin with pieces of fried pineapple. It was calling to me from the menu and it did not disappoint.

Carona 126

The layers of flavor on this one were fantastic. The fresh tomato sauce, grape tomatoes, prosciutto, burrata and white truffle oil together made for the perfect combination of flavors.

Uncle Tony V

Another great combination of flavors similar to the Carona 126 but with pulled mozzarella and basil added with more burrata and finished off with a balsamic reduction glaze which lately I’ve been adamant about adding to my pizzas.

It’s truly hard to pick a favorite from the many pizzas that we had as well as an off-menu order of stuffed shells that I demanded they add to the menu to the delicious Chocolate Chip Brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled in caramel. Add to that the great craft beer selection and truly relaxed vibe, I would say that Junior succeeded in the Rotolo’s vision of getting back to his roots and restoring the true heart and soul of Rotolo’s.

Beers with Chuck: Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale

by Chuck P

As the great Ned Stark so eloquently said long ago, “Winter is coming.” Well, not so much here in Louisiana as the rest of the United States, but the end of the year brings cooler weather to us which means winter beers are beginning to arrive on store shelves! Luckily for me I received a care package straight from Elysian Brewing out of Seattle, WA compliments of Natania Reed just in time for a little cold snap that’s coming through this week. Let’s take a look at the awesomely named Bifrost Winter Ale.

First, a brief lesson in Norse mythology-- the beer is named after the mythical rainbow bridge Bifrost that spans between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, which is home to a couple of familiar Norse Gods made famous in the past few years thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Thor the God of Thunder, the trickster Loki his mischievous half-brother and their father Odin, the All-Father and King of Asgard. Now that I’ve educated you a bit let’s get to beer, shall we?

The Bifrost Winter ale comes in with an ABV of 8.30% with a big malt backbone. It pours a nice golden/orange color with very little head, but there’s some nice lacing after it quickly dissipates. What little aroma there is has hints of orange and some caramel from the malts. The taste is sweet, malty and filled with spiced apple and cherry flavors coming through with a bit of honey at the end. There’s a slight alcohol burn as well.

Winter ales aren’t normally something I gravitate toward, but I will say this offering from Elysian may just change that. The more I drank the more I enjoyed the fruitiness that became more apparent with each sip. Not to mention there’s nothing like a nice high ABV beer with a bit of a boozy bite on a cool winter evening.

The Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale may be on shelves here now, but if not it should be soon. Be on the lookout at your favorite grocery and bottle shops and add this to your winter drinking selections.

The Porch Taproom at Lazy Magnolia Brewery

by Charles Pierce

A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit the Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company located in Kiln, MS. At their quaint taproom, affectionately named The Porch, I was able to enjoy some food and delicious taproom only brews. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to my next visit.

The Lazy Magnolia Brewery has been distributing delicious craft beer since opening in 2003. In the last few years they have been doing contract brewing for some smaller breweries, including Chafunkta Brewery out of Covington.

During my visit I tasted quite a fed of their taproom exclusives while enjoying some delicious pimento cheese and artisan bread from their kitchen. 

Though all of them were tasty as hell, these are the ones that stuck out to me the most:

Southern Pecan w/Rum - This one was probably my favorite. The booziness of the rum shined through but didn’t take away from the true flavor of the brown ale. With no ABV listed I’d guess it’s close to at least 9% if not more.

Bramblin’ Man Sour - This is the perfect sour for anyone wanting to try this style for the first time. Subtle with just enough bite. This is a beer I could drink many of in one sitting.

Mole Ole - This reminded me of the Cocoa Mole from New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith series but with less heat which isn’t a bad thing. This would be great on a nice cold evening.

Black IPA - This one had some nice roasty notes to it and a touch of sweetness. Reminded me a bit of Dr. Hoptagon from Parish Brewery. Very tasty indeed.

If you find yourself traveling the Gulf Coast either on a local brewery tour or just looking for a pit stop for some food and good beers I highly suggest stopping off in Kiln and visiting the folks at Lazy Magnolia. Tell them Chuck P sent you!

Avery Brewing Co. Beer Pairing Dinner at The Gregory

by Paige Johannessen

A few nights ago we were thrilled to attend a beer pairing dinner featuring Avery Brewing Co. at The Watermark in downtown Baton Rouge. I have had a couple of Avery Brewing’s beers and have always been impressed by the quality and creativity of the brewery. The Boulder, CO based brewery opened in 1993 and boasts 30 beers on tap at their brewery at any given time.

For the tasting we were seated in the private dining room adjacent to The Gregory. I know this post is all about Avery Brewing and our wonderful dinner, but I just have to say one thing: THAT ROOM! I drool every time I walk by that beautiful room and it’s floor to ceiling wine cellar display. If you haven’t walked around The Watermark and The Gregory, I highly recommend the trip downtown. The amount of detail and nods to Louisiana Trust & Savings Bank headquarters (the original owners of the building) is very impressive. There’s hand-painted ceiling murals and gorgeous marble details throughout the building. Not to mention the old bank vault replicas adorning one of their meeting spaces.

Now, about the dinner:

To start off, the tables were decorated with bowls of fried pork rinds tossed in Jay D’s Spicy and Sweet BBQ Rub. Needless to say, we loved them and ate them all and can’t wait to make our own.




The first course was a yellowtail tiradito paired with a Raspberry Sour. This delicate dish of thinly sliced raw fish in a spicy sauce was bursting with flavor. Chef made his own beer vinegar from the Avery Brewing Raspberry Sour that added a fun element to the depth of flavors.

Tiradito - yellowtail crudo, raspberry beer vinegar, ‘el gose’ aji sauce, guasaca, cancha corn

The next course was a first for me, octopus tacos! I was unsure how the flavors would mesh but the combination of octopus, peach and blue cheese was surprisingly delicious; and it’s pretty fun to say “octo taco” (don’t be ashamed, give it a try). This dish was paired with Avery Brewing’s Liliko'i Kepolo, a fun tropical island twist to the spicy traditional witbier. The aroma and notes of passionfruit were a nice compliment to this funky dish.

Octo Tacos - clementine lemongrass pulpo, peach salsa fresca, american blue cheese

For the third course, chef came out with bowls of green harissa topped with beer poached meatballs. The real show stopper of this dish was the mint chutney. The lamb sausage blend of the meatballs with the mint chutney was so satisfying and a nod to growing up with a mother who regularly cooked lamb roasts topped with a delicate mint jelly. The best. 

Merguez Meatballs - beer poached meatballs, green & red harissa, haloumi, mint chutney, grilled flatbread

This dish was paired with Avery’s Maharaja IPA. This imperial IPA is mighty, packing a 10% ABV punch. As Avery Brewing explains “The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant and pungent along with an insane amount of malted barley – fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence.” 

For the main course, we were brought a beautiful twist on the traditional lomo saltado. This traditional Peruvian dish combines marinated strips of sirloin with onions, tomatoes, french fries, and is typically served with rice. We were served a thick and buttery cut of seared beef over a bed of popcorn rice with purple frites as a fun compliment on the side. The main dish was paired with The White Rascal, Avery Brewing’s flagship beer. The Belgian style white ale is unfiltered and spiced with coriander and Curaçao orange peel, producing a refreshing classic ale.

Lomo Saltado - seared beef, soy aji gravy, purple frites, aji popcorn rice, charcoal roasted peppers, coriander

The dessert course was certainly the most aesthetically pleasing. The beer-misu came decorated to look like a frothy beer. It was too cute. The rich hazelnut chocolate with mascarpone cream was the perfect mate for Avery’s Vanilla Bean Stout. It was a heavy dessert but too good to put down. 

Beer-misu - espresso vanilla stout, mascarpone cream, hazelnut chocolate, cocoa nibs

Thanks to The Watermark for inviting us to this impressive beer pairing dinner. We can’t wait to see what they will come up with next. Check their Facebook for upcoming culinary events, you won’t be disappointed!

On Tap: Tin Roof FOMO Double IPA

by Charles Pierce

The hazy New England style IPA’s have been the big trend in the craft beer world for a while now. With very little hop bitterness at the end and a more tropical and juicy sweetness, this style has been embraced by beer lovers and breweries alike here in Louisiana. With great selections of this style from Parish Brewery (Ghost In the Machine), Great Raft Brewing (Grace & Grit) and Gnarly Barley (Jucifer) there’s no shortage of really delicious cloudy brews for us to enjoy. Now Tin Roof Brewery has joined the craze with their latest taproom only release, the FOMO Double IPA.

After redesigning the recipes for their flagship Voodoo Pale Ale and Juke Joint IPA, new Head Brewmaster Michael Till along with owners Charles Caldwell and William McGehee decided the time was right to start working on their own signature double IPA. After a few months of doing test batches and honing in on the right recipe, the FOMO, which stands for Fear Of Missing Out, was born.



The beer has a deep golden color with the haziness to match its depth. The immediate aromas I picked up were some dark fruitiness and tropical notes with a hint of the dankness that comes with the Eureka hops. The body is very light and easy drinking for 8% ABV beer. The taste is filled with hints of pineapple and candied fruit along with some piney dankness which is normally associated with some of the juicier west coast style IPA’s. There was some slight bitterness on the end with a nice dry finish.

Overall I think Tin Roof has done a nice job with their first entry into the haze filled market of New England style IPA’s. This brew is a taproom only release (hopefully that changes) so make your way over to Tin Roof and grab a glass and/or get yourself a crowler to go.

Jay D’s Backyard BBQ at Tin Roof Brewery

by Sophie Spring, intern

Our Bull Grill from Goodwood Hardware loaded up with meats at Tin Roof Brewing
photo credit: Jordan Hefler Photography

The Bite & Booze team was excited to throw a Backyard BBQ party at Tin Roof Brewery to help celebrate the release of their new Watermelon Wheat. The day started early, cleaning ice chests, loading red beans and Supreme Rice into the Goodwood Hardware trailer, lugging heavy cast iron pots to the brewery, cooking up cheese sauce and slicing smoked sausages. Aimee and Therese planned the schedule for smoking the chicken, ribs and sausage days in advance. The pimento cheese sauce was made with love the morning of the event, proportions of rice and beans and seasonings were calculated carefully, and lists of supplies covered tables in the office.

Grill me something mister! 📸: @jordanhefler . . . . . #jayd #hugjayd #biteandbooze #backyardbbq #batonrouge #br #gobr #225batonrouge #225 #summerBBQ #ribs #sausage #chicken #grill

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jul 10, 2017 at 11:20am PDT

What was on the menu for the event, you ask? Tender, fall of the bone ribs, juicy smoked chicken, and flavorful sausage. The trio of meat was accompanied by impossibly creamy pimento mac and cheese, dirty rice and BBQ beans.

Chef Aimee Tortorich shows off some Jay D's smoked ribs!
photo credit: Jordan Hefler Photography

All of which was served with an iconic slice of white bread to sop up all the juices that gather in the bottom of the red checkered trough used to serve our “Full Monty” (a plate of all three meats and each of the sides). The team used Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub to season the meats, Louisiana Barbecue Sauce to mop the meats as we finished them on the grill and Louisiana Molasses Mustard and barbecue sauce were available for dipping and slathering.

What a weekend! The Jay D's Backyard BBQ at @tinroofbeer was a huge success. Sorry if we sold out before you got to taste all this deliciousness but hopefully we will be doing it again very soon! Stay tuned to find out where we will be cooking next. . . . . #backyardbbq #bbq #jayd #tinroofbrewery #watermelonwheat #summer #summerBBQ #usa #fourthofjuly #independenceday #225batonrouge #eatbr #gobr #batonrouge

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jul 5, 2017 at 9:52am PDT

The weather was perfect for the event, sun shining and clear skies. It was the ideal day to relax in the yard at Tin Roof Brewery, Watermelon Wheat in one hand a smoked BBQ rib in the other. As we anticipated, the “Full Monty” was our best seller. No one wanted to miss out on any of the meats or sides. We were so happy with the turnout, it felt like there was an endless line of people from the start to when we sold out of meat.

Sophie Spring and Chuck P. scooping the Supreme Rice dirty rice for service
photo credit: Jordan Hefler Photography

The team was running back and forth with hot trays of ribs and sausage, using paddles to scoop steamy dirty rice into hotel pans, pulling BBQ beans out and rushing to get them to our customers.

Sold out BBQ! photo credit: Jordan Hefler Photography

The food was gone before we knew it, and at the end of the night all we had left was the bottom of the pot of dirty rice and BBQ beans. Overall, the event was a success: beer, BBQ, and a good time!

Beers With Chuck: New Belgium Juicy Watermelon Lime Ale

by Charles Pierce

The dog days of summer are upon us which means people are heading out to the beach, lounging in the pool or possibly doing some much needed yard work. We all find different ways of keeping ourselves hydrated and refreshed during these blistering days and New Belgium has the perfect brew to satisfy your summer thirst with their Juicy Watermelon Lime Ale.

Formerly called Heavy Melon, the brewery decided to rename this seasonal release with a title that more accurately represents the profile of their light fruity beer than the “heavy” title from last year.

The ale pours a very light golden color with very little head and lacing on the glass. The aroma of watermelon is prevalent along with a hint of lime zest. The overall taste, unfortunately, has very little watermelon with the lime ending up as the primary flavor before giving way to a smooth dry finish.

Coming in at a nice 5% ABV this is a really easy drinking beer that’s refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day.

Beers With Chuck: Jucifer IPA from Gnarly Barley

by Chuck Pierce

In May, Gnarly Barley Brewery in Hammond, Louisiana released their 3rd IPA in their every growing portfolio of delicious beers. It looks like from the response of local craft beer lovers, this one could possibly be their best yet. Let’s take a look at the fantastic Jucifer IPA.

Gnarly Barley has consistently cranked out great beers since they opened back in 2014, taking over taps at local watering holes and restaurants throughout South Louisiana. Recently, they’ve started canning their brews making it even more convenient to get your hands on their product. With the recent release of Jucifer, which will be brewed year round, you can enjoy one of the best IPA’s in the state from the comfort of your own home.

As you can see from the picture above this is one beautiful beer. This type of super cloudy IPA would lead the untrained and under-boozed eye to believe you were drinking a mimosa or a glass of OJ. They would continue to be confused if they caught the aroma which is bright with citrusy notes of mango, orange and pineapple. The taste also follows the aroma with that same combination of flavors that’s both smooth and refreshing on the end followed by a nice dry finish. An excellent juicy IPA that at 6% teeters on the edge of being crushable but for sure should be enjoyed slowly to appreciate every sip.

When you get rainy day blessings from the #juicifer. Many thanks to my craft beer spirit animal @gnarlybarley!

A post shared by Blair Loup (@bloup3) on May 12, 2017 at 3:48pm PDT

Look for these kick ass cans along with their flagship brews at local bottle shops and supermarkets, but be quick about it. The Jucifer flies off the shelves pretty fast so make sure you’re following social media pages like Calandro’s Supermarket to know when the next release will be!

Beers With Chuck: Voodoo Pale Ale from Tin Roof Brewing Company

by Chuck Pierce

Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale was the first Tin Roof Beer I’d ever had.

Back in 2010 my own ‘Me & My Big Mouth’ podcast had reached a point where I felt a change was needed. Our topics of music, movies, sports and random silliness grew a bit stale for me. Craft beer had really sparked my interest and I thought it could be a great new direction for the show. Also around this time I’d heard that a brewery had just opened in Baton Rouge, so it all seemed to fall into place. On a Friday afternoon I headed over to Tin Roof Brewing Company and had my first sip of what would become my favorite brew from this new company. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Flash forward to 2017 and things have changed over at Tin Roof quite a bit. There’s a new brewmaster and brew floor crew that are focused on revolutionizing their recipes and flavor profiles. Like the saying goes, “It’s out with the old and in with the new.” Some of the original flagship beers have been getting recipe makeovers, starting with the Juke Joint IPA that got an update to meet the demands of juicy hop lovers. Now, my old favorite has gotten a complete facelift from the bottom up including the can design!

Ladies and gents, I proudly introduce to you the new Voodoo Pale Ale.

  

As I was told by their new brewmaster Michael, the only thing left from the original Voodoo Bengal recipe is the yeast.

Gone is the big malt background that was there before. The new addition of Citra, Simcoe and Waimea shine through with citrus and pine notes on the aroma and taste. The haziness is a huge difference from its former version, giving it the look of most of the juicy IPA’s currently out on the market. Upon tasting, I picked up notes of melon and mango with a bit of pine that gave way to a super dry finish. Coming in at an easy 5% makes this a completely crushable beer.

As a fan, former employee, and most importantly, a friend with Charles Caldwell and William McGehee, I’m super excited about the changes happening at Tin Roof. If the changes made to the Juke Joint and Voodoo as well as the exclusive brews that are going up in the taproom are any indication, there are more great things to come from Tin Roof Brewery.

Beers with Chuck: Share This O.C. from The Bruery

by Chuck P

I’ve been a big fan of The Bruery from Orange County, California ever since they began distributing here back in 2013. Their bourbon barrel aged beers are some of my absolute favorites. And now I’ll be adding the Share This: O.C. Imperial Stout made with orange zest, cacao nibs and vanilla to that list as well.

This addition to the Share This series is in partnership with Food Forward, a program that donates fresh produce to hunger relief agencies throughout southern California. These fruits and vegetables from backyard fruit trees, farmers markets and orchards where most would normally go to waste. For every bottle sold The Bruery donates $1 to this great cause.

The aroma hits the senses with with bits of orange, chocolate, vanilla and a light roastiness. A great balance of the cocoa and citrus comes through as well with a bit of the booziness lingering. The taste is fantastic with the orange zest coming first giving way to hints of chocolate and vanilla creeping in along with some light coffee notes. The orange fades to give way to some tartness and the alcohol of the imperial stout that finishes smoothly with minimal burn considering it comes in at a pretty big 11%.

The O.C. is a great imperial stout with a nice balance of citrus and chocolate notes that brings together the tart and sweet ingredients perfectly. Make sure to grab a bottle and enjoy while also donating to a great organization in Food Forward.

Beers with Chuck: The Maharaja Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing Company

by Chuck P

The Avery Brewing Company based in Boulder, Colorado has finally made its way into Louisiana: rejoice craft beer enthusiasts! With a stellar selection of beers coming in like the Vanilla Bean Stout and Raspberry Sour from their Botanicals & Barrels series and year round selections like the El Gose German Style Sour Ale, Out Of Bounds Stout and White Rascal Belgian White Ale there’s enough variety to satisfy even the pickiest beer geek.

Out of their wide selection of beers now distributed here, my go-to is their Imperial IPA, The Maharaja.

According to Avery’s website the word Maharaja is taken from the sanskrit words Mahat, meaning “great”, and Rajan, meaning “king” making this Imperial IPA regal, intense and mighty; mighty it is indeed, coming in at a big 10% ABV.

Pouring into the glass the Maharaja has a very dark amber color with a mild haziness and a nice foamy head that quickly disappears. The aroma is a full on citrus blast with hints of grapefruit, orange and even a bit of papaya coming through as well as some piney notes. The sweetness of the malt comes through as well. The first sip greets you with true bitter hoppiness that hits the palate running.

The middle gives way to the sweet malts with a hint of caramel that breaks up the dankness a bit but returns with a nice dry finish. I didn’t find it to be too boozy given the high ABV at first, but after a few more sips it made it’s subtle presence felt.

This Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing will be a welcomed addition to my growing list of go to IPA’s. It’s strong and fruity with enough of a boozy feel to remind me not to drink these like a freshman at a high school kegger. 

Look for this delicious brew and much more from Avery Brewing Company on local store shelves and bottle shops throughout Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

To hear more about The Maharaja Imperial IPA check out our On Tap segment sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company on the Bite & Booze Radio Show below.

Beers with Chuck: Goin' Coastal IPA with Pineapple from SweetWater Brewing

by Chuck P

I find that people are usually on the fence when it comes to adding pineapple to different foods and drinks. Unless it’s a tropical beverage, I tend to shy away from it, but sometimes you just have to take that chance and when you do you might find out that something like a pineapple IPA might be even more delicious than you previously imagined. That’s where I found myself when I tried the Goin’ Coastal IPA with pineapple from the SweetWater Brewing Company.



I’ve always been a fan of SweetWater’s designs. The bright colors and artwork bounce off of their products when you see them on store shelves and the Goin’ Coastal 16oz can is no exception.

The beer has a hazy golden straw body to it that shined in the glass. The aroma smells fantastic with the pineapple being at the forefront followed by hints of mango and some tangerine coming through as well as solid floral and piney notes; taste wise, you can flip that aroma description around.

The floral and piney notes are what caught me first with the pineapple coming in the middle and finishing with the other citrusy flavors. There’s a nice malt balance from start to finish.

This is a very juicy and refreshing IPA, although I do think the grapefruit and tangerine shown through a bit more than the pineapple.

Make sure to pick up a few of these cans this summer to enjoy; especially if that day is spent in your boat with a line in the water.

To hear more about Goin’ Coastal click below for our On Tap segment sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company on the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Beers with Chuck: Grass Monkey Hoppy Wheat Ale from Sweet Water Brewing Co.

by Chuck P

I know that technically summer won’t officially begin until June 20th, but here in Louisiana it pretty much feels that way 10 months out of the year. Luckily for us we can enjoy the latest seasonal release from Sweet Water Brewing Company to help us transition from “spring” to “summer”. I present to you the Grass Monkey Hoppy Wheat Ale.

Sweet Water Brewery started out of Atlanta, Georgia in 1997 and made their way here to the Pelican State back in 2013. Their brews have been a staple in many craft beer fan’s fridges way before they entered our state and even more so after launching here, especially their popular 420 Pale Ale.

Recently I had the chance to try their seasonal Grass Monkey Wheat Ale and discovered what might be my new favorite summer beer.I’ve never been a big fan of wheat beers. They’re not bad beers, I just don’t crave them the way I crave other beer styles. Sometimes for research purposes, I have to try things I don’t normally drink and can be pleasantly surprised.

The first thing I noticed after pouring the beer were the lemon and citrus notes I got on the nose, obviously from the lemongrass that Sweet Water added. The look of the beer is a hazy orange kind of color with a head that quickly diminishes. 

The flavor is light and refreshing with the lemon and a bit of orange coming through thanks to the Lemondrop Hops they introduced in the kettle and dry hop processes. The wheat element definitely shines through with a light sweetness that I thought had a tinge of grapefruit.

This beer seems like the perfect companion when lounging on the patio, by the pool or after some yard work on a hot summer day. Make sure to add this crisp wheat ale to your Sweet Water collection. 

To hear more about the Grass Monkey check out the On Tap segment below sponsored by Mockler Beverage Company from our latest episode of the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Beers with Chuck: Coop'd Up Tart Farmhouse Ale from Urban South

by Chuck P

Urban South has finally made their way up from New Orleans to the Baton Rouge market and local craft beer fans couldn’t be more excited. Since arriving here, their Holy Roller IPA, Charming Whit Ale and their spring seasonal Delta Momma Citra Lager have been flying off store shelves.

Recently, myself along with Jay, Blair and Jay’s brother Eric had a chance to sit down and try their latest offering, the Coop’d Up Tart Farmhouse Ale during an “On Tap” segment for the Bite & Booze Radio Show.

Coop'd Up Tart Farmhouse Ale by Urban South Brewery in New Orleans

Farmhouse Ales or Saisons as some are commonly known are normally brewed during winter months so as to be ready for consumption during hot summer days. The Coop’d Up fits this description perfectly. It was also kettle soured using Lactobacillus which sours the beer at a faster rate rather than going the traditional route which could take years. Luckily we don’t have to wait that long.

This brew has a nice hazy golden color with very little carbonation to it. I immediately tasted hints of lemon and maybe coriander on my first sip. There’s just enough tartness cutting through and some of that sour funkiness on the back end that I really like. 

The finish is pretty dry which only makes me want to reach for my glass again for another taste. This really is a perfect light and refreshing summertime beer.

So far everything I’ve tried from Urban South has been fantastic and I can’t wait to see what they’ve got coming up next. To find out more about Urban South and the Coop’d Up Farmhouse Ale click the link below and check out the Bite & Booze Podcast presented by Mockler Beverage Co.