Wakey Whiskey: National Bourbon Day with Wild Turkey 101

by Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone, and Happy National Bourbon Day!

With this special day in mind, it really narrowed down my #wakeywhiskey selection. But, fear not, I had plenty of bourbon to choose from. For this morning's indulgence I'm going with a classic, Wild Turkey 101 from the Austin, Nichols Distilling Company in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The company can trace its roots back to 1855, and the Wild Turkey brand goes back to 1940.

The Wild Turkey 101 is a rye-heavy bourbon, bottled at 101 proof, hence the name. To be labeled as a bourbon there are a few criteria that every spirit needs to meet. First, it needs to be between 51% and 79% corn as the mash, while the rest can be other grains (typically barley, wheat, and rye). It also needs to be barrel aged for at least two years in new charred oak barrels. Bourbon barrels aren't allowed to be reused for more bourbon, so they typically find other uses for them like aging scotch whiskies and craft beers. And lastly, although this maybe should have come first, all bourbon has to come from the USA. It doesn't have to be Kentucky, although that's where most is made.

This bourbon pours a deep amber, almost caramel color, but not quite a full dark brown. The aroma is classic bourbon, primarily a corn sweetness with hints of booziness, and there is a bit of cinnamon spice coming from the rye. Overall a very inviting appearance and aroma.

The taste is more of the same, sweet, spicy, with a boozy hit that's present but not overpowering. It's not crazy complex, but it probably shouldn't be. There are hints of vanilla as well, which is typical of oak aging, and I'm especially impressed by the mildness of the alcohol bite for a 101 proof (55%) whiskey. It's a pleasant sip, a classic bourbon.

I hope everyone out there is enjoying National Bourbon Day! If you can't break one out for a #wakeywhiskey this morning, have a pour after work. Cheers!

Wakey Whiskey: The Spirit of America Handcrafted Bourbon Whiskey

by Eric Ducote

Hey everyone, it's time for another #wakeywhiskey!  This one is coming to you strong on this Easter Sunday from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. The Spirit of America Handcrafted Bourbon Whiskey, bottles at 86 proof for a 43% whiskey. Now, I know I said Indianapolis, but this spirit is only "produced & bottled" in Indianapolis, but it's actually distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Remember that location if you're a frequent reader, as it will pop up a good bit. It turns out Lawrenceburg is home to one of the largest distilleries in the USA and their specialty is sourcing high-quality whiskey.

The Spirit of America Handcrafted Bourbon Whiskey

Spirit of America is labeled as a Bourbon Whiskey (not a Kentucky Bourbon mind you, but bourbon can be made anywhere in America) and is shown on the back label as being 2 years old, which designates the youngest possible barrel using in making the spirit. Of course labeling it as a bourbon has a few other requirements, including that it's made from a minimum of 51% corn.

On to the spirit... it's on the light side for a bourbon, so this is most likely coming in at the younger side of 2 years.  There's really not much of a nose, what is there is a hint of corn syrupy sweetness mixed with a strong booziness. There's not much oak flavor in the aroma, not much vanilla, and it's not very pleasant.

To the taste... the oak comes through a bit more, but it doesn't balance well with the strong alcohol burn of the overall whiskey. Even still, the flavor is rather bland and lacking in complexity.  This needs something else to cut the flavor, like a good mix. Honestly, this would probably be decent as a mixing whiskey, but as a stand alone sipper, it's just not worth the price. The Spirit of America is coming in around $40 a bottle and I'd rather grab a $20 bottom shelf handle of bourbon like Ancient Age or Early Times if I'm going to go full on Touchdown. A Touchdown, for those of you unfamiliar, is just a straight up bourbon and coke/diet coke. Geaux Tigers! Excuse me... #GEAUXTIGERS. If you've ever celebrated a touchdown in the student section of Tiger Stadium, then you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. The aroma marinates the air, and it's amazingly intoxicating.

Back to the present... I try not to get negative in these #wakeywhiskey columns, but this just isn't a good bourbon for the money. It needs some more time in the barrels, whether that's at the source distillery or at the finishing company doesn't really matter, but it's obviously too young and too harsh to be a good sipper.
 
Happy Easter everyone, and choose your #wakeywhiskey wisely!

Wakey Whisky: Usquaebach Reserve

by Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone!  I know, it's a Monday... but it's not just any Monday, today is INTERNATIONAL WHISKY DAY!!  International Whisky Day was started on March 27th, 2008 as a way to honor legendary beer hunter and whisky writer Michael Jackson, who was born on March 27th, 1942 and passed away in August of 2007.

In honor of Mr. Jackson, a couple of days ago I popped open a scotch that I've never tried, Usquaebach Reserve.  Yeah, say that one three times fast.  It's pronounced Oos-Ke-Bah and the name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic term for 'the water of life' which is what the Celts called whisky. A quick note here that all scotch is referred to as "whisky" without the 'e', along with scotch-style whiskies that are made in Japan, Canada and elsewhere. Irish, American and other non-scotch-style whiskies are generally referred to as a whiskey with the 'e' included.

Usquaebach Reserve

The Usquaebach Reserve is a blended scotch whisky without a specific age marking, although they claim on the bottle that it's a superb blend of only mature select whiskies.  According to their website at http://usquaebach.com/ the Reserve is a whisky for those seeking elegance and structure. This rare blend features over 50% quality single malts each aged between 16, 17, and 18 years and blended with the finest grain whisky – resulting in a handcrafted spirit that is both timeless and unique. The pour is on the lighter side but still has a nice golden hue.

Now... on to the nose... it's a very complex aroma with sweeter hints of honeysuckle and pear, but also some smoky tobacco notes. It's definitely not a single note aroma, hinting at the whiskies used to make up this blend while still harmonizing together into an agreeable bouquet.

The taste is a little rough on the initial sip - this blend is 43% ABV - but then mellows out into a blend of smoky and sweet, with tobacco notes coming through strong before giving way to some floral sweetness, and then finishing with a combination of vanilla and boozy burn. Although I often try whiskies neat, this one I feel benefits from a little ice or a splash of water.  This helps mellow out some of the harsh boozy burn from the grain whisky while also allowing the more subtle flavors to shine through.

Overall, I think this is a pretty decent scotch for the $40 price tag I'm seeing online, and a good option for someone wanting to get into scotch without going straight to some expensive single malt peat bombs.

Cheers! Happy #wakeywhisky to you all!

Wakey Whiskey: Templeton Rye

'by Eric Ducote

Hello Bite and Booze readers! I'm sure plenty of you know who I am, but for those who don't, I'm Eric Ducote, Jay's brother and fellow lover of whiskey. For years we have had a tradition of "wakey whiskey" going back to when Jay, myself, and some of our good friends would meet up at 7 AM for every LSU home game to get our Third Row tailgate party set up for the day. It just wasn't a good tailgate morning without a bright and early whiskey drink before getting the party in full swing. Back in those days it was usually cheap bourbon and diet coke, but as we have all grown older and wiser the game day whiskey selections have matured as well.

I know, it's not football season, in fact it's not even close to football season, but a good wakey whiskey doesn't have to be a football-only activity. I believe that a good wakey whiskey is the perfect start to any big day, so long as it's always drank responsibly. Today I'm celebrating the #2 ranked LSU Gymnastics team as they take on #3 Florida this afternoon in Baton Rouge. It's been many years since I've made it to a gymnastics meet, but my wife scored us a pair of tickets, so that's today's plan, and it's an added bonus to make it to such a highly ranked match-up.

In honor of this great occasion, it's time for a wakey whiskey. This morning's selection is a Templeton Rye, AKA "The Good Stuff" from Templeton Rye Spirits. This is an 80 proof rye whiskey that claims to be created from the same recipe that outlaw bootlegger Alphonse Kerkhoff used to create Al Capone's favorite prohibition-era moonshine. 

Wakey Whiskey: Templeton Rye

I typically serve my whiskey with an ice sphere so that it slowly melts and subtly changes the flavor as I drink, although sometimes I also drink them neat. For the Templeton Rye, an ice cube worked just fine. The pour is an amber golden color, exactly what I would expect, and the aroma is a classic spicy rye that hints at spice and cinnamon. Upon first sip, one thing I would definitely say is that this is far smoother than I was expecting for a bottle without a specific age. It's easy on the palate, with more hints of cinnamon and even a bit of sweetness on the back end. I can definitely see why this recipe is referred to as "The Good Stuff" as it is a pleasure to drink.

Most prices I see online are in the upper $30s for a 750ml bottle, which makes this an excellent value in my opinion, perfect for adding to your personal sipping collection or it would make a great gift.

Cheers, #wakeywhiskey, and Geaux Tigers!

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Louisiana Craft Beer Tasting

Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene, Brenton Day from The Ale Runner, Chuck P from the Me and My Big Mouth Podcast, and Ross from Ten Sheets Zine all join me on this episode of the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket where we celebrate the upcoming American Craft Beer Week (May 13-19) by drinking and scoring some local craft beer.  Each of these beers will be featured on a Feature Beer Friday post on BR Beer Scene.  The beers include Abita's Lemon Wheat, Covington's Bayou Bock, NOLA's Brown Ale, and Tin Roof's Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale.

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Louisiana's Best Craft Beers of 2012

Louisiana craft beer has made a lot of progress in the last couple years.  So much so that it is time for the masses to start paying more attention to what they drink, and just as importantly, where it is from.  Louisiana has always had a lot of pride in eating locally.  We promote our seafood to the rest of the world, and dishes like king cake, jambalaya, and boudin are symbols of our state that we wouldn't dare accept from outside our borders.  The farm to table movement has also hit the restaurant scene in Louisiana, where we see chefs actually paying attention to farms and local food manufacturers where they source their ingredients.  So now it is beer's turn.  This goes out to all the beer drinkers, restaurant and bar owners, servers and bartenders: start drinking and pushing more Louisiana-brewed beer.  These brewers are our neighbors.  They have made a commitment to us by setting up breweries in our state, and it is our obligation to drink it (I know, it is a tough job!)... and if you go somewhere that you can't find it, then demand it or drink somewhere else.

So now that everyone out there has agreed to drink locally, you may also want to know which beers to drink.  I took the liberty of compiling my top 10 beers brewed in Louisiana in 2012.  Some have come and gone, some are always available, and some will be brewed again, I'm sure.

Helping me with the list was an expert panel of beer opinions:

Polly Watts, Owner, The Avenue Pub
Eric Ducote, Blogger and Raise a Glass Co-Host, BR Beer Scene
Jeremy Labadie, Blogger, The Beer Buddha
Vanessa Gomes, Director of Marketing & Event Coordinator, The Barley Oak
Nora McGunnigle, Blogger, Nora's Beer Blog
Brenton Day, Blogger, The Ale Runner

That being said, the order of the list and selection of beers really was up to me.  So if you have an issue or praise, leave it in the comments here or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter!

10.  Abita Purple Haze

Say what you will, Abita's Purple Haze is still one of the most popular beers brewed in Louisiana.  Well regarded as one of the premier raspberry beers in America, Purple Haze made the Men's Fitness list for 6 surprisingly healthy beers in 2012.  So to all you runners and fitness nuts, you have no reason to not drink local!

9. Bayou Teche Bière Noire

The Bière Noire pays homage to the strong black coffee (café noir) and what it meant to South Louisiana's French speaking ancestors.  It is rich in dark German malts, American hops, and French roasted coffee flavor.  The Bière Noire made the First We Feast list of the top brews from all 50 states, representing Louisiana.  Congrats on that one!

8. Abita 18th Star Bière de Garde (Abita Select Series) 

Abita's Bière de Garde is a French style farmhouse ale that they brewed with pilsner and wheat malts, oats, and German perle hops.  They added a little lemon peel, then aged the brew for three months before it hit taps.  Polly Watts, owner of the Avenue Pub in New Orleans, admitted that this brew "blew my skirt up. Seriously a very good Bière de Garde, rich and the yeast shines."  The 18th Star is a tribute to Louisiana becoming the 18th state in the USA exactly 200 years ago.

7.  NOLA Irish Channel Stout

Irish Channel Stout Nitro at The Barley Oak

The NOLA Irish Channel Stout is a favorite of many people, including myself, from the Big Easy brewery.  While it is only a  seasonal (just released this year's batch on December 7th), it certainly has a cult following.  Nora McGunnigle from nolabeerblog.com fondly says that this beer is "so delicious, so complex yet straightforward. I can drink pint after pint with friends and have a wonderful time."  She goes on to say, "This beer makes me smile."  I like any beer that makes people smile!

6.  Bayou Teche Joie à Tous

Joie à Tous (photo from Bayou Teche)

The Bayou Teche Joie à Tous, a whiskey barrel aged dubbel brewed with Mello Joy coffee.  Jeremy Labadie, AKA The Beer Buddha, proclaimed this to be "One of my favorite beers of the year.   This beer will be my Christmas go to beer every year.  If they brew it every year."  Vanessa Gomes from the Northshore's Barley Oak told me, "I love how Bayou Teche somehow manages to incorporate a certain level of comfort in all of their beers. It's as though each one nostalgically brings you to the Sunday dinner table."  And clearly Polly Watts from The Avenue Pub in New Orleans agreed, making it known that she found the beer to be "yummy, satisfying...comfort food in liquid form."

5.  Parish Canebrake

Parish Canebrake in Bottles is Still Elusive

Parish Canebrake made perhaps the biggest push of any beer in Louisiana in 2012, surging onto the scene across south Louisiana after the Broussard brewery's expansion.  "This is my favorite Louisiana session beer," says Eric Ducote from BRBeerScene.com, referring to the fact that he can drink multiple of them without getting too intoxicated or losing interest in the flavor profile.  Brenton Day from The Ale Runner chimed in saying that "Parish Canebrake is an easy drinker that many south Louisianians have taken to. It's so popular that Andrew had to double his capacity just to keep up with demand."  I'm definitely glad that he did.  I love it enough to make sure it has a place in my Top 5!

4.  NOLA Mechahopzilla

NOLA Mechahopzilla (photo courtesy of The Ale Runner)

The Beer Buddha believes in the NOLA Mechahopzilla.  The Double IPA from NOLA Brewing "made me a hop addict," Jeremy admitted.  "I ended up pissing myself,  crawling in the corner and had the shakes for about a week."  That's how hoppy the beer turned out, and many of Louisiana's craft beer drinkers rejoiced.  Eric from BR Beer Scene noted that the DIPA is "without a doubt the hoppiest beer to come out of the state, a delicious double IPA."  Meanwhile, The Ale Runner left us with this verbal picture: "It is a full assault of hops that leaves your palate waving the white flag. Or if you're a hophead like me, wanting some more."  Even Polly Watts wanted more.  "What can I say... it is a baseball bat of hops but you still love it," she admired.  Nora McGunnigle needed a bit more convincing, but sure enough, she came around, saying that "This double IPA won me over, though I tend not to be a fan of the style. Great citrus and floral hop aroma, bitter but balanced."

3.  Tin Roof Parade Ground Coffee Porter

Parade Ground Coffee Porter (photo courtesy of Tin Roof)

"The Tin Roof Coffee Porter for me, other than being a fantastic robust coffee porter, was a pleasant production change from this football tailgating college town brewery," explained The Barley Oak's Vanessa Gomes.  "This fall seasonal gave us an exciting peek into what Tin Roof can really do in between cranking out the highly demanded flagships."  I'm in total agreement.  I absolutely think that the Parade Ground is Tin Roof's best beer to date, and it is a shame that is only a seasonal that will soon be departing the taps around Louisiana.

2.  NOLA / Stone Pour Me Somethin' Mistah

Pour Me Somethin Mistah (photo from The Ale Runner)

"The hops and the malt were great when fresh and mellowed nicely with some age," explained Nora from Nora's Beer Blog.  The collaboration between the NOLA Brewing Company and the Stone Brewing Company from California was "a collective proud moment for us all in the Louisiana Craft Beer World," as stated by Vanessa Gomes.  Like most people I drank the beer with, all of my colleagues agreed that brew began a little rough around the edges with the dry citra hopping.  When allowed to warm up, or when cellared, the beer transformed into a piece of art.  The imperial porter rounded out with molasses to impart delicate flavor with the robust roasty maltiness and citra hops.

1.  Parish Grand Reserve

According to Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene, the Parish Grand Reserve is "in the running for the best Louisiana beer, period."  Indeed, it seems that the recently released special edition beer from the Lafayette area brewery lived up to the hype and proved that Louisiana can get excited about a special release beer.  It was a beer that people scrambled around town to purchase on release day and then again a week later when a second round was released.  "Was it worth it?" asked Brenton Day.  "Absolutely. It's a very big, yet remarkably smooth barleywine that I'm curious to see how it ages."  Andrew Godley from Parish suggests aging some, and will be holding onto several cases of the beer himself.  Polly Watts described the Grand Reserve as "silky and lovely with hidden strength like a very sexy woman in a white satin dress."  Now I'm thirsty.  Nora told me that "you could really taste the love and work put into this beer. Andrew did a great job and was able to leverage the reputation of his brewhouse up a whole other level with it."  Finally, Vanessa chimed in with "Parish Grand Reserve was absolutely perfect. To me it encompassed all that a barley wine should possess. It is perfectly balanced and has the smooth characteristics one expects from the reputation Parish Brewing has built for themselves."  Now we just need more Parish on the taps and store shelves!

Parish Grand Reserve in 750ml Bottles

Honorable Mention: I didn't list it above because it isn't commercially available yet, but it is worth looking forward to!

Mudbug Brewing King Cake Lager 

Our dear Beer Buddha let me have it.  He said, "I know this isn't commercially available yet but the whole idea of this beer makes me happy.  It's a tasty beverage complete with a rimjob.  Of sugar.  What were you thinking ya dirty bastard?"  He's right.  Even Vanessa Gomes from Barley Oak gave this beer some love.  "Mudbug Brewery has the King Cake Lager with lactose, cinnamon, & vanilla that will have you searching the bottom of your glass for the plastic baby," she said with a grin.  I just know I want some of that!

Raise a Glass Beer Olympics

Gold Medal Winners for the Raise a Glass Beer Olympics

Raise a Glass, a show I host on WHYR 96.9 FM Baton Rouge Community Radio, recently completed a 14 episode run of the "Beer Olympics."  The program is about the history, traditions, culture, production, and, of course, consumption of alcoholic beverages.  We dedicated our entire 4th season of the show to beer in an event called the Beer Olympics.  Each beer style served as a separate event for the Olympics in which only one beer from each country could enter.  Fortunately for us, The Cove has over 660 beers available from all over the world, so finding a selection to please our palates didn't prove to be too difficult.  Just for kicks, we also threw in some random categories that were not matched by the style of the beer.  Each category had an average of around 8 beers to sample.  All in all we had 16 countries medal in 18 events.  No beer could ever be entered twice.  Judging was done by myself, Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene, James Lawson, and Jeremy Spikes.  Here are the medal winners from the Raise a Glass Beer Olympics.  You can also listen to all of the archived episodes including the medal ceremony right here the Raise a Glass page or you can subscribe through iTunes.  New episodes of the show air Fridays at 6 PM and replay Sundays at 4 PM.

Listen to the Medal Ceremony Episode of Raise a Glass:

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Best Sellers from Around the World (Top seller from each country)
Gold - Guinness, Ireland
Silver - Carlsberg, Denmark
Bronze - Stella Artois, Belgium

Session Beers (Under 5% ABV)
Gold - Mikkeler Dream, Denmark
Silver - Engels Bitter, Netherlands
Bronze - 80 Shillings Scottish Heavy, Scotland


Strong Beers (10% ABV or stronger)
Gold - Brouwerij De Molen Heaven and Hell, Netherlands
Silver - JW Lee's Harvest Calvados, England
Bronze - North Coast Old Stock, USA

Name that Beer (Best tasting beers with crazy names or stories behind the names)
Gold - Brouwerij De Molen Cease & Desist, Netherlands
Silver - Mikkeler IBeatU, Denmark
Bronze- DeDulle Dulle Teve (Mad Bitch), Belgium

Oldest Breweries (Beers from the oldest breweries in each country)
Gold - Gouden Carolus Tripel, Belgium
Silver - Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, Germany
Bronze - Belhaven Wee Heavy, Scotland

21st Century Breweries (Beers from breweries started in the 2000s)
Gold - Parish Canebrake, USA
Silver - To ol/Mikkeler Ovral IPA, Denmark
Bronze - Meantime IPA, England

Top 100 Beers in the World (Showdown of brews that appear in "top 100 beers in the world lists")
Co-Gold - Rochefort 10, Belgium
Co-Gold - Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Canada
Silver - Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, England
Bronze - Weihenstephaner Hefe, Germany

Stouts
Gold - Sweet Horizon, Norway
Silver - Nils Oscar, Sweden
Bronze, NOLA Irish Channel, USA

Farmhouse Ales/Saisons
Gold - Anchorage Love Buzz, USA
Silver - Gavroche, France
Bronze - Kissmeyer Denied Entry, Denmark

German Style Lagers
Gold - Ayinger Celebrator, Germany
Silver - Abita Andygator, USA
Bronze - Moa, New Zealand

Amber/Red/Scottish
Gold - Duchesse De Bourgogne, Belgium
Silver - Stone Levitation Ale, USA
Co-Bronze - O'Hara's Irish Red, Ireland
Co-Bronze - Belhaven Scottish, Scotland

Barleywines
Gold - JW Lee's Lagavulin Harvest, England
Silver - Bommen & Grenaten, Netherlands
Co-Bronze - BrewDog/Mikkeller Collab Devine Rebel, Scotland
Co-Bronze - Nils Oscar, Sweden

Porters
Gold - Renaissance Elemental, New Zealand
Silver - Sinebreychoff, Finland
Co-Bronze - Rogue Mocha, USA
Co-Bronze - Carlsberg Carnegie, Sweden

Pale Ales
Gold - Orval Trappist Ale, Belgium
Silver - Belzebuth, France
Bronze - Re Ale Extra, Italy

Brown Ales
Gold - Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale, England
Silver - 8 Wired Brown, New Zealand
Bronze - Baird Angry Boy Brown, Japan

White/Wheat/Wit
Gold - Ommegang Witte, USA
Silver - Hitachino Nest Weizen, Japan
Bronze - St. Bernardus Wit, Belgium

Trappist Style
Gold - Le Trappe Quad, Netherlands
Silver - Chimay Blue, Belgium
Bronze - Unibreu Maudite, Canada

IPAs
Gold - Mikkeler 19, Denmark
Silver - Piraat, Belgium
Bronze - Stone IPA, USA

Lineup of Gold Medal Winning Beers

Beer Olympics Medal Count:

Points Gold=3 Silver=2 Bronze=1, (Total #)

Belgium 19 pts (9)
USA 17 pts (9)
Denmark 13 pts (6)
Netherlands 13 pts (5)
England 11 pts (5)
New Zealand 6 pts (3)
Germany 6 pts (3)
Scotland 4 pts (4)
Sweden 4 pts (3) 
Ireland 4 pts (2)
France 4 pts (2)
Canada 4 pts (2)
Japan 3 pts (2)
Norway 3 pts (1)
Finland 2 pts (1)
Italy 1 pt (1)

The Shed: Mississippi BBQ

The Shed in Ocean Springs, MS had been on my list of places to visit for a long time.  This is the original of what is now a five-location barbecue trail from Louisiana to Florida.  Still, I hadn't been to any of them because I wanted the Ocean Springs location to be my first experience.  On the way to Pensacola for a bachelor party, my brother Eric and I worked up a hunger.  I remembered that we ought to wait until Ocean Springs so that we could feast on some swine from The Shed.  Memory served me well.  We arrived at The Shed a little after normal lunch hours, which only meant that we were more ready to tackle a plate of barbecue.  As we drove up I realized that place truly is a joint as opposed to a restaurant.  The smell of smoke filled the air, and my excitement level intensified as I laid eyes on The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint.

Like I said, The Shed obviously didn't even try to pretend to be a normal restaurant.  With a massive outdoor seating area on the water, gravel floors, and portable toilets, joint may have even been an over-statement.  But this is exactly the kind of character I had been looking for.  Eric and I found our way to the ordering line where I went with a two meat combo - spare ribs and brisket, as well as some beans and macaroni salad.

The ribs, which are always what I'll judge a place by, were outstanding.  Pull-off-the-bone tender, succulently sauced, and well flavored, these ribs were everything I had hoped they would be.  So they passed the test, but I still had more to eat.  I enjoyed the macaroni salad and the beans, but didn't find them to be outrageously amazing.  They certainly weren't inventive or to-die-for.  And overall the side selection seemed a little weak.  As for the brisket... it got saved by the sauce.  Without the sauce I found it to be a little dry and flavorless.  Still, I'd say the trip proved to be a success.  As I said, the spare ribs were right on the money and I couldn't have appreciated the atmosphere of a true BBQ joint any more.  Bravo, Ocean Springs, you have something Baton Rouge doesn't have... yet.

Raise a Glass with the Beer Olympics!

Our Selection of Brews in the "Stouts" Competition at the Beer Olympics

Raise a Glass, the weekly radio program and podcast that I host along with Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene as well as Jeremy Spikes and James Lawson from Whisky Bomb, has begun Season 4 of our show.  Fortunately for us, this season is all about BEER!  Specifically, we're exploring beer from all over the world in a series called the "Beer Olympics."  All summer long, leading up to the Summer Olympic Games in London, our crew will be in person at The Cove recording episodes of Raise a Glass that match up beers from around the world.  Each competition is categorized either by the style of beer or some other random fact, then tasted against each other on the air until we reveal our Bronze, Silver, and Gold medalists for that category.  At the end of the summer we'll have tasted nearly 200 beers from probably around 25 different countries and we'll have a medal ceremony complete the the final medal count. We might even take all of our gold medalists back for one more test drive to determine the double gold winner!

Beers from the "Saison/Farmhouse Ale" Olympic Event

Make sure to stay up to date with the medal count on the Raise a Glass page.


You can follow "Raise a Glass" on Twitter!
Like the show on Facebook!

You can listen to the show every Friday at 6 PM and replays every Sunday at 4 PM on WHYR 96.9 FM LP Baton Rouge Community Radio.  It is also available streaming through the Raise a Glass page or on iTunes.

And since we're recording the episodes at The Cove, you can come meet us there and sample beers with us almost every Wednesday this summer at 6 PM (We're not there the first Wednesday of June or July 4th, but otherwise it should be every week)!  We can always use some company and help drinking beer!

Raise a Glass Whiskey of the World Tournament Final

The final four of the Raise a Glass Whiskey of the World Tournament

As I'm sure most of you are aware, I am currently hosting two radio shows and podcasts in Baton Rouge.  One is the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket on Talk 107.3 FM, and the other is called Raise a Glass which airs on WHYR 96.9 FM LP, Baton Rouge Community Radio.

Raise a Glass recently wrapped up Season 2, which was a 13 episode Whiskey of the World Tournament in which a field of 68 whiskeys and whiskys were whittled down to one solitary winner.  I had a blast doing the tournament with my co-host and fellow Booze Brother Eric Ducote, author of BR Beer Scene, as well as our producer James Lawson, and fellow beverage enthusiast and owner of Me-Moe's Lawn and Landscape, Jeremy Spikes.

Jay, Eric, Jeremy, and James prepare to record Raise a Glass at Roux Wine and Spirits

Roux Wine and Spirits on Airline Highway in Prarieville hosted our recording session and provided a bottle of each of the final four whiskeys in the tournament.  Pictured below, those whiskeys were Jefferson's Presidential Select 17 yr Bourbon, Highland Park 15 yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Penderyn Welch Whisky Madeira Cask, and Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey.  The most expensive bottles in the tournament were right around $100 each, and two of those made the finals, Jefferson's and Midleton.  That price tag is not to scare you off - they are worth the money - but rather to let you know what we didn't have any crazy 30 or 40 year scotches or significantly expensive bottles in the tournament.

Final Four Whiskeys lined up and ready to be poured

You can listen to the finals in the embedded player below.  SPOILER ALERT: for those that don't want to listen and just want to know the winner, click and mouse over this blank space as if to highlight it: Jefferson's Presidential Select Bourbon! Also make sure to follow @RaiseaGlass on twitter, like Raise a Glass on Facebook, and subscribe to the show on iTunes.  Season 3 of Raise a Glass will explore all sorts of topics from wine to cocktails and drinking in places from Mexico to Japan.  We'll even have some light beer taste-offs and samplings of malt liquor.  It'll continue to be a great show!

Whiskey of the World Tournament Final Episode:

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Westvleteren Tasting to Celebrate BR Beer Scene's 365 Challenge

In order to celebrate the completion of his challenge to drink 365 beers that were new to him during 2011, my brother Eric Ducote of the BR Beer Scene and my co-host on Raise a Glass held nothing back when it came to beers 363, 364, and 365.  He rounded up a stellar beer drinking crew and bought in on a six pack of Belgian beer.  However, this was no ordinary Belgian beer.  This was three different bottles from Westvleteren, a Trappist Brewery run by monks.  Their beer is some of the rarest and highest rated beer in the world.  Oops.  I got to try some!

We actually got to try the Westvleteren Bier Blond, the Westvleteren 8, and finally the Westvleteren 12.  The numbers typically correspond roughly to the alcohol percentage in the beer, so the 12 is obviously pretty strong.  The Belgian beers have a distinctively and deliciously unique taste from the different hops and yeasts that they use in their fermentation process, among other factors.  Bottom line: Delicious!!

National IPA Day

Yesterday was National IPA Day and my brother Eric, author of BRBeerScene.com and my cohost on the Raise a Glass Show (96.9 WHYR-LP Fridays at 6), had a bunch of people over to enjoy a smorgasbord of India Pale Ales. I brought over some Saint Arnold Devine Reserve 11 (Double IPA) that had been gifted to me by Shannon McNair and Kevin Black, and then tasted a whole lot more. Good times for sure!

Just for the Hell-Of-It: A Halibut Dinner in Homer Alaska

If your group of buddies does not take an annual guys or girls trip, you’re really missing out on life.  Sure, it is nice to take family vacations, travel with loved ones and significant others, and see the amazement in kids’ eyes when they first see some of the wonders of the world.  But, it is also nice to just get away with your best friends, leave all your worries behind you, and enjoy other cultures for a little while.  For me, enjoying other cultures means experiencing traditional food and drinks as well as customs, music, and general attitudes about life. 

On a recent guy’s trip, seven of us from Louisiana ascended to Homer, Alaska for a week where we were blessed with gorgeous weather and even lovelier people.  We had no ideas about the ties between Alaska and Louisiana.  Apparently everyone in Alaska is somehow from Louisiana, knows someone from Louisiana, does business in Louisiana, or at least appreciates Louisiana like few other people do.  Maybe it has something to do with the uniqueness of our cultures that few people in the rest of the United States understand.  It possibly has something do with the economy since two of the major sources of wealth for both states are energy (oil) and seafood.  Whatever it is, I found it to be really interesting, and when I saw a museum exhibit about the Exxon Valdez oil spill from 1989 it really hit home.  In many ways, Louisiana is just a warmer, flatter, humid-er version of Alaska… complete with delicious seafood, friendly people, a rich, unique culture, and an oil disaster of its own! 

Scenic Homer, Alaska from East End Road Looking Out Over Kachemak Bay

Homer, Alaska is a rustic yet hip fishing village and tourist destination on the south end of the Kenai Peninsula, resting on the west side of Kachemak Bay.  They boast themselves as the Halibut Capital of the World, and guided fishing trips bring in the majority of the tourists to the otherwise quaint town.  Knowing that their busy season stretches from Memorial Day to Labor Day, our group decided we would plan our trip for the week before Memorial Day, thereby missing the heavy crowds and tourist-induced price inflation.   

On our first full day in Homer we booked a charter halibut fishing trip.  I’ve been on charter fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico before, but I had never before reeled up anything like a halibut.  The largest fish we caught weighed about 65 pounds, but they can grow over 300 pounds!  Our captain took us way out so that we could have a chance to catch a big one, and then brought us back into the bay so we could be assured a good catch.  All in all we had a great trip and left the docks with over 100 pounds of fresh halibut filets!

 

Jay, Brent, Matt, Eusebio, Gary, and Eric Returned from a Successful Halibut Fishing Trip!

The following day we invited some Homer locals over for dinner and drinks with a little Louisiana flair.  Among our guests were Karen and Steve, owners of the Homer Brewing Company, a small and passionate microbrewery that produces fantastic local beers that you can’t find anywhere else save the rare keg that makes it up to Anchorage.  The Homer Brewing Company treated us well all week long, and I am very thankful to Karen and Steve for sharing their beers and hospitality with us!  Their favorite brew seemed to be the Red Knot Scottish.  This ale uses Scottish yeast and cask conditioning to create an amber ale that is mild yet extremely flavorful. 

Growlers from the Homer Brewing Company Were Empty by the End of the Night

After sharing a few brews, the time had come to turn our attention to the food for the evening.  Chef Eusebio Gongora, who happened to be a member of our traveling party, prepared a beautiful halibut-four-ways meal for us that began with a fresh Alaskan halibut ceviche.  The ceviche included morsels of halibut filets, roasted bell pepper, orange, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, lemon juice, lime juice, salt, and pepper.  The dish had a tropical taste that I don’t think they get very often in Homer.  The halibut easily highlighted the ceviche with its fresh and tender marinated flesh filling up the bowl of sweet, sour, and spicy deliciousness.

Fresh Halibut Ceviche Whet Everyone’s Appetite

Not to let the ceviche highlight the night by itself, Eusebio also served up a batch of crispy halibut fritters.  They shared similarities with Southern hushpuppies, though I’ve never had a hushpuppy with seafood stuffed inside before!  The fritter had a cornmeal base that was cut by a little bit of flour.  Chef Gongora then added onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, butter, smoked cheddar, salt, and pepper to go along with the fresh and beautiful diced halibut.  After mixing all the ingredients together they were formed into balls and deep fried in vegetable oil until they turned crispy and light brown on the outside.  The contrasting textures between the crunch on the crust and the warm, moist core made the fritters a pure delight to bite into. 

Halibut Fritters

Finally we readied ourselves for the main course.  Eusebio prepared some mashed potatoes and asparagus for side items, but what really got us all excited were the two additional variations of Halibut. 

Alaskan Halibut Filets Await Our Stomachs

The first method of cooking took the smaller pieces of halibut, dipped them in egg and milk, rolled them in Cajun fish fry, and then dropped them in a pot of hot vegetable oil.  Much like fried catfish in the South, this variation of halibut left the fish tender, moist, and flaky while providing a nice crisp on the outside. 

Cajun Fried Halibut… In Alaska!

The final round of halibut for our dinner was prepared a little more traditionally but still contained every bit as much taste and flavor.  Chef Gongora used the larger halibut filets, seasoned them up real nice, and then pan seared them before finishing them off in the oven.  Before serving, he topped each filet with a homemade lemon butter that offered a tangy taste to complement the fish.  The pieces of halibut ate like ridiculously tender steaks.  Each bite offered tremendous, fresh flavor that you could cut with a fork and would melt in your mouth. 

Alaskan Halibut for a Bunch of Louisiana Cajuns

The Alaskan halibut dinner satisfied everyone from first bite to last.  The growlers of beer from the Homer Brewing Company went extremely well with dinner, and nobody left hungry.  After eating halibut the way we did I can understand why it can cost as much as $20 per pound to get it fresh in Louisiana.  Good thing we brought about 70 pounds home with us!            

Top of the Hops Beer Festival in Lafayette

As I so eloquently quipped back in 2002 or 2003, "Si, me gusta cerveza."  Roughly translated, this Spanish phrase means "Yes, I like beer."  Those words hold true today.  I know that you, the loyal Bite and Booze readers, are highly surprised by this.  I don't mean to alarm you.  My apologies.  But, I do like beer.  In fact, over the past weekend, I managed to make my way to Lafayette with Jeremy, Eric, and Mandy for the Top of the Hops Beer Festival at the Cajun Dome.  With a couple tickets secured by King Cake Baby courtesy of Rouse's Supermarket, and a few more from sweet-talking the ticket folks (we were supposed to have 4 all along!), we were in.  Beer drinking commenced.  Life was good.

Top of the Hops in Lafayette had over 160 different beers to choose from.  While they weren't all new to me, I was pleasantly surprised at the variety, selection, and rareness of some of the brews.  Louisiana's own beer also poured from the taps of Parish, Bayou Teche, NOLA, Heiner Brau/Covington and Abita.  

The highlight of the afternoon for me came from Andrew Godley and the Parish Brewing Company.  His Black IPA blew me away, but even better was his amber beer that he ran through extra hops before pouring. Andrew, an engineer by trade, created a homemade system with which he used CO2 to force the beer through extra hops after leaving the keg and before entering your glass.  Those fresh hops left a taste with the Parish Amber that flowed through them and settled on my palate like cold iced tea on a hot Louisiana summer day.  Beer Heaven, I found you.  Si, me gusta cerveza.  

The 2011 Hammond Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge

This past weekend, team Bite and Booze once again competed in the annual Hammond Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge. The results may not have been quite what we were hoping for, but we still had a great time and cooked some fantastic barbeque.

Let's get things started by giving you a glimpse of something special.  Here's our BBQ Sauce Fountain.  Talk about a show stopper!  We had to fight the crowds away.  Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post saying how classy you think it is!

That's right... keeping it classy with a cascading BBQ Sauce Fountain and Grilled Sausage!

Thanks to everybody who came out to eat and cheer us on!  Our team - myself, Chef Eusebio Gongora, Travis Ducote, and Eric Ducote - really appreciates all the support!  Thanks to Sammy from Calandro's Super Market for coming early to help set up on Friday and hanging out all day Saturday, Ashley for coming late Friday night to relax, Jeremy for coming early Saturday morning with supplies and for assisting with the camera work on the video, and most certainly to Rush for the use of the travel trailer... what a great improvement over last year!  Also, thanks to Tony and Nani of KickersBBQ for the rub, sauce, and company!  Oh, and we also used some of the Red Stick Spice Company's applewood smoked sea salt and apple chipotle rub... you must check that out!  Finally, this video is the unveiling of the new Bite and Booze intro animation created by the one and only Hunter Brown.  Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about that and the BBQ!

Team Bite and Booze would like to thanks our title sponsor for the 2011 Hammond Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge:

        Additional thanks to:

                

Now, how about some more pictures from Jeremy Wells of FairelesCourses.net?

BBQ chicken plated and ready to be served to the judges

Ribs finishing on the grill after smoking for hours

Travis and Jay pull pork to plate it for the judges

Brisket resting before slicing

More Beer... That's What I Do

My brother Eric from the Baton Rouge Beer Scene is on a mission to try 365 NEW beers in the calendar year 2011.  While these didn't actually help him out on that mission, I still wish him the best of luck.  Check out his website to follow his progress!  Regardless, I still drank all these beers with him.  They were tasty.  You should give them all a try!

Avery is one Hell of a Brewery.  Drink anything from there!

Real Ale comes out of Texas.  Texas continues to make more and more craft beer.  Good for them.  Louisiana is getting there though.

Damn... speaking of Texas... this Divine Reserve #9 came out of St. Arnold in Houston.  It was incredibly delicious.  I still need to get my hands on the DR #10.  Abita needs to step up their game as far as rare and unique craft beer goes.  Step out on a limb, Abita!

Brooklyn makes some pretty awesome beer.  I actually met the man in charge of the Brooklyn Brewery:

Jay Ducote and Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery

Speaking of good beer... it is hard to ever go wrong with Dogfish Head.  This brewery has been instrumental in putting craft beer one the map across the United States.  Bravo to them!  Hooray Beer!