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.

Maker's 46 Haunted Old Fashioned: Whisk(e)y Wednesday

by Sydney Blanchard

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. As a kid I excitedly planned my costumes months in advance and reveled in all things scary and creepy as a teenager. 

Now, I'm just trying to get a little buzz going and eat some Halloween Oreos while watching Hocus Pocus on my couch. 

Maker's must have read my mind, because they came up with this very spooky, pumpkin-y Old Fashioned recipe that's perfect for sipping at home while handing out candy to trick-or-treaters or at your annual Halloween bash.

Check it out, and report back your findings.

Maker’s 46 Haunted Old Fashioned

Created by Arley Marks of #ArleyMarksDrinks and Dimes

Maker's 46 pumpkin inspired Old Fashioned

4 parts Maker’s 46
1 ½ parts pumpkin syrup*
8 dashes angostura bitter
8 dashes orange bitters
4 orange peels, squeeze oil from zest into tin

Shake all ingredients with orange peels and then strain into pumpkin filled with fresh ice. Add orange peels for decoration and top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with a handful of candy corn & enjoy as a Halloween snack and a drink in one!





*Pumpkin Syrup: Remove seeds from a whole pumpkin and cut into slices that can be juiced. (A small pumpkin will yield approx. 1 cup of juice.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine 1 cup pumpkin juice and 1 cup organic evaporated cane sugar with 2 whole cinnamon sticks. Heat until sugar is dissolved, let cool before using. Alternatively: buy natural pumpkin syrup.

Month of Salads #8: Bistro Byronz

Bistro Byronz Blackened Shrimp Salad

Bistro Byronz presents a lovely dining option nestled sweetly in Mid-City Baton Rouge. I brunched there the day after Fête Rouge with the ladies from Visit Baton Rouge as well as the great group of food bloggers that took to the town for the weekend. With a lot of water and several cups of coffee, I seemed to be on the way to Fête Rouge recovery. We also devoured plenty of bleu cheese chips and french toast beignets to get started, which certainly helped. Since August is the Month of Salads, I felt the blackened shrimp salad calling my name! Spicy shrimp atop a spritely bed of mixed greens were accompanied by Mandarin oranges, feta crumbles and one of the most gorgeous sliced avocados I've seen. The salad presented crunchy, spicy, and sweet flavors with an orange rosemary vinaigrette and served as a nice pick me up from my wine hangover!

The Netherlands - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Bites and Boozes

The Netherlands

Ah, The Netherlands.  Holland.  The Dutch.  The side in orange.  They defeated Brazil 2-1 today in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and while their magical run in international play continues, their turn on the Bite and Booze World Tour is now. Dutch cuisine is shaped by the practice of fishing and farming, including the cultivation of the soil for raising crops and the raising of domesticated animals, and the history of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is renowned for its varieties of cheese and it is where Dutch process chocolate originated. Dutch cuisine is somewhat limited in its diversity of dishes (like many Northern European cuisines) and includes a high consumption of vegetables compared to the consumption of meat.

Since it is early in the morning in America as The Netherlands and Brazil square off on the pitch, we'll take a look at some Dutch pancakes. A pannekoek (plural pannekoeken) or pannenkoek (new Dutch spelling) is a Dutch pancake. Pannekoeken are usually larger and thinner than American or Scottish pancakes. They may incorporate slices of smoked bacon, apples or other fruits, stem ginger, cheese, or raisins. Plain ones are often eaten with white or brown sugar. The ingredients are flour, milk, and eggs. Beer may also be added to the mixture in order to give it a better flavor, but most of all it helps the batter rise. In Dutch pancake restaurants (pannenkoekenhuis) many more toppings can be ordered with them, including eggs, pear, or even pineapple, and they are often topped with Dutch stroop (sugar beet syrup), a dark, thick syrup common in the Netherlands. The closest taste equivalent to this syrup in the U.S. is sorghum syrup. In the Netherlands, a pannenkoek naturel in a pannenkoekenhuis is a plain pancake which one can top with as much powdered sugar or stroop as one desires from the condiments standing on the table.

Oranjebitter is a drink developed in the 17th century in order to celebrate festivities of the Dutch monarchy. It's distilled with several types of oranges. In the 17th century it used to be sweet (liquor), in the 18th and 20th century it was made without any sugar. Nowadays people tend to prefer sweet so 10% sugar is added.  Oranjebitter is made from distilled Curacao peel, bitter orange, and brandy.

To see what Eric has to say about Dutch beer, and how he avoids the two most famous beer producers which are Heineken in the west and Grolsch in the east, go to the BR Beer Scene.

Thanks and Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_cuisine
http://www.dutchbakery.nl/nl_pannenkoeken.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannekoek
http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products/nlpdetail.php?prodid=3722
http://www.delta.tudelft.nl/nl/archief/artikel/altijd-zo-geweescht-oranjebitter/19461

Yule Tide Joy and Holiday Cheer

The holiday season of 2009 brought many reasons to celebrate the joyous tidings of family and friends.  Starting with Friendsgiving and Turkey Day, the holidays then carried on to Christmas and ringing in the the New Year at Jay's Bay.  I guess it is time to make sure I capture the Christmas bites and boozes on the blog, so here is the best of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Maker's Mark Mint Julep

The Yule Tide Joy got started on Christmas Eve at Mama and Papa Ford's house.  It was rather quiet compared to many Christmas Eve parties at the Ford's, but I still got to see most of the family, including Brayden for his first Christmas.  Collin introduced me to Maker's Mark Mint Julep, a Kentucky Bourbon with mint julep flavors already mixed in.  All I had to do was serve it over ice and enjoy!  Having had authentic mint juleps, I was fairly impressed by the bourbon and the taste that it delivered with no extra mixing.  Strong, yes, but also very tasty.  The mint julep reminded me of Christmas and it sure seems like it would make for a great drink any time of year!

V. Sattui Vintage Port

This Vintage Port came from one of my favorite wineries that we visited in Napa Valley in 2008, and Collin kindly shared with the group for Christmas Eve.  The V. Sattui Winery makes a lot of spectacular vino, and this Port is no exception.  Having been to Porto, Portugal and tasted the real stuff straight out of the barrel, I can say that V. Sattui knows what they are doing when it comes to making fortified wine.  This beverage is delightful when sipped by itself, along many different food pairings, or as a savory dessert itself.

Christmas Goose Before and After

My main contribution to dinner was this Christmas goose that we killed during our duck and goose hunting trip earlier in the month.  I brined the goose over night in some great flavors then Christmas morning I seasoned the goose inside and out with sea salt, black pepper, white pepper, brown sugar, and a couple other spices.  I also used a lemon and an orange to help add some flavor to the goose.  The juice from the fruits got squeezed out all over the goose and then I stuffed the cavity of the goose with the remaining citrus.  I covered the pan in foil and put it in the oven at about 250F for several hours until the meat became tender and started to pull from the bone.  Not bad wild game, if I may say so myself.

Kendall Jackson Cabernet in a Third Row Wine Glass

My father supplied our Christmas dinner with a selection of wines from Kendall Jackson.  Certainly not my first choice, but I'm rarely picky when you put something in front of me.  I drank the Cab until it ran out and then switched to Merlot.  Both were very drinkable, though much like a macro-brewed beer, it was nothing to rave about.

Uncle Rush Slicing the Prime Rib

Uncle Rush kindly cooked an entire ribeye for the dinner and sliced it at the house.  The medium-rare beef had a magnificent marbled consistency and a tender taste that was every bit as mouth-watering as it was beautiful to look at.

Christmas Plate... We're So Classy that We Used Paper!

Yes, the Ducote family is clearly a protein and starch group!  I'm glad I also cooked up a little asparagus to add the slightest amount of green to an otherwise plate of pink and tan hues.  In addition to the previously mentioned goose and prime rib, Travis also cooked up an entire smoked ham for us to enjoy.  We were also graced with Dana's mac and cheese, some sweet potatoes, and several other items that are buried under the mountain of meat.  But like any of our family's holiday meals, it would not be complete without Granny's cornbread dressing!

Granny's Famous Pecan Cake

If there is one thing that Granny does better than cornbread dressing (okay, two things because I'd put her pecan rolls up there too), it is her famous pecan cake.  This traditional, moist, yellow cake is layered with a homemade pecan icing that brings me back to my childhood.  Every bite is a perfect combination of cake and nutty-sweet flavor that I find myself craving between holidays and birthdays.

I certainly ate and drank well over Christmas thanks to my family and friends.  Feliz Navidad!

San Francisco Part III: Olive Oil, Sparkling Wine, and Everything In Between

Day two of the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival proved to be just as memorable as the first.  If you missed the first two posts about the trip to San Francisco click on these for Post I and Post II.  Saturday began with a very unique way to break the fast... a sampling of delightful olive oils from around the world!  Chef Michael Tuohy from Grange at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento, CA presented Eusebio and me, along with a room full of other festival participants, with six fine olive oils to passionately taste. 

Our Olive Oil Tasting Selection

Before telling us which oil on our sheet belonged to each of the bottles at the front of the room, Chef Tuohy asked us to follow him as he led us through a tasting session that was unique, comical, and very enjoyable.  Much like wine, the tasting of each oil began with a few swirls to open the oil up and release the fumes.  Then the taster sniffed the oil to notice and smells and fragrances that came from the lubricating liquid.  Some participants gently swirled the oil and delicately smelled it like they would a rose.  I, on the other hand, preferred to give my oil a couple hardy shakes and then inhale the aroma of the oil until it filled my nostrils with the peppery, herbaceous, buttery, and sometimes woody perfumes of all the different varietals of olive grease.  Delightful!

Six Olive Oils Ready to be Tasted

The one major difference about tasting olive oils instead of wines came when it was time to actually put the oil to our lips.  Instead of taking a nice sip of oil, Chef Tuohy suggested that we slurp it, bringing in air at the same time as the liquid.  This action "emulsifies the oil with oxygen and spreads it throughout your mouth".  Finally, after letting the oil swish around your mouth for a brief moment in time, the final step is to swallow the oil.  The after taste of each type of olive oil is one of the major ways to distinguish between the oils and it makes the swallowing action crucial in the tasting process.  Many of the oils that I liked the best are the ones that left a peppery and almost stinging aftertaste in the back of my throat.  In fact, one way to judge the oil is by how many coughs it takes to clear your throat after each swallow!

The Famous Ferry Building and Farmer's Market in San Francisco with the Bay Bridge in the Background

Eusebio and I had a little time to spend away from Festival activities after our olive oil tasting so we journeyed over to the Ferry Building and the San Francisco Farmer's Market to scope out the scene there.  The entire place was a madhouse of street vendors, organic farmers, cheese makers, and more.  It was an impressive sight to see for sure.  All of the samples that we got were amazing and we only wished that we had a house with a refrigerator and a couple days to hang out in town to cook all of the fantastic food items that we saw.

The View of San Francisco and the Bay from Our Hotel

After leaving the Farmer's Market we hopped on a trolley and took it up to the Fisherman's Wharf so we could get a view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.  We also came across an entire pier full of sea lions that were playing and bathing in the sun.  The sights were nice but wharf was overly touristy for my tastes so we got out of there, took a quick peek at the section of Lombard Street this is claimed to be "the crookedest street in the world" and then jumped on bus that brought us through China Town and back to our hotel.  The diversity and close proximity of everything in the heart of downtown San Francisco is amazing!

The Metreon, San Francisco, CA, Home to Our Tasting Pavilion

A brisk walk across Market Street took us to our next stop, The Metreon, where Foodbuzz had a tasting pavilion set up for us with all sorts divine treats, delectable goodies, and devilish beverages.  There were samples of too much food for me to even attempt to keep track of, so I focused primarily on the booze instead.  One note though, the food was amazing!

21st Amendment Brewery's Brew Free of Die IPA and Hell or High Watermelon Wheat

The 21st Amendment Brewery showed up with a couple of their beers, the Brew Free of Die IPA and the Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Bear.  Both were pretty good, but neither was exceptional.  The watermelon beer was rather, well, watery, and not all that flavorful.  I preferred it over an extremely sweet or way too fruity version, but this beer really had nothing on the perfect combination of fruit and beer that is Abita Strawberry Harvest.  The IPA was a decent brew, but I didn't like it as much Friday's selection from Speakeasy. 

Shrimp and Bay Scallop Seviche with Lime and Orange Citrus Flavors (Picture Courtesy of Alison)

The one food item that I did want to include was this beautiful seviche provided by Fuego.  Each individual cup was artistically created with shrimp, bay scallops, fresh herbs, and the juice of limes and oranges.  It was a tremendously flavorful couple bites of food!

Four Different California Sparkling Wines

During the afternoon session, Eusebio and I attended a California Sparkling Wine tasting that was hosted by Alder Yarrow, fellow blogger and author of the wine blog Vinography.  All four of the wines were delightful but I didn't have time to take notes about which I liked more than the others.  I feverously drank the bubbly beverage because it was time to get a move on so that we could go to Harrington's Bar and Grill to join the Bay Area Tigers for the LSU vs. Alabama football game.  We all know how that turned out.  Stupid refs.  It was nice to see William Winters at Harrington's though.  Plus, the several pitchers of beer that Eusebio and I drank with the help of Willie and Alison helped us forget about the game rather quickly.   

Three Beers on Tap from the Magnolia Brew Pub

On the way out of the tasting pavilion I happened upon another brewery that was giving out samples.  Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery had a little section set aside to let people try some of their small batch brews.  My first thought was what is a San Francisco brewery doing calling itself "Magnolia".  It turns out that the brewery has some New Orleans ties in its ownership and brewing lineage and the name, as well as their food, is a tribute to that!  I tried the Prescription Pale and the Gris-Gris.  Both were fantastic brews that I would love to go back and drink more of. 

That ended our tasting sessions at the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival.  The food and drink was plentiful and fabulous.  There was so much food at every turn and different vendors pouring wine, making cocktails, and serving brews in all directions.  I certainly drank my fair share!  The tasting pavilion lived up to its name as I tasted some of the best of what the Bay Area has to offer! 

San Francisco Post IV will feature Saturday night's Foodbuzz Blogger Awards Dinner at the Greenleaf Produce warehouse.  You don't want to miss that... or what I remember of it.  Apparently we had been drinking even more!

Things To Do
San Francisco