Feature Beer Friday: Crown Valley's Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout

By Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone, it's finally starting to feel like Fall for more than a day at a time, and as everyone knows, Fall means pumpkin EVERYTHING.  Beer has never been an exception to this trend, as pumpkin beers have been popping up ever since craft beer started its renaissance.  Generally I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin beers, but most are lighter styles with bland pumpkin seasonings... not the case with this offering from Crown Valley.

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling is located in rural southeast Missouri, in an area known primarily for wineries.  They produce a range of flagship beers and ciders, in addition to seasonal and high abv beers.  I very rarely see their flagship beers in our market, but occasionally spot the ciders and every year their Imperial Pumpkin Smash Stout hits shelves.  This beer is a high-abv imperial stout base, with 10.6% alcohol and 48 IBU.  It's loaded with rich dark malts and balanced out with some noble hops as well as Chinook which is known for a piney character.  

Crown Valley's Imperial Pumpkin Smash

The beer (a fresh 2018 version) pours a dark chocolate color, as an imperial stout should, with a lighter than expected head but great retention.  The nose is a combination of bitter roasted coffee notes, sweeter chocolate malt notes, and an undeniable pumpkin flavor blended with the spices always associated with pumpkin desserts.  The taste is a beautiful follow through on the nose, with complex malt flavors that work extremely well with the pumpkin and spice.  My favorite thing about this beer is that it still tastes like an imperial stout with pumpkin on top rather than it tasting like I'm drinking a glass of pumpkin pie.  

This remains one of my favorite pumpkin beers alongside the Saint Arnold Pumpkinator, and I'll almost certainly be buying some more before the season is over.  Cheers! 

Atmosphere Makes for a Memorable Meal at Houmas House

by Sydney Blanchard

What makes for a great meal?

I'm sure anyone you ask will answer this question differently,  but I'd argue many favorite food memories have less to do with what was served and more to do with the people sharing the meal. 

It might be the Southerner in me speaking, but few things beat a meal blanketed by the warm shroud of friendly conversation and banter.

Back in September, the Bite and Booze team (with the delightful addition of Rue Rusike) had the opportunity to dine at one of the finest restaurants in the area with Houmas House owner Kevin Kelly.

Latil's Landing is situated on the Houmas House Plantation grounds, both a tourism hotspot and highly coveted wedding and event venue. 

Executive chef Andrew Foster, Jr.'s menu is ambitious, flavorful, and it tastes like home. They're doing something that feels really special at Houmas House.

We started off the evening with appetizers. I had the crispy pork belly covered in Houmas House honey. The crispy, salty pork was complimented by the honey with perfect subtlety. 

Crispy pork belly with Houmas House Beehive honey

Next came the scallop and foie gras "sandwich." Seared foie gras nested between two rosemary seasoned scallops. Generally scallops are not my favorite, but the corn coulis made all the difference. 

Scallop and foie gras sandwich

For the soup course, we had the famous crawfish, corn, and curried pumpkin bisque. This, to me, was the highlight of the meal. The pumpkin worked well with the spicy, salty crawfish tails. This is something I would love to try to recreate at home. 

Curried pumpkin bisque with crawfish and corn

Onto the beets, Blair's favorite root vegetable (and one of mine). The salad was composed of jumbo lump crab meat tossed with a lemon basil dressing with sweet roasted beets and organic greens. I found the crab and beet combination a bit weird, but in a delicious way.

Roasted beet and crab salad

If there's anything Latil's Landing is great at, it's pretty plating. All of the entrees and event the desserts featured a pop of color courtesy of an orchid flower. I opted for the grilled, butter basted filet mignon with parmesan potatoes, Burgundy mushrooms, and Abita root beer demi-glace. It was as tasty as it was gorgeous.

Filet mignon at Latil's Landing

Last, though thoroughly stuffed, we indulged in dessert. For me, that meant chocolate bourbon cake with coffee bourbon syrup. How could I say no?

Chocolate bourbon cake

Sure, the Latin's Landing dinner we shared was a culinary delight, but taking the time to enjoy a meal with friends is the real pleasure. If you haven't toured the neatly manicured grounds at Houmas House, sipped cocktails at The Carriage House, or dined at Latil's Landing, you're missing out!

Get Your Slurp On: Soupspiration in Baton Rouge

by Sydney Blanchard

Baton Rougeans: what have we done to deserve this? Who have we displeased? 

Because I am 1000% done with this weather.

I want to run errands without worrying about my car turning into a boat. I'd like to leave my house without getting soaked to the bone. Ideally, it would be cool if people could stop getting into wrecks.

Really, I've only come to one conclusion here. We all need to just stay in and sleep. Skip work, play hooky from school, and binge watch the newest season of Hemlock Grove.

We're not going to judge you.

Here's some local soupspiration to either fantasize about, try to recreate at home, or heck, have GoButler deliver it straight to your door.

Lemongrass Soup at Thai Kitchen

This soup is guaranteed to get your sinuses right. Trust me.

Pho at Dang's

By now, you should be aware of our obsession with Dang's. They're even using this blog post as their listed website on Facebook.

Black Bean Soup at MJ's Cafe

Since we all just found out that red meat is "carcinogenic" to human, I figured I'd include a vegetarian option for those of us affected by the new Red Scare.

Duck and Andouille Gumbo at The Chimes

No one makes gumbo as well as my grandma, but The Chimes is a pretty close second. 

Curried Pumpkin Bisque at Latil's Landing

This curry, pumpkin, and crawfish blend is both seasonal and life-affirming.

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.

Sipping on Spookiness: Blind Tasting Seasonal Pumpkin Beers

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

Fall was once my least favorite time of the year. Following the freedom of the summer months where the smell of chlorine permeates the air and snowballs abound, fall was an unfriendly reminder that school would soon be back in session.

Trapped within the physical and metaphorical walls of academia, I could never fully appreciate the way the beginning of falls feels on bare legs and arms during Louisiana's slow but steady march to cooler weather. I never noticed the color of the sky change or the days shortening or the browning of the leaves.

History and literature and geography ruled my world. I was more focused on stuffing information inside my brain than shoving myself outside my apartment.

Now that I've graduated, for the first time in my memory, I will fully embrace fall and all that comes with it: chunky-knit sweaters, Halloween playlists, and pumpkin-spiced everything.

Blair and I are no strangers to the PSL, but we figured a better way to start October would be to blindly taste and rate a number of pumpkin beers. We had Jay wander over to Calandro's to pick up a mixed six-pack of pumpkin brews for us to review.

We ranked each beer on a scale from one to five pumpkins.


STAY SPOOKY, FRIENDS.

[DOOT DOOT]

Legend:

One pumpkin: If somebody bought it for you, you wouldn't drink it.

Two pumpkins: You would drink it if it was free, but under no other circumstances.

Three pumpkins: You'd appreciate it if a friend bought it for you, but you wouldn't buy it yourself.

Four pumpkins: You'd buy this beer and happily drink it. It's worth the money you paid for it.

Five pumpkins: You'd buy this beer for a friend and sing its praises.

Imperial Pumpkin Smash, Crown Valley Brewing

"Bitter, I hate it. It smells like pumpkin pie, but it tastes like black coffee. Roast-y." – Sydney

"It almost tastes like a pumpkin car bomb. I love it." – Blair

Blair: 5/5
Sydney: 2/5
Average: 3.5/5

Pumpkinfest, Terrapin Beer Company

"It smells like cider and cinnamon, but tastes like PBR. Needs more pumpkin." – Sydney

"I get a lot of fall spices. I'm into it." – Blair

Sydney: 3
Blair: 3
Average: 3

Black O'Lantern, Wasatch Brewery

"This is super dark. It smells creamy and smoky, like coffee. Great beer, but I don't taste any pumpkin, which is like, one of my requirements when it comes to pumpkin beer. Could be great in chili, though." – Sydney

"Yeah, I can't really taste pumpkin. It's a little disappointing." – Blair

Sydney: 4/5
Blair: 3/5
Average: 3.5/5

Pumpkinhead, Shipyard Brewing Company

"Oh, this is very light. I definitely smell pumpkin, cider, apples. It tastes like cheap beer." – Sydney

"I get some fall flavors and spices, but it's bready at the end. Not getting any pumpkin vibes." – Blair

Sydney: 1/5
Blair: 1/5
Average: 1/5

Pumking, Southern Tier Brewing Company

"Wow, that's a very intense pumpkin smell. So far this is the only one that actually tastes pumpkin-y. I'm pleasantly surprised." – Sydney

"That's pumpkin candle smell. This is like, a Bath and Body Works candle. It's sweet." – Blair

Sydney: 5/5
Blair: 3/5
Average: 4

Age Old Pumpkin Stout, Crooked Letter Brewing Company

"This smells like dark chocolate and a PSL. Wait, a dark chocolate PSL would be really good. It tastes like real pumpkin and coffee." – Sydney

"It tastes like the guts of a pumpkin. In a good way." – Blair

Sydney: 4/5
Blair: 4/5
Average: 4/5

The Final Verdict

In the end, it was a toss up between the Pumking and the Age Old Pumpkin Stout. Next came the tie between the Imperial Pumpkin Smash and Black O'Lantern. Third place went to Pumpkinfest, and dead last came Pumpkinhead.

Would your ranking match ours?

Chile: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

It's time for another stop along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Like most South American countries, Chile (playing the Netherlands at 11am CDT) has a culinary culture that feeds off of the land. Both coastal and agricultural, their foods typically consist of shellfish, beef, and exotic game like llama. They are also big on empanadas and sopaipillas. Let's take a look at the special Chilean sopaipilla and their version of the sangria, the Borgoña!

Photo Credit: southamericanfood.about.com

Sopaipillas are both a sweet treat and an everyday grab and go street food in most South American countries. You may be used to fluffy cinnamon pastries drizzled with honey, but in Chile they put pumpkin in their dough and are more like fritters. The pumpkin gives the dough a natural sweetness and brings a thickness to the texture. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Photo Credit: thelatinkitchen.com

Sangria is a crowd pleaser, no matter where you're from! In Chile, Borgoña is served in massive pitchers for everyone around the table to enjoy. Simple and delicious, Borgoña is usually prepared with sliced strawberries or peaches macerated in sugar and mid-low level white wine (usually a sauvignon blanc). This is an extremely refreshing cocktail to be consumed during any gathering. Grab some local fresh fruit and get after it!

BR Foodies Visit Latil's Landing at Houmas House

A group of Baton Rouge Foodies, proudly known quite simply as the BRFoodies, recently made a trip to Burnside and the famous Houmas House Plantation.  The historic house on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi is a thriving tourist and filming destination (including recent episodes of Bravo's Top Chef and Wheel of Fortune) with a Southern charm and beautiful gardens throughout the grounds.  My good friends Paul and Courtney got married at Houmas House and I got a complete tour after the Baton Rouge Socials Media Association's Coastal Social Conference last Fall, but this trip was for a different reason: FOOD!

L to R: Jeremy, Jay, Meghan, Brent, Kelly, Christina, Olivia, Josh and Nick at Houmas House

Our group met Jesse Lambert at the Turtle Bar to begin the evening with a couple cocktails.  Jesse works in marketing for the plantation and graciously offered to meet up with us and talk about the property.  The Turtle Bar sits in one of the twin Garconniere on the property which creates a really unique and historical watering hole.  From there were were off to Latil's Landing Restaurant in the old French House to find our table and start our feast. 

On the second floor of the plantation we found our beautifully set dining table in a private room.  Jesse stayed for dinner and we were also joined by the plantation's owner, Kevin Kelly.  Kevin, a New Orleans native, bought the home in 2003 and restored it to its luxurious yet preserved 1840's roots.  As great as the house and gardens are, and with all of the historical artifacts and relics around the home, Kevin seems to take equal pride in the cuisine that is served at his restaurant.  He told us that before Latil's Landing opened he would routinely find himself returning to New Orleans for dinner.  When he hired Executive Chef Jeremy Langlois to run the restaurant, all of that changed.  He now had a place in Burnside to dine, and it happened to be right outside his bedroom!

Our meal began with an amuse bouche to whet the appetite.  The cucumber and salmon tart refreshed our mouths and got us ready for more gluttonous glory.  The table was also spread with three types of bread and three different house-infused butters including one with fresh honey from the beehives at the plantation!    

Immediately following the very light salmon cucumber came a much heavier crab and mango cake.  The plentiful lump crab meat was sauteed and served with a gorgeously decorated chipotle remoulade sauce.  With the addition of the mango, the crab cake tasted simply sensational.  One of the most popular lunch dishes at Houmas House is the Crab and Mango Cake Salad, and it is quite easy to see why!   

The soup course featured a Latil's Landing specialty: a bisque of curried pumpkin, crawfish, and corn. The soup had a great flavor with a balance of sweetness and spiciness.  The pumpkin and curry tastes were bold and delightful while the crawfish and corn brought it back towards a Cajun bisque that we all know and love.   

For a third course, Sous Chef Bryan Duck delivered a Cosmopolitan Sorbet.  Meant to serve as a palate cleanser before the main entree, the sorbet delivered a little punch of refreshment.  The cranberry heavy sorbet received a little extra encouragement from a shot of orange Grey Goose vodka.  With the pre-dinner cocktails and the constant pours of wine, this sorbet was exactly what I needed to keep the night moving right along!

The duel entree came out to our table and our entire BRFoodie group gasped.  We had already been over-fed, but then we laid our eyes on the lamb and lobster and knew we couldn't stop eating yet.  The lobster portion featured a papaya stuffed lobster tail perched on top of Louisiana crawfish tails with a Creole tomato risotto.  It may have been one of the most inventive lobster dishes I've ever had.  Still, it had nothing on the lamb.  Not to slight the lobster, but the lamb nearly knocked my socks off!  The lamb had been marinated in Louisiana's own Community Coffee and then grilled to a succulent medium rare.  The chops were downright delicious and I was caught gnawing on the bones to get every ounce of flavor out of them!

Naturally, no meal is complete without a dessert at the end.  Latil's Landing served us their Sticky Toffee Bread Pudding to wrap up the meal.  The brown sugar and date bread pudding had a terrific texture and worked very nicely with the toffee sauce.  The blue berries and cream were a nice addition too!

But, as it would turn out, our meal didn't actually end with the bread pudding.  Sous Chef Duck came back up to our dining room with a round of praline shooters.  Chef explained that the shooters were a bit of molecular gastronomy.  It featured a dehydrated and finely ground praline mixed with salt.  When taken as a shot, the praline mixture re-hydrates with saliva and loosely sticks to your mouth leaving the flavor of a salted praline and a very unique textural sensation.  Playing with food is fun!

To cap off the evening, Kevin Kelly led us on a tour of the house and then out to the gardens.  We got an inside look at the former water cistern turned wine cellar that is stocked with an absolutely amazing selection of worldly wines.  Seriously... Mr. Kelly held nothing back when purchasing case after case of Wine Spectator's highest rated wines on the planet!

All in all, it was a great trip to Houmas House.  We had some fantastic drinks, an amazingly delicious meal, and an inside look at the home and property.  I highly suggest a trip out to the plantation whenever you get a chance.  I don't think you'll regret it!