Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Chefs, Cheese and Champagne - The Seattle Times in 60 Secondshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/20/the-seattle-times-in-60-seconds/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/20/the-seattle-times-in-60-seconds/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/20/the-seattle-times-in-60-seconds/#commentsFiled under: , ,

vegan mashed potatoes and gravy

Vegan mashed potatoes and gravy. Photo: chotda, Flickr.

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]]>beerchampagnedinner partiesgravyrestaurantsseattlethe seattle timesthe thomas street bistroturkeyUSDAEmily Farris2009-11-20T12:00:00+00:00Soups, Steakhouses and Beer Samples - The Denver Post in 60 Secondshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/05/soups-steakhouses-and-beer-samples-the-denver-post-in-60-seco/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/05/soups-steakhouses-and-beer-samples-the-denver-post-in-60-seco/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/05/soups-steakhouses-and-beer-samples-the-denver-post-in-60-seco/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

thai chicken soup

Thai chicken soup. Photo: elana's pantry, Flickr.

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]]>beerbeer festivalBeerFestivalcoloradocolorado springscoloradobeerfestivalColoradoSpringscream liqueurCreamLiqueurdenverduckfestivalsgastropubrecipesscallopsSimmsSteakhousesoupsteakthe denver postTheDenverPosttucker shawTuckerShawwynkoopbreweryEmily Farris2009-11-05T12:00:00+00:00Nectar Ales' Black Xantus - Beer of the Weekhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/26/nectar-ales-black-xantus-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/26/nectar-ales-black-xantus-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/26/nectar-ales-black-xantus-beer-of-the-week/#commentsFiled under:


Nectar Ales Black Xantus Beer

Photo: Firestone Walker
Brewing Company.

Joshua M. Bernstein has written about brews, bars and booze for Gourmet, New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times.

Sometimes you can teach an old bird new tricks.

Since 1987, California's hummingbird-themed Nectar Ales (founded by Humboldt Brewing but bought by Firestone Walker in 2004) has focused on super-quaffable session brews such as the caramel-hoppy Nectar IPA and its flagship, the full-bodied Red Nectar amber ale. These are beers that focus on flavor, not a high-proof punch that sends you sprawling.

But Nectar Ales has finally busted its low-alcohol template with its coffee-infused, bourbon-barrel-aged Black Xantus imperial stout (named after a Mexican hummingbird species). It's the brand's inaugural over-the-top, 22-ounce release.

"We have been working on this stout recipe for four years, patiently tweaking things until we were satisfied," says head brewer Matt Brynildson. "I've also spent time with the folks at Joebella Coffee, who are our local roaster. After learning about the agronomics surrounding coffee and the art of roasting, the lightbulb went on."

This hummingbird is a real heavyweight.

Fittingly, Black Xantus is a bright example of a dark, decadent imperial stout. Xantus pours the color of a coal vein, topped by a thick, tan head. The aromatics are a complex blend of freshly roasted java, bitter chocolate and toffee, with a whisper of bourbon. The creamy, if thin-bodied, taste follows suit. It flickers from chocolate brownies to espresso to dark cherries and prunes, with a warming, oaky heat (11 percent ABV) fit for stoking a stomach fire on fall nights.

Do you favor any coffee-flavored stouts? Spill some science in the comments.

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]]>alebeerBeerOfTheWeekblack xantusBlack Xantus beerBlackXantusBlackXantusBeerFirestone Walker Brewing Companynectar alesNectarAlesJoshua M. Bernstein2009-10-26T17:00:00+00:00Dieu du Ciel's Rosée d'Hibiscus - Beer of the Weekhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/dieu-du-ciels-rosee-dhibiscus-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/dieu-du-ciels-rosee-dhibiscus-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/dieu-du-ciels-rosee-dhibiscus-beer-of-the-week/#commentsFiled under:


rosee d'hibiscus
Photo: Joshua M. Bernstein.
Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and the New York Times.

It takes a strong man to wear pink. It takes an even stronger man to heft a frothy pint of pink beer, like the rare-burger-hued Rosée d'Hibiscus, from the genre-busting Canadian brewers at Dieu du Ciel! ("god of the sky").

Since 1998, these mad fermentationists have crafted head-scratching, tummy-pleasing beers like the Equinoxe du Printemps, a strong Scotch ale made with maple syrup, and the Clef des Champs, a floral rye ale flavored with heather and mugwort. Naturally, there was no way that Dieu du Ciel would make a conventional wheat beer.

One day, head brewer Jean-François Gravel was watching a TV documentary on western Africa, which included a discussion of bissap -- a tea made from an infusion of hibiscus flowers and sugar. Gravel re-created the drink at home, realizing the flower's floral profile and acidity would complement a tangy blanche (a wheat bear).
"We first brewed it as a special release for the Montreal beer festival [Mondial de la Bière] in 2006, and it was supposed to be a one-shot deal," says Stéphane Ostiguy, Dieu du Ciel's co-owner and co-founder. "During the year that followed the festival, people kept asking for this beer." So Dieu brewed it for the following festival. The response was even more enthusiastic. When the brewpub expanded in 2007, Rosée was the first beer bottled.

From first sip, the fuss makes sense. Rosée pours as pink as a teenage girl's nail polish, with a rowdy effervescence and the scents of cherries and a fully-stocked flower shop. But cut out any cloying thoughts: At just 5.5 percent ABV, Rosée is a spot-on refreshment for the Indian summer -- lightly sweet and fruity, with a dry pucker recalling the finest Berliner Weisse.

Rosée is so tasty it'll leave you feeling tickled pink.

Do you like any other wacky wheats? Spill it in the comments.

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]]>beerbeeroftheweekDieuDuCielhibiscusjoshua m bernsteinjoshuabernsteinJoshuaMBernsteinmondial de la biereMondialDeLaBieremontrealquebecRoseedHibiscusJoshua M. Bernstein2009-09-21T17:00:00+00:0010 Dirty Little Restaurant Secretshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/10-dirty-little-restaurant-secrets/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/10-dirty-little-restaurant-secrets/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/10-dirty-little-restaurant-secrets/#commentsFiled under:

dirty dishes at a diner
Photo: travelbex, Flickr.
There's a reason most restaurants keep the kitchen doors closed -- and it's not just because it's so hot back there.

It can be tough for restaurateurs to turn a profit and Slashfood has uncovered some of the ultra-dirty deeds even the best restaurants commit in order to pinch pennies.

Read on for 10 true stories about the subtle, sneaky and sometimes downright disgusting ways restaurants cheat to save a buck -- and how you might be paying the price.


10. Using Cabbage in Place of Seaweed

Says a former maître d' at an expensive Chinese restaurant known for its celebrity clientele: "The owner figured his customers knew nothing about Chinese food (he was right) and was a genius at saving money. A specialty supplier used to provide edible seaweed for the popular seaweed appetizer, but when that got too expensive the boss began experimenting.

"The 'seaweed' on the menu ended up becoming thin strips of cabbage leaf, deep-fried, and then rolled in equal amounts of salt and sugar. It's possible even cardboard would taste good if prepared like that, but the dish remained a bestseller."

9. Deep-Frying Everything

But that's not all! At the same celebrity-friendly restaurant: "In addition to the 'Chinese seaweed,' the other two most popular dishes on the menu were a 'Mongolian lamb' main course and caramelized banana dessert," the insider says.

"Often a diner would order all three, and not realize that every item was cooked in exactly the same deep-fry basket. Although the restaurant denied the lamb was fried, in fact the cabbage (ahem, 'seaweed'), lamb shank and sugared banana would all go into the same oil."

8. Substituting Top-Shelf Alcohol with Generic Booze

One of the most common scams at restaurant bars is to replace premium vodka with generic brands, subscribing to the theory that most customers can't tell the difference. (We know of one restaurant which even did that with Scotch, but experienced whiskey drinkers could often tell and the scam was not so effective.)

A New York City bartender says, "The way of doing that is to start them on the bad vodka right away. You can't sub it in once they started drinking the top shelf brands or they'll notice. But if you serve the cheap stuff from the beginning they never know."

7. Topping Pitchers of Beer with Seltzer Water

Don't think the fiddling is restricted to top-shelf liquors, either. "In sports bars that sell pitchers of beers, the thing to do is to top the pitchers off with seltzer after the table has ordered like the third one," a source says. "The drunker the guys, the more seltzer they get."

6. Refilling Pricey Bottled Waters with Tap

It turns out not all water bottles are created equal. You might already suspect that some restaurants refill water bottles with tap water, but some places turn it into an art form. "Where I worked we served Voss water because it has the easiest screw top to re-seal," a waitress says. "You can't do that with the brands that have a bottle cap."

5. Recycling Baskets of Chips

One diner at a landmark cafe in Bethlehem, Pa., reported digging in to some bagel chips and finding they contained old pineapple rinds.

"Someone else got served the chips, didn't eat them all, threw their rinds from some other dish into the basket, the waiter picked it up without looking and threw more chips on top and re-served it to us," the customer claimed on an online ratings Web site. "Yeech!"

Management didn't seem to care and the patron says "they were trying to economize their chip ration, and it was probably standard practice to re-use uneaten chips."

4. Serving Rotten Meat

A steakhouse employee in New York says that sometimes not all the meat is as fresh as it should be. "It's an old trick to keep the steak that's past its prime and wait until somebody orders it well done or medium-well," the insider says. "The more you cook the meat, the more you disguise its flavor. When I'm eating out I never order anything higher than medium rare, because I know how the kitchen gets rid of bad meat."

3. Using Fake Creamer

A former waitress at an upscale restaurant in Philadelphia reports that one of the daily duties of staff was to mix a large pot of non-dairy, powdered creamer. When coffee or tea was ordered, the small milk jugs were to be filled halfway with fake creamer, and then topped off with the more expensive real milk.

2. Serving Caffeinated Coffee as Decaf

If your body has a problem with caffeine, it might be safer to make your own coffee at home. The same Philadelphia source also reports coming back to the kitchen with a cup of regular coffee when an elderly customer had requested decaf. "The head waiter took the cup from my hand, handed it right back to me and said, 'There -- now it's decaf,'" she says.

1. Souping Up Big Ticket Items

The most shocking story came from an internationally well-known West Coast restaurant -- trust us, you've heard of this place. Part of the shtick of this very fine-dining establishment is the presentation of a truffle at the table, so that customers have the opportunity to order some (super expensive) shavings to be added to their food. But while white truffles are more expensive than black truffles, their aroma is more subtle, meaning that they make less of an impression when presented during the sales pitch. "What the staff would do is add black truffle oil, which is more pungent, to the white truffle, to give it more 'pop,'" the insider says. "It's an absolute no-no to do, especially at those prices. But who's going to know?"


Got a gross-out restaurant kitchen tale you've been dying to tell? Share it in the comments below and we'll round up the best ones for a future post.

Ben Widdicombe is a former gossip columnist for the New York Daily News and Star and can be found dishing the dirt on fashion celebs at Stylelist.com. Click here for more annoying restaurant trends.

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]]>beerben widdicombeBenWiddicombebottled waterBottledWatercabbagechipscoffeecreamdeep fryingDeepFryingdirty restaurant secretsDirtyRestaurantSecretsfeaturedrotten meatRottenMeatseaweedseltzertap waterTapWatertop shelfTopShelfBen Widdicombe2009-09-21T16:00:00+00:00Buckbean Brewing's Orange Blossom Ale - Beer of the Weekhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/14/buckbean-brewings-orange-blossom-ale-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/14/buckbean-brewings-orange-blossom-ale-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/14/buckbean-brewings-orange-blossom-ale-beer-of-the-week/#commentsFiled under: , ,


original orange blossom ale
Photo: Joshua M. Bernstein
Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times.

Too often, fruit-based beers are cloyingly sweet abominations, the beer world's equivalent of Bartles & James wine coolers. The fruits -- be they blueberries or apricots -- whip the malts into meek submission, creating little more than watery, carbonated beer smoothies.

So how do you tastefully infuse a beer with a fruit's delicious flavors? Dan Kahn had a serendipitous solution. Back in the 1990s, Kahn toiled at Riverside Brewing in Riverside, Calif., a SoCal city famous for its orange groves.

In honor of Riverside's Orange Blossom Festival, the town official contacted asked Kahn to brew a special beer. He plucked a few fistfuls of aromatic blossoms (an ingredient common to desserts and Middle-Eastern cuisine), then steeped them like tea and incorporated the concoction into a brew batch: "It wasn't like a fruit beer, where the fruit clashes with hops," Kahn says. "It added an extra characteristic that other beers just don't have."



The beer was so popular that he brought the recipe with him to Reno, Nev.'s Buckbean Brewing Company, which he co-founded in 2007 alongside Doug Booth. Thanks to brew master Kahn's creations, like the smooth, roasted Black Noddy Lager and the copper, nutty Adaven IPA, Buckbean has won a loyal following. Unsurprisingly, Buckbean's best seller is the Original Orange Blossom Ale, sold in pint cans.

Popping the tab releases a jasmine perfume, which continues to develop as you pour the orange-amber nectar into a glass. The ale drinks rich and creamy, with a smoothness owing to the Munich and caramel malts. A hint of hops brightens the beer, while the last sip leaves a Tropicana taste on your tongue.

Though we wish otherwise, it does not fulfill our daily vitamin C requirement.

Any fruit-style beers make you swoon? Spill it in the comments.

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]]>beerBuckbeanBrewingCompanyjoshuabernsteinOrangeBlossomBeerorangeblossomfestivalRiversideBrewingJoshua M. Bernstein2009-09-14T17:00:00+00:00Super Bowl Beerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/super-bowl-beer/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/super-bowl-beer/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/super-bowl-beer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Need a beer for the girl who only watches one game a year? Or how about for the guy who's only there to get hammered? These beer suggestions will get you and all your guests through the big game.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=694256&pid=694255&uts=1250801979
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Best Beer for Every Super Bowl Guest
By Mike Pomranz
Stocking appropriate beers to satisfy the diverse range of guests who may arrive at your Super Bowl party can be a quite difficult task. We hate seeing folks fumble their hosting duties, so we've assembled this guide to a variety of typical Super Bowl party guest personalities and the proper beer to have prepared for them upon their arrival should you encounter them. Game on!
Getty Images
Getty Images North America

Best Beer for Every Super Bowl Guest

    By Mike Pomranz
    Stocking appropriate beers to satisfy the diverse range of guests who may arrive at your Super Bowl party can be a quite difficult task. We hate seeing folks fumble their hosting duties, so we've assembled this guide to a variety of typical Super Bowl party guest personalities and the proper beer to have prepared for them upon their arrival should you encounter them. Game on!

    Getty Images

    The Relentless Prop Bettor
    "Who'll win the coin toss?" "I'll bet you 18-1 Larry Fitzgerald will have between 151 - 160 receiving yards, but if he gets injured the bet is off!" If comments like these keep ringing in your ears, it's likely the guy standing next to you is an inveterate gambler. It's possible he might work himself into such a frenzy he'll pass out after losing all his money when the second quarter total isn't under 13 and a hook, but most likely, beer will fuel this guy well into the evening, even after the game is over. Have some Lionshead, Lone Star or Mickey's bottles on hand, all of which have puzzles under their caps. Seeing who can solve these the fastest will create some fun betting action during halftime and beyond.

    The Guy Who's Only In It For the Commercials
    There's one in every crowd. Keep an eye out for the guy wearing team paraphernalia for a team who didn't make the big game, or look for the guy who's working the dip bowl during the first big fourth and inches play. But as soon as the zebras call a TV timeout, this guy's glued to the screen. Keep a couple of Miller Lites around for him. It's not that he really drinks beer, but he's got a "Tastes great, less filling!" line locked and loaded for you. All you have to do is toss him that can.

    text

    The Guy Who's Only In It For the Drinking
    He'll be easy to spot; just look for the guy wearing a T shirt with a beer logo that has been co-opted to promote his fraternity's spring fling. He's gonna guzzle up a case of whatever you've got, so make sure to stock a 30 pack of something cheap and mass-market. Milwaukee's Best or Natural Light should be right up his alley and keep him away from your good stuff. Don't worry if you buy too much, because he'll take your extras home for you.

    text

    The Confused Non-American
    Perhaps your British coworker Charlie overheard your party plans for viewing the biggest football game of the year. Charlie assures you he is a huge football fan and invites himself over after inquiring upon whose "pitch" they'll be playing the "match." Odds are this outspoken Englishman will have more than his fair share of questions and complaints about "American football." Make sure to have some pub lagers well stocked -- preferably in 16 oz. cans -- to keep this guest properly elephant trunk. (That means drunk, to us non-Cockneys.) Some Stella Artois or Kronenbourg should do the trick.

    The Living Room Color Commentator
    It took us over 20 years to finally get Joe Theismann off the air, and now you have this jerk making witless comments after every play. Your only refuge -- get this guy so well lubricated he decides to take a nap. But you'll be riding a fine line -- if he doesn't chill out, that extra alcohol will just feed into the volume and inanity of his blather. Get something really strong. Any barley wine or Belgian Trappist-style ale should do the trick but Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot (clocking in at 11% ABV) seems exceedingly appropriate, providing a subtle hint to boot.

    The Top Secret Arch-Nemesis
    He'll find his way in. Sure, he wasn't invited, but he's a friend of a friend, and he's just arrogant enough to think he's welcome anywhere. That's why you hate him so much to begin with. While you're actually interested in the game, he's over in the corner making a move on your girl. As you're keeping an eye on his moves, you just missed the huge third down conversion. I hate that guy! Get your revenge. Keep a six-pack of Michelob Ultra around. Tell him, "Chicks dig guys who drink this stuff. It makes them look healthy and athletic." He's just dumb enough to believe it. Now he's the laughing stock of the party.

    text

    The "Only-Hangs-Out-With-You-For-One-Game-A-Year" High School Friend / College Buddy
    The Super Bowl is rich with ritual and tradition. Even where and with whom you watch it can be habits that are hard to break. Maybe the Super Bowl is the only time of year you get to hang out with your old college buddy who's always trying to one-up you with his fancy finance job while you're still stuck doing frustratingly unfunny beer write-ups. Here's your trick to pull one over on him this year -- offer him a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. He'll surely call it an "Enjoyable, if somewhat pedestrian craft beer selection," which is when you reply, "Oh, I only save those for the non-discriminating beer drinkers" and whip out a Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA for yourself. Gotcha!

    text

    The Undercover First Date
    Inviting that special girl you've had your eye on to your Super Bowl get-together is a great casual way to sneak in that "undercover first date." She'll never know what hit her. And here's the trick -- when you first see her making a move towards the keg, loudly pronounce, "Oh! You don't want to be drinking swill from the same tap as the rest of these drunken losers!" Then, lead the young lady into the kitchen and say, "This should suit you better. It's my personal stash of Love Stout from Yards Brewing Company." Then give her the most seductive wink of your life. It's a surefire winner.

    The Girl Who Only Watches One Game A Year
    Let's face it: Any woman who catches only one football game a year probably isn't a fan of testosterone-fueled keg fests. Sure, she might love to drink, and maybe American macro-brews are even her standard suds. But for an event like this, she'll probably just want to distance herself from the whole ordeal. To satiate her ladylike side, make sure to keep some fruity and refreshing lambics on ice; a Lindeman's Framboise will do perfectly. The classy Belgian fruit beer will get her comfy enough to handle any forthcoming football antics, while openly airing her general disdain for such beer-brained ridiculousness in the process.

    text

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]]>beerbeersbudweisercoorscoors beercoors lightCoorsBeerCoorsLightiron city breweryIronCityBrewerykronenbourglionsheadmichelobultramiller high lifemiller liteMillerHighLifeMillerLiteodoulsstella artoisStellaArtoissuper bowlsuper bowl beerSuperBowlSuperBowlBeertaste testTasteTestSlashfood Editor2009-09-01T16:59:00+00:00Beer Triviahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/beer-trivia/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/beer-trivia/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/beer-trivia/#commentsFiled under: ,

Test your knowledge of beer, whether domestic or imported with Slashfood's beer quiz.

Beer Trivia

Now retired, which is the world's strongest beer?

  • Dogfish's 'Raison D'extra'
  • Hair of the Dog's 'Dave'
  • Samuel Adams' 'Triple Bock'
  • Lijiang Yinjiu

True or False: Beer is the most popular beverage in the world.

  • True
  • False

Which country has the most individual beer brands?

  • Mexico
  • USA
  • Belgium
  • Germany

Who was the first American to brew lager?

  • John Wagner
  • Sam Adams
  • John Miller
  • August Busch

Which is the fear of an empty glass?

  • Ophidiophobia
  • Cenosillicaphobia
  • Hydrophobia
  • Chemophobia

How long did Prohibition last?

  • 12 years, 2 months, 4 days
  • 15 years, 5 months, 5 days
  • 14 years, 10 months, 21 days
  • 13 years, 10 months, 19 days

Which is the best-selling brand in the Western Hemisphere outside of the United States?

  • Brahma Beer
  • Corona
  • Red Stripe
  • Cerveza Cantina

Which brewer ran an ad campaign that claimed its beer was 'Good For You'?

  • Miller
  • Guinness
  • Busch
  • Heineken

Which brew is known as 'The Champagne of Bottled Beers'?

  • Budweiser
  • Coors
  • Corona Extra
  • Miller High Life

Red Stripe is the national beer of which country?

  • Honduras
  • Jamaica
  • Cuba
  • Puerto Rico

To whom did Anheuser-Busch send the first case of Budweiser beer produced after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933?

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • Herbert Hoover
  • Harry S. Truman
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower

Which city gives its name to the lightest, palest styles of lager?

  • Bavaria
  • Munich
  • Plzeň
  • Bohemia

Which is the most popular style of beer consumed in the world?

  • Ale
  • Stout
  • Pilsner
  • Lager

In Great Britain alone, what is the estimated amount of beer lost in people's mustaches and beards each year?

  • 24,502 gallons
  • 15,423 gallons
  • 23,116 gallons
  • 19,683 gallons

Women account for which percentage of beer consumption in the USA?

  • 15
  • 25
  • 50
  • 60

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]]>alebeerbrewbrewerybudweiserlagerpilsnerred stripeRedStripestoutSlashfood Editor2009-09-01T16:54:00+00:00What's On Tap, Birmingham - The J. Clydehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/26/whats-on-cask-birmingham-the-j-clyde/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/26/whats-on-cask-birmingham-the-j-clyde/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/26/whats-on-cask-birmingham-the-j-clyde/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The J. Clyde Hot Rock Tavern and Alehouse
Image: jclyde.com
A weekly look at the draft selections in beer-friendly establishments across the country.

This week's column could be more accurately called "What's on Cask." Why? Well, there are three types of beer drinkers in the world: people who love cask ale, people who hate cask ale, and people who have never tried cask ale. In America, the third group is by far the largest. One reason is that cask-conditioned beer can be nearly impossible to find here in the States.

In England, any good pub has at least a couple beer engines serving ales the way nature intended: unfiltered, with natural carbonation, and at cellar temperature (instead of being cooled by refrigeration). Though many Yanks' distaste for the cask comes from the stereotype that Brits enjoy warm beer, these cask brews actually allow for an entirely different drinking experience, bringing out nuanced flavors that are otherwise concealed at lower temperatures and with additional gas.

No surprise, then, that Birmingham, Alabama's the J. Clyde prides itself on being "the only place in Alabama to currently serve cask-conditioned ales." In fact, every Friday is "Cask Friday," featuring a new real ale each week alongside their regular draft selection. This past Friday, they unfurled two new firkins (a fancy word for a cask): Good People Pale Ale and Great Divide Titan IPA. As the bar proclaims on their blog, "Got to get these hoppy beers tapped before they lose their mojo!" The Good People Brewery is located right in Birmingham, so it oughtta be extra fresh.

Though only having two brews in this week's What's On Tap post may be unprecedented, think of it this way: It's one small step for cask ale, one giant leap for beer-kind!

Are there cask beers at the bars near you? Do you wish these ales were easier to find or are you happy to leave cask brews to the Brits?

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]]>alabamabeerbirminghambirmingham albirmingham alabamacaskcask alecask brewCaskBrewgood people pale aleGoodPeoplePaleAlegreat divide titan IPAGreatDivideTitanIpaj clydej. clydethe j. clydewhats on caskwhats on tapWhatsOnCaskWhatsOnTapMike Pomranz2009-08-26T11:00:00+00:00Zotten - Beer of the Weekhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/24/weyerbacher-zotten-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/24/weyerbacher-zotten-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/24/weyerbacher-zotten-beer-of-the-week/#commentsFiled under:


beer
Zotten Belgian-style pale ale.
Photo: Jenene Chesbrough
Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times.

Belgium Tripel fans dig burly, nuanced brews cut with candy sweetness. American pale acolytes savor smooth ales with a hoppy edge. The suds' styles are as different as cats and dogs, but Pennsylvania's Weyerbacher brewing has unleashed a hybrid that could cause both beer-loving camps to drool.

For its latest summer seasonal, Zotten (rhymes with verboten), Weyerbacher has taken a super-drinkable (why hello, 6 percent ABV) American pale ale and given it a Belgian tweak via the abbey-yeast strain employed in the brewery's medal-winning Merry Monks' Tripel.

But don't mistake the bottle-conditioned Zotten (Flemish for fools) for a chug-a-lug pilsner or lily-livered lager. Zotten slips from the bottle a glowing rusty orange, perfumed with a bloom of tropical fruit, Bubble Yum sweetness and enough pungent hops to imitate an IPA. Surprisingly, Weyerbacher's liquid magicians keep rampant bitterness at bay. The hops provide a springboard for Zotten's rich flavor constellation of pepper, coriander and yeasty bread, before closing clean and crisp with a lingering spicy bite.

The Belgian ale. The American pale. Two great tastes that taste great together.

What's your favorite hybrid beer? Spread some liquid gospel in the comments.

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]]>beerbeer of the weekBeerOfTheWeekbelgian beerbelgian tripelbelgian-style aleBelgian-styleAleBelgianBeerBelgianTripeljoshua m bernsteinJoshuaMBernsteinweyerbacher brewingWeyerbacherBrewingzottenJoshua M. Bernstein2009-08-24T16:00:00+00:00Facebook, Twitter and Raging Foodieshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/20/facebook-twitter-and-raging-foodies/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/20/facebook-twitter-and-raging-foodies/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/20/facebook-twitter-and-raging-foodies/#commentsFiled under: ,

Facebook and Twitter logos
Logos courtesy of Facebook and Twitter
With the advent of Facebook and Twitter, everyone's a critic. Both social-networking sites are littered with "Just ate this -- amazing!" and "Just drank that -- delicious!"

Spreading opinions across the globe is easier than ever nowadays. But those posting bold proclamations in status updates -- such as declaring Heineken "quite possibly the best-tasting beer ever" -- shouldn't be surprised if they draw the (to our minds, hilarious) ire of a raging foodie, as this poor Facebook user did.

Although entering a "best beer" battle with a Heineken in hand may be the culinary equivalent of attempting to slice up a sirloin steak with a plastic knife, social-networking sites certainly do offer up a great new forum to wage culinary warfare. Just be careful what you type: This ain't your grandmother's dinner table.

Nowadays, the whole world could be watching. What if that cute girl from the laundromat Googles you and finds your deepest, bubbliest, Heineken-filled thoughts? We shudder at the notion. Still, the debate is half the fun. What's the one beer you'd go to battle for? Comment if we missed it.

[via Reddit]

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]]>beerbest beersbest tasting beerFacebookheinekensocial networkingstatus updatestwitterMike Pomranz2009-08-20T14:00:00+00:00Muslim Model to Be Caned for Drinking Beerhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/19/muslim-model-to-be-caned-for-drinking-beer/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/19/muslim-model-to-be-caned-for-drinking-beer/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/19/muslim-model-to-be-caned-for-drinking-beer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

beer
Photo: pixelens/Flickr.
When a Malaysian night club was busted and 32-year-old Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was caught with a beer, she knew she was in trouble. Not because alcohol is illegal in the country -- it's not -- but because Kartika is a Muslim.

Under Sharia law -- which regulates the day-to-day life of Muslims, including politics, business, sexuality and hygiene -- consuming alcohol is a major offense. Though non-Muslim in Malaysia would be prosecuted under civil law, Kartika had to face Islamic courts.

"I accept the punishment," she said, according to a Daily Telegraph report. "I am not afraid because I was ready to be punished from day one. [The authorities] hope to use my case as a way to educate Muslims. So go ahead. I want to move on with my life."

While she did break a law, the punishment is far different from those most alcohol offenders receive: fines. In this case, prosecutor Saiful Idham Sahimi decided to make an example of the part-time model. Kartika will be -- according to Saiful -- the first woman to be caned under Islamic law, and could spend up to a week in a women's prison where the caning will take place.

So why the extreme punishment? According to Saiful this is an attempt to "educate" rather than punish, and the rattan cane used on Kartika will be lighter than the one used on men.

Tell us what you think about the caning in the poll and the comments below.

Is being caned for drinking a beer fair punishment?



[Via Daily Telegraph, MSNBC]

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]]>beerdrinkingillegalislamislamic lawIslamicLawlawlegalmalaysiamalaysianmuslimmuslim lawShariaEmily Farris2009-08-19T16:00:00+00:00Les Trois Mousquetaires' Blanche - Beer of the Weekhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/17/les-trois-mousquetaires-blanche-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/17/les-trois-mousquetaires-blanche-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/17/les-trois-mousquetaires-blanche-beer-of-the-week/#commentsFiled under:

beer
Les Trois Mousquetaires Blanche. Photo: Les Trois Mousquetaires.
Joshua M. Bernstein, Gourmet.com's beer columnist, has written about brews, bars and booze for New York Magazine, Time Out New York, ForbesTraveler.com and The New York Times.

With much of the country smothered by a hot, damp quilt of humidity, drinkers need a brew suited for combating the unrepentant sun. While mowing-the-lawn beers like the Brothers Light (Bud and Coors, that is) may slake thirst, they're like fizzy tap water. A finer alternative is the flavorful German Hefeweizen.

Classically, the cloudy, unfiltered ale (examples include Jolly Pumpkin's sour Weizen Bam and the classic Schneider Weisse) possesses heaps of wheat, creating a lively beverage with a banana aroma and tangy edge.

"When I'm looking for the perfect thirst-quencher, I want a beer with a light body without being watery," says Jonathan Lafortune, the president and brewmaster behind Quebec's Les Trois Mousquetaires."[I like a] beer with a slight acidity that gives me a refreshing sensation and a little bit of spice."

That's Blanche to a tee.
Starting with Canadian malt and German wheat, Lafortune dumps in heaps of German hops and a dose of Weizen yeast. The result (a way quaffable 5 percent ABV) pours pale yellow and bubbly as seltzer, with a scent reminiscent of fresh-baked banana bread. Tastewise, the Blanche is light and zesty, with a twang of sour bitterness and carbonation as energetic as first-graders bouncing around a playground.

For your taste buds, it's as refreshing as a plunge in a swimming pool.

What Hefes are good when you're hot? Spill 'em in the comments.

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]]>beerbeer of the weekBeerOfTheWeekhefeweizenjolly pumpkinJollyPumpkinjoshua bernsteinjoshua m bernsteinJoshuaBernsteinJoshuaMBernsteinles trois mousquetairesLesTroisMousquetairesJoshua M. Bernstein2009-08-17T11:00:00+00:00Victory Brewing's WildDevil Ale - Beer of the Week http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/10/victory-brewings-wilddevil-ale-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/10/victory-brewings-wilddevil-ale-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/10/victory-brewings-wilddevil-ale-beer-of-the-week/#comments
wild devil
Wild Devil Ale.
Photo: Victory Brewing.
No matter what sci-fi flicks tell us, it's tough to alter a human's DNA. But changing the makeup of a beer's requires no mad scientist. Just look at the Devil.

For years, one of the top sellers for Downingtown, Pa.'s Victory Brewing has been HopDevil Ale, a forcefully floral India pale ale with a smack of malt sweetness. It's pleasure by the pint. Instead of toeing the status quo, Victory's brewers tweaked the HopDevil formula by incorporating a batch of virulent Brettanomyces yeast.

Left unchecked, the wild yeast wreaks havoc on beer, turning brews funky and sour. If handled correctly, on the other hand, it results in nuanced flavors (for tasty examples, sample California's Lost Abbey or Russian River Brewing).

"We were nervous of [the loyal HopDevil] audience's reaction to WildDevil," Victory cofounder Bill Covaleski has reportedly admitted.

He need not worry. After releasing the 750 ml bottle's metal cage and popping the cork, the WildDevil (6.7 percent ABV) pours fast and fizzy: Go slow, or you'll get a glass full of foam. The citrusy hop aroma is muted by a ripe blanket of earth, hay and a touch of fruit tossed in for fun. The taste pinballs from brown sugar to pine to sour cherry -- the spicy hops riding back-seat before finishing tart -- and is dry and super-drinkable, proving the Devil is indeed in the details.

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]]>beerbeer of the weekBeerOfTheWeekjoshua m bernsteinJoshuaMBernsteinvictoryvictory brewingVictoryBrewingwild devilWildDevilJoshua M. Bernstein2009-08-10T17:00:00+00:00Cheesesteak, 'Freakies' and Slices - The Philadelphia Inquirer in 60 Secondshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/30/cheering-for-cheesesteak-the-philadelphia-inquirer-in-60-secon/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/30/cheering-for-cheesesteak-the-philadelphia-inquirer-in-60-secon/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/30/cheering-for-cheesesteak-the-philadelphia-inquirer-in-60-secon/#commentsFiled under:

cheesesteak
Philly cheesesteak. Photo: SauceSupreme, Flickr
  • Haute chef Georges Perrier and his eatery Le Bec-Fin are put to the cheesesteak test by author/ expert Carolyn Wyman.
  • The delicious discovery of "Freakies" -- misshapen donut rejects stuffed in a paper bag.
  • Four cities to hit for brewskis -- Cooperstown, N.Y., San Diego, Calif., Milwaukee, Wis., and Rehoboth Beach, Del.
  • The Inquirer offers a whole slew of culinary-themed reads for hitting the beach.
  • Restaurants band together to fight a new Liquor Control Board plan to start opening wine boutiques in gourmet grocery stores.
  • South Philly is getting a pizza SliCE come mid-August.
  • Côtes du Rhone is the generic red for the vin on a budget.
  • People might love cheap food when times are tight, but food carts are feeling the sting of the economy too.
  • M Restaurant, part of the Morris House Hotel, offers a menu prime for post-work snacking, plus other restaurant spots from Sycamore to Cafe Fresko.
  • Recipes: Lemon Yogurt Poppy Seed Loaf, Grilled Zucchini and Halloumi Salad

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]]>beercheesesteakfood booksFoodBooksfreakiesThe Philadelphia InquirerThePhiladelphiaInquirerMonika Bartyzel2009-07-30T12:00:00+00:00Beer of the Week - Oskar Blues' Mama's Little Yella Pilshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/13/beer-of-the-week-oskar-blues-mamas-little-yella-pils/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/13/beer-of-the-week-oskar-blues-mamas-little-yella-pils/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/13/beer-of-the-week-oskar-blues-mamas-little-yella-pils/#commentsFiled under:

Yella beer
Mama's Little Yella Pils
Photo: Oscar Blues.
Crisp, floral Czech pilsners can typically lord their pedigree over their American counterparts -- the champagne to most stateside macro-breweries' bathwater (Miller Lite calls itself a "true pilsner beer.")

"Mass-market pilsners are liquid Muzak," says Marty Jones, the "lead singer and idea man" for Lyons, Colorado's Oskar Blues. To rebut the bland, watery brews littering the marketplace, Oskar Blues -- the first microbrewery to can craft beer -- has unveiled Mama's Little Yella Pils. "We're restoring a little honor to the concept," Jones says of Mama's, which re-creates a classic Czech pilsner with American craft-beer flair.

Instead of relying on cheap adjuncts like rice or corn, Mama's is constructed with 100 percent malt and a generous dose of spicy Saaz hops. But brewing a pilsner is an exercise in restrained elegance, unlike brutish IPAs and boozy stouts potent enough to incapacitate Paul Bunyan.
Merrily, Mama's nails pilsners' narrow sweet spot.

The canned concoction decants the color of a blazing midday sun, with bubbles racing breakneck to the sudsy white head. The nose is a clean whiff of lemon and fresh-cut grass, while the creamy, full-bodied flavor of biscuits and malt leads to a prickly bitter conclusion. It's pure thirst-quenching pleasure, an uncommonly elegant session beer (just 5.3 percent ABV) fit for summer-afternoon imbibing.

Mama's is definitely not your Daddy's pilsner.

Any pilsners make your heart thump? Spill it in the comments.

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]]>beerbeer of the weekBeerOfTheWeekczechczech republicCzechRepublicjoshua m bernsteinJoshuaMBernsteinmamas little yella pilsMamasLittleYellaPilsoskar bluesOskarBluespilsnerJoshua M. Bernstein2009-07-13T15:00:00+00:00Beer Gets Unfair Rap for Bellies, Study Findshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/08/beer-gets-unfair-rap-for-bellies-study-finds/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/08/beer-gets-unfair-rap-for-bellies-study-finds/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/08/beer-gets-unfair-rap-for-bellies-study-finds/#commentsFiled under: ,

beer belly
Beer and belly. Photo: Paul Keleher, Flickr
From the UK comes excellent news for beer drinkers -- and their bellies: According to the results of a new study, beer bellies are caused by genetics, not beer.

After tracking 7,876 men and 12,749 women over the course of eight and a half years, a group of German and Swedish researchers discovered that while regular drinkers -- especially those who consumed the equivalent of two pints a day -- were more likely to gain weight overall, that weight did not necessarily accumulate in the abdominal region. The scientists concluded that while "beer consumption seems to be rather associated with an increase in overall body fatness," evidence of more "site-specific" weight gain was limited. Somewhat unsurprisingly, given its pivotal role in most weighty matters, genetics was the real culprit.

The news couldn't have come at a better time, i.e summer, when hot days call out for cold brews and beer aficionados seek sweet relief in air-conditioned bars across the country. It's possibly the best news since, oh, last week, when New York City declared July Good Beer Month, and will doubtless inspire countless toasts made over frosty mugs held high.

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]]>beerbeer bellyBeerBellysciencestudyRebecca Flint Marx2009-07-08T11:00:00+00:00'Beer Y'all' - A Rock and Roll Road Trip Across North Carolinahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/22/beer-yall-a-rock-and-roll-road-trip-across-north-carolina/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/22/beer-yall-a-rock-and-roll-road-trip-across-north-carolina/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/22/beer-yall-a-rock-and-roll-road-trip-across-north-carolina/#commentsFiled under: , ,




Fret not, Southern beer drinkers: While the region's craft beer scene has gone and grown up, its fans (if a newly released documentary is any indication) show no signs of maturing.

"Beer Y'all," billed as "rock-and-roll road trip across North Carolina," follows a scruffy septet of wannabe homebrewers on a nine-day pilgrimage to 27 microbreweries across the state. Like any great epic, the film has a hero (the guy in Allegheny County who lets the travelers crash on his couch); obstacles (drunken ping-pong); encounters with inscrutable seers (brewmasters who mumble about keg conditioning) and a moral that inspired the industry crowd at last night's world premiere screening to hoist their pitchers in appreciation: Beer shouldn't be taken too seriously.

While the dudes filmmakers marvel politely at the tanks their hosts show off, they have little patience for academic discussions of wort and hops. They'd rather get drunk and watch "Lethal Weapon 2." They like to nap. It takes 48 minutes before anyone in the film mentions how the ales taste, which leaves plenty of time for backyard volleyball playin', lazy guitar pickin' and mongrel dog scratchin'. That's Southern beer, y'all.

"Beer Y'all" will be screening in parts of the Tarheel State this summer.

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]]>beerbeer yallBeerYallmovienorth carolinaNorthCarolinaroadtripHanna Raskin2009-05-22T17:00:00+00:00The Many Uses of Beer - Tip of the Dayhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/19/the-many-uses-of-beer-tip-of-the-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/19/the-many-uses-of-beer-tip-of-the-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/19/the-many-uses-of-beer-tip-of-the-day/#commentsFiled under: ,

Beer: It's not just for drinking anymore.

beerBeer lovers may scoff at the notion that their precious elixir should be used for anything other than imbibing. However, if you happen to have a bit past its prime, or a slew of bad brews left by guests of your last party, there's no need to waste it. In fact, it can be quite handy.

Gomestic suggests you use the surplus to rid yourself of a few rodents, polish wood furniture, or heal those pesky spots of brown grass. They even suggest cooking with it, though be sure not to cook with a beer that you wouldn't drink on its own. Reader's Digest also weighs in with tips that include using it for shinier hair, creating slug and snail traps and removing coffee and tea stains from rugs.

So next time you're about to chuck the suds into the trash or recycling, stop and see if you can give them second life instead.

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]]>alternate uses for beerAlternateUsesForBeerbeerbeer tipsBeerTipsMonika Bartyzel2009-05-19T09:00:00+00:00Pisgah Solstice - Beer of the Weekhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/18/pisgah-solstice-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/18/pisgah-solstice-beer-of-the-week/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/18/pisgah-solstice-beer-of-the-week/#commentsFiled under:

beerSure, North Carolina's better known for pulled pork than beer, but Black Mountain's Pisgah Brewing Company crafts liquid delicacies more divine than any swine. Since 2005, this Asheville-area microbrewery (named after a local mountain) has fashioned small-batch organic wonders, like the crisp pale ale; the smooth, obsidian-hued porter; and, to your sobriety's enduring detriment, the Solstice.

The Solstice (sold in corked 750 ml champagne bottles) is a Tripel, a Belgian ale so-called because brewers employ triple the normal malt. This makes Tripels serious knockouts, with alcohol percentages that sky into double digits-sipping (Solstice is 9.5 percent). While inelegant Tripels recall jet fuel, the best, like Solstice, finesse the boozy jolt, creating a complex potion that's dangerously delicious.
Pop the cork, and fruity, funky aromas waft forth while you fill a tulip glass with the unfiltered, honeycomb-colored elixir. No sunlight passes through this cloudy brew. While fruits dominate the nose, the Solstice rocks a spicy ginger kick that lingers on your tongue, urging another nip. It's a prospect made sweeter by, well, the Solstice's lack of cloying sweetness, a flaw that makes drinking some Tripels as appealing as sucking sugar cubes. Want more good news? This Solstice occurs year-round.

Got a favorite Tripel? Spill it in the comments section.

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]]>beerbeer of the weekBeerOfTheWeekJoshua BernsteinJoshua M BernsteinJoshuaBernsteinJoshuaMBernsteinpisgah solsticePisgahSolsticeJoshua M. Bernstein2009-05-18T15:00:00+00:00