In recent days I have had Bell’s Expedition Stout and Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout with chili. These are two very different beers, the first being an Imperial Stout, the second being a regular stout. The flavour profiles of the two beers are radically different, with the Imperial Stout, as expected, being very much richer [...]
As promised, I once had a pleasant spicy food with hoppy beer pairing. It wasn’t an IPA, but here is how it went down. It was a Brooklyn Lager, which is an American pre-prohibition-style lager–meaning it has a solid hop profile and a nice malt backbone. For a basic lager, it has all the right stuff. [...]
Continue reading about Brooklyn Lager + Chipotle-Orange Chicken BBQ
This weekend, my wife and I had our monthly date night where a neighbor with whom we swap babysitting service comes over to watch our kids while we go to dinner and a movie. After being inspired by a review by a local food blogger of a nearby Korean barbeque restaurant, we decided to make [...]
Inspired by Danner’s Gueuze post, I thought I’d pull out a review I did of my first Gueuze. Cantillon’s 100% Organic Gueuze was my first Gueuze, although I have had lambics and Flanders Reds before, so I knew somewhat what to expect. Upon cracking it open, I immediately caught a whiff of that “horse blanket” [...]
Continue reading about Cantillon Gueuze + Double Cream Brie and Tart Apples
Continuing my theme of “darker British beers go well with red meat”, I paired Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Ale with beef pot roast.
Three Floyds are one of the best known brewpubs, famed in the beer world for their Dark Lord Imperial Stout. Robert the Bruce is their Scottish style ale, broadly similar to a [...]
Continue reading about Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale, Beef Pot Roast, Cadbury’s Chocolate
Perhaps my favorite dish that I make is Thai-Style Grilled Chicken. (Note: if you really want the recipe, you can get a free trial from Cook’s Illustrated on their website). If you’re into grilling, I highly recommend getting a copy of The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbeque, which has this and many other excellent [...]
Continue reading about DFH Pangaea + Thai-Style Grilled Chicken
Spaten Optimator is a German doppelbock. As is typical with the style, it is brown with reddish highlights and has a rich caramel smell promising a sweet taste.
The smell is not misleading: rich, sweet, caramel with brown sugar and hints of dark fruit, with a light carbonation that leaves a delicate zing on the tongue.
Why [...]
Great Divide is another great American brewery. Based out of Colorado, they produce a number of very highly rated beers. My all-time favourite of theirs is their Yeti Russian Imperial Stout: it’s rich, complex, with flavours of coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruits, and pancake syrup!
So, why would I pair a stout with steak?
The thought I [...]
Continue reading about Yeti Russian Imperial Stout and Sirloin Steak
When I mention pairing dessert and beer to people, I get some very weird looks. Once I explain that dark beers – porters and stouts – have a flavour profile that is very much like coffee, the same people become curious and willing to try something new.
A truly outstanding pairing is cheesecake and a good [...]