Happy Halloween!
No idea where this came from, but a friend just e-mailed it to me... be careful tonight- don't wind up like pumpkin #3!
posted by Beer Chick @ 10:00 AM
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Friday, October 31, 2008
No idea where this came from, but a friend just e-mailed it to me... be careful tonight- don't wind up like pumpkin #3!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Beer and Food
Ahhh, two of my favorite things!
On Tuesday, Jeff and I attended a beer & food dinner at Aubree's Tavern in Ypsilanti Township. (Note: This is about a mile from where we used to live. Of course, when we lived out there, the shopping center was a field.) The featured beers were from Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland. I went in thinking that I had tasted a lot of their beer...uh, no. PWNED. Wrong again--to my delight!!!
We started with general beer tasting. That is, there were tasting glasses on the table and the waitress gave us tastes. One of the GL brewers gave a talk about the brewpub and the beer. I had no idea that they were so environmentally friendly, but they are. For example, they are an $18,000,000 per year company, but their refuse bill is only $1,500 annually. !!!!! Bonus. And we got swag (environmentally friendly GL lip balm and a bottle opener). Double Bonus.
The meal was AWESOME! We started with cheddar soup, paired with Nosferatu red ale. This beer is what we call a "strong ale", at 8% alcohol. It's slogan was "the beer with the bite" (get it?!?!?!) and that it does have. Lots of malt, lots of hops = lots of good beer. Its flavor kinda hits you like a wave...the piney smell, the citrusey taste and then the hops come a knockin'.
Next we had spinach and arugula salad with strawberry vinaigrette and Burning River Pale Ale. I am always skeptical of salad and beer, but this was paired well. Burning River uses Cascade hops, which kinda give it a piney taste. You get a hit of sweet and then out come the hops. Somehow, this worked well with the strawberry dressing.
Next, we had sausage and pierogies. This worked out well since I gave Jeff my pork and took his pierogi (despite being Polish, he doesn't care for potato pierogies although rumor has it that he will eat beef ones). This course was paired with Dortmunder Gold lager. The brewer described this beer as a good "gateway" beer for folks who usually don't drink brewpub beer. It is a German style lager with a sweet malt taste and a bit of hops. Since it's a lager, it has that "crisp" taste that I can't define, but I know it when I taste it.
The main course was white fish with spinach and parmesan cheese, rice and carrots. This was paired with their Holy Moses White Ale, which is a Belgian Wit. I normally do not like wheat beers, but I love Moses. (I also am quite fond of the biblical Moses, who I'm sure is delighted with this turn of events. One the bottle, he is wearing a cute little pants outfit and is parting the Cuyahoga River into Cleveland.) Holy Moses is about 60% wheat, 40% malt with no real hops to speak of. It has a slight chamomile and coriander taste to it. I am not really sure what chamomile tastes like, but I definitely picked up the coriander. The white ale and the white fish...man, they just complimented each other like peanut butter and jelly.
Dessert scared me when I read the menu. I am not a huge chocolate fan, and I saw that the dessert was something called chocolate lava cake paired with the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. This sounded too rich and just...not something I'd like. Once again, Aubree's PWNED me. OMIGOD!!! OMG!! It was awesome. The beer and the chocolate literally melded together in my mouth, producing a cacophony of awesomeness. The beer itself is excellent. It has Cascade hops, is not terribly bitter, and has a lovely chocolate-coffee taste. It is, you could say, smoov. The cake was dark and white chocolate and everything just...melded. A wonderful ending to a wonderful meal.
I should add that Aubree's had a magician there and he rocked. I never know how they do those things and I don't know how he made the card that I signed come out of the box that had been locked, or the quarter come out of nowhere, but man...it was sweet.
All in all, it was a great night! I came home too, uh, tired to make snacks for the special education meeting that we had in my room yesterday though. And I was so, uh, tired that I forgot to take the dog outside (he left me a little prize to show his love), but all in all--great night!! :)
On Tuesday, Jeff and I attended a beer & food dinner at Aubree's Tavern in Ypsilanti Township. (Note: This is about a mile from where we used to live. Of course, when we lived out there, the shopping center was a field.) The featured beers were from Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland. I went in thinking that I had tasted a lot of their beer...uh, no. PWNED. Wrong again--to my delight!!!
We started with general beer tasting. That is, there were tasting glasses on the table and the waitress gave us tastes. One of the GL brewers gave a talk about the brewpub and the beer. I had no idea that they were so environmentally friendly, but they are. For example, they are an $18,000,000 per year company, but their refuse bill is only $1,500 annually. !!!!! Bonus. And we got swag (environmentally friendly GL lip balm and a bottle opener). Double Bonus.
The meal was AWESOME! We started with cheddar soup, paired with Nosferatu red ale. This beer is what we call a "strong ale", at 8% alcohol. It's slogan was "the beer with the bite" (get it?!?!?!) and that it does have. Lots of malt, lots of hops = lots of good beer. Its flavor kinda hits you like a wave...the piney smell, the citrusey taste and then the hops come a knockin'.
Next we had spinach and arugula salad with strawberry vinaigrette and Burning River Pale Ale. I am always skeptical of salad and beer, but this was paired well. Burning River uses Cascade hops, which kinda give it a piney taste. You get a hit of sweet and then out come the hops. Somehow, this worked well with the strawberry dressing.
Next, we had sausage and pierogies. This worked out well since I gave Jeff my pork and took his pierogi (despite being Polish, he doesn't care for potato pierogies although rumor has it that he will eat beef ones). This course was paired with Dortmunder Gold lager. The brewer described this beer as a good "gateway" beer for folks who usually don't drink brewpub beer. It is a German style lager with a sweet malt taste and a bit of hops. Since it's a lager, it has that "crisp" taste that I can't define, but I know it when I taste it.
The main course was white fish with spinach and parmesan cheese, rice and carrots. This was paired with their Holy Moses White Ale, which is a Belgian Wit. I normally do not like wheat beers, but I love Moses. (I also am quite fond of the biblical Moses, who I'm sure is delighted with this turn of events. One the bottle, he is wearing a cute little pants outfit and is parting the Cuyahoga River into Cleveland.) Holy Moses is about 60% wheat, 40% malt with no real hops to speak of. It has a slight chamomile and coriander taste to it. I am not really sure what chamomile tastes like, but I definitely picked up the coriander. The white ale and the white fish...man, they just complimented each other like peanut butter and jelly.
Dessert scared me when I read the menu. I am not a huge chocolate fan, and I saw that the dessert was something called chocolate lava cake paired with the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. This sounded too rich and just...not something I'd like. Once again, Aubree's PWNED me. OMIGOD!!! OMG!! It was awesome. The beer and the chocolate literally melded together in my mouth, producing a cacophony of awesomeness. The beer itself is excellent. It has Cascade hops, is not terribly bitter, and has a lovely chocolate-coffee taste. It is, you could say, smoov. The cake was dark and white chocolate and everything just...melded. A wonderful ending to a wonderful meal.
I should add that Aubree's had a magician there and he rocked. I never know how they do those things and I don't know how he made the card that I signed come out of the box that had been locked, or the quarter come out of nowhere, but man...it was sweet.
All in all, it was a great night! I came home too, uh, tired to make snacks for the special education meeting that we had in my room yesterday though. And I was so, uh, tired that I forgot to take the dog outside (he left me a little prize to show his love), but all in all--great night!! :)
Labels: Beer Dinner
posted by TeacherPatti @ 2:41 PM
0 Comments
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Very interesting....
While I haven't been posting as often as I probably should, I have been trying new beers here and there, and saved a couple to put in a single post. Yeah, I'm lazy, what of it?
Here's the scoop:
Goose Island Matilda - hubba hubba! Gorgeous color, interesting, smooth and wonderful flavor. Since it was served to us in an 8 oz. snifter (for the same price as a pint!), we assumed it was high in ABV, but Goose Island's website says 7%. They use a rare wild yeast that offers up a rather spicy flavor. It was served a bit too cold where we tried it, but once it warmed a bit- wow!!
Arbor Brewing Smoked Lager - I had never heard of such a thing until the other night. I only sampled it, and while I didn't DISlike it, I didn't like it enough to order a pint. It tasted like beer filtered through a campfire, and I just couldn't imagine pairing it with any food.... well, maybe weenies on a stick or s'mores, but they don't serve either of those at the brew pub. It's definitely worth a try if for novelty alone.
Here's the scoop:
Goose Island Matilda - hubba hubba! Gorgeous color, interesting, smooth and wonderful flavor. Since it was served to us in an 8 oz. snifter (for the same price as a pint!), we assumed it was high in ABV, but Goose Island's website says 7%. They use a rare wild yeast that offers up a rather spicy flavor. It was served a bit too cold where we tried it, but once it warmed a bit- wow!!
Arbor Brewing Smoked Lager - I had never heard of such a thing until the other night. I only sampled it, and while I didn't DISlike it, I didn't like it enough to order a pint. It tasted like beer filtered through a campfire, and I just couldn't imagine pairing it with any food.... well, maybe weenies on a stick or s'mores, but they don't serve either of those at the brew pub. It's definitely worth a try if for novelty alone.
Labels: Arbor Brewing Smoked Lager, Goose Island Matilda, lazy, weenie
posted by Beer Chick @ 5:55 PM
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Not beer related, but Beer Chick related!
Come join the fun!!
4th Annual Haunted Hustle Trail 5k
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Great Halloween themed family event that benefits the Girls on the Run program of S.E. Michigan! Run on the cross country trails behind Pioneer High School.
There is something for everyone!
9am Competitive 5k (expected finish time of 30 min or less)
Age group awards 3 deep!
Free pair of running shoes for overall male and female!
Awards provided by Running Fit.
9:45am Monster Kid's Dash!
Finisher awards for all!
10:00am Family Fun Run/Walk
Finisher awards for all!
Finisher awards provided by BMW of Ann Arbor
Register online : www.girlsontherunsemi.org
Also at the race day expo will be great activities such as : A fun kid activity by Creatopia -Paint it Yourself Pottery, amazing balloon animals for purchase by Michael Webb from Balloons With Heart, a bounce house from A Bounce Away, early sign up information for the Martian Marathon from Running Fit, purchase a chance ($5)to win a treadmill worth $1,000.00 (delivered to your home) not to mention GREAT food from Angelo's and Zingerman's
4th Annual Haunted Hustle Trail 5k
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Great Halloween themed family event that benefits the Girls on the Run program of S.E. Michigan! Run on the cross country trails behind Pioneer High School.
There is something for everyone!
9am Competitive 5k (expected finish time of 30 min or less)
Age group awards 3 deep!
Free pair of running shoes for overall male and female!
Awards provided by Running Fit.
9:45am Monster Kid's Dash!
Finisher awards for all!
10:00am Family Fun Run/Walk
Finisher awards for all!
Finisher awards provided by BMW of Ann Arbor
Register online : www.girlsontherunsemi.org
Also at the race day expo will be great activities such as : A fun kid activity by Creatopia -Paint it Yourself Pottery, amazing balloon animals for purchase by Michael Webb from Balloons With Heart, a bounce house from A Bounce Away, early sign up information for the Martian Marathon from Running Fit, purchase a chance ($5)to win a treadmill worth $1,000.00 (delivered to your home) not to mention GREAT food from Angelo's and Zingerman's
Labels: Girls on the Run, halloween, Haunted Hustle
posted by Beer Chick @ 12:25 PM
0 Comments
Michigan Breweries Medal at 2008 Great American Beer Festival
Several Michigan breweries medal at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival
by KalamaBrew staff Tuesday October 14, 2008, 3:25 PM
Congrats and cheers are in order for several Michigan breweries that won medals at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo. The festival was held Oct. 9-11 and was attended by our very good friends Taps & Tom (should be seeing some updates from them soon on their time at the fest!)
Continue reading to see who won ...
While we're a little sad that the judges missed some of the deliciousness happening in our southwestern corner of the state, the east side represented, bringing home five medals for Michigan beer.
Here are Michigan breweries that won medals in this year's Fest:
Category: European-Style Dunkel
Gold: Munich Dark, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
Silver: Bastone Munchner Dunkel, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI
Category: German-Style Altbier
Gold: The Detroit Dwarf, The Detroit Beer Co., Detroit, MI
Category: French- and Belgian-Style Saison
Bronze: Luciernaga, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI
Category: Sweet Stout
Gold: Cream Stout, Redwood Brewing Co., Flint, MI
posted by Beer Chick @ 12:14 PM
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Monday, October 13, 2008
Brewtopia!
In case anyone in the NYC area is reading this, a non-profit near and dear to the Beer Chicks needs your help. One Brick is pouring beer at Brewtopia at Pier 92 inNYC on October 31 and November 31 AND will be a beneficiary of the event! Volunteers get a t-shirt and get to check out a really cool event for free. Costumes are welcomed, and it could be the start of a fun Halloween out on the town! Help a great organization, have fun, play some tricks, get some treats... could you ask for a better Halloween?
Get more info here: One Brick and Brewtopia.
And speaking of Halloween, right now I'm enjoying Great Lakes Brewing's Nosferatu- the vampire beer! I was warned that it's strong, and they weren't kidding. At 8% ABV, it is a buttkicker! That being said, it is TASTY. The dark red ale is a gorgeous color, hoppy and rich, with a nice balance and smooth finish. I wish it was available year round!
Get more info here: One Brick and Brewtopia.
And speaking of Halloween, right now I'm enjoying Great Lakes Brewing's Nosferatu- the vampire beer! I was warned that it's strong, and they weren't kidding. At 8% ABV, it is a buttkicker! That being said, it is TASTY. The dark red ale is a gorgeous color, hoppy and rich, with a nice balance and smooth finish. I wish it was available year round!
Labels: beer, brewtopia, great lakes brewing, halloween, nosferatu, NYC, One Brick, pier 92
posted by Beer Chick @ 4:04 PM
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