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Craft Beer Blog from The Beer of the Month Club

A craft beer blog written by the experts of The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

David’s Love for Sour Beers

June 28, 2013 by Kristina Manning

David Team Post 060613Hello Friends! For Game 1 of the NBA finals I decided to start on a good note and pop open one of my birthday presents. I’m lucky to have friends that know me so well and got me just what I like, a Sour beer!!! New Belgium 2013 vintage La Folie Sour Brown Ale has been aged for 1-3 years in French oak barrels and just like the label says, its SERIOUSLY SOUR! La Folie is French for “madness” which makes a little sense because most people say I must be mad for enjoying these sour beauties. So raise your glasses fellow sour lovers, join me in my madness and lets enjoy this gift of mouth-puckering perfection!

Salud and Go Spurs Go!

David

Posted in: Interesting Beer Info

Summertime Farmhouse Ale Extravaganza: July Rare Beer Club Preview

June 28, 2013 by Brett Olson

Being certified beer freaks and geeks over here, we’re always excited about our Rare Beer Club featured beers, but for July we’re so excited (almost giddy, to be honest) that we’re offering this little preview of July’s upcoming selections, a glorious celebration of farmhouse ale from the best of the old world and the best of the new.

dupont-la-biere-de-beloeil-labelBeer #1: Dupont La Bière de Beloeil

Brasserie Dupont is practically synonymous with the very best farmhouse ales of Belgium, with their Saison Dupont being the benchmark of the style for many folks around the world. But, Dupont makes a slew of other top-end beers across the rather wide spectrum of farmhouse ales. We’re thrilled to be able to bring our members the least distributed beer of their lineup in the U.S., La Bière de Beloeil, a beer that more than lives up to the Dupont name, and made a huge impact at one of our recent tasting panels.

 

grassroots-anchorage-arctic-saison-label

Beer #2: Grassroots Arctic Saison

Hill Farmstead and Anchorage are two of America’s most respected brewers, representing the cutting edge of American craft beer. In fact, our friends at RateBeer named Anchorage the “Top New Brewer in the World” for 2012, and Hill Farmstead the “Best Brewer in the World” for 2013. Needless to say, we’re very excited to bring our Rare Beer Club members a collaboration between these talented brewers under Hill Farmstead’s “Grassroots” label: Arctic Saison, crafted by brewmasters Shaun Hill and Gabe Fletcher at Fletcher’s Anchorage Brewing Co. in Alaska.

Personalized Shipment Update

Members will be able to read more about these brews tomorrow when we send our monthly Personalized Shipment Update email. You’ll have the opportunity to stock up and add more of these beers to your normal shipment so you can cellar a few bottles and watch them evolve, or you can swap them out for other recent selections – or skip the shipment altogether (but why would you want to do that?!). If you’re a Rare Beer Club member but have not been receiving the monthly PSP email, contact us at 800-625-8238 so we can get you on the list.

If you’re not yet a Rare Beer Club member and would like to join in order to get your hands on these great brews, please call our Customer Service folks at 800-625-8238 and let them know that you want to make sure you get these specific beers in your first shipment. We’ll hook you up!

Cheers!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

Ryan’s new brewery find in Santa Cruz, CA

June 28, 2013 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

Ryan Team Post 062413

On a recent trip to Santa Cruz, CA to watch my baby sis graduate from UCSC (go Banana Slugs!), I just so happen to find a small brewery located in the neighboring city of Capitola, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales (the locals refer to them as SARA).  Tucked back in an industrial complex, we began to think we were lost until we saw about a dozen people sitting out in front of a building around wine barrels sipping from tulips filled with bright orange beer.  This must be the place.

Despite only having three beers to sample, 831 IPA, Little Quibble Farmhouse Ale, and West Ashley Sour Saison (pictured from left to right), the experience was awesome.  A general jovial mood in the tasting room set the stage for tasting three delectable and unforgettable brews.  The staff was very knowledgeable and super friendly, taking the time to ask all questions and make all patrons, regulars and newcomers, feel very welcome.

Whether you are a beer connoisseur or just a wanna-be beer geek (like me!), it does not to take long to figure out that SARA has something special going on.  All three beers we tasted were excellent and very unique creations of their respective styles.  Out of all three, it was difficult to choose my favorite, but I have to go with the West Ashley Sour Saison.  Aged in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels with apricots, the flavor is very tart with lemon sourness while the apricot, the oak from the barrel, and some mild funk round out the glass.  Just the right beer for a sunny spring day!

If you are a lover of craft beer and are headed to the Santa Cruz area, Sante Adairius is definitely a stop that you must make.  If you already are in the area and have not experienced what SARA has to offer, you have been missing out!  I suggest that you head over there ASAP to support these creators of excellent artisanal brews.  I guarantee that you will be back again & again…

Check ‘em out:  https://www.facebook.com/santeadairius

Ryan

Posted in: Interesting Beer Info

Brett’s June Featured Beers Top Pick

June 28, 2013 by Brett Olson

Old Crafty HenWith the June beer shipments just beginning to arrive in our members’ hands, it’s time again for me to highlight my top pick from among our US and imported 12-oz beer selections (which I have the tough job of sampling each month in order to bring you the write-ups in the newsletter). I hope this preview whets your appetite for this really great brew. (Or would it be whets your thirst? – or perhaps it should be wets your thirst, ‘cause, you know, it’s a beverage we’re talking about here.)

So let’s get to it. My top pick this month is Old Crafty Hen, a special version of one of England’s more iconic beers, Old Speckled Hen. The key difference is the inclusion of a very strong Old Ale from parent brewery Greene King called “Old 5X” which weighs in at 12% ABV and is the culmination of 2-5 years of age in giant oak barrels. That’s right, this is a blended beer – with wood aging – pretty unusual for English ales in this day and age.

So how well does it all come together? Really well for my palate, let me tell you. A short description of a complex beer just won’t do it justice, so here’s the full monty:

On the pour this Hen presents an attractive amber color with a head that drops plenty of lace. Richly malty on the nose, there’s also a distinct fruity quality that only a fine ale can deliver. There’s a sweet impression along with a distinct raisiny note, prominent caramel and some bread dough. Look for a touch of butter to lend a bit of a toffee character, while hops and oak age add some floral, mildly spicy notes with hints of citrus and wood. Complex as hell on the palate, expect a prominent dark fruit character composed of cherry, raisin, and currants, all surrounded by robust, satisfying caramel malts which deliver some honey notes as well.

100 barrel maturation vessels for Old 5X
100 barrel maturation vessels for Old 5X

We found this crafty brew fairly sweet, but there’s a moderate hop bitterness and a hint of tartness (thanks to the aged 5X) to balance, along with just a hint of spicy, drying alcohol. A touch of buttery diacetyl is a hallmark of many English ales, and we get some here, as well as mild oak notes and slight hints of oxidation from the prolonged barrel aging, which provide a sherry-like component. Enjoy this fine brew on its own, or pair with a plate of complex cheeses. Cheers!

Posted in: Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

Michael Symon’s Fat Doug Burgers

June 28, 2013 by Kristina Manning

Fat Doug Burger 1As summer quickly approaches, we found this recipe that will go great with your favorite microbrew!

Ingredients:

For the Slaw:

  • 1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, minced
  • 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ShaSha Sauce (below)

For the Burgers:

  • 1/2 pound ground sirloin
  • 1/2 pound ground brisket
  • 1/2 pound ground boneless short rib (or use 1 1/2 pounds ground beef total, 75% to 80% lean)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 pound pastrami, thinly sliced
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese, medium thick
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 brioche or egg buns, split

Directions:

Prepare the slaw: In a medium bowl, mix together the cabbage, garlic, onion, jalapeno, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce and ShaSha Sauce. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Make the burgers: Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill. On a work surface, combine the meats and form the burgers into 4 equal-size patties. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Grill the burgers over high heat until medium rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Place 4 heaping piles of pastrami in the pan. After 2 minutes, top each pile with a slice of Swiss cheese. Remove them when the cheese is melted; set aside.

Pour the butter into the pan. Place the buns in the pan, cut-side down, and toast, about 2 minutes.

Place a heaping tablespoonful of the slaw on the bottom half of each bun. Top with a burger and a mound of pastrami and cheese. Cover each with the top half of the bun and serve immediately.

ShaSha Sauce:

  • 12 hot banana peppers from a jar, tops removed, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup yellow mustard
  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a food processor, puree the peppers, garlic, mustard and vinegar.

Pour the puree into a nonreactive saucepan, then add the sugar and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl or juice glass, mix the flour and 1/2 cup water to make a smooth paste. Whisk it into the pepper mixture and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until it becomes very thick. Let the sauce cool, then pour it into a covered nonreactive container (such as a glass jar). The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Fat Doug Burger 2

Recipe from Foodnetwork.com
Photos from passthesushi.com

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

June Member of the Month – Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

June 28, 2013 by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

Hector & Heidi MOM Couple “Hi there, We received our annual subscription as a wedding gift last year and are pleased, or in some cases, very surprised to see what’s in the box each month. We enjoy the different seasonal beers along with the stories you provide in the monthly newsletter. Some of these stories are inspiring travel plans for years to come and stops to make a various microbreweries. Thank you for providing us great selections and inspiring travel plans for our future years together.”

Hector & Heidi

“Congratulations on your nuptials Hector and Heidi! Nothing makes us happier than to hear that our members are enjoying their time with our Beer Club, and from the looks of it, Hector gets a surprise every month! Tell Hector to brace himself because you both have been chosen as our Members of the Month and a free shipment is coming your way! Cheers!”

Hector-&-Heidi-Escobar---MOM

Remember, Members of the Month receive a free shipment of beer! SUBMIT YOURSELF OR YOUR GROUP PHOTO FOR CONSIDERATION! If your submission is selected, we’ll extend your membership by one more month! Get your photo & letter in now and e-mail your submissions to [email protected].

Posted in: Member of the Month

Beer Panel uncovered some really nice beers

June 28, 2013 by Kris Calef

IMG_1419

IMG_5777

Rated a nice line up at Beer Panel last night, although we only got through 10 beers as half of them were 8% ABV or better.  The highlight of the night was an 11% German barrel aged eisbock from Faust.  Uber rare stuff that we’re looking at bringing in for The Rare Beer Club in Q4.  Problem is they have several outstanding barrel aged products to choose from so we may be reaching out to our fan base for input in the months to come. Stay tuned!  Love the sample sticker that came on that beer.  “Analysis” indeed!

Prost!

 

Posted in: Notes from the Panel

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