Book Review and Giveaway: The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer, AnUnpretentious Guide to Craft Beer

If you are a craft beer lover, you will love The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer, it's keeps the fun in craft beer and breaks down all you need to know about beer in a totally approachable way! I will be giving away 2 copies, so read on to enter!

I have been virtual friends with Ashley Routson aka "The Beer Wench" for a couple years now. We haven't met in person just yet (it may cause a sexy craft beer supernova when we meet). West Coast meets East Coast... it's bound to happen. We are kindred spirits.

Aviators glasses wearing, funky colored hair, opinionated, aggressive and FUN.

If you don't know who Ashley (The Beer Wench) is- well she is THE BIGGEST female personality in craft beer. She's written for basically ever craft beer publication, she's had a blog, she works in the craft beer industry (for Green Flash right now) and she is a self described "Craft Beer Evangelist".

She kicks ass... basically. So it's about time the girl had a book!

The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer, An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer is all it describes. Reading though this book it's like Ashley is talking to you herself. It's not all words like "mouthfeel" and "lacing" it's down to earth and totally fun (the girl loves a good pun, I do too).

As you guys know, I love me some craft beer. As you can imagine this ain't my first go at reading a book about craft beer. My first attempt at reading a craft beer book failed since it was sooooo BORING! The second wasn't so bad, but I feel like you needed a bit of a base knowledge to understand it. Ashley's book is for ANYONE, from the "Oh I just tried this beer called Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat" to the "This bottle of Raison D'Extra has been aged in my cellar for 3 years, but I think the 2 year old one is better".

What I like most is how she breaks up the information for each beer from the obvious info of smell and taste to "Drink Instead of" where she puts in other spirits and wines with similar flavor profiles. You also get a brief history lesson of each beer style and even suggested pairings.

About a third of the book goes into beer and food.... My favorite part. Let's face it, the wench also knows how to eat!! So do I...  One of my favorite parts of the book....

You can find my recipe on pages 214-215.... OMG! 
I was SUPER psyched to be a part of her book. Since I started loving craft beer I've really looked up to Ashley. She has made a career out of her love for beer and I hope to do the same.

So if you love beer, food and a fun read you MUST have this book.

Well I am giving away 2 copies!! Sign up below to WIN your own copy!

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Alice in Wonderland Craft Beer Dinner @ Morisson's

Craft Beer Dinners have become very popular, but there are some that are so damn creative, they MUST be experienced! Alice in Wonderland theme- YES!

I was not late for this very important date! But I am pretty late posting about it!

So the story is it's 4/20 and my friend Shelby and I are talking (well really texting, no one talks anymore). She's planning this Alice and Wonderland theme dinner at her restaurant Morisson's. She says you should totally come down, Josh the chef says so... 

Well how can I say no? It's 4/20, its Alice and Wonderland and ummm beer!  Not just any beer- some local love for the guys at Port Jeff Brewing!

This was the perfect time for me to finally get down to one of her dinners. She always throws amazing theme beer dinners. If the beer and food are not treat enough, you also get to meet the chef and the brewers!

Upon walking in there are teapots with flowers and some antique mismatched tea cups. Sooo cute. Seriously Shelby, good fucking job! So much care went into every detail! When we sit down for the amuse bouche (fancy word for bite-sized appetizer) these two little cookies are waiting for me and say "eat me".

We're off to a good start!

But they are not just any boring cookie. They have herbs in them, a kind of nod to the 4/20 date and an obvious and adorable AIW reference! They were beautifully buttery and wonderfully herby!

Chapter 1- Tweedledum and Tweedledee Mushroom Staffed Ravioli and Ravioli Stuffed Mushroom

Beer: Port Jeff H3 Tripel

Food: Sorry this picture does this NO justice. That's what happens when I am WAY too excited to eat! I totally loved this concept! Ravioli stuffed mushroom, with creamy ricotta. It was sooo good and the mushroom stuffed ravioli may have been even better!

Beer: I looooove tripels, sweet and citrusy! This one by Port Jeff Brewing is a great example of this style. Pretty boozy, but goes down ever so smooth. Personally I wouldn't have paired this beer with this course but I think that beer pairings are more an art than science.

Chapter 2 The Garden of Live Flowers

Beer: Port Jeff Beach Wit

Food: I just LOVE how colorful this salad is! Look at all that!! PS- those are NOT orange tomatoes they're gooseberries! I never had the pleasure, but they were a most welcome addition. The honey lime champagne vinaigrette was really really good, BESTEST part FRIED GOAT CHEESE! OMG! I stole one more from some one's plate that never showed.

BEST IDEA FOR A SALAD EVER!

Beer: Beach Wit. This beer is very easy drinking. Not overly hoppy or malty. Not sweet or bitter just smooth. I see why they paired this with the salad. Since the goat cheese is so strong a flavor, they didn't want something that would overpower or even contribute. It's in the background and like the name suggests it's perfect to drink on the beach on a summer day!

Chapter 3- A Mad Tea Party

Beer: Port Jeff Mad Tea Schooner Ale

Food: A tea sandwich with BACON JAM and brie, apple and arugula. Basically this is EVERYTHING I love STUFFED into a sandwich! The bacon jam was amazeballs, everything I hoped and more.

Beer: Mad Tea Schooner Ale. THIS was a treat! The guys at Port Jeff made a special cask for this dinner. I mean how fucking cool is that for a beer nerd?! They took their schooner ale in a cask and added some Earl Grey Tea. It was not as tea-riffic as I thought. The tea was in the background, bit you could tell it was there.

Chapter 4- Pig + Pepper 

Beer: Port Jeff Dry Hopped Party Boat

Food: The Pork was perfectly cooked and rubbed in chili. Not as spicy as I would have thought. The smoked pepper and goji gastrique was a nice touch. I love a little sweet thrown into my savory meals!! The potatoes were a nice little side nosh and the orchid made me happy.

My favorite color!

Beer: Dry Hopped Party Boat. This may be the best IPA brewed out of long island. It is your classic IPA. Now THIS is something I would be drinking on a party boat. As for the pairing, I see that they are trying to play off some of the spicy notes here and maybe go against all the sweet in the gastrique. Not really a perfect pairing but an excellent beer and I would drink it anytime.

Chapter 5- Who Stole the Tarts?

Beer: Port Jeff Overboard Russian Imperial Stout

Food: This is one seriously fudge-packing brownie.... I mean that is the BEST way. Allll the fudginess exploded into my mouth. If that were NOT enough, it was topped with POP TART ICE CREAM! Is there such a thing?! Yes NOW there is!! The Chef at Morisson's finished REALLY strong with this one.

Plus they didn't know this, but my FAVORITE dessert is a warm brownie with ice cream. I mean the contrast of warm and cold, fudgy and creamy, Chocolate with berries. A definite FOODGASM!

Beer: Overboard Stout. This is one pairing that cannot be denied- BEST pairing of the night! This beer on it's own is just super impressive. I had to just have a sip of someone else's and couldn't finish any of my beers that night. I had to drive home. This beer is damn high in alcohol, sweet and has a rich chocolate and espresso finish.

In true NY Foodgasm tradition, I think the beer needs to be IN the brownie!

Summary

When all is said and done, even if the food wasn't the best, this dinner would be a good value for the price. All these courses and a beer to go with it!!

 But the food is of high quality and executed with great care! The chef was very creative in the concept of all these dishes. I was really impressed with the creativity of execution and how it tied in with the AIW theme.

I got to FINALLY meet the brewer and owner of Port Jeff!! We shared some good laughs and good fucking beer!

Shelby, the lovely hostess, drinking beer in the tea cup with her pinky up all classy and shit.

Everyone had a great time!

 Mostly Shelby...

It was sooooo much fun!!!

Stay tuned to what's going on at Morisson's and Jackson's... Beer Dinner and other Shannanigans are sure to come very soon!

Mother's Day Beer Tasting!

I got my mom and mother in law to try my picks for 10 beers your mom will love. Their taste and their willingness to participate in this beer tasting surprised me and brought us closer together!

Watch the video HERE! It is soooo damn funny! Makes me laugh every time!

Blogger Beer Choices #BeerMonth Wrap-up

At the close of #BeerMonth I thought I would share some of the beer stories of the  bloggers I teamed up with.

You all know how much I love beer! But I wanted to spotlight a couple of the other ladies I blogged with for #BeerMonth and have them tell you about their love of beer as well!

So here are some of the ladies of #BeerMonth and what they think about beer!

Mojo Pale Ale Slow Roasted Pulled Pork #BeerMonth

This mojo pulled pork is the stuff of dreams! Slow roasted, succulent, sweet and savory. This variation uses a pale ale in the marinade/sauce for this beer month finale.

Save the best for last.... that is what they say! Well I stumbled upon this idea while falling asleep one night after hanging with my college gals. I was thinking about mojo pork..... then BAM, inspiration! Why not make a Cuban variation of pulled pork and make it in the oven?

Roasted pulled pork = mouth magic!

8 Beers that taste like Spring! #BeerMonth

FINALLY at long last it's Spring! So I compiled a list of beers that taste like Spring! From hoppy to sweet there is something for EVERYONE!

 These are 8 beers that TOTALLY taste like SPRING! After a loooong ass winter let's drink up some of that Spring taste with these!

IPA Pickles #BeerMonth

Everyone loves some pickles, well now you can make your own at home and make them even better with beer and garlic!!

This post is not just in celebration of #BeerMonth but also #NationalGarlicDay and this recipe definitely celebrates both!

Triple IPA Chili Verde with Pork #BeerMonth

The totally hoppy flavor of a triple IPA plays nicely against the citrusy taste of fresh tomatillos in this 3x IPA Chile Verde with Pork. This is slow simmered for the most tender pork with a sweet and slightly spicy tomatillo sauce.

 Beer Month is well underway now! Today  I am teaming up with a wholle lotta other bloggers (10 of us omg Yayyyy!!) to bring you our awesome recipes featuring beer! So be sure to scroll down to see what my friends made!

Citrus Hops Gin Fizz #BeerMonth

Who says hops are only good for beer? It's beer month and I am finding a whole new use for hops and their floral flavor. This crisp refreshing cocktail with Gin is made with a syrup steeped with hops, lime and lemon peel.

Well I have quite the creative cocktail for you today! Beer month takes on so many forms! Not just beer recipes- but beer inspired! 

Hops baby- we love 'em in our IPA's, Pale Ales and well every beer!! So why do we only need to enjoy them in beer? Well I don't!

Hops are a cone shaped flower that is one of 4 main ingredients that MUST be in beer. So we are not talking like the hops below:



I made ice cream with hops and now a crisp and refreshing spring cocktail!

How? Well I made a hop and citrus simple syrup... it was truly simple! Really you will never buy simple syrup again especially when  you can infuse your very own VERY easily!

This is light, refreshing, thirst quenching and perfect for spring sippin'. 

Rum would have been your typical pick, but I went outside the norm and chose Gin.

Gin has a more herbal and floral taste to it that I though would more organically synch with this drink.

PS- Tuesday was National Beer Day, so you need to get this cocktail on STAT!

What you need

For the syrup

2 cups sugar

1 cup water 

5" x 5" square of cheese cloth

1 tablespoon citra hop pellets 

(can be bought at any home brew store)

Zest of 1 small lemon and lime

For the drink

1 tablespoon hop and citrus syrup

1 shot of Gin

3 ice cubes

Club soda to fill short glass 

How to make it

1- Create a simple syrup with 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2- Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place hop pellets in cheesecloth and tie it up, placing it in the sugar water mixture. Go ahead and also add your lemon and lime zest.
3. When in comes to a boil, let boil for about a minute and then cover the pot and let the flavors infuse further for 10 minutes.
4. Now you got your syrup ready. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the syrup in 1 shot or jigger of gin. Add three ice cubes and club soda to fill.
5- Stir and serve with a lime garnish!

 

The Best Guinness Brownies You'll Ever Eat! #StPatricksDay

You want the ultimate dessert for St. Patrick's Day? This recipe is for the BEST Guinness Brownies you will EVER eat! More like fudge than a brownie and more decadent than any brownie you have even eaten.

Every now and again I get sooooooo ridiculously excited to share a recipe I can hardly contain it! THIS is one of those times. WHY?!

I made the best damn Guinness Brownies you will ever stuff in your face- that is not a claim I make with wild abandon. I have eaten my fair share of brownies and these far surpass any that I have eaten. Yes ANY brownies, not just of the Guinness persuasion.

Well for one it's not every day you eat a brownie quite this decadent with an entire pound of chocolate and a half pound of butter. (I paid for this dearly at the gym, I assure you.)

It's also not every day that one has put Guinness into a brownie and not JUST Guinness but also Jameson's Whiskey. (It actually compliments the beer quite nicely with it's toffee notes)

Another awesome thing about his recipe- only seven ingredients- NONE of which are brownie mix. I don't play with that stuff anymore... all real baby. Feel 'em!

Well when I made and perfected this recipe I knew it was one of the most foodgasmic moments I have ever had. I didn't share on my blog's social media, but rather my personal and EVERYONE wanted to recipe. I am soooo soooo sorry to my friends that had to wait! But finally it is here and I get to share it with the world!

Can you EVEN handle the fudge.... OMG!

I wrote this AMAZING recipe for SheKnows.com. Get the full recipe after the jump!!


Check out the FULL recipe HERE!

10 Valentine's Day Beers to Get You in the Mood! #CraftBeer

Whether you're single or attached, you can sure use these amazing beers! Chosen especially for Valentine's Day, they either remind you of chocolate, dessert or even flowers!

 
I teamed up with Melissa from Drunk and Unemployed to bring you our 10 Valentine's Beer picks and they are pretty epic!! Check out our video!


1. Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate
Chocolate Stout / 550ml/18.7 oz / 5%abv
Roasted organic chocolate malt and organic cocoa
Taste: Smooth and Creamy
Available Year Round
Bottom Line: It's the most intense chocolate flavored beer, like sexual chocolate!

2. Southern Tier Creme Brulee
Imperial Milk Stout / 22oz. / 9.5%abv
2 hops, lactose sugar
Taste: Vanilla, custard, brown sugar, caramel, sweet and balanced, rich and milky
Available February
Bottom Line: THE best dessert beer on the market, very sweet and vanilla for days!

3. Elysian Avatar Jasmine
IPA / 1pnt 6oz / 6.3%abv
Dried jasmine flowers added to boil and hopback
Taste: Very floral nose. Balanced flavor of
jasmine/hops
Available Year Round
Bottom Line: It sounds weird, but it totally works! The floral with the hoppy IPA flavor is a winner! Drink your flowers!

4. Shiner Birthday Beer
Chocolate Stout / 12 oz / 5%abv
Brewed with chocolate malt and real cocoa
Taste: Chocolate Cake Frosting
Available Limited
Bottom Line: Like vanilla fucking frosting, drink this bitch up and you may wanna get in your birthday suit!

5. Founders Big Lushious
Imperial Stout / 22oz. / 7.8%abv
Roasted malts, dark chocolate, tart
Taste: Jelly Rings/Chocolate covered jelly
Available Limited
Bottom Line: This is one bold bitch and makes no apologies! If you can't taste the raspberry or chocolate, you're flavor-blind.

6. DogFish Head Festina Peche
Berliner Weisse Style / 12oz / 4.5%abv
Ale Brewed with Peach Juice
Taste: Peaches, Hops, Tart/Sour Crisp
Available Seasonally
Peaches offer potassium, phosphorus, iron, A and
C-all key ingredients to enhance “performance.”
Bottom Line: An aphrodesiac delight, millions of peaches and not too sweet!

7. Wells Banana Bread
Fruit Beer / 11.2 oz / 5.2%abv
Malt Beverage with Bananas and Banana Flavoring
Taste: Banana Bread
Available Year Round
Bottom Line: It's like you got slapped in the face with a banana!

8. Lindemans Kriek Lambic
Lambic / 12oz. / 4%abv
Lambic with Cherry Juice and wild yeast
Taste: Tart/Dry Acidic/Sweet Finish
Available Year Round
Bottom Line: Like a tart cherry soda with alcohol!

9. Long Ireland Chocolate Porter
Porter / 22oz/Tap Room/Select Local / 5.8%abv
Malted barley and cocoa nibs. Aged for about a week and a half on cocoa nibs.
Taste:Duncan Hines chocolate cake/Pudding
Available Limited (Tap Room)
Bottom Line: Like chocolate pudding, minus the Cosby Creeper!

10.Barrage Brewing Yada Yada Yada
Brown Ale / Tap Room / 6.8%abv
Chocolate, peanut, caramel, brown ale
Available Limited
Bottom Line: How about some snickers in your brown ale? That's what it tastes like!

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout Hot Chocolate

The most decadent hot chocolate married with Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout, nuff said.

Holiday detox is over my friends... so I have gone off the deep end to make the MOST decadent hot chocolate with craft beer and butter, OMG!

Beer and chocolate are two of life’s greatest pleasures for the palette. It may not be obvious, but beer pairs very nicely with chocolate. The inspiration for this hot chocolate – Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout – is silky smooth with a frothy and chocolaty head. This beer was begging to be dessert.

NY Foodgasm's Top 10 Holiday Beers

A list of my ten favorite holiday beers for 2014. Make sure you get your hands on some for Christmas!!

You guys I am WAY too excited, I pulled it off! One of my goals for 2014 was to make my first video! I DID IT! Oh and I totally pulled it off in like 4 days. I shot it and edited it myself. SO please excuse the shitty editing.

First timer- I get a pass!

I wanna wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I love you all and I am so appreciative of all the support! XOXO!

So the video is like 10 minutes, be forewarned.

I decided to make a drinking game out of it. Every time I say "delicious" drink! 

 

My 10 Favorite Beers and what to pair them with:

1- Sierra Nevada Celebration- roasted chesnuts
2- Long Ireland Winter Ale- Sugar cookies
3- Southern Tier 2Xmas- fruit cake

4- Schmalz Hanukkah, Chanukah- chocolate covered matzo

5- Riverhorse Belgian Freeze- sweet potato pie

6- Troegs Mad Elf Ale- Sharp cheese 
7- Bell's Winter White Ale- Pignoli or Rainbow Cookies
8- Harpoon Winter Warmer- Pound Cake or Angel Food Cake

9- Oscar Blues Ten Fidy- Gingerbread
10- Cigar City Winter Warmer- Dark chocolate

DIY Craft Beer Christmas Wreath

Bring your love of craft beer to Christmas by making this awesome craft beer Christmas wreath. It only takes about 2 hours to put together and will make your decorations the talk of the town!

What happens when craft beer crashes Christmas crafting?  This wreath happens!! I totally meant to makes beer cap wreath last year and never got around to it. This year I made the time for my own little crafting project!

I had some craft beer caps I had been saving and we bought a real wreath. At first I thought of doing a beer cap wrath with a styrofoam wreath and just gluing caps to it. But we bought a real wreath at Trader Joe's and then it struck me- why not use a real wreath?!

So glad I did because look how darn cute this is! The caps almost look like ornaments on the wreath! Super cute and only took me about two hours to put together.

I didn't originally plan on posting this so I don't have lots of step by step pictures, but I assure you it is SUPER easy and fun to do while watching a Chirstmas movie and drinking a beer!

But ummm not too much you don't wanna burn yourself with the hot glue!

So bring your love of craft beer to the holidays with this craft that only took about 2 hours!

What you need 

1 Christmas wreath
Fake Holly if desired
Pine cones (mine came with pine cones on it already)
A variety of craft beer caps
Hot glue gun and some extra ammo
Scissors
I think that red stuff is called nylon batting or something

How to make it

Takes about 2 hours.
1- Heat up your glue gun.
2- Place a large blog of hot glue on the back on the beer cap, I learned to put it inside the middle, the edges won't hold.
3- Place beer cap where desired and as many as desired.
4- I cute two 5 inch wide strips of that nylon badding and rolled it in a tube lengthwise. Then i folded it on half, but on an angle and hot glued it to the back of the wreath.
5- I also cut up some fake holly berries and hot glued them around the pine cones and a red Dogfish Head cap.

ENJOY! Merry Christmas to ALLLL!

I am thankful for each and everyone of you that actually gives a shit what I write and what I share. I appreciate it and look forward to sharing more in the coming year!

close-up

This is my old house!

It really pops against the bright blue door.