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!

Stout Marinated Steak with Russian Imperial Kick Ass Sauce

Steak just got kicked up 10 notches when it got stout marinated and slathered in this sweet and spicy Russian imperial kick ass sauce!

This week I am excited to team up with my friend Melissa, AKA Melba from Drunk & Unemployed (DnU). She’s a local beer and spirits blogger and I like to cook with said beer and spirits so it was written in the stars or rather, in this case, it was fermenting in the brite tanks. There are only a handful of chicks on the island that write about beer. She is ridiculously knowledgeable about beer and never gives herself enough credit for it. She has taught me a whole lot, has embraced me as part of the community and has always supported me. For this I am so appreciative and give her all my support right back. So please stop by her blog, say hey and read about some beer and spirits!

A Vegan Foodgasm: Double IPA Braised Bean and Salsa Verde Bowl

This is one badass vegan and gluten free recipe that is sure to satisfy even the most carnivorous of friends kicked up with some California craft beer action!

So proud, this is my very first attempt at a Vegan recipe and it is pretty badass at that! It also happens to be gluten free! Not just some normal meal with no animals harmed in any way... but it is filling and totally kick ass complete vegan meal busting at the seams from the flavor EXPLOSION! Did I also mention it is made with some BEER!

It is well known, there are two things I don't fuck around with, FOOD and BEER!

So yeah I went ALLLL the way over the top for this puppy! I have been talking to my friend The Beer Wench and she wanted to know if any good vegetarian recipes existed for beer, there is of course the obvious beer mac and cheese, maybe beer cheese soup. But I took this shit to a whole nother level and went straight to vegan.... did I mention I like a challenge?!

Imperial Porter Truffles, Beer Adventures in San Diego and a GIVEAWAY!!! #beermonth

You guys are in for a treat today! This last post for a beer month is a love letter to California Craft Beer (and my adventures there). To make #beermonth go out with a bang- I topped it off with an awesome recipe for Imperial Porter Truffles with 4 flavor variations! I also have a giveaway for Brewershirts.com. Super awesome shirts for beer lovers and home brewers! If you're not interested in my beer adventures skip to the bottom.

I love you and I miss you California!

Just a couple months ago I was fortunate enough to go on my first trip to California and fell in love! What's not to love especially when it's the dead of fuckin winter in NY?! I literally looked at house prices in San Diego because I loved it there so much!

The first part of the trip was hiking through Joshua Tree State Park. So we went from winter in NY to a dessert and it was "winter" there to. But their winter is 70's and sunny every day. It was absolutely gorgeous and we went hiking for miles every day. To save money we cooked our own breakfast, Lunch was eaten out backpacks and dinner was re splurge. So I got to sample most of the local cuisine guilt free and of course had a beer with dinner. My most memorable meal there was breakfast at Crossroads Cafe- a Mexican skillet polenta with queso fresco, eggs, black beans and ranchero sauce. This came to inspire a recipe for the blog coming soon.

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The second part of this trip was in San Diego- which I shall call Craft Beer Mecca! Here is the run down- my friend and I pretty much packed in as many Craft Breweries as we could. We went to Ballast Point, The Belching Beaver, Toronado (craft beer bar), Automatic (Blind Lady Ale House), Stone Brewing (amazing), Lost Abbey, Port Brewing Company, Iron Fist and Mother of Earth. Yeah we saw a lot in three days! But we missed so many as well! Either way my trip to Cali was EPIC!

Beer Highlights from the trip

Stone Brewing Company- it is MASSIVE and GORGEOUS! A seriously awesome place to hang out by far. The tour was great and their Cali-Belgique aged in red wine barrels. It's an IPA with saison yeast, already a great beer. The hoppiness it taken down by the dryness and champagney flavor the yeast gives it, then all of a sudden you get that sweeter taste of red wine. It was one of the most unique beers I tried. This was my favorite, so much that we went here twice!

The Belching Beaver- THE BEST DESSERT BEER EVER- You must have their Peanut Butter Milk Stout, So much peanut butter and so much sweetness from the milk stout, AMAZING! I brought a bottle home from 3 months ago and have not opened it yet! Luckily I found out I can order it online (it's not distributed in NY). That just about made my day! I also remember really liking everything they had, but the PB Stout was the stand out!

Ballast Point Brewery- The Sculpin IPA is a great beer, but we got to have the Mango Habenero Sculpin and that was really cool as well as this Thai Chilli Wahoo. There was some serious heat! The best though was their Victory at Sea Imperial Porter which I used for this recipe!

Mother of Earth- Beers was pretty good, California Cream Ale was my fave- BUT more memorable was the company- my friend and I befriended two random English dudes- love the accents. Well they bought me a couple pints and loved my filthy New Yorker mouth and pissed me off so I would curse them out. People are very entertained by mu drunk potty mouth. Bear in mind this was the last stop for the day and I was NOT driving!

Now for the recipe...

I always thought truffles to be intimidating, shockingly they are not. At lease these aren't! Don't be scared this is SIMPLE!

This is a recipe I made from The Beeroness, however the toppings are my own. I followed someone else's recipe since I don't know the first thing about making truffles! LOL! It is a VERY simple recipe reduce down some beer and stir in the chocolate and let it set. Then roll into balls then into toppings. Let's talk about toppings....

4 AMAZING toppings: Cayenne and Brown Sugar, 2-Coconut Flakes and Powdered Sugar, Crushed Pistachios and my FAVE- Black Forest Bacon and Brown Sugar! See below!

So if I made this recipe again I would add some cream or butter. The truffles are delish, just a little harder than I like.

Why is this a Foodgasm??

Ummmm chocolate and beer and yeah there was some bacon involved. This is definitely a one night stand kinda foodgasm... Heavy on the calories and fat. But you gotta indulge time to time!

What you need

Recipe from The Beeroness

1 cup Imperial Porter ( I used Ballast Point Victory at Sea)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped rough

Toppings
1 part chili to one part brown sugar
3 slices of bacon and 2 tbsp coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut flakes and 2 tbsp powdered sugar
chopped pistachios

How to make it

SUPER easy
1- In a saucepan reduce 1 cup of beer to 1/2 the size on medium heat, stirring frequently.
2- When reduced remove from heat and melt chocolate into the beer.
3- Let sit on counter to become room temperature and set.
4- Roll into balls in hands and roll into toppings.

Brewer Shirts GIVEAWAY!!!  

Aren't these super cute??  These are the ladies shirts and there are lots for guys too!

You have a week to enter and 4 winners will be chosen to get one of their awesome shirts of your choice!! You love beer? You wanna win on of THESE! Please check them out brewershirts.com!


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MORE AWESOME #beermonth Recipes

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Honey Brown Beer Bread with Bacon, The Birth of a Brewery and More!

A #beermonth recipe, the birth of a brewery and exciting news of upcoming features on NY Foodgasm.

Thirsty Thursday- 10 Beery Facts About Me #beermonth

I have come to the conclusion that I really don't tell you all about me all that much. So here is what I have been up to lately- especially as it pertains to #beermonth

Here are 10 beery facts about me!


1- This year I went to my first beer festivals- seriously!

 

I know you are probably shocked by this, I am too. But owning a home on Long Island don't come cheap so the usual $35- $75 ticket price is a swift kick in the ass for me. As this blog becomes bigger and I write more, I am sure I can get in with a press pass. This year I was working as a vendor, so I got to pour beer and pour myself beer from ALLL the breweries. Yeah it kicked ASS!

Also not all beer festivals are super cool. I went to The Spring Craft Beer Festival at the Nassau Colluseum and most recently to the Blue Point Cask Festival. LOVED the Cask Festival, not so much Nassau. Nassau is more a starter festival for craft newbies and college kids that wanna get wrecked. The cask festival is more for people that really know and love their beer. Special casks with special flavors of flagship beers.

Citrus IPA Poundcake #beermonth

What is an IPA you may say? (That is what my mom said to me anyways) IPA stands for India Pale Ale. IPA's belong under the larger umbrella style of Pale Ales, meaning that they use pale colored malts. The IPA is known to be a hoppy beer so you really taste the hops more than the malt. Digging deeper than that, the type of hops you use can bring out certain characteristic flavors and aromas. Many hops can bring out citrusy flavors naturally, so that is where the idea for this recipe came in...

IPA's are a hot style right now, with Double IPA's (also known as an Imperial IPA) and Triple IPA's trending I thought I would need to experiment with this style. To bring out the citrusy notes in the IPA I have wanted to make this pound cake for a WHILE now, to experiment and make something memorable with it.

It's good to have friends that brew craft beer! My friend Matt from Outer Lands Brewing Company asked me to try their Good Mojo IPA. It was the day after a beer festival, I didn't wanna look at beer or even drink it, but I took a taste. It's nicely balanced, not bitter at all with great citrus notes. Exactly what I needed for this recipe! For a non IPA drinker or someone that does not like a bitter IPA this craft  is for YOU.

Bangers and Mash- Featuring Long Ireland Celtic Ale

So this past weekend I was Jamming out to a Celtic Rock Concert- the first official party of St. Patty's Day. I am not Irish in any way, but I love beer. (You guys know this, I know). Anyways the name of the band was Bangers and Mash and the featured Beers were from Long Ireland Brewing Company. That concert basically designed mu St. Partrick's Day post for all of you!

The band was awesome (I love me some Celtic rock) and so was the beer. I've had Long Ireland's Breakfast Stout before but they make a great Celtic ale and that trumps the stout for me. I LOVE it. Nothing fancy, just a great Irish Red Ale, but done really well. Way better than Killian's Irish Red. So I researched some classic Bangers and Mash Recipe and I think this is a great twist on it.

Super easy and super delicious. I threw in plenty of onions so you could justify it by saying you had one serving of vegetables.  After the onions caramelized I threw in some Celtic Ale and that is when the magic happens. Add just a little vinegar and let it reduce and you got yourself a kick-ass St. Patty's Day meal. Bonus points for pairing it with a pint of Long Ireland Celtic Ale!

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food and add some great sausages atop that with a beer and onion gravy- well you just hit the jackpot at the end of the rainbow. I reduced the fat in the mashed potatoes with a little light butter and some nonfat Greek yogurt and lowfat milk. You will not be able to tell the difference. Remember reduced fat is always better than fat free. As for the bangers, I can't help you there, not making my own sausage. But I used Trader Joe's Bangers you should be able to find them in store right now! So this is not the lowest of fat dinners, so eat with caution and try and control yourself even though this is seriously delicious! 

Who wouldn't wanna be Irish for this dish?! Erin go Foodgasm!

So a brownie and a pound cake walk into a brewery....

So you're probably seeing and expecting lots of wing recipes, nachos and all those other classic Super Bowl Snacks this week. That was the plan until I was snowed in and decided to experiment with some brown ale and developed my first ever scratch cake recipe. The results and response to the pictures were so amazing that I couldn't make you guys wait. It was delicious, fudgy madness! It also happened to be low in fat.

Well..... actually I made it that way. When I cook and bake I NEVER EVER add all the fat. My conscience just cannot allow me to do it. 3 sticks of butter?? 4??? Ouch! Unless of course I just need to learn how a recipe works in order to then find my own way to reduce the fat, LOL. 

Technically this is not a superbowl meal, but ummm who makes those rules as to what goes with football? If it were up to me, football would be a cake occasion and it DOES have beer in it after all, specifically some local Brooklyn Brown Ale. You need beer for your party and doesn't every party need cake?!

But if you don't want cake for your party (perish the thought!), fret not, I gotcha covered with some great healthy super bowl snacks from Peanut Butter and Peppers!! She has a TONS of recipes you are gonna LOVE! Check out more info at the bottom of the post!

Why is this a Foodgasm?

This is like a fudgy brownie and a pound cake walked into a brewery, had a threesome with some brown ale and they had a baby. Yeah that is totally what happened here. Totally fudgy while still holding the pound cake shape and could be cut into slices. But if that were already not good enough for you I decided to make a brown ale glaze to top it with. In this case the pics, totally speak of this magical texture!

I am proud of these photos, all the drippy deliciousness and really fudgey texture smack you in the mouth and say "Eat me". Yeah no caption needed. Just instant desire for putting it in your mouth!

How did I do it?

I used pumpkin puree to take the place of most of the fat, adding only a little coconut oil for some fat so it had a better texture overall. If you dont have coconut oil feel free to sub with some canola oil. It will work just as well. This also has 1 egg, but if you want to make this vegan you can try it without it, I am sure it would work, but may change the texture slightly.

What you need

1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling- this has added spiced and sugar)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown ale
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the brown ale glaze

3 tablespoons brown ale
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

How to make it

Preheat oven to 350º
1- In a mixer combine together 1 can pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 large egg with the paddle attachment.
2- In a separate bowl combine together:
1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown ale, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3- Slowly and gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredinets in the mixer until well combined (give it a couple minutes).
4- Grease a nonstick loaf pan (I used Trader Joe's Coconut Oil Spray) and pour in the batter.
5- Bake for about 1 hour and let it cool. (the toothpick method doesn't work too well here, it still comes out sticking due to the texture, but an hour should do it)

To make the brown ale glaze: Whisk together 3 tablespoons brown ale and 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Pour over the top of the cake and ENJOY!

Nutritional Information 

Lots of Vitamin A and Potassium and very little fat!  AMAZING!! Yes you can have your cake and beer and eat it too!

Peanut Butter and Peppers Superbowl Recipe Round Up!!

Does my girl Jennifer have you hooked up?? Hell yeah, just look at all these! YUMMMM!

Get her recipes HERE!