Not Just for Drinking

by Matt Demarco

In what appears to be a relatively short time, pumpkin beers have become a fall staple.  While they certainly are enjoyable to sip on cool autumn evening or around a firepit, they also impart a wonderful flavor to food when added to a recipe.  I have included a few of my favorite ones here but I encourage you to experiment and add it to a few of your favorite fall dishes.  The recipes here are perfect for a Halloween party or any other autumnal gathering…

Founders Double Trouble: Satisfyingly Two-Faced

By Ryan Gerstel

The first thing you notice when you see Founders Brewing's Double Trouble is its unique label design. 

The image features a mustached man wearing a curious but bitter expression. As the name of the beer suggests, the face is double. When holding the bottle upside down the mustached face becomes clean shaven with a friendly and sweet smile. 

5 Beer Cocktails to Mix this Summer

by Matt DeMarco

The smell of charcoal is in the air, lawnmowers are buzzing in the distance, and summer is right around the corner. It’s beach and barbeque season and I have compiled a list of cocktails that incorporate beer to spice up your summer. It’s a lot of fun to play alchemist and you can tinker with the recipes by adding anything you think will taste good. You can use any beer you would like according to your personal taste.

Oh the Difference a Yeast Makes

by Matt DeMarco

One amazing thing about beer is that despite the multitude of brands and styles there are only 2 classifications of beer--lagers and ales.  For example, a pilsner is part of the lager family and IPAs are part of the ale family. These classifications are based on the type of yeast used in fermentation. Prior to fermentation, malt is cracked to release the starch within the grain and then mixed with water.  The mixture or wort is then heated to convert the starch into sugars.  Fermentation begins when yeast is added to the wort.  During fermentation, the yeast feeds on the sugar excreting alcohol and C02.  Top fermenting or ale yeast stays on top of the wort while it is active and then sinks to the bottom when all of the fermentable sugar is consumed. Bottom fermenting yeast or lager yeast is the opposite and stays on the bottom of the wort the whole time.

Four Courses for a Romantic Evening

by Matt DeMarco

The missus and I like to avoid the madness that surrounds Valentine’s Day weekend and since I am the chef in the house, I have to provide a restaurant quality meal every year. This year I am sharing the menu I am preparing for V-Day and the beers that I will be pairing with each course. All of the courses are easy to prepare and the beers are readily available. Of course it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day for you to set aside some time with your partner so keep these recipes in mind for Feb.14 or your next romantic evening.

Perfect Pairings....Beer and Chocolate

by Matt Demarco

Because Valentine’s Day is quickly descending upon us, I paired 5 readily available, highly rated beers with chocolates.  When it comes to pairing alcoholic beverages with sweets, beer often gets left behind. But when you think about it, it makes sense.  You love beer.  You love chocolate.  Why not enjoy both together? Beer pairs excellently with dessert as we demonstrated during the holidays with our cookies and beer pairing.  Maybe this year you can skip the flowers, forgo champagne, leave the wine corked and try some of these match ups.

Countdown to the Big Game -- Lager Edition

by Matt DeMarco

With the big game approaching this weekend, here is the second list of beers for you that will not deflate your taste buds.

I have chosen four lagers that are sure to please even the most discerning palate. All of the beers I have picked are good beers that will not scare way non craft beer drinkers. The hoppiest of the beers is Victory Prima Pils and drinks more like an IPA than a lager or pilsner. The other beers are very light in the hops department. They all pair well with normal football fare.

At the end of this post, I have included a super simple recipe for beer cheese dip that can use any of the following Lagers.  Cheers!

Countdown to the Big Game – IPA Edition

by Matt Demarco

To get you ready for the big game on February 1st, we will be highlighting crowd-pleasing beers that pair with football and recipes you can make with them.
 

I have chosen four IPAs that are as American as football and apple pie. All the beers are floral, piney, and citrusy which are the main components of a highly regarded American IPA. These beers pair well with tailgate food, especially foods that are spicy, salty, or fried. For spicy food, hops amplify the spice and then wash it away; the bitterness can help put the fire out. Salt and fat tone the bitterness down and showcase the malts a little more in the beer. It allows you to taste the food instead of the hops. Citrusy IPAs even pair well with chocolate cake or brownies because the chocolate showcases the citrus and vice versa.

Then at the end of this post, I have included a simple recipe for hummus that can use any of the following IPAs.  Cheers!

Proper Glassware--You’re Not Doing It Wrong

by Matt DeMarco

We’ve all done it; we have poured a beer into a vessel that is the easiest to reach. It could have been a coffee mug, cereal bowl, or maybe if you were desperate, an empty soup can. Some beer geeks would gasp in horror and give you a lecture about how the beer you are drinking only belongs in one type of glass. I am sure there are even some beer geeks that might even slap the beer out of your hand. (If that happens to you, then you are hanging around with the wrong crowd.)

Yes, certain beer glasses do help some beers if paired correctly, but who wants to have 10 different styles of glasses in a cabinet? I keep 2 types of beer glasses in my house and that is all you should ever need. There are tons of articles all over the internet that explain what beers belong in what glass but unless you run a tap room, that is more information than you need.