Sunday Sips: Strawberry Wheat

Beer Name:  Strawberry Wheat

Brewed By/In:  Lancaster Brewing Company / Lancaster, PA

Beer Style:  Fruit Beer, Lager style (Not the same as Sour/Lambic style)

Best Served In:  Stein glass

ABV:  4.7%

Characteristics:  As soon as the cap was removed, I could smell the strawberry elements mixed with the malts.  Low bitterness in both smell and taste.  Pours with ruddy copper color.  The light, sweet strawberry helps soften the lager flavor to provide a complex flavor without feeling too heavy on the palate.  Not quite the intense effervescence of other fruit beers but is perky and crisp.  Usually these kind of flavors fade as you continue through the glass, but the strawberry essence kept kicking!

Food-pairing:  Milk chocolate, white chocolate, fruit-based desserts

Overall:  8.8 - Ultra refreshing even on this cool spring evening.  As their website reads, this is a must have for anyone who enjoys fruit beers.  I finished my stein of LBC's Strawberry Wheat in less than 20 minutes and I wasn't even trying to do so!  I hope that as you continue to enjoy your first sunburns of the year, that you pick up a pint of this specially brewed beer.  So let's raise our glass to some fruit-fused lagers.  Slainte!

(Photos provided by author)

Free? Sure, I'll Go!

 

In case you haven't seen or heard, some of our finest local breweries host free tours!  Philadelphia Brewing Company and Yard's Brewing Company both offer free-of-charge and reservation-free touring of their facilities.  As this early spring sunshine calls my name outdoors, I am looking forward to some more frequent visits to the city for some fun and my first tour of either of these establishments!
Philadelphia Brewing Company:
Tours on Saturdays, please arrive between 12pm and 3pm.  Located at 2439 Amber Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125.  For more details, call 215-427-2739 or click here.

Yard's Brewing Company:
Tours on Saturdays and Sundays, please arrive between12:30pm and 3:30pm.  Most tours will end to leave enough time to visit the tasting room!  Located at 901 N. Delaware Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19123.  For more details, call 214-634-2600 or click here.

Slainte!



(Top right image provided by Google Images.  Bottom left image provided by yardsbrewing.com

Sunday Sips: Circus Boy

Beer Name:  Circus Boy

Brewed By/In:  Magic Hat Brewing Company / Burlington, VT

Beer Style:  Hefeweizen

Best Served In:  Weizen glass

ABV:  4.5%

Characteristics:  The label reads "Unfiltered and unfettered," and it is certainly a hazy hefe.  Intense carbonation that zips through each swig.  Pours with slight lemon/citrus aromatics.  Although there is light mouthfeel, it has an almost peppery-ness added to the flavors.  The wheat outweighs the hops so it finishes clean.

Food-pairing:  Sushi, Shrimp (with cocktail sauce), Fruit salad

Overall:  7.8 - light and refreshing, without a doubt.  I wish there was a little more zest from the lemons.  Perhaps if I had my own wedge to throw in, I could have heightened those flavors.  The carbonation makes this a perfect session beer for the late spring and summer. Here's to you, Keegan, as you wrap up the greatest years of your life.  Slainte!



(Photo by author)

St Patty's Day Recipe: Beef & Guinness Stew

Although I do not love the hype of St. Patrick's Day and the debauchery, it is a great reason to dip into the Irish cookbooks to find all of our delicious recipes.  Okay, we Irish do not possess many recipes but the ones we have are certainly hearty and earthy.  Here is an inventive use of Guinness.  This seems to be a palatable rib-sticking recipe that easily fits into one pot.  Slainte!

• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Stout
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
• 1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 
• (Photo courtesy of MyRecipes.com)
• 
  
• 1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and beef.
• 2. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Sunday Sips: Spring Seasonal List

Happy Spring everyone!  Although not officially Spring by the standards of the Almanac, it sure as heck feels good to be outside once again.  This Irishman's milky skin can begin to soak in Vitamin D with that extra hour of daylight we received.  Inspired by the freshest beer choices, I have decided that we need to be ready for Spring.  This is my favorite season of the year, especially for beer.  The Belgian Blondes, the Wheats, the Wits/Whites, the Pale Ales, the joy!  Below you will find lists of some of my "Beer-peats" and "Brews To Do's" for these upcoming months of sunshine.  In the coming weeks, you will see Sunday Sips entries refer back to many of these fine libations.  So get out the aviators and the Rainbows once again, we have lots of Spring to enjoy!  (Disclaimer:  Lists are not ordered in any specific rank)

Beer-peats

1.  Long Trail Brewing Co.'s Pollenator - Available February-April.  This pale ale is easily enjoyed, low in alcohol and in bitterness.  A little VT shout out to my younger brother, Keegan.

2.  Victory Brewing Co.'s Whirlwind Witbier - Available March-April.  You don't get a lot of time to enjoy this bubbly brew, but it certainly is worth the wait.  Victory's Whirlwind was the topic was one of my first entries, oh the memories.

3.  Troegs Brewing Co.'s Nugget Nectar - Available February-March.  We're winding down on the availability of this hoppy delight already.  At least 5 different types of hops are in this batch.  Not for the faint of heart.

Brews To Do's
1.  Iron Hill Brewery's Do Wit - Available hopefully by the end of March.  Belgian-style with orange blossom honey.  Are you kidding me?

2.  Dogfish Head Brewery's Aprihop - Available March-May.  The tagline for this reads, "Our fruit beer for hopheads!"  I am quite intrigued to feel and taste the mix of high hops with sweet fruit.

3.  Yard Brewing Co.'s Saison - Available April-July.  The Saison's history is rooted in refreshing and hydrating the imbiber.  Sounds like a good enough reason for me to give it a try.

4.  Philadelphia Brewing Co.'s Fleur de Lehigh -  Available March-May.  The label says it all.  Honoring the 1900s home stadium of the original Philadelphia Athletics and Phillies, Shibe Park, this beer's ginger and lemongrass remind us that Spring notes the beginning of our nation's past time to begin.

Mmm, I cannot wait for the zings of citrus and the smoothness of wheat this season.  There are many stories to hear and laughs to exchange.  I have been blessed to have so many incredible people with whom to share all the seasons of the year.  Slainte!