Eastern Shore Brew Tour

My parents recently came for a visit. When I asked what sort of activities I should plan and what they'd like to see, all I was given was "beer."

Well, beer they had.

They arrived Sunday evening to a home cooked meal. Because I am just awesome like that.

Monday, I arranged for a tour at Evolution Craft Brewing (Evo), which happens to be our local brewery and where we eat at least once a week.

Usually on half price burger night. Or half price brisket night. Or $10 burger and a pint night...

Behind the scenes at EVO

Homemade pretzel and dip sampler.

Even though we had just eaten there Sunday, we took the family for lunch on Tuesday. Since my folks had the dogs with them, we made sure we could bring them along if we sat in the outdoor seating.

The food was fantastic, as always.

After lunch, we headed to Assateague and stopped by Burley Oak Brewing for a pint along the way.

Digging that logo!

Aside from having one of the coolest logos, Burley Oak also has some good beer and a laid back tasting room. It's a BYOF place, which means they don't serve food so you can bring your own. They also have stuff going on almost every night of the week from game nights to live music.

The new outdoor fountain at Ava's Pizzeria and Wine Bar.
Complete with Evo's Rise Up Stout!

Wednesday we headed up to St. Michael's to see the sites and have dinner with Mike's folks. That gave us the afternoon to walk around and explore town. Mike is friends with the couple that just started up Lyon Distilling so he arranged for us to stop by and do a tasting. Aside from being awesome people, the dark rum we tasted might be the best rum I have ever had.

Wait a sec...if that's the camera...
How'd I take a picture?

After rum tasting, we heading to Eastern Shore Brewing, another place where Mike knows the owner. We've been a few times, but were excited to be able to bring the dogs in. It was a hot day and they aren't used to the humidity.

First, we got a flight of all 5 beers on tap. Upon trying their Hefeweizen, I got a pint. It had the crisp wheat flavor and cloudiness that I love about Hefeweizens. It also had banana notes to it, giving it a fruitiness that I enjoyed.

Flights; all the beer minus the drunk.

For our final full day together, we headed across the bridge for some car shopping. Not exactly how we wanted to spend the day, but we still managed to hit a brewery so we could continue the one a day trend.

Flights a Ellicott Mills

We had some time to kill before we wanted to try and head into the city, so my mom and I took the dogs for a walk, while Tom and Mike grabbed a beer at Ellicott Mills Brewing Company. As it turns out, no pets are allowed in commercial buildings in Howard County.... Which is complete bullshit because the wine store in downtown Ellicott Mills has a dog. Maybe it's just food establishments, but I still think that's crap. Whatever.


While there are many other breweries we could have hit, we had hoped to make it to Dogfish Head as the sort of cap stone to our brew tour, but we just didn't have the time.

I guess it'll be a good reason for a return visit!

Beer and cupcakes!

Evolution Craft Brewing's delicious
Rise Up Stout, outside their tasting room.

So I work at this awesome coffee shop....and they are friends with some people at a brewery....



Hence, we have a coffee stout, made with our coffee! I had to get a growler of it and bake with it, of course! How could I resist?

Note to self....chocolate mousse frosting is not the frosting
of choice when it's a million degrees outside. That shit melts and then
looks like poo. Tasty.

So I made Rise Up Stout Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mousse Frosting.


Yeah.


And then I shared them with my coworkers, 'cuz I'm awesome like that.

Coffee, beer and cupcakes. What more could you want out of life?

Southern Oregon Craft Beer Festival

Well, it just so happened that I was home in time for Medford Beer Week here in Southern Oregon. Great planning on my part.


So Saturday was spent perusing the offerings at what is possibly the second year of an ever growing event. Most of the breweries were from Southern Oregon, with a few reaching into Eastern Oregon and beyond. I felt a little bad that one of my favorite beers from the whole festival was definitely not a local one. Damn you, New Belgium Brewing for creating a line of interesting, delicious new flavors.


Here are some of the beers I sampled:

Southern Oregon Brewing Medford, OR

Quick Wit Witbeer

Light and refreshing, overall a great example of a wheat beer.

Good Life Brewing Company Bend, OR

Sweet As Pacific Ale

Passion Fruit notes, light and refreshing but not overly fruity. I really liked this one because a) I love fruity beers and b) I extra love passion fruit.

New Belgium Brewing Fort Collins, CO

Lips of Faith Cocoa Mole

Spicy finish, notes of honey and cocoa...I want to try this as a beer float. It left the burning sensation of spicy food in my mouth, with notes of chocolate and honey at the forefront. Definitely not something I can drink quickly and I might have broken into a sweat from the heat of the chipotle...

Their Lips of Faith series also includes a lychee beer, which I tried earlier in the week. I'm pretty excited about New Belgium's venture into the realm of experimental flavor crafting!

Connor Fields Applegate, OR

Second Nature Saison

Light, with notes of a white but without the tangy flavor in Shock Top or similar whites.

This brewery doesn't seem to have their own page yet, but you can follow them on facebook! 

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Salem, OR

Anthem Cider

Similar to Strongbow, not sweet, slightly dry with lots of fruit notes. Very easy to drink and refreshing.

They also had a hopped cider called the Anthem Hop, which I didn't like very much, but I'm not into hoppy beers so why would I like a hoppy cider?

Sierra Nevada Chico, CA

Kellerweis Hefeweizen

A light and refreshing hefe, great for a hot summer's day.

10 Barrel Brewing Company Bend, OR

Raspberries Gone Wild

This is a special release raspberry sour and it definitely lived up to that name. Fruity without a hint of sweetness. I actually liked this, but it was not something I could drink a whole 6 pack of. 

Phat Matt's Redmond, OR

Kolsch

I liked the brewery's logo more than I like the beer. My partner in tasting had their Red Ale and was also unimpressed. They guy pouring seemed super nice though and I hope that they do well, but the beer just isn't there yet. They are a relatively new brewery, so I hope that they get a few brews under their belt and improve in the years to come.

Ninkasi Brewing Company Eugene, OR

Radiant Seasonal Ale

A red ale from a recent Oregon powerhouse brewery. Ninkasi has really hit the forefront in the world of Oregon microbreweries and this was my first beer of theirs. Reds aren't my favorite, but they are ok. This one was good, not too hoppy. I don't remember the exact flavors because it was the last beer I tasted, which meant it was the last in a long list.

Cheers!

Chocolate Caramel Cookies..with beer of course.

I've basically decided that beer needs to be in everything that I bake. I struggled to figure out HOW to include it in these cookies and it's not really noticeable in the final product. I think I'll have to tweak cutting out more butter and/or eggs to make room for more beer.

Be warned that these cookies expand a lot, so a little bit of dough goes a long way. Potentially, these cookies could be really good with other stuff in them...more caramel, chocolate chunks...bacon....whatever.

Chocolate Caramel Cookies (Makes about 50 cookies)

Seriously, this recipe makes 50+ cookies.
What? I live with two dudes who can put away a lot of cookies.
I might have eaten a few too.

½ cup butter (1 stick)

10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or other, fancier chocolate of your choosing)

¼ cup beer (preferably something dark, like a porter) I used Evolution’s Lucky 7 Porter

1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 package caramels for topping

Dough, a beer, chocolate and beer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.

Melt butter, chocolate over low heat until completely melted. Add beer and remove from heat. Allow to cool.

Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Slowly add in chocolate mixture and mix completely. Begin adding flour mixture in thirds. Make sure to mix completely before adding more flour mixture.

Drop by small spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Unwrap caramels and slice in half. Place one half on top of each mound of cookie dough.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool. Eat and enjoy!

If I had a candy thermometer,
I would make caramel all the time.
And be really fat.

I can't lie...I bought a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips...and proceeded to munch on the other 2 oz. while baking these cookies...hence the odd amount. I did manage to save a few for the last batch of cookies, which got mixed in to the dough. They chocolate chunks definitely added to the overall deliciousness.

Don't Fear the Fruity Beer

Hello, I like to drink beer.

As a female, I feel I am allowed to tell you this without being too embarrassed....

I love fruity beer.

I know I am not alone in this because I have many friends, both male AND female, that also like fruity beer. My beer might be a little more froo-froo than yours, just because it’s got strawberries in it, but I don’t really care. It’s fucking delicious.

If I happen to be browsing the beer aisle in my local liquor store(yes, here in Maryland, we have to purchase our booze at the liquor store, unless you are lucky enough to find a store with a special license) and I come across a beer I haven’t seen before, my interest is piqued. If it’s an IPA or a dark beer like a porter or stout, I instantly lose interest. I will try porters and stouts, but not in 6-pack form, ok? I just want to SAMPLE it. IPAs, on the other hand, I just don’t like. I may lose all right to call myself a Pacific Northwesterner when I say that, but it’s true.


If, however, it is a wheat beer or contains fruit in any way, shape or form, I will buy it. If the only fruit involved was that the brewer ate an apple on the day they brewed that beer, I would still buy it. That’s how much I love fruity beer.

So I’ve decided to showcase some of the fruity beers that I happen to enjoy, for your reading pleasure! Hooray beer!

It's like someone added a
lemon slice to your beer...
without charging $5 a pint!

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
I found this beer the other day and was very excited to try it. It was fabulous; the perfect summer beer. The base seems to be a light, citrusy wheat beer that is then combined with the perfect amount of lemon. It’s refreshing, but not pulpy and extremely easy to drink. When I think summer time BBQ, I think of this beer. I expect to consume more of this over the next few months...


21st Amendment Brewery’s Hell or High Watermelon
The first time I found this beer, I had to buy it. It was terrible. It took months to make it through the 6 cans and I pawned them off on unsuspecting friends when they visited. This week, I was given the question “blueberry or watermelon”? I said either was fine, not knowing it was in reference to beer. When a pack of Hell or High Watermelon appeared, I was a bit disappointed. I tried it anyway and was quite surprised to find that I liked it! This is a seasonal brew that is only available April through September, so it’s possible they changed it up between seasons. The first clue that it was different is that I wasn’t immediately disgusted by it when I sipped it. The watermelon flavor was lighter which also showed in the fact that the beer was no longer pink. The taste is mild and fruity, with a really nice creamy finish. This season’s is a win!

"Like a beer and a strawberry smoothie
had a delicious love child."

Fruli
There is a fabulous, though expensive, bar in Fell’s Point Baltimore, MD that has an amazing selection of beers on tap, which is constantly changing. I usually order whatever fruity beer I can find on the list. On one visit, I was lucky enough to snag a glass of Fruli. It was seriously like a beer and a strawberry smoothie had a delicious love child. The beer was thick and rosy in color, like an actual smoothie, but was not heavy at all. It had a fresh, delicious strawberry taste with a very mild beer tone, maybe a little too fruity for some of you out there, but I loved it.
Samual Adam’s Blackberry Witbier
Blackberries are basically my favorite fruit ever, so throw that in beer and I am all about it. Plus, it’s made by a major brewery, so it tends to be readily available. As far as drinkability, the fruit flavor is good(frankly, it could have MORE blackberry flavor, but like I said...it’s my favorite fruit so I’m a little biased) and the beer has a nice crisp finish with a hint of spice, thanks to the coriander and orange peel it’s also brewed with. 

I have Ruby here as a Christmas
ornament...I think that makes
me a true fan.

McMenamins Ruby

My favorite beer of all time, the Ruby is a raspberry ale. It’s got a fantastic raspberry flavor with a creamy finish that makes it taste like the beer was brewed with raspberries AND cream. Seriously, most of you reading this probably can’t get this beer....but if you ever make it out to the Pacific Northwest, seek out the nearest McMenamins and sit yourself down for some awesome beer and some cajun tots.

Gotta catch 'em all!

Rogue Ale’s Somer Orange Honey Ale
Being from Oregon, I had to include a beer from one of my favorite breweries of all time...Rogue Ales. This beer replaced my favorite Honey Orange Wheat a few years back. It’s not quite as good(which might have more to do with the fact that I just love wheat beers above and beyond all others), but is still quite tasty. The flavor is smooth, which just a hint of spice and citrus, plus it comes in an awesome Rogue bottle!

If you find a fruity beer and would like to share, please comment below! I am aware that there are many more fruity beers out there, all just begging for me to drink them. 

And don’t worry...

I’m up to the task.

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes with Honey Spice Frosting and Cocoa Nibs

Recipe adapted from Dave Leiberman

This is a chocolate cake recipe that I have used for many years now. The originally recipe calls for sour cream....which I find completely and utterly disgusting. I also forgot that the recipe called for this, as it’s been a couple years since I last made it....so I didn’t have sour cream. Instead, I added an extra egg and was quite pleased with the result. Typically, this cake tends to be overly moist and crumbly. This was not so with my alteration and was a lot easier to work with.

Ingredients

• ¾  cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
• 1 ½  cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 ½ cups of the beer of your choice
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla.
Beat in eggs, 1 at time.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Place approximately ⅓ cup of batter into each tin. Bake for about 10 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 10 to 11 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

Frosting
The beer that I chose to use didn’t have as much chocolate flavor as I wanted, but the honey and spice notes were there. I decided that I wanted to emphasis that with my frosting, so I chose to make a honey spice frosting.
1 stick softened butter
2 ½ to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 tbls honey (I used a pepper honey, which I picked up from The Bee Folks)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
Cocoa nibs for garnish


Cream the butter and powdered sugar together, ½ cup of sugar at a time. When you reach the desired consistency, add cinnamon and chili powder. Frost cupcakes when cool and sprinkle with cocoa nibs.

The honey made the frosting extremely sweet, which was a good match for the less sweet cupcakes. The cupcakes themselves were dark and chocolately with a hint of the beer flavor. Had I used a darker beer (like the guiness or stout the recipe is typically used with), I might have been able to taste the beer a bit more. The spice in the frosting is subtle, but the honey and chili went well together, as the honey I used already had notes of spice in it. The cocoa nibs on top tied it all together with their dark chocolate, totally unsweet crunch.

I have a dream...

My cupcakes can only hope to be this adorable.
Image taken from Cakewrecks, made by Zoey Cakes of Baldwinsville, NY.

I have a dream. It’s true.

My dream is to make delicious baked goods. All the time.

It’s a simple dream, but it’s something I love to do.

Right now, I want to make cupcakes. So why don’t I go to the kitchen and make some god damn cupcakes right this second? Because these things take time. I don’t just buy a box of cake mix at my local box store and make that. No, I CREATE baked goods from scratch with exciting flavors and a little bit of experimentation. The kind of things I like to make take time. They take exploration of flavors and trips to specialty cooking stores. They take finding the right ingredients and ways to combine them into something awesome.

They also take actually having cupcake tins(ie. a muffin pan) in your possession....which I currently don’t have. With a quick trip to the store though, that will be remedied and I will be ready to make my next creation, involving THIS. I am so excited.