Ladies of Craft Beer

Posted By: LDelk

This is my FAVORITE time of the year! Being a certified food nut in addition to my obsessions with beer and wine, I can’t think of a better time of year to celebrate the glorious union of my loves. This list is a collection of some of the best beers out there to pair with your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hannukah dinners! Cheers!

Alaskan White, 5.4% ABV: Aromas and flavors of light citrus, peppercorn, mild spice, wheat and orange peel. Finishes with a light wheaty finish. A great holiday brew for fans of lighter beers and those just entering Craft beer heaven.

Food Pairings: Ambrosia salad, light hors d’oeuvres, orange-cranberry spinach salad, latkes, mashed potatoes.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, 7% ABV: A wonderfully mild and balanced spiced Pumpkin beer. A comforting noseful of nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and baking spice. Rich, yet not overbearing like many Pumpkin beers. This is a natural match for holiday foods!

Food pairings: Pumpkin pie/cheesecake (of course!), carrot cake, clove studded ham, herb stuffing

Moylans Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale, 8% ABV: Aromas of toffee, Werther’s Originals, and orange peel. Mmm. Not normally a Scotch Ale fan, I think this one is balanced and not overbearing and syrupy. Nice hoppy bitterness on the finish.

Food pairings: Sweet potato souffle/casserole (0ne of my favorite things to make for Thanksgiving!), orange poppy seed muffins(a breakfast pairing!), apricot cream tart.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, 6.6% ABV: Like it smokey? More of a griller during the holidays? Smokin’ that turkey this Thanksgiving? This might be your beer. When I smell this, I feel like I am standing in a smokehouse.The nose is intense…of bacon, and aged meats. Pepper and spice, with a slight sweet note, that is buried just beneath the surface of the spice.

Food Pairings: Grilled and smoked meats, dark chocolate, spiced cake, spiced cheese straws

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.5% ABV: One of my favorite Imperial Stouts. This is a great beer for waking up Thanksgiving morning or after the insane food revelry! Aromas of dark Caro syrup, molasses, mocha, coffee and pepper combined with a burst of hoppiness. A punch of espresso on the palate, along with tobacco on the finish. There is a definite, measurable bitterness here, from both the hops and the roasted malts.

Food Pairings: Coffee cake, molasses biscuits, flourless chocolate cake

I’m seriously getting hungry writing this. Off to the kitchen and beer cellar…Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Top 10 Holiday Beers! Eat well, give thanks, and drink Craft beer!

Originally posted 2010-11-22 12:05:47.

Posted By: LDelk

Greetings beer lovers! Welcome to your journey of liquid delight through the beers and breweries of sunny Southern California! I am your guide and lovingly obsessed beer gal. Some of you may know me as 100 beers 30 days, the girl taking on epic, (and some say crazy) challenges of drinking and reviewing 100 beers of a style(s) in a mere 30 day period. What can I say? I like to live in the extreme!

This, my friends will be a much smoother ride. Like the difference between riding in a turbo speedboat and cruising on a yacht. But I promise, it will be no less fun…And why Southern California? Well, I am also insanely lucky to not only live in one of the most beautiful locales in the country, but to have some of the best and most inventive breweries practically on my doorstep. Girl must have done something right…

I pondered long and hard about how to begin this local odysessey. Should I begin with the most famous? The first of their category? The most well known brewery? Then I realized I was waaaay OVER-thinking, and realized, “Why not just do one of your favorite examples of a summer IPA?” And it hit me like the apple on Newton’s head….Ballast Point‘s amazing Sculpin IPA.

Welcome to your 1st SoCal beer folks!

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, 7% ABV: My tasty goodness. I LOVE the nose of this beer. Crisp, vibrant notes of citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grapefruit), freshly cut herbs, forest. Refreshing and clean on the palate. Yet as it warms, a creaminess develops. Aromas and flavors are pure. Wonderful, balanced bitterness on the finish. Just makes you want to take another pleasurable sip. This beer is PERFECT for a breezy, sunny summer afternoon.

Adored and coveted by beer geeks nationwide, Sculpin is quite simply daaaa bomb. I have had the pleasure of drinking this beer at the brewery, on tap, on cask, and in bottle. And it there just isn’t a bad way to drink it.

**Interesting Tidbits: Sculpin has an A rating on Beer Advocate and won a Gold Medal at 2010 World Beer Cup.

Do yourself a delicious favor, and find this beer. Have someone send you one if necessary.

See you next time. CHEERS!

Originally posted 2010-08-29 19:26:16.

Posted By: LDelk

Featured image courtesy of http://www.connectstatesboro.com/news/section/67/

Christmas is just a few days away, and there are some FANTASTIC beers out there to put on your holiday table! These beers pair beautifully with food or stand wonderfully on their own. And they are packed with so much aroma and flavor, you will be wanting to spread the yultide cheer straight into the New Year….

Alesmith Yulesmith Imperial Red Ale, 9.5% ABV: One of my new favorite styles of beer. Comforting, yet vibrant hoppy nose. Subtle aromas and flavors of cardamon, vanilla, spice, citrus, and toasted nuts along a caramel malty backbone. Love the balance of the nose with the palate. Dangerously drinkable!

Food pairing: Spiced nuts, Rosemary/Sage stuffed turkey, herb potatoes

Ommegang Abbey Ale, 8.5% ABV: This is a delicious Dubbel, and is one of my favorite American versions of the style. Classic notes of caramel, brown sugar, dried date and fig. Lovely. Add to that a wonderful nuttiness and roasty toastiness, and it adds a whole new layer of complexity and enjoyment.

Food pairings: Banana bread, brown sugar glazed ham, rum cake, fig tart/pudding.

Ninkasi Sleighr Dark Double Alt, 7.2% ABV: Lovely, frothy, cappuccino-colored head. Aromas of toasted nuts, chocolate-covered cherry, dried date and raisin, with hints of smoke and charred wood. The smokiness comes billowing out in the palate, along with a defined and complex roasty toastiness. The finish provides a pleasant bitterness, something akin to biting down on a pecan pith.

Food pairing: Smoked pork shoulder or brisket, bacon-wrapped stuffed dates, grilled meats, bacon chocolate (yes, you read that right!)

Port Santa’s Little Helper, 9.5% ABV: Intense and dense. A perennial favorite of Southern California beer folks. Popular for extended aging, this one get pulled from beer cellars year round. And it is always a hit. Mountains of chocolate, cocoa, caramel, and tobacco, and a bit of smoke that intensifies as it ages. This one is a mouthful!

Food pairings: Is it’s own food group. Enjoy with a cigar and call it a night.

ORRRRR….for your GRAND FINALE……..

Malheur Deus Brut, 11% ABV: This beer I can summarize in one word. AMAZING. It is the brewed equivalent to Champagne. And it is just as complex and mind-boggling. This beer was my #100 in my Belgian challenge, and it is still one of the most magnificent beers I have tasted to date. Incredible layering of yeast, apricot, lemon, hay, baked bread, grass, the list could go on and on. If you have never tried this beer, please TREAT yourself. It is worth every penny, and you’ve worked hard this year! You deserve it! I guarantee you, it will be one you will remember forever.

P.S. You better believe I’m popping this New Year’s Eve!!

Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a bright and beer-filled New Year.

CHEERS!

Related Posts:

• Holiday Gifts for Home Brewers (Or Those Who Want to Start)
• Ninkasi Maiden the Shade – What’s In a Name?
• Top Ten Holiday Beers- Part 1
• Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
• Pubcakes

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

NEW! Perfect for the Holiday Season:

Ladies of Craft Beer 2011 Wall Calendar – This calendar features pictures of the Ladies of Craft Beer partaking in their favorite craft beer activities. Each month features a different member of the group, showcasing what craft beer means to her. Certain craft beer milestones and facts have been added to days in each month as well.

January (Top) January (Bottom)

February March

April May

June July

August September

October November

December

Featuring: Stevie Caldarola, Melissa Ward, Maureen Basenberg, Micki Seivwright, Vanessa Gimpel, Laurie Delk, Tatiana Mello-Gomes, Melissa Jernigan, Amie Mizell, Deverie Hart, Theresa Carpine and the Beer for Boobs Brunch.

Calendars are $13.00 each, including tax and shipping within the lower 48 states. Shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, and outside of the United States may incur an additional cost.

Or you can buy them here.

Please make sure to properly fill out your shipping address via Pay Pal.

In order to receive your calendar for the holiday season, please leave at least 2 weeks for shipping.

Thanks for your support! Cheers!

Have a question? Email me here:[contact-form 6 "Untitled"]

Posted By: LDelk

The first time my lips touched Green Flash West Coast IPA, I knew I was drinking history in the making. Being a East Coaster, I had never tasted an IPA with such dominant hoppiness. “What IS this liquid wonder?” I mused. After my jaw recovered from the hop clench (as I like to call it), I thought, “THIS is a style I need to learn more about.” And after a few months of tasting adjustments to my palate, I became a loyal follower of the hop movement. One of my favorite Green Flash brews is their famous Le Freak, a Belgian IPA that gives you the best of two worlds:

Green Flash Le Freak (Belgian IPA) 9.2% ABV: I just love this beer. Always have. A wonderful blend of Belgian and Southern California hoppy goodness. On the nose, Belgian yeast, candi sugar, tropical fruits of mango, papaya, pineapple, and banana. Add to that spice, hoppy citrus and herbs, and touches of caramel and malt. Mmm, makes you want one right now, doesn’t it?

I highly recommend this beer to both Belgian beer lovers and Hopheads. It’s a great way to expand your palate, and see how well these two variant styles meld together successfully. And Green Flash doesn’t stop there! Le Freak is the base for their experimental beer Super Freak, a brew aged in wine barrels with Brett. Yum. Yum.

Are you a fan of Green Flash too? Then you are in luck! (If you live in Southern California) There are some fantastic events including Green Flash during San Diego Beer Week 2010. Check these out:

• Sunday, November 7: 2nd Annual Green Flash Smoke Out @The Linkery (10am-11:30 pm)
• Sunday, November 7: Green Flash Tasting with Chuck Silva @O’Briens (6:30 pm)
• Monday, November 8: Brewapalooza @House of Blues (5 pm)
• Monday, November 8: Chuckapalooza! @Stone Brewing (5-7 pm) (25 Green Flash brews!)
• Thursday, November 11: Green Flash Progressive Dinner @Sea Rocket Bistro & @Ritual Tavern (5 pm onward)

Hope to see you there!
CHEERS!

Posted By: LDelk

In preparation for the delicious onslaught of San Diego Beer Week, I recently attended a Beer and Cheese tasting at Stone Brewery. Hosted by the famous beer guru “Dr.” Bill Sysak, the evening was a gastronomic time-clock of French cheeses and Belgian beers. Starting at 12, we eagerly worked our way around our plated timepiece of dairy wonders, carefully guided through each pairing by Bill. With each cheese, a new array of flavors and textures arose, and we all found ourselves picking favorites, and wishing for more….

Read on and be jealous….

Pairing #1

Brillat-Savarin with St. Bernardus Tripel: Hello DECADENCE! This cheese is ridiculously delicious. Seriously. If you haven’t tasted it, you are sincerely missing one of the best things in life. The creamy butteriness was complemented by the apricot, peach, spice, and mild white pepper of the beer. And a sweetness in the cheese arose through the parallel candied element in the Tripel that I didn’t expect.

Pairing #2

Bucherondin with Struise Tsjeeses: I’m glad this post doesn’t have a sound bite, or I’d be in trouble with these names. The goat cheese has a marked tanginess and pasty consistency. The beer, a winter ale, aged on stone fruit with spices cuts through and complements the elements of the cheese’s flavor and texture.

Pairing #3

Le Chevrot with Cuvee de Ranke & Duchesse de Bourgogne: Powerhouse course! With the de Ranke, the earthiness, hay, and barnyard qualities of the cheese emerge. In fact, I love when you exhale and breathe beers like the de Ranke, and all of that wonderful citrus and earthiness races over your palate. The Duchesse pairing is brilliant, and my narrow preference. The rich cherry and brown sugar, yet tanginess of the beer perfectly complements the earthy cheese.

Pairing #4

Camembert le Pommier with Orval: One of the best cheeses in the world with one of the best beers in the world. Wonderful barnyard, standing in a stable feeling you get when you eat Camembert. And the saltiness of the cheese brought out the delicious spiciness in the Orval. And who doesn’t love spicy and salty together?!?

Pairing #5

Roquefort Papillon with ‘t Smisje BBBourgondier: A salty, grainy blue cheese that contrasts the apricot sweetness of the beer. Here’s the kicker…We went back and tasted this with the Brillat Savarin, and smokey, tobacco notes arose in the beer that were absent before! THIS is why I love pairing beer and food. I am always amazed at the aromas and flavors that emerge!

Pairing #6

Cabecou Feuille with Liefmans Kriekbier: A lovely cheese with grassy, citrus notes. The beer? Mmm. A nose of bright, ripe cherries and cherry syrup. The peppercorn coating of the cheese plays off the cherry wonderfully. A beautifully refined duo.

Pairing #7

Bleu des Basques Brebis with Struise Pannepot Reserva: I love, love this pairing. A stony, yet creamy blue cheese. The Struise is full of dried fruit and brown sugar, and a warming palate that makes you sit back in your chair, full and happy, and say “Ahhh.” This beer also paired beautifully with the Le Chevrot.

I strongly suggest you try some of these expert pairings at home. Thank you to Dr. Bill for another delicious Masterpairings. If you ever have the chance to attend one of these incredible tastings, don’t just jump…DO IT. Like Ben Stiller demands in Starsky and Hutch. Do it. Do it.

CHEERS!

Originally posted 2010-11-04 09:15:43.

Posted By: LDelk

I’ll admit it, I’ve got a preoccupation with The Bruery. Is it their insanely delicious and complex Black Tuesday? Their perfectly balanced sour Oude Tart? Their innate ability to make some of the most well-crafted and pure beers out there? Yes times three. Add to that eye-catching graphics and labels, a romantic 750 ml bottle, and you’re hooked from the moment you pluck it from the store shelf until that sad moment you must thrust it into the recycling bin. Yes, people. Please recycle.

So, I labored and LABORED over which beer I would select from one of my favorite breweries in the country for my 100 beers. 30 days. challenge this month. The Melange No. 3, the Oude Tart, or the mind-blowing Barrel-Aged Coton????

The Bruery Oude Tart (Flanders Red), 7.5% ABV: But because this is undoubtedly one of my favorite American Sours ever, I knew it was time to give Oude Tart its well deserved spotlight. But don’t worry, reviews of the Melange, and let me repeat, MIND-BLOWING Barrel-Aged Coton are coming….

There is a reason Oude Tart won GOLD at this year’s GABF for Belgian Style Lambic or Sour Ale. It’s simply divine. The beer is aged 18 months in red wine barrels, and it shows. Incredible aromas of toasty oak, sour cherry and red currant, a touch of fermented raspberry, barn wood planks, and a bit of earthy funk. The flavors are a marvelous amalgamation of aromas and a perfectly pitched sourness. This beer is truly a work of beer art.

Located in Placentia, California, The Bruery is the brilliant brainchild of homebrewer Patrick Rue, who I had the pleasure of meeting briefly at GABF. Brewing the purest of beers, with no filtering or pasteurizing, and 100% bottle-conditioning, I repeat…The Bruery makes some of the finest beers out there. My highest recommendations include: Saison Rue, Autumn Maple, Two Turtle Doves, Oude Tart, and the earth-shattering Black Tuesday. You will be thanking me exponentially.

CLICK HERE to read about my first trip to The Bruery after meeting the incredible Anat Baron of BEER WARS!

Until next time,

Be happy, drink well, and spread the Craft Beer love to every lady you know.

CHEERS!

Posted By: LDelk

Fall has arrived. Temperatures have cooled. Football is on the TV. Long sleeves are being pulled out of drawers. Football jerseys are being excitedly extracted from closets, dusted off, and donned with enthusiastic pride.

Your So Cal Beer Gal is all decked out in Saints regalia. Hey, just because I live in San Diego doesn’t make me a Chargers fan. Sorry neighbors! I have even fashioned a fleur-de-lis on my face from a black eyeliner stick. That’s dedication, friends. As I sit in one of my favorite beer locales, San Diego TapRoom, I dreamily drift off into the land of BBQ’s, friends, football, and of course, beer.

I can almost smell the smoke rising off of the grill when I gaze up at the menu and discover just what I am looking for, Ballast Point’s Abandon Ship. It’s a smoked LAGER, and I am instantly intrigued. Having had several smoked porters recently at GABF, I was interested in how different they might be.

Ballast Point Abandon Ship Smoked Lager, 5.9% ABV: A nice variation from the weightier porters. Clean and light, but still with a wonderful smokey finish that lingers much like after enjoying a smoked sausage or ham. You can almost imagine standing by a grill, breathing in that wonderful aroma. There is a slight nutty character along with a definite woodiness (think charred, campfire wood) on the nose.

Ever visited colonial homes, say in Williamsburg, Virginia, or Charleston, South Carolina? You know that old, smokey, charred smell when you walk into the sitting rooms and kitchens? That distinct aroma of smoke being absorbed into the wood for years on end? THAT is your smell here. Love it!

The lighter body of the lager allows a greater drinkability with this one versus a heavier porter. However, like the Stone Smoked Porter, this beer would work nicely at a BBQ, and might be more attractive to those just experimenting with smoked beers, and those not quite ready for the power of a Rauchbier.

It’s decided. I have to head over to Ballast Point right now and taste more beers….

Signing out from San Diego,

CHEERS!

Posted By: LDelk

I am lucky, and some might say downright blessed to be able to drive by the beach communities of Solana Beach and Cardiff-by-the-Sea on my way to work in Encinitas. Hot surfers, balmy breezes, salty air, and bright sunshine make for a lovely afternoon distraction. I’ll admit, I’ve almost driven off the road looking at the scenery (in more ways that one.)

One of my favorite places to pop in is Pizza Port right on Highway 101 in Solana Beach. Relaxing with a nice hoppy IPA always seems to pair perfectly with the ocean air and calms whatever nerves might be exposed in a hectic day.

Today I’m home, but craving that fuzzy feeling, I crack open a bottle of my own Port beer, and bingo! I’m sitting on the deck of Pizza Port smiling in the sunshine….

Port Brewing Wipeout IPA, 7% ABV: This just smells West Coast. Holla! Exploding with hoppy aromas of citrus, herbs, pine, grass, and tree sap. All of that vibrancy comes bursting from the 5 hop varieties used: Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, and Summit. (Introduced to me from a brewer in New Orleans, I instantly became a big, big fan of Simcoe.)

This is the kind of beer I just want to stick my nose in ALL of the time. It makes me smile. And MAYBE it’s just the power of suggestion, and MAYBE it’s because I am sitting literally one block off of the ocean, but I swear I smell salty beach air in the beer. And the flavors? Ahh yes! Piney resin and bright citrus notes with a nice hop bite bitterness on the finish.

And one of the best parts? It’s widely available. Found on many taps and in your beer shop for only about $5, this beer is aces in every category. It’s a classic, and so wonderfully easy and enjoyable to drink. Serve it at a party, and to those just getting into IPA’s. You’ll have new obsessed IPA fans before you know it.

CHEERS!

Posted By: LDelk

Its Sunday. It’s Labor Day Weekend. I’m in sunny San Diego. The smell of smoky barbeque grills fill the breezy air. I’m having my own little heaven moment. Someone from my North Carolina high school might shout out, “It’s Miller Time!” Let’s just change that up, shall we? How about “It’s Smoked Porter Time?” After all, we’re having a BBQ here!

On the menu this luxurious afternoon? Smoked Bourbon Sage Sausages, 5-hour BBQ ribs, BBQ shrimp and tuna, grilled corn-on-the-cob. And that doesn’t include all the fixins. (Yes, I said fixins. I’m Southern.)

As sugars caramelize and a sweet honey BBQ smoke rises from the grill, I look down at my glass of Smoked Porter with a grin. This is going to be delicious…

Stone Smoked Porter 5.9% ABV: Mmm. One of my favorite and most nostalgic smells in life. Charred wood. Reminds me of all the summer barbeques as a child, the post-football bonfires in high school, the countless campfires hiking and camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the wood-burning fireplace that kept us warm on snowy, winter nights in Boone, NC. I could smell this until my nose gave out….

Sweet notes of caramel, dark brown sugar, dried dates and figs dance around that campfire smell, and I am instantly comforted. It’s a warm, welcoming smell that follows through beautifully on the palate. Nice woodsy notes mingle seamlessly with the sweeter elements, while a bit of bitterness provides a pleasant nudge and dries the palate. This drying effect, also present from tannin in red wine, encourages you to take another sip. And believe me, you want to.

With the food, it is positively scrumptious. All that smokiness and those marked notes of sweetness on both ends comingle beautifully, and we all look at each other and giggle. Mmmm to the mmmm.

Try this and other smoked beers at your next BBQ. Bon appétit friends.

And as always,

CHEERS!