New Brew Thursday: 'Ghoulschip' from Allagash Brewing Company

Recently, I was lucky enough to venture up to Portland, Maine where I was able to visit some of my favorite breweries and no trip to Portland is ever complete without a stop at Allagash Brewing Company. There, I was able to pick up one of my favorite Allagash beers ‘Sixteen Counties’ but I was more curious about their coolship beers. Now, for the uninitiated, coolship is a brewing technique where hot wort (unfermented beer) is poured into a long, shallow pan so that the beer will cool down and during this process wild yeast from the air will mix with the wort to cause wild fermentation. It is an interesting process that deserves its own blog entry, but it produces fantastic sours. While I have had one to two coolships in the past I was turned onto something interesting, ‘Ghoulschip.’ A beer made and poured into the coolship on Halloween night made with pumpkin, toasted pumpkin seeds, and molasses. While pumpkin beers are not a favorite of mine this one was way too interesting to pass up and let me tell you, this beer is spooky good.

‘Ghoulschip’ pours into the glass a cloudy, straw-colored yellow with a small white head. However, after rolling the bottle and getting the sediment out, you are rewarded with a much darker yellow and an even cloudier result. It has strong notes of toasted pumpkin seeds and molasses that blend together almost seamlessly. The taste is fantastic. The initial sweetness from the pumpkin and molasses gives way to an unrelenting sourness that lingers far after the beer is gone. Coming in at a respectable 7.7% ABV, this beer won’t haunt you as the night goes on. ‘Ghoulschip’ is a unique beer in that each batch is different due to the wild yeast the collects during the coolship process and while this is my first ‘Ghoulschip’ it will not be my last.

New Brew Thursday: 'Landscapes With Haystacks' from Fiddlehead Brewing Company

As most of you know, I was lucky enough to visit Vermont a few months back and was even luckier to make a stop at Fiddlehead Brewing Company. Now, while I have had their flagship IPA a few times I was relatively unfamiliar with their other offerings and let me tell you they did not disappoint. So, when looking at the ‘to-go’ options and seeing an American Wild Ale with a fun name. I knew I had to give it a shot.

‘Landscape With Haystacks’ pours into the glass a clear, straw-colored yellow with a small white head that disappears relatively quickly. It has notes of lime and a distinct funk from the Brettanomyces used in the brewing process. The taste is amazing. The lemon, lime, and brett funk each battle each other for supremacy with neither being able to gain the upper hand for long. With a light mouthfeel this American Wild Ale packs a devastatingly sour punch, that coats the entire tongue starting from the back and lingers well after the beer is gone. Clocking in at 5.9% ABV this bottle will keep you happy while still leaving room for another.

New Brew Thursday: '55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

We are officially in the dog days of summer folks. That means trips to the beach, cook-outs, and day drinking. While it can be difficult to find that perfect summer beer I am here to tell you that ’55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company is the perfect beer to kick off your drinking day.

’55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ pours into the glass a cloudy, golden-yellow with a nice white head. It has sweet notes of coconut with just a little hint of lime to round things out. The taste is amazing. The initial sweetness of the coconut gives way to the tartness of the lime within seconds of the first sip with that tartness lingering on the mid-tongue just long enough. Building up with each subsequent sip. With a light, yet creamy mouthfeel and clocking in a whopping 8% ABV this one will sneak up on you if you’re not too careful. ’55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ is an awesome sour is great for all seasons but PERFECT for the summer.

Brewery Trip! Trillium Brewing Company

Trillium has long been one of my favorite breweries and when I heard of their plans to move to a new location in Canton I was filled with mixed emotions. First I was excited to see what the new location would bring and what it would look like. However, I was a little sad. I had been to the original Canton location more times that I can count and it played host to countless memories, even though most of them involved waiting in line. Between new friends and amazing beers this new location had a lot to live up to and let me tell you… it does.

One of the first things you notice pulling up to the new Trillium is how massive the facility is. Between the outdoor patio, restaurant, and bar location it is significantly larger than the previous location. While the restaurant was closed when I visited the menu looked delicious and gave us something to look forwards to. Upon walking in the front doors you see some of the smaller tanks and a large rack of barrels which just fills you with excitement for those future offerings. There is ample room to sit and a few areas with couches for groups as you make your way to the bar. There are dedicated lines for both pours and cans with the can area being self-serve which I have never seen at a brewery. Additionally, you can place an online order for cans and then pick them up at the end of the visit.

I only got one pour while I was there which was ‘Weather Observatory’ and it was fantastic, it was just a quick trip for cans of ‘Plane Over Car Over Train Over Boat’, ‘Middle Aged Genius’, and a smattering of other cans/bottles. The main reason I went was because after being open for nearly a year I still had not made the trip to visit. Now that I have been, I cannot wait to go back.   

New Brew Thursday: 'Middle Aged Genius' from Trillium and Bissel Brothers

I recently made the trip back to one of my favorite breweries in the world, Trillium. Now, while I was able to visit the Fenway location a few months back I had not been to the new Canton location and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint (thanks Freddy Foreshadowing for the next post) as it was beautiful. I made the trip so I could not only visit this amazing brewery but so I could also try the newest collaboration between Trillium and Bissel Brothers, something I look forward to each year and this year with ‘Middle Aged Genius’ it was another smash success.

‘Middle Aged Genius’ pours into the glass a hazy yellow with a small white head. it has notes of sweet tropical fruit that battle each other for nostril supremacy with none able to gain the upper hand that leads to a rich, sweet, and citrusy aroma. The taste is fantastic. While it has been awhile since I have had ‘Baby Genius’ it’s significantly older counterpart amplifies everything I loved about it. ‘Middle Aged Genius’ has a rich mouthfeel that coats the entire palate with a rich, creamy, and citrus flavor with a sliding scale of bitterness that starts at the tip of the tongue and mellows to the middle. Clocking in at a respectable 7% ABV you’ll be able to finish the glass and open a second… or third.

New Brew Thursday: 'Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler' from Pivotal Brewing Company

On my recent visit to Pivotal (check out that blog HERE) I was lucky enough to pick up some cans to go and with Mardi Gras wrapping up I was instantaneously intrigued by ‘Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler’ which is listed as a King Cake Stout. Now for the uninitiated, king cake is a cake served during Mardi Gras. It is typically frosted and is somewhat similar to a pound cake with some spices in it. There is often a baby inside the cake and whoever finds the baby is blessed with good luck the next year, and also has to buy the cake next year. While there was no baby in my beer, it was definitely a sweet treat.

‘Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler’ pours into the glass a jet black with a light brown head. it has rich and sweet notes of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla that blend together in the most perfect way and is akin to taking that first step into the bakery. The taste is fantastic. The initial wave of chocolate give way almost instantly to sweet flavor that coats the entire palate with the perfect hit of spice. Now I am not the biggest fan of spiced beers but it is just subtle enough to warm and then linger on the middle of the tongue. Even though it is listed as a pastry stout on Untappd it has a curiously light mouthfeel and clocking in only at 5.6% ABV it will certainly allow for you to let the good times roll.

IFKYK.

Rhode Trip: Pivotal Brewing Company

(The next part in a multi-part series as we complete the Rhode Island Brewer’s Guild Passport. To learn more about the passport and download the app click HERE) 

In the recent years the number of breweries here in Rhode Island has exploded and it seems like every couple of months there is a new brewery opening their doors and offering delicious beer. Our most recent inductee into this beautiful world is Pivotal Brewing Company in Bristol. This place is on the larger side and is much bigger than some of the other Rhode Island Breweries with their space being located in an old industrial space. Their motto is “follow the stack” and as soon as you are within a block of Pivotal you’ll be able to see why it’s so easy to follow.

The brewery itself is a large open room with space for the brewing and a wide-open tap room with funky furniture from all walks of life. Mismatched tables, chairs, and couches dot the room giving an added dose of character and color to the worn brick of the building. There is one long bar in the middle of the taproom with several stools and multiple stations to get a pour.

When I visited this past weekend for an event I only grabbed two pours trying ‘Aero Cow’ a pale ale that was pretty good and ‘Bomb Cyclone’ a DIPA that was absolutely delicious. ‘Bomb Cyclone’ was that perfect balance of juicy and bitter that makes the perfect New England IPA and is a must try when you visit. Additionally, in a prior visit I was able to try ‘Sippican Fruit Salad Witbier with Pomegranate’ which was quite good. However, I must say that their ‘Extra Special Bitter’ was out of this world delicious. While I have started to warm up to the ESB style it is not one of my favorites but this one was sublime and another must try.

While Pivotal Brewing Company is definitely the new kid on the block they are by no means brewing novices and you have got to check them out.

Pivotal Brewing Company is located at 500 Wood St. Bristol, RI 02809. For more information about their offerings and the brewery click  Here

Part one: Long Live Beerworks

Part two: Buttonwoods Brewery

Part three: LineSider Brewing Company

Part four: Taproot Brewing Company

Part five: Community Bruin (CLOSED)

Part six: Shaidzon Beer Company

Part seven: Moniker Brewery

Part eight: Six Pack Brewing

Part nine: Lops Brewing

Part ten: Grey Sail Brewing

New Brew Thursday: 'All Simcoe Everything' from Other Half

This past weekend I made it back to Bayberry Beer Hall in Providence. Now not only is this one of the best beer halls in the state due to their incredible tap/can list but they have amazing food and cans/growlers to go. As I was leaving I saw a few beers from Other Half that I was very intrigued with, one of them was ‘All Simcoe Everything.’

‘All Simcoe Everything’ pours into the glass an almost neon-yellow color with a thick white head. it has notes of tropical pineapple and mango that blend together into a nice sweetness at the end. The taste is fantastic. Coating the entire palate with a thick and luxurious mouthfeel it hit you with an initial juiciness that effortlessly transitions into a slight bitterness that starts at the back of the tongue and lingers ever-so-slightly. Coming in at an impressive 8.5% abv it is not overly boozy and it will not start to hit you until you’ve realized the glass is nearly empty. ‘All Simcoe Everything’ is another fantastic Imperial IPA from Other Half so if you like IPA and Simcoe hops you’ll love this one.

Cooking With Beer: IPA Queso Dip

With the big game right around the corner, you need a great dip in order to really set your party up for success and there is no greater dip than a queso dip. Gooey, melty, and spicy the perfect queso dip can be the cornerstone for your party and by adding beer… it is all the better. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I have been working on perfecting this recipe for the last few years. Tinkering with spices, beers, and peppers to ensure that this recipe is perfect in every way. Now that I have cracked the code for the perfect beer cheese dip I will share it with you.  

When it comes to the beer, an IPA will be your best bet and not just any IPA will do the job. This is a job for the New England IPA (e.g. hazy boi). West Coast IPAs will make the dip too bitter, while East Coast and English IPAs won’t make much of a difference and the juicy hop of the New England style is perfect. When it comes to ABV I would stick to 5% to 7% as any higher will give the dip a weird boozy taste. For me, using ‘Julius’ from Tree House Brewing has been the perfect beer but if you cannot get ‘Julius’ any beer that follows those guidelines is perfect.

Now here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

¼ cup canola oil

2 poblano peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whole milk

½ cup IPA beer

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monetary jack cheese

1 cup shredded low moisture-full fat mozzarella cheese

1 roma tomato

salt and black pepper to taste

 

Method:

Roughly mince the peppers being sure to de-seed them. I like to keep some of the veins of the jalapeno for the spice but if you do not like a lot of spice just remove it all. Using half of the canola oil (about two tablespoons or so) sauté the peppers until softened using a large sauté pan. Then add in all of the spices and stir for about one minute or so until the spices are fragrant.

Next, add in the rest of the oil and stir until all of the peppers and spices are coated. Then add in the flour to start the roux. Cook out the raw taste of the flour for a few minutes until the flour is light golden brown and then add in the milk in stages roughly ¼ of a cup at a time. This will ensure that there are no lumps in your roux. Once all of the milk has been added stir until thickened and then add in the beer ¼ cup at a time.

Once the beer has been incorporated and thickened as well, add in the cheddar cheese. After the cheddar has melted slightly then add in the monetary jack and mozzarella and fold in until melted. Once the cheese has melted add in your diced and de-seeded tomato and gently fold in.

Finally, you can transfer your dip into the serving tray or serve in your cast iron pan. Optionally, you can put this under the broiler to crisp up the top if you’d like as well.

New Brew Thursday: 'Jjjuiceee Machine' from Tree House Brewery

Happy New Year everyone! Or Hoppy Brew Year if you please. One of my new years resolutions (aside from the usual one of losing weight) was to write more. Not only because I love to blog but because there are dozens of new breweries to visit, new recipes to experiment with, and new beers to try. So, when I saw that Tree House had brewed a new batch of ‘Jjjuiceee Machine’ a beer that I have been dying to try I knew I had to trek up to Canton for some cans and let me tell you two things. 1. Going to Tree House on random weeknights after work for a pour and cans is one of my new favorite things and 2. This beer is insane.

‘Jjjuiceee Machine’ pours into the glass with a deep and hazy orange with a nice white head. It has complex notes of orange, mango, and tropical citrus that battle each other for nostril supremacy and the nano-second one gets the upper hand the other two pounce to take it back. The taste? Sublime. Now, to be fair, ‘Juice Machine’ is one of my favorite offerings from Tree House and I am a little biased but this beer is insanely delicious. The initial pillowy-soft taste of mango perfectly transitions to a big, juicy, hoppy bitterness with a subtle taste of orange and tropical fruit. It then gives way to a long bitterness that lingers on the middle of the tongue.  With a thick and luxurious mouthfeel the coats the entire palate you’ll be able to taste every part of this beer. Clocking in at a dangerous 8.6% ABV you’ll be at the bottom of the glass before you start to feel it. ‘Jjjuiceee Machine’ is nearly the perfect DIPA in every way and quite possibly not only my new favorite from Tree House but one of my top favorites overall!

TL;DR: ‘Jjjuicee Machine’ from Tree House? Yeah, it’s alright.