Category: Drink

Drink these beers now

When it comes to beer, sometimes you just need someone to steer the ship for you, a trustworthy friend who can serve as your guide when it comes to choosing a brew — because let’s be honest, there are just so many to choose from. Even if you can narrow down your style, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Look, I don’t mean to suggest you can’t make a decision for yourself, but you already have to make so many decisions each and every day. Should you shower before your first Zoom call of the day? Which shirt should you wear for that Zoom call? And, then, once the Zoom call starts, should you even keep your camera on?

It’s stressful.

Obviously, if you can navigate that battlefield, you can surely pick out a beer. But your brain might appreciate it if I do it for you just this once.

So here goes. Here are three beers I’ve had recently that I have thoroughly enjoyed and that I think you will too.

Rainbow Dome by Grimm Artisanal Ales (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

I don’t want to be too dramatic but this one kind of blew me away. Sours, as I’ve said many times, can be hit or miss for me personally, but this was a resounding hit. This is a dry-hopped sour ale “brewed with apricots and conditioned on oak,” and the result is a bright, fresh, tart, juicy sour ale that absolutely delighted my taste buds.

This brew, which pours pretty close to the color of an orange creamsicle, features a pronounced hop character, making this an excellent choice for the IPA lover who has thus far steered away from sour ales. There is some light oakiness and some lingering, pleasing bitterness. Just a wonderful brew for a hot summer day.

Your only problem might be tracking this one down. I found this one in a Craft Beer Cellar in Westford, Mass. Good luck in your quest.

Baby Seal Pool Party IPA by Shebeen Brewing Co. (Wolcott, Conn.)

The label features baby seals enjoying a pool party with a puffin serving as lifeguard — absolutely zero chance I wasn’t giving this one a shot. And I’m glad I did.

Shebeen dubs itself “Connecticut’s only Irish brewery,” and, hey, that may be true but by my count only one of the 20 beers listed on their website was in any way Irish, but who cares? Not me. Literally all of their beers sound amazing with very creative labels and names, such as “Puffin Puffin Pass” and “Alpaca Blanca.”

Baby Seal Pool Party is a New England-style IPA brewed with lactose, which might sound a little scary, but really, the resulting brew is hazy, juicy, and also kind of sweet and creamy, and that’s kind of the point of the lactose. You get the big citrus hop character you’d expect, alongside an extra sweet and juicy package.

Is my stomach still trying to digest the lactose nearly two weeks later? Yes. But was it worth it? Yes.

Mountain Time Premium Lager by New Belgium Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, Colo.)

It’s just a beer — a crisp, refreshing, flavorful beer that makes your taste buds say thank you as you drink it way too fast on a hot day. But seriously, this was light and refreshing but also really satisfying and when I say that, I mean it has a lot of flavor. It has more sweetness than you normally get from a Pilsner but it’s still in that same light, bright package you expect.

I would want a few of these by my side when I’m sitting at the beach.

What’s in My Fridge
Citra Brau by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers. (Framingham, Mass.) Nice and hoppy but extremely light, this is just an excellent all-around, anytime brew that you will probably want to keep a steady supply of. Cheers!

With stops in Loire River Valley and Piedmont region

Take a virtual trip to two famous European wine-producing regions. Imagine the chateaux of the French Loire Valley and the hilltop towns of Italy’s Piedmont region.

Our first wine comes from Montoire sur le Loir, France. Domaine Le Montoire 2018 Sancerre (originally priced at $51.99, and on sale at the NH Liquor and Wine Outlets at $25.99) is a real delight. This is comprised of 100 percent sauvignon blanc grapes and is a wine many shy away from as it frequently tastes of grapefruit or grass. This wine does neither! The color is of straw, with just a slight bit of green. To the nose it has fruit and floral notes along with a bit of lemon zest. To the mouth the citric notes are dominant, with the ever so slight bitterness of marmalade, turned to a very slightly sweet lemon dessert-like finish. This is not a sweet wine, nor is it a bitter wine. This is a very light wine that when chilled can be sipped on a late summer afternoon, along with some fine triple crème cheese and summer fruit: peaches, raspberries, or strawberries. For entrees, light seafood, such as scallops or shrimp, or white-fleshed fish would pair well with this wine.

This wine comes from a vineyard of about 34 acres, planted about Crézancy en Sancerre, a small village of about 500 people in the central Loire River Valley region. The soils are of clay and limestone, which give the wine its slight minerality. The Loire crosses the mid-region of France, just south of Paris. Its proximity to Paris has provided the valley the opportunity to become a major source of wine to the capital of France from its earliest times. Given its wide climate range and chalky soils, the 200-mile-long valley has become the source of an amazing variety of wines. The Loire is also home to an incredible number of grand chateaux and estates constructed from the 1500s to the 1700s in this same central region of the Loire River Valley, the source of this light, bright Sancerre.

Our second wine comes from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, approaching the borders of France and Switzerland. Nezzoni Barolo 2014 (originally priced at $39.99, and on sale at the NH Liquor and Wine Outlets at $19.99) is a prime example of a Barolo wine that is produced from nebbiolo grapes. The Piedmont is a region of Italy blessed with compact villages and roads with hairpin turns as they traverse the many hills and valleys that make up the terrain of sand, clay, gravel and glacial moraine. Almost every inch of land is dotted with vineyards. According to its label it is “refined for at least 36 months in large Slavonian oak casks before bottling. Rich, complex, with delicate tannins and great balance. Pairs well with game, red meat, elaborate main courses, truffles and mature savory cheeses. Serve at 60.8-64.4 degrees F.” The color is ruby to amber and somewhat translucent. To the nose it is spare; to the mouth it is very dry with pronounced tannins. Paired with our barbecued ribs, it was perfect as the wine cut right through the fat of the ribs and the sweet and sourness of the sauce.

This wine is of the 2014 vintage, a vintage plagued by almost incessant rains up until just before harvesting. I fully expect this Barolo should be able to cellar as well as more fortunate vintages for a predictable 20 years. In fact, there may be a true bargain in picking up this Barolo at 20 bucks a bottle!

Beer can be a marinade too

I love the complexity, texture and flavor that a rich, dark beer can bring to a big pot of slow-cooked, braised beef stew. And I love how a crisp, lighter brew adds another dimension of flavor to a big pot of chili. And what’s not to love about a pint of Guinness-flavored ice cream?

But what about marinating a steak in beer? That I wasn’t so sure about. But really, why not?

It’s summer and nobody wants to braise a big hunk of meat on the stovetop when it’s 90 degrees outside. But lots and lots of people do want to stand outside (probably with a beer in hand) as they man their respective grills — especially with the Fourth of July upon us.

First, marinating meat with beer isn’t a new concept, even if it wasn’t something I’d attempted previously. Beer adds flavor and it helps tenderize the meat as well, so all good things. But I struggled more with what kind of beer to use and what meat to use it with.

Based on my research and experimentation, there really aren’t any hard and fast rules. It really depends on what type of flavor you’re trying to impart to your meat.

A lighter beer like a Pilsner or lemony wheat beer would be a nice choice to marinate chicken breasts or maybe even fish filets, like salmon. But a pale ale or an IPA would also add some flavor and complexity to those same chicken breasts or some pork chops or pork tenderloin.

I tend to think darker beers like dry stouts or German dunkels work well when marinating steaks or even just mixed into a burger.

But really, it’s your call, and it’s honestly going to be kind of hard for you to mess it up so don’t stress.

Here’s just one recipe to consider — think of it as a baseline more than anything.

Featured Photo: Try using beer in your next marinade. Photo by Jeff Mucciarone.

Beer-marinated pork chops
12 ounces of beer
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 cup of minced onion or shallot
2 bone-in pork chops
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients in a zip-close bag and refrigerate for a few hours. Give the pork chops an hour or so to come up to room temperature. Pat the chops dry. Turn on your grill and when hot, toss on the pork chops. Cook them over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until they develop a nice crust on each side. Take them off and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. If you have a significant amount of excess marinade, you could simmer it on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes and use it as a delicious sauce. Of note, I used a pale ale in this marinade but I think you could use just about anything. Enjoy.

What’s in My Fridge
Sluice Juice New England IPA by Bent Water Brewing Co. (Lynn, MA) This New England-style IPA has big citrus aroma — a breathtaking amount of citrus actually, mainly orange flavors. The beer itself is delicious, very smooth, mild bitterness. This is what you’re looking for when you choose a New England-style IPA. I had it straight out of the can at first and that was great, but I actually preferred it out of a glass as I felt like I picked up more of the aromas. Cheers!

Need to try
The Portsmouth Brewery is offering a Citrus Vanilla Sour that both scares me and intrigues me. This is “a light bodied beer with the addition of orange peel and vanilla beans … [and] a touch of caramel malt is balanced by the tart pithy-ness of the citrus,” according to the brewery. I’ve got to get my taste buds on that.

Something new in sparkling wines

Carpe diem — seize the day! Embark on something new! Even John Keating, played by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, famously says, “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” Well, broadening your experiences with wine is rewarding. Borrowing from that quote, an “extraordinary” array of wine produced from seemingly unlimited manners of blending of grape varieties produces a vastly diverse tasting spectrum and sensations.

Gruet Cuvée 89 Brut (originally priced at $29.99 and on sale at the NH Liquor and Wine Outlets at $14.99) is designed to be savored. The wine has a light straw color to it and to the nose there is a slight yeast note along with a little slate-like minerality. To the mouth, green apples along with citrus rind round the tongue. The label states, “Gruet specializes in Méthode Champenoise wines. The Cuvée 89 by Gruet is a brut style sparkling wine which boasts notes of green apple and ripe pear and finishes with round crisp acidity.” This wine is slightly “sweet” to some. That is not to be confused with an effervescent moscato, as it is not that sweet. This is a wine that can be enjoyed alongside some cheese and fruit; it is equally refreshing alone, sipped on a long summer’s afternoon.

What makes this sparkling wine so amazing is that it is from New Mexico, but its origins lie in France. Gilbert Gruet, the founder of Gruet Winery, was born to a poor family in the village of Bethon, in the Champagne region of France. He created a co-op in his village to market still wines, Champagnes and brandy. The family traveled to the American Southwest in search of soils and climate in which to farm and planted their first American vineyards in Engle, New Mexico, in 1984 on land with elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. The sandy soils and dry climate with cool nights proved to be ideal. In 1989 their first releases developed a following, ultimately realizing awards in the early 2000s and in 2011 a No. 43 spot on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World list for its Non-Vintage Blanc de Noirs. Gilbert’s children Laurent and Nathalie now run the business.

Veuve du Vernay Ice Sparkling Demi Sec Rosé (originally priced at $16.99 and on sale at the NH Liquor and Wine Outlets at $11.99) has been created especially to be enjoyed on ice in a large glass. Defined as a “vin mousseux,” a sparkling wine with an alcoholic content at 11 percent, it is perfect as an aperitif or for dessert. Its color is the slightest of a pale pink and its nose is very slight with raspberries and some citrus. To the mouth it has fruit notes of raspberries with a very slight edge of acidity. A blend of non-vintage syrah, cinsault and brenache, it is bright and refreshing, and with its low alcoholic content it is perfect for a warm, sunny afternoon. Like prosecco, the wine is created using the Charmat process — that is, its secondary fermentation takes place in pressurized stainless steel tanks. When complete, it is filtered and bottled under pressure. This is distinct from the Méthode Champenoise noted above wherein the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle.

This wine is one of several sparkling wines owned by the house of Patriarche, a Beaune, Burgundy-based wine company that in turn is owned by the conglomerate Group Castel, a multinational beverage company producing wine, beer and soft drinks from estates around the world. These wines are produced in Bordeaux and exported to more than 40 countries. The wine is classified as a Vin de France, a new national appellation from France. This new classification releases the wine from the strict, confining, traditional classifications France has used since the start of the 19th century and allows the public to better understand French wine; a Burgundy becomes a pinot noir, named for the grape from which it is produced.

So break away from the traditional chardonnay or pinot grigio, or even prosecco, and explore these sparkling wines on a sunny weekend afternoon! You will be happy with your discovery!

Get a bit of Italy in a glass

While Covid-19 has limited our ability to travel, summer with its long days and warm sunsets takes us off to romantic, dreamy environments. Tuscany is one such place that comes to mind.

All of Italy is noted for its cuisine. Dishes like fagioli all’uccelletto (a side dish of cannellini beans stewed with tomatoes, garlic and sage), breads like focaccia and the luxuriousness of gelato all have their roots in Tuscany, Florence and its countryside. The cuisine of Tuscany can be both simple without overbearing sauces, but also inventive with multiple textures, herbs and spices enhancing its dishes. As for wine, Tuscany is known for Chianti but there are other wines produced, some well-known, others not.

Podere La Pace Rosso Maremma 2014 (originally priced at $59.99, and on sale at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $25.99) is an interesting blend of 25 percent cabernet franc, 25 percent merlot, 25 percent cabernet sauvignon and 25 percent petit verdot. This wine is a “Bordeaux blend” that is unusual in that it has both merlot and cabernet sauvignon in the mix and they are mixed in equal proportions. The color of the wine is a deep, thick purple. To the nose it is floral, with a touch of dried fruit. To the mouth, it explodes with dried cherries and roasted plums, red currants, grilled herbs and hints of dried leather. The medium body is “plushly” textured. My wife described it as “crushed velvet.” There is a slight touch of underlying acidity providing some lift on the finish as it leaves behind flavors of cooked plums, grilled herbs and spicy tobacco notes lingering with a long, long finish. The alcoholic content is high at 14.5 percent, a little “hot” to the mouth, but it leaves beautiful “legs,” clear liquid lines on the side of the glass. This wine hails from Cura Nuova, located just four miles from the Gulf of Follonica on the Mediterranean Coast. Abiding by the strictest organic farming methods, the Podere La Pace vineyard, founded in 2007 with its first vintage in 2013, is small and young — just a little over 10 acres. In addition to the four grapes in this red wine, the vineyard is also planted in chardonnay and viognier, and produces limited quantities of olive oil and grappa. Wine production is limited to 30,000 bottles per year. Wine Enthusiast gave this wine a score of 88/100 and recommended to enjoy it before the end of 2020. This may be why the state liquor store has it on their “close-out list.” That being said, I would still recommend picking up a few bottles, as I believe it can cellar for a couple more years.

Blodilaia Brunello di Montalcino 2013 (originally priced at $55.99, and on sale at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $27.99) is a true brunello, that is 100 percent sangiovese grosso. These grapes are noted for having thicker-skinned berries, producing wines with bold fruit flavors, high tannins and high acidity. These tannins and acidity extend the life of this wine, allowing it to reach perfection a decade or more after bottling. According to the strict wine-making parameters of the DOCG, the wine must develop on oak barrels for a minimum of two years, then bottled and cellared for another two years before it can be sold. This wine is now just coming into its own! Robert Parker described this wine as offering “blackberry and cherry nuances enhanced by spice, leather and elegant balsam herb.” The color is much lighter than the red blend discussed above. It has a slight amber tone to it, approaching the color of a fine sherry. To the nose it was reserved with slight floral notes. To the mouth the fruit was less forward than the red blend, offering a certain silky elegance. The tannins were in check and it had a nice, long finish. It was worth the wait!

So, dream a bit. You may not be able to visit Tuscany, but you can grill a steak, or split a chicken, rub it with herbs and enjoy an afternoon sunset. Enrich this simple fare with a simple antipasto or chicken liver pate spread on toast points. Try a Panzella, a cold salad of bread soaked in balsamic vinegar, mixed with onions and tomatoes, basil, all topped with olive oil of course! You will be carried off to Tuscany!

Fire pits are having their moment

“Want to walk over and have a beer by the fire? The kids can have some s’mores. We’ll keep our distance.”

My wife and I texted our neighbors with a version of this invitation a few weeks ago. The answer was, “yes,” so, no big deal, I have friends, but we were more than a little hesitant about the offer. Was it appropriate? Was it safe? Were we putting our friends in a tough spot where they would have to say, “No, thank you, duh, we’re in the middle of a pandemic that requires social distancing.”

I’m not trying to make light of a very real, very scary global situation, but as I walk up and down my neighborhood in the evenings, it’s very clear that if I’d somehow invested in backyard fire pits, I’d be very wealthy right now.

It makes sense. The ability to get together inside is pretty limited these days, so why not get together around the fire? I do think the current circumstances have reminded all of us of some simple pleasures we might otherwise take for granted. And there is nothing quite so simple, yet satisfying, as letting your mind go while the flames lick at a few seasoned logs.

It’s a campfire, except that when you’re ready to go to bed you can just walk into your own house.

And there is absolutely no reason why you can’t enjoy a beer with a friend sitting on the opposite side of the fire — or maybe even a couple friends, but let’s not get carried away.

The best news of all is that beer has always been perhaps the single greatest accompaniment to a fire. I don’t know that I ever appreciate a beer as much as I do alongside a fire. There is something about the flames and the smoke and the cool evening air that just pairs perfectly with a can or a bottle or a plastic cup of ice-cold beer.

Any beer that suits you works in this instance. You want a rich, dark coffee stout? Perfect fit! What about something light, like a simple Pilsner? Excellent choice! Thinking about trying out that bottle of raspberry wheat ale? You don’t need to bring me one but by all means go for it.

Unless it’s a blazing hot summer night, in which case I might be likely to decline the fire altogether, I tend to lean toward beers with a bit more substance, like a brown ale, such as Kelsen Brewing Co.’s Paradigm Brown Ale, or perhaps something like Throwback Brewery’s Oma’s Tribute, which is a black lager boasting big roasted malt flavor.

Able Ebenezer Brewing Co.’s Burn the Ships smoked IPA would be an obvious and perfect fireside brew.

I think the fire is the time to bust out, and presumably share, some barrel-aged brews, like Stoneface Brewing Co.’s barrel-aged Mistadoppelina, which is a “malt-forward lager with notes of toffee, caramel and dates,” according to the brewery, or Stoneface’s 2020 bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout that “is dominated by bourbon and barrel characteristics like sweet oak and vanilla.” Maybe you wouldn’t normally go to a big stout in summer, but the fire helps you relax and appreciate the nuances and complexities of barrel-aged brews.

The point is, there’s a lot we can’t or maybe shouldn’t do right now, but one thing we can do is enjoy a beer by the fire, so go do it, and consider setting up a couple chairs for friends — six feet apart.

Photo: Any beer pairs well with a fire, including Henniker Brewing Company’s Kolsch Style Ale. Courtesy photo.

What’s in My Fridge
Juliette by Amherst Brewing Co. (Amherst, Mass.) Wow. I’ve come to love this brewery over the past few months. This IPA, in particular, might be my favorite. It’s brewed with flaked oats and “local Valley Malt Warthog Wheat,” and brewed with Summit, Eureka! and Citra hops. This is a brewery and a beer you should seek out. Cheers!