Category: Food

It’s a magical combination

I go into most weekends with high expectations for my own productivity.

Generally speaking, though, my expectations rarely prove to be anything other than unrealistic. I have visions of yard work, cooking elaborate meals, tackling some long overdue painting, cleaning out the garage and any number of other chores and tasks.

Aside from the fact that my kids have dizzying weekend schedules sending my wife and me criss-crossing town for the bulk of the day, I am also just one person.

By 3:30 p.m. or so most Saturdays or Sundays, I find myself in a familiar spot: tired, maybe a little frustrated and probably stressed — and probably having made minimal progress on my to-do list. A cup of coffee would pick me up but maybe amplify my stress. A beer might nudge me toward completely giving up on my productive goals.

Perhaps I could combine the two? Well, you know, a coffee stout isn’t going to provide a caffeine boost but a slow-sipping brew featuring big notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate might be just what the doctor ordered for easing frustration, while still allowing some modicum of productivity. Or maybe I just have a never-ending ability to find ways to justify having a beer?

I’ve written about coffee stouts and porters before and I’ll write about them again. These beers are like a coffee drinker’s dream: smooth, creamy brews boasting rich flavors of decadent coffee. And, might I add, it’s the perfect time of year to explore darker beers. Picture yourself spending the day Christmas shopping and running holiday-related errands, and then turning to a deliciously smooth coffee-flavored brew as you shake off the edginess from navigating holiday crowds.

In the age of buying local, brewers are more and more turning to local coffee roasters to flavor their coffee brews as well, which is a great touch resulting in unique, flavorful beers. And you can feel good about supporting your local economy.

Thankfully, craft brewers have fully embraced this style. Here are five coffee stouts and porters from the region to help you get through this busy and hopefully somewhat productive month.

Java Roots by Granite Roots Brewing (Troy)

This is just a coffee and chocolate bomb in a smooth, silky package. Granite Roots sources its coffee beans for this brew from Barrington Coffee Roasting Co., which is based in western Massachusetts. A perfect iteration of the coffee stout.

Gunner’s Daughter with Coffee by Mast Landing Brewing Co. (Westbrook, Maine)

The original Gunner’s Daughter boasts huge notes of peanut butter, chocolate and coffee and the “with Coffee” version — you guessed it — features an even bigger coffee presence. Decadent doesn’t seem to cover this beer. This is dessert in a glass.

Gepetto by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton)

The brewery makes the late addition of whole-bean coffee in this brew, which results in a slightly sweet brew that features not only coffee but also sweet chocolate and marshmallow. It’s kind of like drinking a glass of coffee milk, which my mother reminded me was my favorite childhood drink.

Velvet Moon by Mighty Squirrel Brewing Brewing Co. (Waltham, Mass.)

This brew is especially smooth and creamy and relies on a blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Ethiopian beans from Atomic Coffee Roasters for its unique, amplified coffee flavor. This one hits you with waves of coffee.

Coffee Cake Porter by 603 Brewery (Londonderry)

While this has plenty of rich coffee flavor, this brew goes beyond that with coffee flavors complemented by notes of vanilla, cinnamon and a little smokiness. This is perfect for the holiday season.

What’s in My Fridge
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig by Boston Beer Co. (Boston)
This is such a nostalgic choice for me, as I have many memories of enjoying this brew during holiday get-togethers. What I like about this brew is that it does have a little holiday sweetness and spice, but it’s not overpowering. This is quite drinkable, while still feeling like you’ve captured the holiday season in a glass. Cheers!

Featured photo: Coffee and beer together as one. Courtesy photo.

Wine to serve, gift and save

The holiday season is upon us, a time to gather with family and friends around a tree with a dinner table laden with a lavish assortment of food and special wines.

I have selected three wines to give, receive and possibly store for the future. These wines are more than appropriate for the hearty fare, the endless buffets, the snowy evenings. A gift of one, or all, of these wines to someone special to you not only enforces your love and caring for them, but also exhibits your exceptional knowledge and taste in wine.

If you are lucky enough to receive one, or all, of these wines and are not ready to open them on the spot, what do you do with them? Long after you have drafted your last thank-you note, you may have one or several of these superb wines nearby, and you may be wondering, “How do I store these for the short, or perhaps long, period of time before I open the sangiovese for a rich Italian meal of pasta in a red meat sauce, or the red Bordeaux alongside a roast duck, or the ‘Cadillac’ Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon accompanying a thick grilled steak with bearnaise sauce?”

First, even though the New Hampshire State Liquor & Wine Outlets have their retail inventory standing up, do not store your wine standing up! Exception: Fortified wines like ports and sherries can and should be stored standing up. The corks in wine bottles need to be kept wet. Second, find a location in your house or apartment that is dark and has a comfortable to cool temperature, without drastic swings. If you have a basement (or a part of it) that can maintain 55 degrees and 60 percent humidity, take advantage of it. That is the ideal temperature and humidity for the long storage of reds that age well. You will likely not keep your wines for decades, so the perfect temperature and humidity is not a requirement; however, the control of humidity is important, and if it falls below 50 percent corks tend to dry out. When you open a bottle of red and the wine has begun to creep up the sides of the cork, it may be likely due to storage in an environment of low humidity.

Our first holiday gift wine, the 2013 Petroni Estate Sangiovese Poggio Alla Pietra (originally priced at $74.99 at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, reduced to $32.99), hails from the Moon Mountain District of Sonoma County. Grown throughout Italy, this grape is well suited to the steep and arid soils of the south-facing Petroni Vineyards. This wine is made in the style of brunello, the coveted wine of Tuscany. With a deep red color and notes of red cherries, along with some leather from the barrel aging in new French oak, this is an ideal wine to pair with a rich red pasta dish or game, like venison. This wine needs to be decanted or opened at least an hour before serving.

Our second wine, the 2016 Château La Gorre Cru Bourgeois Médoc (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $49.99, reduced to $23.99), hails from where else but Bordeaux, France. It is a classic blend of 60 percent merlot, 35 percent cabernet sauvignon and 5 percent petit verdot. This is an outstanding value, as similar wines cost upwards of $50 a bottle. With a deep ruby color and silky notes of cassis, blackberry and plum joined by the oak from barrel aging, this is an ideal wine to pair with beef or to accompany a roast leg of lamb or casserole after decanting.

Our third wine brings us back to the Napa Valley of California. The 2015 Stewart Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $69.99, reduced to $34.99) has deep red-purple color. I call this wine a “100 percent Cadillac Cab” as it has a thick, fruity mouthfeel. It is rich in black currants and blackberries to the nose and taste, and has medium tannins, perfect for that porterhouse steak!

These are impressive wines with subtle but distinctive differences, one to the other, to pass on to a good friend or family member, or to simply treat yourself, purchase and store for a couple of years to enjoy at future holiday seasons.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

A palate-cleanser

This is your first big, blow-out meal of the decade. You’ve been locked away for two years and you fully intend to throw yourself into everything Thanksgivingy.

But, if you’re going to eat cheese and snack mix and olives and pigs-in-blankets before dinner, while simultaneously avoiding getting sucked into your brother-in-law’s conspiracy theories, you’re going to have to be light on your feet.

Then comes turkey and stuffing and far, far too many mashed potatoes. You can’t afford to get bogged down with something heavy. You need something light and fascinating to keep you light and fascinating.

Elderflower Collins

1½ ounces gin
½ ounce St. Germain – a sweet elderflower liqueur
1½ teaspoons absinthe
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
Seltzer – I like Topo Chico; it’s aggressively bubbly

Combine everything but the seltzer in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake thoroughly.
Strain into a Collins glass with 2 or 3 ice cubes.
Mix 50/50 with seltzer and stir gently.

On first sip, you might be forgiven for asking yourself if this is too light. Then, you’ll remember the fascinating part. Although there is very little absinthe in this drink, it pushes its way confidently to the front of your attention. The gin brings a clean, bracing quality, which is rounded out by the gentle sweetness of the elderflower liqueur. If you’ve ever heard a drink described as “dancing on your tongue,” this is what they were talking about.

This is a drink that will help you go the distance.

Full-blown decadence

You’ve been stuck in your house, listening to Baby Shark on repeat since Valentine’s Day two years ago. This is Thanksgiving. You’re going to start drinking during the parade and drown out your mother’s parenting advice with the sound of your slurping.

This is pretty much the richest, most wanton excuse for a cocktail that you are likely to have had in the past 22 months. It has bourbon, cream, port, An Egg Yolk, and Absinthe for crying out loud. Do it.

New York Flip

1½ ounces bourbon
¾ ounce tawny port
¼ ounce nutmeg syrup (see below)
¾ ounce half & half
1 egg yolk

Dry shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker — this means without ice. (Trust me, you really, really want to mix the egg yolk thoroughly with the other ingredients before introducing it to ice.) Shake it for at least 30 seconds.
Add ice, then shake for another 30 seconds or more.
Strain into a coupé glass.

Decadent as it is, this cocktail isn’t all that alcohol-heavy. There is a modest amount of bourbon, but bourbon always tastes a little boozier than it actually is. The tawny port adds a touch of sweetness that builds on the nutmeg syrup. The cream and egg yolk are there to fortify everything and hum Victorian holiday songs in the background.

Nutmeg Syrup

¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup water
2 whole nutmegs

Using a mortar and pestle — or alternatively a tea towel and a hammer — break the nutmegs into medium-sized pieces, about the size of roughly chopped nuts.
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the solution boil for 10 to 20 seconds, to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove from heat and let the syrup steep for 30 minutes.

Strain and bottle. This should last at least a month in your refrigerator. It is appallingly good.

Featured photo: Elderflower Collins. Photo by John Fladd.