All that fuels me
Posts tagged lost abbey
Sour Beer article in Edible Westside magazine
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I scream for sour beer
Just this March, a brand new Los Angeles food magazine sprung into existence called Edible Westside. The debut Spring 2012 issue was stellar, and I’m not *just* saying that because it contained an article I’d written on SoCal wheat beers! Everything about it was incredible, and I couldn’t wait to be a part of the Summer 2012 issue. Well, fast forward to June and here she is in all her glory.
I was honored to be asked to write another article, this time focusing on spontaneous fermentation and sour beers. It gave me a chance to do some really in-depth research (not just drinking…) and I was able to interview a few pretty nice people, who also happen to be experts in the field, like Chris White, eponymous president of San Diego’s White Labs and co-author of Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation. I also interviewed several esteemed brewmasters: Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. (Santa Rosa, CA), Patrick Rue of The Bruery (Placentia, CA), Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey (San Marcos, CA), and the undisputed king of spontaneous fermentation, Jean Van Roy from Brouwerij Cantillon (Brussels, Belgium)!
Behold… my sour beer article in Edible Westside magazine!
I also cooked up a recipe for Oysters with a Sour Beer Mignonette on the Edible Westside blog, since there was a really great article on Carlsbad Aquafarms oysters in the same issue. Not an oyster fan? Me either. Stir in some extra virgin olive oil and turn the mignonette into an awesome salad dressing!
To keep up on all things awesome in between quarterly issues:
Like Facebook.com/EdibleWestside
Follow @EdibleWestside on Twitter
I’ll be back in the fall issue with an article on mead (on shelves September 1) and in the winter issue with an article on barleywines (on shelves December 1).
Mulled Beer: Wine & Cider Be Damned
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Warm Yourself Up a Mug of Mulled Beer
After my recent postings about Beer Nog and Belgian Christmas beers, I’ve been stuck thinking about drinking throughout this holiday season. Oh, you too? Well, I don’t feel so bad then. But with as chilly as the weather has been, even here in sunny SoCal, I’m not exactly reaching for a cold one for comfort this time of year.
While I’ve certainly had my share of mulled wine and mulled cider, I wondered if mulled beer might be just what I need to help get me through this holiday season. My thought certainly wasn’t any new sort of imbibing innovation — in fact, heated, spiced beer was more or less de rigeuer for centuries. Prior to the advent of refrigeration and modern bottling, beer was quick to spoil, and as such, adding a touch of heat plus some sugar and spice helped make everything nice.
mull, v. — to heat, sweeten, and flavor with spices for drinking, as ale or wine. Origin: 1610–20; orig. uncert.
(dictionary.com)
The beauty of making such an easy drink is that you can really suit it to your tastes. And given the huge variety of craft beers on the market, it would almost be irresponsible to post one “set in stone” recipe. With that said, here are some proposed guidelines, from which you should absolutely feel free to deviate: (more…)
Wine Enthusiast Top 25 Beers of 2009
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Beer Man © Alberto Gottardo
Wine Enthusiast has released their list of Top 25 Beers of 2009, a newcomer joining their annual Top Wine & Spirits lists, no doubt a testament to the well-deserved growing popularity of craft beer and microbreweries.
Top honors were given to Captain Lawrence Rosso e Marrone, a sour ale aged for two years in oak with the addition of Zinfandel and Merlot grapes that was given 95 out of a possible 100 points. (Despite the usual stigma associated with Brettanomyces in the wine world, it’s interesting to note their affinity for it in the beer realm.)
California beers were featured prominently, with The Lost Abbey raking in two brews on the prestigious list, the only brewery to do so. Tomme Arthur’s special releases — Cuvee de Tomme and Duck-Duck-Gooze — both scored an impressive 93 points. Stone Brewing Company Vertical Epic 09.09.09 came in at 92 points, as did their Special Winter Ale collaboration with Nøgne Ø and Jolly Pumpkin, although it was Nøgne Ø’s version that was awarded the spot.
Rounding out the California nods on the list of top beers are Orchard White from The Bruery and Russian River Beatification, each boasting 93 points, as well as Sierra Nevada Summerfest coming in with a score of 91.
Ratings and reviews of all 25 craft beers to be honored can be found here. (PDF)
