Category Archives: Beer!

Beer & Food Pairing: New Belgium Eric’s Ale & Smoked Pecans

While listening to the best speech at Beer Bloggers Conference, I was sipping a beer from that company. Specifically, Kim Jordan (co-founder and CEO) of New Belgium Brewing Company was giving the keynote address and I was sipping on Eric’s Ale. A few sips in I was diving into my bag for snacks. Not long after that, I was quietly demanding people sip and snack with me. (I even slipped one nice woman some pecans for later, since she wasn’t legally allowed to taste the beer while working the event.)

This comes about from reading, over on Getting Ready to Go, the packing list Matthew and Molly of Bub Gourmand shared. It’s from having been to beer bloggers con last year and knowing what it’s like (read: full of beer).… Continue reading →

You Know My Heart

The internet is an amazing place. It’s brought me a number of wonderful things, not the least of which is new friends. Some of whom I have never (and may never) met. This cocktail is named for the words of one of those new friends, Yoda. “You Know My Heart” are her words to me once, in reference to this cocktail and other things in life.

Yoda has given me a lot of good advice in the time I’ve known her, and we’ve shared several laughs. She trusted me to edit important writing for her. We may never have met, but we’re texting or messaging each other at least twice a week. She’s fantastic.

This cocktail also could have been called, “Don’t Summer in Montana,” in reference to my friend Nicky repeatedly picking a horse, Summer in Montana, who had a tendency for awhile to forget how to win races.… Continue reading →

Smittytown: Chicagoist’s Beer of the Week

One of my quiet plans for 2015 was to do more guest posting elsewhere. I haven’t done much over the last five years, and I recently realized that I’d like to. It’s fun to think of what I might bring to other audiences, and to meet that challenge.

Thus, I was so pleased to get to write this week’s Beer of the Week column, and photograph the beer, for Chicagoist.

It’s obvious, when you read it, why I picked Smittytown. I love that beer, and I love the brewery.

Please, check it out and let me know what you think of it!… Continue reading →

A Smokey Beer Fizz for the Fourth of July!

I had to publish the previous version of this cocktail fairly fast, because I only had a week for the entirety of devising, naming, testing, and tasting the cocktails (there were two) as well as suddenly having an idea for the story, writing it up, and so on.

The good news was that I’d been trying to figure out a cocktail that involved 8-Bit Pale Ale and sage for a couple of years before it finally all came together for me. So I had a bit of a head start.1 And the fact that only a select few people were really in love with the original made the story come together.

But I couldn’t resist tinkering with it until I had something everyone can enjoy.… Continue reading →

Some Drink Ideas for Saturday

Here in the States, Independence Day is right around the corner. And I’ve been thinking of beverages to consume for it.

While I have a couple I’ll post tomorrow or Friday (trying to get photos now), I realized I can share with you a couple older posts I had that might spark your interest.

Tomato soda in a glass. The glass would rather have beer in it.

Tomato Soda.
Non-alcoholic.

Tip: Use only extremely carbonated soda water for this. Either make your own with something like this soda maker or use Q Club. Less carbonated makes it a less yummy drink, though still good.

Bill’s Bitter.
Non-alcoholic.

A wonderfully complex drink that’s refreshing and fun and incredibly easy to make. At this point, it’s a summer staple in our home, as well as in the home of several of our friends.… Continue reading →