Beer Blog

[Paradox]

A few Westmalles while studying.

...the ability to afford more than one Westmalle for so simple an event as studying is one to be greatly envied.

[Ramster]

Yes, I'm a lucky bastard for having a cheap and reliable supply of them! They're also essential for motivating me not to throw my book across the room and start ranting about Karl Popper being a fatuous dickhead named after a drug for facilitating anal penetration.

[Paradox]

Honestly, I may sneak over and steal your Westmalles just to be able to see that happen.

Today is Beer + Food day at last!

So far, we have lined up:

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat & Fruity Pebbles
Cheese/Bacon/Beer soup (!!!)
Drunken Dogs (cocktail wieners in a beer sauce-- more like cocktail winners, am I right?)
Chocolate ice cream in coffee stout
Vanilla ice cream in raspberry Lambic
Beer bread


If this meal gets any better, I may shit puppies.

[Ket]

Where the hell was my invitation to this little soriee?

[Paradox]

Piled next to all the other ones you've either ignored or dredged up an excuse to miss  ;)

[Ket]

I so would have showed for beer and fruity pebbles.

It sounds like a great time, Para, enjoy!

[Ramster]

Nice menu, Para! Beer is one of my favourite cooking ingredients, as you've probably guessed. If that cheese/bacon/beer soup turns out any good, post the recipe here! It sounds pretty weird, and strangely tempting. And the beer/ice cream combinations make me look forward to the sun's return to these parts.

Steal my motivational beer while I'm revising Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Law I (yes, it's as bad as it sounds), however, and I'll rip you a new categorical imperative

[Paradox]

Boyyy, don't make me critique the purity outta yo' reason.

[Oniya]

At one point, I had a recipe for Guinness ice cream.  Looking at your menu, I wonder if I should dig it out for other people's amusement.

[Paradox]

At one point, I had a recipe for Guinness ice cream.  Looking at your menu, I wonder if I should dig it out for other people's amusement.

Please do! I'd love to see and make it.

[Ramster]

So would I! I'd add some Bailey's and make it into Irish Car Bomb ice cream, if only because of the awesomely politically incorrect name. Good for a belated St Pat's celebration!

Oh, and Para, have you tried De Verboden Vrucht? Another very worthwhile dark, smooth Belgian ale. From a justifiably glowing review on the page linked above:

The mouthfeel was perfect for this beer. It felt authentic. I really did feel like an old man who had been brewing since the '60s made this in a field in his back yard.

...

Fully complex with no regard for modern tastes, just pure and unadulterated flavor boating from real malts, real hops, and real yeast.

I'm curious how you'll review it!

[Paradox]

One girl actually hinted at making Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, but we'll see if she follows through.

Interesting beer, Ramster. It's made by the same brewer as Hoegaarden, so hopefully I'll be able to find it around here.

On an unrelated note, I took this picture at the zoo recently. No wonder the animals don't do anything; they're all wasted:

[Ramster]

Hahaha, it only says "Don't feed the animals" I guess!

[Oniya]

Please do! I'd love to see and make it.

I actually found two.  The first one is the original one that I saw - I had friends tell me it was good.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/guinness-ice-cream-with-dark-chocolate-honey-sauce-recipe/index.html

The second one does not involve heating the alcohol, and also doesn't use as much Guinness:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Guinness-Stout-Ice-Cream-12538

[Paradox]

Thanks Oniya! I'll pass it on to the rest of the folks who attended.

Overall, it was a success. The beer bread didn't rise, so it was toasted to make beer crackers with brie. They turned out well, but the basil overpowered the beer taste.

The drunken dogs were a similar story-- a bit of malty taste could be detected, but meat was most prevalent; however, I broke out a chili beer to soak the dogs in. That enhanced the flavor greatly. (picture #2 of chili beer). The chili beer itself was horrendous in terms of actual imbibability (screw you Firefox, I say that's a word), but I have another bottle for which I will do a real review. It's the kind of beer that will put hair on your chest, your fingernails, the head of your penis, and the inside of your intestines.

By far the best offering of the three ice cream concoctions was Williamsburg Coffeehouse Stout (best coffee stout I've had next to Terrapin's Wake and Bake) and Edy's Double Fudge Brownie ice cream. The flavors complimented each other perfectly. Highly recommended. (picture #1, picture #2).

By far the strangest combination of the evening was the fruity beer and fruity pebbles. This entire event was created one drunk evening about a month ago when a friend and I were drinking Leinenkugel Sunset Wheats on the patio, and I realized "...this beer tastes exactly like Fruity Pebbles-- I wonder what it would be like IN fruity pebbles?!". In typical college fashion, we made it happen. It was..interesting. Not something I will do again (sober), but definitely an experience worth trying.



If I could figure out how to download videos from Facebook, I would show y'all a video of the beer and cereal and a few videos of Baltimore; unfortunately, I'm technologically inept.

[Ramster]

Sounds like a great dinner party, Para! Did anyone go "YOU'RE a drunken dog!"?

[Paradox]

Sounds like a great dinner party, Para! Did anyone go "YOU'RE a drunken dog!"?

More times than I could count.

[Ramster]

That's the trouble with any dish that's a terrible joke waiting to be made!

I must confess at this point to having made Belgian Faggots from an old fashioned recipe in a book of my grandmother's for exactly this reason.

[Paradox]

I just looked up those faggots, and they look really greasy. Not sure how I feel about greasy faggots.

[Oniya]

That's the trouble with any dish that's a terrible joke waiting to be made!

I must confess at this point to having made Belgian Faggots from an old fashioned recipe in a book of my grandmother's for exactly this reason.

Sometimes, Google-fu must be used with caution.  I'm not even sure what part of the pig some of those bits are.

[Ramster]

Faggots swimming in dark brown liquid don't sound appetising to the modern  palate, I'll grant you, but they're good with mashed potatoes! I found a recipe in early 20th century Flemish in archaic spelling, and took it to a Surinamer butcher to help figure out what bit was what. A useful lesson in porcine anatomy!

[Will]

I don't even know what to say about all those faggots.  All I know is that I made up for working on St. Patrick's Day this week.  I picked up Maredsous' Tripel and Weihenstephaner's Hefeweizen... I seriously cannot recommend these two strongly enough.

[Ramster]

Mmmm, hear hear, particularly the Maredsous!

[Zillah]

Just wanted to say I really, really like this blog. :D

I'm not quite the connoisseur of beers and ales and lagers, like some of you ... but I've been known to enjoy some good ones. And have enough taste (I hope!) to avoid donkey piss like Coors Lite and the other shit that most bars and taverns near me cheerfully serve. ::)

My current favorites are Arrogant Bastard, Hobgoblin and King Goblin (would love to get your opinions on those!) and a (relatively) local brew called Medusa IPA. But I've been slowly trying some of what's been reviewed here as well, and in general, I concur with the excellent opinions offered. ;)

Anyway, my thanks to you all, for expanding my horizons regarding tasty beverages. :)

[Ramster]

Zillah, you crazy wench! You like beer too? Great to see you in here! *smooches and lifts his glass*

I haven't had Arrogant Bastard, and totally second the suggestion that Hobgoblin be reviewed here soonish! A great English ale, with a cult drinkership of metalheads for some reason. There's already an Arrogant Bastard review a few pages back, that's what makes me want to try it so much.

Thanks for checking in and mentioning Hobgoblin, you're more of a connoisseur than you think! I'll add Medusa to my long list of stuff to buy when I find a place here where they don't spit in your face when you ask for American beers.