Stout and Oysters: A Mini American History

I live near Battery Park in New York City (as I say to people when they ask, “Wayyy downtown.”) so I frequent the Pier A Harbor House because I can sit outside with my dog and enjoy beer from clean tap lines (unfortunately not always the case in my neighborhood). Well Pier A Harbor House is no more because it is now Pier A Oyster House.

They’ve always had great oysters so this is more of a “renaming” than a “rebranding,” if you ask me. I’m sure they’ll be pushing a lot of Guinness as the Irish Stout is a classic pairing with oysters (though it’s not my favorite). 

Guinness was first imported to America in just eight barrels more than *200* years ago (October 6, 1817 to be exact), this got me thinking, when did we first start eating oysters in America?

The answer: people were eating oysters in America before it was America. The Lenape and other Native American tribes have been eating oysters for almost 9,000 years as evidenced by shells recovered from trash pits. According to anthropologists the very first oyster was likely consumed by a human about 164,000 years ago, although this happened in caves in South Africa, far from the shores of America.

So, we’ve been eating oysters for well, forever but they became en-vogue and a mate to drinking in 19th century. Historians generally agree that oysters were first served in 1763 in a basement on the corner of Broad and Wall Street (just blocks form Pier A which inspired this whole exploration into oyster-y origins). By 1830 similar “oyster cellars” covered the city and had spread throughout the east coast. As refrigeration and canning technology improved, oysters made it inland to Midwestern cities including St. Louis and Cincinnati in the 1840s.

This was the height of oyster fever, the bivalves were cheap, trendy, and filled your belly when you were drinking: a beloved find for both pub goers and bartenders. Oyster cellars had special like “All you can eat oysters for 6 cents,” to keep patrons on their stools drinking.

Knowing Guinness came to the U.S. in 1817 and was gaining popularity by the oyster boom of the 1840s, is this why the two are linked as a “perfect pair?”

That doesn’t seem to be the case, while we all know the Guinness ads featuring oysters, all the ads I could find were from the mid 1900s. Although I did find one fun note buried in Guinness’s advertising archives: “Benjamin Disraeli (British Prime Minister, 1874 – 1880) is known to have had the perfect combination of oysters and stout on the night of November 21 1837 ‘the most remarkable day hitherto of my life’.”

So maybe it wasn’t mass media forcing the combination of oysters and stout onto consumers, maybe everyone just had the "most remarkable day hitherto of” their lives when they gave the combo a try.

Feel like deep diving on oyster history? These were the most useful sites I read

Who ate the first oyster? - NPR

Consider the Oyster - American Heritage

The Great Oyster Craze - MSU Archaeology Program

United States 18th, 19th Century - Oyster.us

History on the Half Shell: The Story of New York City and It’s Oysters - The New York Public Library Blog

Jester King: The Little Austin Brewery That Made It Big, Still Feels Small

I lived in Texas for seven years, it's really where I came to love beer (and where I came of legal drinking age!). During my time in Dallas and Fort Worth I made countless road trips to Austin. 

On a trip in 2013 we drove a little ways out of town to visit a small hill country brewery called Jester King. The beers were funky but had a sense of place. "That was pretty cool," we shrugged as we left. Over our next several visits I noticed the parking lot started to fill, then overflow and lines at the single bar formed, and then became longer. But I loved the hills, and the unique beers, and the pavilion serving farmhouse pizza so much that I had my birthday at the 2015 montmorency vs balaton release. 

Mind you this release brought lines, but we still found parking along the side of the highway and had plenty of room to drink beer, eat pizza, and sing happy birthday. 

Fast forward to 2017 - I'm back in Austin and now Jester King is a big deal. People tell me stories of expanded parking lots, extra bars, lines for both beer and food, and tables all the way up the hill. All of these new details were exciting to hear about, but almost a little scary.

What if I didn't love Jester King anymore? What if I didn't even like it anymore?! 

On the last day of our visit, a sunny Saturday that (thankfully) didn't align with a beer release, we drove out to Jester King, pulled into the familiar parking lot and were guided to the back where we pulled....into another parking lot, followed the curve through that and ended up in a third parking lot, and it wasn't....bad at all! It was nice to have a place to park instead of leaving my car in the mud along the side of the road. 

The view walking up to the brewery from the overflow lot. Can you say hill country?!

I walked toward the pavilion that housed Stanley's Farm House Pizza, (that now had walls, and an extra bar!) and felt that same nostalgic sense of a welcoming relaxed brewery in the Texas hill country and any reservations I had totally melted away. 

Was there a line for the food? Uh, yess. Was there a line for beer? Only at one of the bars! Was there new cool stuff?? Yes and yes!!

In addition to the bar with draft beer that had always been the taproom there was a second bar that served cans and bottles of beer from guest breweries as well as Jester King. The brewery has also really figured out its merch situation giving fans the label art they love on shirts, glasses, stickers and in my case tank tops, I got two!  

And get this - a single tab could work on any of the bars and merch and you can close it wherever you want too, a dream!

The Indoor aka Original Taproom

Inside the pavilion that houses Stanley's Farmhouse Pizza and the secondary bar.

The brewery tours don't require a reservation and although there were far more people at the brewery than there were back in 2015 there was also a lot more space for people to hang and drink. I didn't feel crowded although things did seem a little bit louder. 

While the brewery really has this volume thing figured out, Stanley's Farmhouse Pizza is still catching up. The line was well over 15 minutes both times I got in it and pizzas take about 20 minutes from order to pick up. They do text you when your pizza is ready so you can go back to enjoying your beer which is nice. Stanley's famous garlic knots are still ready upon ordering - which if you ask me is the source of their fame. If you wait in line smelling pizza and getting hungry these garlic knots really do seem like salvation. 

Stanley's has some great guest taps - I got a Prairie Paradise on tap down there. There is a "beverage only" line that moves quite quickly. 

As we left by walking down that hill to the overflow parking lot's overflow parking lot, I had to marvel at how Jester King has been able to grow, both in production and popularity, while maintaining the sense of idenity that the brewery has had for many years. 

TIPS FOR VISITING JESTER KING 

• Austin has Uber again! The parking lot is much bigger at Jester King but it's more safe to skip driving all together if you're planning a day of drinking.

• If you're into water bring a reusable bottle or cup. Water is available from large jugs in multiple locations but the cups are pretty tiny. I found myself running back and forth to the water jug a lot. You know me...#StayHydrated

• Are you gluten free? vegan? picky about eating? You can bring a snack/picnic/lunch! Stanley's is great but the menu is definitely limited and as I said above, the line are long.

• Take bottles to go. Many of the bottles sold at the brewery aren't sold anywhere else. If you're adventurous in your beer drinking, you'll love them. Plus, you can close your tab at the merch tent and save yourself some time and line-standing.

• It's outside, it's all outside. If it's cold out, hot out you'll be feeling that during your visit. If I'm not being clear - you will. be. outside.

The Best Cranberry Sauce with BeeR AKA Cran-BEER-Y Sauce

Cranberry sauce is always going to be a dark horse for the favorite dish on the Thanksgiving table but with a twist, and some beer of course, the SOMETHING can be a real contender. 

I happen to truly, madly, deeply love cranberry sauce. With this recipe, I will eat it by the actual spoonful but I also love it on turkey, leftover sandwiches, and I’ve even used it to top a salad. I’m telling you guys, give cran a chance 😉

The reason this sauce comes out so well is the caramelly flavors of barleywine cook down to balance the bitter sourness from the cranberry. A little dried fruit soaked in barley wine maintains an unexpected alcohol punch that brightens up the pallet. 

Plus, one of my favorite things about cooking with beer is that the leftover goes right into my glass while cooking. A happy cook makes a better meal if you ask me. 
 

---

The BEST Cranberry Sauce (AKA Cran-BEER-y Sauce)

Method

1. Slice apricots into thin slivers

2. Place apricot slivers and dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with 1/2 cup of beer. Let sit in fridge overnight

3. Boil water and sugar in a small sauce pan

4. Drain apricots and cranberries, discard the beer

5. Add apricots, cranberries, 2 tbs beer, honey, molasses, and cranberries to water and turn heat to medium

6. Let sauce cook and become thick, stirring occasionally. This will take about 9 minutes.

7. Spoon into container. Sprinkle with pinch of salt and let cool.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces dried apricots

• 1 ounce dried cranberries

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbs of dark sweet beer (Barelywines work well)

• 1 cup water

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 tbs molasses

• 2 tbs honey

• 1 12oz package fresh cranberries

• Pinch of kosher salt

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My favorite barleywines to use in this recipe tend toward the sweeter side. Firestone Walker’s Stickee Monkee is a perfect candidate if you can bear to part with it for cooking. I also really like The Bruery’s M*A*S*H in this side dish. You’re looking for a deep brown sugar, vanilla flavor as opposed to the bitterness of a more traditional American barleywine. 

If you're making this in the holiday season (I'm assuming you are!) if you can find Troeg's Mad Elf, it is the absolute best in this! I used it for the pictures above. 

Do you use beer in other dishes you make for the holidays? Let me know what you do!! You can find me on twitter AND instagram. 

How Many Beers Are In A Keg? And Other Conversions

This is something I had to memorize for the Advanced Cicerone exam so I figured, may as well make my own chart!

How Many Beers are in a Keg? A Barrel? A Batch?

I always hear brewers talking in “batch sizes,” bartenders talking in “pints,” and um…frat boys talking in cases. Sometimes it’s hard to visualize how all of these common beer phrases relate to each other.

I created this niffy little chart to make it easier (and also because I have to memorize it for the advanced Cicerone exam…)

Unit	Bottle	6-Pack	Case	Keg	Barrel	10 Barrel Batch	30 Barrel Batch	250 Barrel Batch
Bottle	1	6	24	165	330	3300	9900	82500
6-Pack	1/6	1	4	27.5	55	550	1650	13750
Case	1/24	1/4	1	6.875	13.75	137.5	412.5	3437.5
Keg	1/165	1/27.5	1/6.875	1	2	20	60	500
Barrel	1/330	1/55	1/13.75	1/2	1	10	30	250
10 Barrel Batch	1/3300	1/550	1/137.5	1/20	1/10	1	3	25
30 Barrel Batch	1/9900	1/1650	1/412.5	1/60	1/30	1/3	1	8.33
250 Barrel Batch	1/82500	1/13750	1/3437.5	1/500	1/250	1/25	1/8.33	1

I picked the 10, 30, and 250-barrel batch sizes because I thought it was a nice way to look at production across the different types of breweries. The largest craft breweries like Lagunitas and Sierra Nevada have 250 barrel brew houses.

So, anyone memorizing this bad boy with me??

Easy Chocolate Stout Cake Donuts with Stout Glaze

I love baking on Sundays! It's like a last chance to be naughty and have some fun before the weekend is over. I usually go for something more dessert-focused but this Sunday I was up early and looking for a breakfast sweet. 

Cue my donut pan staring at me from across the kitchen! I love these donuts because they have just a touch of flavor from the stout that brings forward the rich semi-sweet chocolate flavor. The stout also makes them much lighter than other cake donuts, so you can have a couple without that brunch food coma creeping up on you 😉

Chocolate Stout Donut Tips 

• Pick a stout that is flavored with chocolate or not too roasty - the stout cooks down a little so the bitterness will compound, there is sugar to balance it, but you still don't want too much bitterness in your treat!

• Grease the crap out of your pans. These are going to stick (trust me I tested it a few ways!)

• Let the donuts cool completely in the pan. I'll say it again below, but I'm saying it here too, becasue I really mean it.

Chocolate Stout Donut with Stout Glaze Recipe 

Inspired by the Chocolate Stout Cake from Epicurious

Method 

• Preheat oven to 350

• Grease two donut pans with cooking spray

• Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted add stout and bring to a simmer

• Whisk in cocoa powder

• Remove stout mixture from heat and let cool slightly

• In a stand mixer, beat eggs and sour cream just until combined

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda

• Beat stout mixture into sour cream mixture until combined

• Stir in flour mixture at a low speed just until combined

• Spoon batter into donut pans until they are about 3/4 full

• Bake donuts for 11 minutes. When the donuts spring back after being touched they are ready to cool in the pan

• While the donuts bake and cool make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, stout and vanilla. Add cream to achieve an opaque but smooth texture, the glaze should run off the end of a whisk

• Once donuts are COMPLETELY cooled glaze by dunking the donut into the glaze and then placing on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet or wax paper beneath.

• Let the glaze harden and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup stout (chocolate flavor or sweet stout is best!)

• 1 cup butter

• 1 cup cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup sour cream

• 2 eggs (room temperature)

• 2 cups flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 2-3 tablespoons stout

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream (any kind of milk will work fine)

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My favorite chocolate beer for cooking is Boatswain Chocolate Stout from Trader Joe's. It's crazy cheap ($3 for a bomber in NYC) and it's made with cocoa powder so it has a perfect chocolaty flavor for baking. 

I love these donuts for a brunch or as a dessert they have a decadent cake like texture that is perfect to end any meal. Plus, they are nice and small so you're not too full after one (or two! 😉)

Let me know what you think if you make these. Or send me a picture on twitter or instagram, I'd love to see them!

How Do Brewers Make Clear Beer?

These are notes from the field while studying for the Advanced Cicerone Exam

What Is Added to Beer to Make It Clear?

Yes, I know, who cares about clear beer these days? It’s all about that #haze #juicebomb, right Instagram?

Well, if you’re brewing a classic style or entering competitions (or studying for Cicerone!) you’ll definitely want to know how to make your beer clear. There are two categories of substances used to make beer clear, also called “finings.”

The first category is “hot side.” These finings are added during the brewing process when the wort is “hot.” The clarifiers in this category are Irish Moss and Whirlfloc tablets. Both are made from seaweed but Whirlfloc tablets have more carrageenan in them than Irish Moss. Carrageenan is the active ingredient causing protein to clump and fall to the bottom of the beer so Whirlfloc requires a smaller dose to be effective.  

Naturally the other category is “cold side.” Cold side finings include Isinglass, Gelatin, and Polyclar. My favorite in this category is isinglass, just because it’s made of fish bladders and I like imagining all the tiny fish bladders dissolving in a beer.

As a homebrewer I typically use gelatin for clearing beers. For all of these cold side clarifiers, the fining agent is mixed with water (or in the case of isinglass an acid) and added to the fermenter a few days before bottling. When the beer is racked or bottled after being cleared with gelatin you get a nice layer of protein jelly, is cool but also kinda gross to clean!

What do you think about clear beers? Do you prefer them or are you all about the haze? Let me know at @beerswithmandy.

Which Hops Produce Bitter Cones?

These are field notes jotted down while studying for the Advanced Cicerone Exam.

Only Female Hops Make Beer Bitter

Did you know it’s lady hops giving your IPAs bitterness??

When you see hops hanging from a bine those are almost always the “female” cone. In fact, it’s a best practice in hop growing to eliminate a male hop plant immediately if you see one. The characteristics of male plants are much harder to control and will cause a specific type of hop (for example Columbus or Chinook) to taste slightly off or have a different alpha acid content. Male hops grow “flowers” that are used for breeding so if a male plant pops up in a hop farm, the hop cones will have seeds (which is not ideal for harvesting).

So next time you take a sip of bitter beer, thank the lady hops that made it for you!

Figure 1. a. Male inflorescence, b. stamen (male flower), c. anther, d. female inflorescences (burr stage), e. pistillate (female flower with stigmas projecting above bract that surrounds ovary), f. hop bine, leaves, and cones, g. hop bract, h. hop seed (achene). Source: Wikimedia

Why Do So Many "Beer Bars" Serve in Wine Glasses?

Why Do Wine Glasses Work for Beer, Too?

The number of times I’ve been to a fancy beer-focused bar and been served my choice of brew in a wine glass is well, uncountable!

It can seem almost inappropriate, how can you specialize in beer and use the glassware created for a totally different alcoholic beverage? When you look at the facts, there is no surprise at all that these wine vessels work for a craft brew, too.

Head Retention: the rim of a wine glass tapers in slightly. This shape forces the head of a beer in on itself, which creates a thicker, frothier head that sticks around for an extended period of time.

Improved Aroma: that rim shape also helps the aroma of a beer stay in the glass. Unlike a pint glass with a huge open rim that just let’s the aroma float up, out, and away; a wine glass holds in scent so each sip from the glass plunges your nose in beer-scent territory.

Storing & Washing: I know what your thinking, Teku glasses do this too, and they’re easier to drink out of, why aren’t we constantly being served those?! The in-and-out shape of a Teku glass is ideal for beer, but it’s also very delicate. It’s easy to break the rim on a drying rack and it’s difficult to store Teku glasses upside down.

Serving Size: Finally, a wine glass is nice because a 4oz pour of a bourbon barrel stout looks just as nice as an 8oz pour of saison in these glasses. Not the case with a typical bar glass like a pint, and far more versatile than a specialty glass like a snifter.

Next time you’re served a special brew in a wine glass, give the bartender a smile, it’s for a reason!

What is a Stange Glass? (And Why Do I Care??)

These are some field notes from Advanced Cicerone study sessions.

What is a Stange Glass?

The answer to this question is pretty easy, a stange glass is the traditional serving-ware of a kölsch.

But let’s get more difficult ~why is a stange glass?~

That my beery friends is far less clear.

This tall, thin, perfectly cylindrical glass can be traced back to Cologne, where they are served out of a kranz tray like the one below. A traditional stange only holds about 6oz of beer so a group could drink several stange-fuls out of a kranz.

The light carbonation of the kölsch style benefits from the smaller serving size. It is unlikely that the beer will be completely warm and flat by the time you finish 6oz. In a busy bar, it is also unlikely that your server will want to refill your 6oz glass every few minutes. Today, stange glasses are made in 12-13oz sizes so your bartender doesn’t need to constantly top you off.

Similar other tall, thin glasses, like a weizen vase or a pilsner glass, a stange is helpful for head retention and shows of the brilliant clarity of the kölsch.

Is there other glassware that you are curious about?! Let me know @beerswithmandy so I can tell you a little more over the next 95 days!

Zwanze Day: What is it anyway?

This Saturday is a special holiday for beer lovers around the world. If you're not into sour beer (yet!) you may have never heard of Zwanze Day. Trust me, it's worth all the hype you are seeing in your twitter or instagram feed. Plus, there is still time to make plans to go to an event that doesn't require tickets! So here's everything you need to know about  Zwanze. 

A Zwanze Day Explainer 

The world-famous lambic brewery, Cantillon, created the celebrated and cherished series of beers called Zwanze in 2008. The series was (and still is) a creation of brewer John Van Roy that allowed him to release an experimental, limited quantity beer.  

A barrel at Cantillon from my visit to Belgium in 2017.

From 2008 to 2010 Zwanze beers were released under cover to various undisclosed locations and very, very lucky drinkers. In 2011, the world-wide release party known as Zwanze Day was born. 

The toast and party holiday was created for many reasons, the first was to help dedicated lovers of spontaneous-fermented beer find these special brews and the second was to combat resellers. Van Roy said he was informed of Zwanze being sold on eBay for 600% mark ups. 

The 2011 world-wide Zwanze release party had 22 locations. In 2017 Zwanze Day locations have tripled to include 66 worldwide. 

The last special thing about Zwanze Day is that event goers are bonded together in a world-wide simultaneous toast! Bartenders and owners tap their kegs of the special Zwanze blend at the exact same time no matter the time zone. So when you're feeling excited as the beer is passed around - know that their are beer lovers all over the world that feel the exact same way. 

Zwanze Day 2017

The 2017 Zwanze will be a lambic, tea blend inspired by John Van Roy's son's love of iced tea. The label art is inspired by another of his son's loves - Game of Thrones. And c'mon how cool is this label?! 

My favorite part of the 2017 Zwanze announcement post was Jon Van Roy's care to explain what Game of Thrones would be like in Cantillon's world, "But in our version, no one dies and everyone has a good beer!"

via Brasserie Cantillon's Facebook page.

As awesome as this label art is my favorite Cantillon Zwanze Day 2017 graphic comes from a brewery just outside of Austin, Texas, Jester King. They make a shirt for their event each year and 2017 is so funny to me. Below is their Instagram post with the shirt art. 

Here's our artwork for 2017 Cantillon Zwanze Day at Jester King!

This year, NYC is lucky to snag two coveted spots on the Zwanze lineup both Fool's Gold and Spuyten Duyvil will host events. (Full list of locations below.) I'll be at Fool's Gold bright and early so let me know if you'll be there too! 

List of 2017 Zwanze Day Locations 

Note: Some of these events require tickets so check with the venue before making plans.

AUSTRALIA
- NOLA -- Adelaïde
- Bitter Phew -- Sydney

AUSTRIA
- Tribaun -- Innsbruck

BELGIUM
- Moeder Lambic Fontainas -- Brussels
- Moeder Lambic Saint-Gilles -- Brussels
- Mi-Orge Mi-Houblon – Arlon
- Rose Red -- Brugge

CANADA
- Dieu du Ciel -- Montréal, Québec
- Birreria Volo -- Toronto, Ontario
- Bells and Whistles – Vacouver, British Columbia

DENMARK
- Himmeriget -- Copenhagen

FRANCE
- La Fine Mousse -- Paris
- La Capsule -- Lille
- Brasserie du Mont-Salève – Neydens
- Au Poêle de la Bête -- Toulouse

FINLAND
- Stadin Panimo Baari – Helsinki

GERMANY
- Café Herman – Berlin
- Mon Petit Café -- Stuttgard

GREAT BRITAIN
- Kernel Brewery – Bermondsey
- Beermerchants@Unit 101 -- Manchester
- Six° North – Aberdeen
- Moor Beer -- Bristol

ITALIE
- Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà -- Rome
- The Dome -- Nembro
- LambicZoon -- Milano
- The Drunken Duck -- Quinto Vicentino
- Ristopub Margherita -- Quartu Sant’Elena
- Ottavonano -- Atripalda
- TryBeer Room – Castiglione d’Adda

JAPAN
- Dolphins Ueda – Osaka
- Lembeek – Nagoya
- Favori -- Tokyo

NEDERLAND
- De Bierkoning -- Amsterdam

NEW-ZEALAND
- Garage Project – Wellington
NORWAY
- Camera Storyline -- Oslo

SPAIN
- Masia Agullons -- Sant Joan de Mediona

SWEDEN
- Ölrepubliken -- Göteborg

SWITZERLAND
- Bière Café Au Trappiste -- Bern

USA
– Anchorage Brewing Company — Anchorage, Alaska
– Armsby Abbey — Worcester, Massachusetts
– Avenue Pub — New Orleans, Louisiana
– Bagby Beer — Oceanside, California
– Beachwood BBQ — Seal Beach, California
– Crooked Stave Barrel Cellar — Denver, Colorado
– De Garde Brewing — Tillamook, Oregon
– Fools Gold NY — Manhattan, New York
– Green Bench Brewing — St. Petersburg, Florida
– Holy Grale — Louisville, Kentucky
– Jester King Brewery — Austin, Texas
– Jolly Pumpkin Brewery — Dexter, Michigan
– Laser Wolf — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
– Mikkeller Bar SF — San Fransisco, California
– Monk’s Cafe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
– Novare Res Bier Café — Portland, Maine
– The Porter Beer Bar — Atlanta, Georgia
– REAL a gastropub — Honolulu, Hawaii
– Russian River Brewing — Santa Rosa, California
– Schera’s Restaurant and Bar — Elkader, Iowa
– Seymour, the pub — Greenfield, Massachusetts
– Side Project Brewing Cellar — Maplewood, Missouri
– Slow Boat Tavern — Seattle, Washington
– The Sovereign — Washington D.C.
– Spuyten Duyvil — Brooklyn, New York
– Thin Man Brewery — Buffalo, New-York
– Trillium Brewing Company — Canton, Massachusetts
– West Lakeview Liquors — Chicago, Illinois

Find a location, don't let the long lines get to you, and raise your glass with beer appreciators the world round. 

Cheers! 

Why Do People Put Oysters in Stout?! Whyyyyy?

Why Are Oyster Stouts a Thing?

It’s New York Oyster Week here in NYC and it’s had me thinking a lot about one of the weirdest styles out there, The Oyster Stout.

There is no clear consensus on who was the first person to use oysters in beer, but according to the late Michael Jackson, it was likely in the late 1920s somewhere in New Zealand. It might seem odd to throw the briny bodies of the little mollusks, but it wasn’t such a far leap. The shells of oysters were used to make a filter bed in beer as early as the 1800s. Brewers would pour the mash over a bed of crushed shells to divide the spent grain from the wort.

With oysters so close at hand its no wonder they eventually ended up in the beer.

The subtle sweetness and brine of an oyster is a surprisingly perfect compliment to the sweet and roasty flavors in a stout. Just as the now expensive lobster was once considered the “cockroach of the sea” the rather pricey oysters of today’s restaurants were once an extremely cheap bar food (yes, even cheaper than the $1 oyster happy hour you’re thinking of right now!). The marketing guys at Guiness picked up the nice pairing and made a variety of ad campaigns instilling that oysters meant Guiness.

So why do people put oysters in beer? Because you can’t *really* taste them, at least not in the seafood way you’re expecting. And they are a fun way for brewers to set their creations apart. A hint of saltiness in the stout and all the freedom to say, “Yes! It’s made with real oysters!” Not a bad plan.

Have you tried an oyster stout? What did you think?

How are Belgian Tripels and Belgian Golden Strongs Different?

Writing about Duvel yesterday, I got so many suggestions for trying Belgian Tripels. While I do love the style (serve me a Tripel Karmeliet any day!), for my tastes Tripels will always be inferior because the aspects that differentiate the style.

If you’re trying to memorize the difference in the style (I see you future Cicerone!) you can just remember four main things about the two styles.

Tripels are darker in color, heavier in body/mouthfeel, more phelonic aroma, and have less alcohol.

Belgian Golden Strongs are lighter in color, lighter in mouthfeel, more ester-y aroma, and have more alcohol.

The spicy phenols in a Tripel are slightly more prominent than the fruity esters in the aroma. While the Belgian golden strong is the opposite, with slightly fruity esters just edging out spiciness.

Everything else about the styles is almost identical, a thick white head, good clarity, roughly 20-40 IBUs, I could go on.

The easiest way to identify a Belgian golden strong is an active pillar of carbonation from the bottom of the glass to the head. When identifying a Tripel, a slightly chewy mouthfeel and a flavor that approaches sweetness are the tell tale signs.

We Have One Man To Thank For The Belgian Golden Strong

We have one man to thank for the Belgian golden strong style Albert Moortgat. Moortagat is unsurprisingly, very Belgian, but his inspiration for the style is far from Brussels, in fact Scotland gets the credit for the key ingredient in the golden strong style, the yeast! 

Albert was the son of Jan-Leonard Moortgat, the original brewmaster and owner of Moortgat brewery. Although Moortgat had gained quite a following (especially within the bourgeoisie according to the Moortgat website) the young brewer was determined to set himself apart from the thousands of beer purveyors in Belgium. 

The popularity of English Ales was on the rise in Belgium after the First World War and Albert decided to hop on the bandwagon. He traveled to the UK in hopes of coaxing out stealing some secrets from brewers. After what was rumored to be a difficult time getting his hands on a sample Albert returned to Belgium with a bottle from Scotland. He could use this bottle to isolate and use Scottish yeast. 

That is exactly what he did! But at first he used this precious new yeast on a dark beer which wasn’t too different from the Abbey styles that are popular in Belgium. He decided to make his “new” beer light in color in order to set it apart from the competition with just a glance. 

By killing French malt in house Moortgat was able to create a beer lighter than any on the market. The only problem was that this specialty malt was so light that it contained less sugars and the final product was lower in alcohol than Albert desired. A simple addition of sugar and we are left with the dry, pale, highly carbonated beer known as Duvel today. 

Duvel is so clearly the definition of the Belgian golden strong style that other beers in the style often reference being “devilish” or “evil” in name. For example “Devil’s Backbone,” “damnation,” and “hades.” 

Why is a Little DMS Okay in Pilsners?

These are field notes from my Advanced Cicerone studies. (Yes, I passed!)

Why is DMS Acceptable in a Pilsner?

The mild corn-like aroma on a pilsner has nothing to do with corn in the beer (although some may contain corn to lighten the body and mouthfeel). Dimethyl sulfide, referred to as DMS can be formed on the hot side of the brewing process or as a result of an infection in fermented beer. DMS from an infection is never acceptable, not even in pilsner. Today, I’m focusing on the DMS that can be formed even when beer is brewed properly.

DMS is formed from a “precursor” compound SMM (S-methylmethionine). SMM is found in malt but it is burned-off almost completely during the kilning process. Since very light malt like pilsner is kilned for such a short amount of time, some SMM may remain in the malt after it’s kilned.

Since pilsners are made of - you guessed it - almost 100% pilsner malt they are very susceptible to DMS, even after careful brewing. The best way to eliminate DMS is to boil the wort for a long time and cool the wort extremely quickly after the boil. Since some traditional methods and technologies do not allow for this accelerated cooling, DMS is considered acceptable in pilsners especially the traditional German styles.

So if you’re hanging at the German bar for Oktoberfest this month and you catch a whiff of creamed-corn (the tell-tale sign of DMS formed in brewing) don’t cry “bad beer” right away! Take a few sips, let the beer warm and see if you can enjoy a corny tinge to a classic style.

What Created the Modern Day Märzen?!

These are field notes from my days studying for Advanced Cicerone.

How Did The Oktoberfest Style Come to Be?!

Oktoberfest starts next weekend (September 22nd!). This had me thinking about the world-renowned festival, less about the event itself (it started as a celebration for a wedding!) and more about the beer that’s served there and how little it’s changed throughout the years.

From 1810 to 1871, the beer served at Oktoberfest was much darker than the stein-fuls served today. This all changed in 1872. The cause? Money. (Alas, how many notable shifts can be traced back to this?!)

In order to sell beer at Oktoberfest, a brewery has to be both within the city limits of Munich AND approved by the city of Munich to serve. There are many small breweries in the city that are excluded from taking part in the 6.7 million liters of beer poured at the festival every year.

The story goes that in 1872, Spaten, one of the six Munich-Oktobefest-approved breweries was running out of bee. Head brewer Gabriel Sadlmayr knew that the brewery’s contract to serve at Oktoberfest could be in danger if they ran out of product and disappointed thirsty party goers. So his son, Josef decided to serve another beer from the brewery line up. The beer was “in the style of a Vienna” lager and carried more alcohol (probably between 8% and 9%) than the dark dunkel-like beers being served by other breweries.

That beer served by chance at the 1872 came to be defined as the modern-day Märzen. The Märzen brewed at Spaten is considered the world’s first example of the style. In fact, the ceremonial keg tapping that kicks off Oktoberfest each year is performed with Spaten Oktoberfest!

Have you ever been to Oktoberfest? Do you want to go as badly as I do?!

Perfect Beer Pairings For Molly Yeh's Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Last weekend I had the apartment all to myself for a three day weekend! How did I spend the last weekend of summer? Going to the beach? Brunching outside? No! I was planning for FALL. I wanted to find a paring that still works for the end of summer but reminds everyone what the best season is, and that my friends, is Fall. 

I'm a massive fan of Molly Yeh's blog (and omg her instagram!) so I was so excited to see her most recent post was for butter-based vanilla cupcakes. I ran to the store to grab the ingredients I didn't already have on hand - European butter and refined coconut oil.  I'm super skeptical of coconut oil but she explains why you need it in the post so I was ready to give it a try. 

You can find the whole recipe here! 

While my cupcakes were cooling it was time for me to dig out a perfect pairing (or three!) for these delightful, moist mini-cakes. I found four styles that I wanted to give a try and put them in the freezer to cool. Then it was time for frosting with the vanilla buttercream. 

I picked my ugliest cupcakes to try with the beers - milk stout, witbier, Belgian golden strong, and pumpkin beer - to make sure the pairing in my head worked in my mouth. And I'll tell you what, no one is perfect! ha! I thought the Belgian golden strong would cut through the butter fat and sweetness of the cupcake and make everything lighter but uhhh....it didn't. The carbonation just flattened everything out didn't give me that rich dessert bite I was going for. 

But I have three awesome pairings and here's why they work. 

Milk Stout

Suggested Beers: Left Hand Milk Stout, Stone Coffee Milk Stout

These cupcakes are rich and moist and sweeeeet. Buttercream, it's sweet you guys. The little bit of roast in these milk stouts is just enough to cut through some of that sweet buttery-ness happening without turning your experience bitter. The roasted notes also elevate some of the vanilla flavors in both the cupcake and the buttercream. The underlying sweet backbone of a milk stout is why this style beats out porter for a cupcake pairing. 

Witbier 

Suggested Beers: Hoegaarden White, Avery White Rascal

Vanilla is the perfect match for the orange peel and coriander in a witbier.  The fruitiness of a witbeir adds another interesting flavor to your dessert course (or afternoon snack, I'm not telling you when to eat a cupcake 😜) but still really lets the buttery elements of the cake shine. Think a tinyyyy squeeze of orange mixed into the buttercream and a refreshing zing of carbonation after each bite! The perfect pair for the end of summer when you can eat your cupcakes outside without sweating. 

Pumpkin Beer (Especially Lighter Ones!) 

Suggested Beers: Uinta Punk'n, Riverhorse Hipp-O-Lantern

This is my favorite, my guilty pleasure, the secret reason I picked these cupcakes for my baking excursion. Pumpkin beer + butter + vanilla = pumpkin pie but BETTER. The spices in a pumpkin beer pair with these lusciousness created by butterfat and coconut oil in the cupcakes on a way that can make even the strongest summer-lover excited about fall. I'm telling you, even if you can't make these cupcakes, try a pumpkin beer with a vanilla dessert, you're going to LOVE It. 

What other desserts are you guys making to kick off the fall season? Anything from Molly's blog? Find me on twitter @beerswithmandy and let me know :) 

Baseline Tap House: Disney's New Craft Beer Destination

I may have been in Disney World to run a marathon (my first!!), but that doesn't mean I avoided beer on my visit. Exactly the opposite! I had heard about the new "tap room" in Disney's Hollywood Studios and made a point to visit as soon as it opened at 10:30am. Hey - we were on vacation!! 

The spot is based on California craft beers and the tap list had a selection of breweries that Cali is known for - Stone, Green Flash, Golden Road, Lagunitas and more. There was only one brewery that I had never heard of, so naturally that's what I ordered. 

The Angel City IPA was pleasant, maltier than I would expect for a west coast IPA but still balanced. But the best feature of this whole taproom is a big surprise - it's the cheese plate! 

At just $10 for three cheeses, two meats, pickles, grapes, stone ground mustard and baguette this is a Disney STEAL. We loved the blue cheese with a grape on the baguette but everything was fresh and flavorful. 

There are only three snacks on the menu: the cheese plate, spiced almonds and a pretzel. We also tried the almonds, which I would call more glazed than spiced. They were good for sharing - too sweet to eat a whole serving - but they were no cheese plate.

We came back for the cheese plate and beers no less than three times during our visit and I still finished that marathon! 

Tips For Your Visit To Disney's Baseline Tap House

• If you tell them you're beers are to stay you get some fun tall German-style glasses. They're picture perfect!

• The cheese plate is a great deal, the pretzel, is just a pretzel

• There are two sizes of beer and flights available! Try the beers California has to offer and then order a big one to go.

• We loved stopping here for a beer and bringing it with us to the night time show Fantasmic. You save yourself a long wait in line and you get a real craft beer instead of a Blue Moon or Sam Adams.

Getting Your Hands on Trillium Brewing Company's Crazy Hazy IPAs AT FORT POINT

My mission was simple. Get to Boston acquire the beers. Get home without drinking them all. 

Why the mission? I, like every craft beer drinker recently, have heard SO MUCH about this East Coast IPA (also called the NEIPA or North Eastern IPA). It seemed to be like The Alchemist's Heady Topper by sweeter. No like a pale ale, just cloudier. It's harder to make than a West Coast IPA. No, it's for lazy brewers who don't filter. I'd heard to many contrasting opinions and read about one too many think pieces. Trillium consistently came up as an example for a brewery that was in the North Eastern IPA game for the technique, not the trend. 

Trillium Brewing Company's Scaled IPA fresh and hazy off the tap.

So back to the mission: the get to Boston part was easy. JetBlue has amazing sales on tickets from NYC. $40 each way? Don't mind if I do!

I stayed at the Boston Seaport Hotel (which by the way was fabulous) located just a short walk from Trillium's Fort Point location. It's denoted by a small chalkboard sign out on the sidewalk and the entry is on the side of the building. I walked by a few times so keep your eyes out!

The Fort Point location is really more of a shop than a taproom. There is no consumption allowed onsite, but there are growler fills, cans, bottles and stacks of merch. 

If you're in Boston for business, or on a trip with people who don't want to spend hours with craft beer, the Fort Point shop is perfect for you. It is truly an in-and-out experience, even if there is a line. The cans aren't too heavy to carry around if you're being a tourist for the rest of the day so there's really nothing holding you back. 

We left with what seemed like a pallet of cans and two bottles. Plus a set of snifters and a tshirt because c'mon that flower logo is so great! It was hard to leave behind the zip up sweatshirt but suitcase space required me to make decisions. 

Even with this smashing success, my Trillium experience in Boston wasn't over yet. First, I still had to taste the product!! And we still had to head out to Canton. I'll get to that in the next post. 

Tips for a Trillium Brewing Company, Fort Point visit: 

• Bring something to carry your cans and growlers in. They give you a box but that's not ideal if you plan on exploring the city for a little while.

• Row34, which has my favorite lobster roll in Boston, is right next store. Row34 also serves a well-curated selection of local and international craft beer and a raw or cooked seafood menu to die for.

• City Tap House is kitty-corner from Row34. If you're looking for a big ol' beer list, more of a nightlife scene and some interesting twists on bar-food standards this place is worth a stop. When I was there they were working to get Trilium on tap, so keep an eye out for that!

The Best Quick and Easy Beer Glazed Bar Nuts

When people come to my apartment, they expect beer. No surprise there! I love having little bar snacks ready for our friends tasting the homebrew on tap or whatever is in my fridge. (They often don't bring their own beer hmmmmmm! haha) 

Having cured meats and fresh cheeses on hand is great but I don't actually have to make anything with those snacks. I try to have at least one or two homemade things on the spread and these bar nuts are my go to. 

It took me a long time to get these right. Honey wouldn't spread enough as the sweet element, kosher salt was too crunchy and spread out, and let me just say experimenting with crushed red pepper instead of cayenne led to me chugging a lot of milk. Finally, I got them just right. They're a little sweet, perfectly spicy and have a touch of bitterness depending on the beer you use. 

Yes! The sweet spicy flavor is delectable, but the thing that is truly the best is that I can get them totally ready within 15 minutes! Guests are always surprised that I have warm nuts ready to go when they walk in the door, I just let them think I'm Martha Stewart or something. 

---

Beer Glazed Bar Nuts 

makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tbsp. beer (avoid bitterness, something Belgian works best!)
2 cups nuts (peanuts and pecans are my faves.) 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cayenne, salt and ginger
3. Add beer and stir until a runny glaze forms
4. Mix in nuts until well coated
5. Lay nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until glaze has bubbled & hardened
7. Serve immediately and store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days 

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Pairing Beer with Beer-Glazed Bar Nuts 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that a great beer to go with these addictive little snacks is the one you made them with! So, let's talk about that...I love a good IPA as much as anyone but bitter beers don't work well in this (or most other) recipes. 

When you cook beer in the oven a lot of the alcohol sweetness just *poof* cooks away and your previously balanced beer is now quite bitter. 

As far as what beers go best in the recipe, I love a Belgian Triple or Quad, a Saison that is on the sweet side will also turn out well. For a pairing when eating these nuts, just about any beer will do! I would stay away from sours or styles with a super delicate flavor like a rice beer or something brett-y, but for the most part you're good with whatever you pick! Cheers! 

Boston Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company at Canton

By the end of this post you'll be ready for the perfect visit to Trillium Brewing Company's Canton location because you'll know what to expect and how to set yourself up for the most fun!

Trillium Brewing Company has two year-round locations in the Boston area: One at Fort Point, and their main location outside the city in Canton. My visit to the Fort Point shop left me wanting more from my Trillium experience. So I booked a very long uber out to Canton. 

Canton is a pretty quintessential north-eastern suburb. Big houses, snow covered yards, novelty mailboxes, everything you would expect. I was pretty surprised to find that the Trillium Taproom was tucked in this neighborhood. 

Pulling into the parking lot I was met with lots of dudes carrying boxes of cans out to their cars.

“Uh oh, the beers all gone!” one joked with me. Judging by the packed parking lot, I almost believed him.

I continued on past the retail door to the taproom door and wowza - look at that line. Upon walking through the door you all but collide with the center of the line to order beer by the glass. I took my place wayyyy at the back and suddenly wished I had brought a book - or at the very least that I had more phone battery. 

As the line inched forward I passed many groups huddled around barrels or leaning on the small bar that ran along the wall. There is not much in the way of seating in this taproom. I then past the “food truck of the day,” severing oysters, but at 3pm there were not many takers for their fresh-ish shellfish sitting out on ice. 

Finally, I came into view of the tap list which was extensive and offered more options than the Fort Point location. The GABF medals dangling from the board were an obvious reminder of the quality that made the line so. so. long. 

Ordering was efficient and by the time I swiped my card I had a beer in my hand. The perfect beer in hand for getting back in line - ha! Is it just me or does a line move faster when you have a drink involved. I got the Double Dry Hopped (DDH) Summer Street for the line and it was a perfect waiting beer. Light, floral, and fruity, not too heavy of a mouth feel and a clean finish. No wonder this place is so crowded! 

By the time I made it to the registers again, I had a plan. I wanted to order three very different beers. Again, a quick ring up and this time I found myself a spot leaning against the divider between the “taproom” and the active brewery. 

I tried, Trillbomb!, DDH Scaled, and the Free Rise Nelson. They were all great and definitely in the style of Trillium. The IPA was sweet and ended with the gypsum bite I have found characteristic of East Coast IPAs. The stout was big and strong with a potent nose of Bourbon. The free-rise, while slightly funky was more of a pale ale than a saison. 

After considering another trip to the back of the line, I decided against it and summoned yet another car back to Boston. I had fun and I learned a lot. 

Is the trip to Trillium's Canton Brewery Worth It?

I pondered this on my long ride home from Canton - still thinking about that zip up sweatshirt I decided not to buy again. I think the answer is it depends! Boring...but true. 

If you're a big beer fan that doesn't mind standing for a while Canton is the only place that you're guaranteed to try several Trillium beers in one spot. You can even skip Fort Point and just head to Canton for both your beers on tap and to-go. 

If you have someone in your group that needs to sit down, this might not be great. You can hope for a friendly stranger to give up their seat, but I don't gamble on friendly strangers often. If you are on a trip to see Boston - it's a tough call! Canton is quite a way out of the city and there are many great locations in Boston that carry all kinds of beer and have a little more scenery, plus you can go to Fort Point for your to-go beer needs! 

Tips for visiting Trillium Brewing Company at Canton:

• Check the food truck for the day. I wasn’t about to eat oysters. I wished I had a meal in me or a snack so I could go on sampling.

• Expect a line. It’s not a let down if you’re expecting a wait. Bring a friend, or three and wait together time flies when you’re waiting in line with a beer in hand.

• Wear comfortable shoes. As someone who doesn’t follow this rule in my day-to-day life it’s worth putting in here. You’re standing on concrete and, yes, you’ll be standing.

• Bring your pup if you want! There were several dogs in the taproom when I was there and they definitely provided some entertainment while waiting in line.

• Don’t drive or dedicate a driver. Their stouts are great, you’re going to want to try them, and trust me, one is enough to knock you on your butt.

• You can get cans, bottles and merch to-go! While the major attraction of the Canton location is getting to sample multiple of the famed breweries beers, there is also a line for to-go items.

Are you headed to Trillium or the Boston area? Find @beerswithmandy on twitter. I love nothing more than talking about beer trips!