A Muddy Kentucky Breakfast

Now that summer is gone and it's (almost) officially fall and the air is turning cooler I thought it was time to start think warmer thoughts. I love coffee, and though it is non-alcoholic in itself it makes a great base for a drink.

Here is a drink that is a great fall afternoon drink, or a after diner dessert drink. It's warm and delicious. Try it and let me know what you think.

Muddy Kentucky Breakfast

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Kahlua

2 oz Chocolate Milk

Brewed Coffee

Mix in a mug and enjoy!

You Say Limes, I Say Lawsuit

This year Anheuser-Busch, Inc. introduced Bud Light Lime, a twist on Bud Light that gives the beer a lime flavor. This beer has been a hit. I have tried it myself and it's not too bad, though I can't see drinking more then a couple at a time. This innovation does not seem to be a huge leap in the beer industry or anything that is unique enough to paten, however Anheuser-Busch and Labatt's (both owned by AB InBev) is suing a Waterloo, Ontario based craft beer brewer, Brick, for brewing a lime variety of their Red Baron beer. Anheuser-Busch is seeking a court injunction and compensation from Brick or a cut on their Red Baron Lime profits. The Ontario based brewer said that it wasn't a surprise and they plan to defend themselves in court.

I am not a legal expert, but I don't see how someone can sue for something they didn't invent - I have been putting lime in my beer for years (blonds like Corona or Sol) and this is how they have been marketing the beer and how it's should be drunk. This seems like a bully in the school yard looking for some lunch money and a way for Anheuser-Busch to eliminate competition. This is one of the reasons why it is so hard for smaller brewers to get a piece of the market and for the public to quality and variety we deserve.

This is the latest in an ongoing dispute between Labatt's and Brick. Labatt's had claimed that the Red Baron labels too closely resembled the Labatt's Brava labels (in fact some bottles were mistakenly returned to Labatt's by the Beer Store in Ontario). The matter was settled in June of this year.

Are the big producers in it for the money or the beer? Is big business preventing us, the devoted beer drinking public, from getting the best beers from the smaller craft brewers? What do you think

Ooh, Saucy!

Besides The Drink, I do enjoy The Food and I like to mix these to hobbies together. I have made a few good things (and a few less then great things). Here is a super simple recipe for a blueberry sauce that is great over ice cream, on pancakes, or on anything else you might think of.

Wild Blueberry Whiskey Sauce

1 cup wild blueberries

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 oz Whiskey

In a 2 quart sauce pan bring blueberries, water, and sugar to a simmer. Simmer until sugar dissolves and sauce thickens to a syrup consistency. Adjust taste by adding more sugar to desired sweetness. Add Whiskey and allow to heat then carefully light on fire - this will make a flash so be very careful. Burn until the flame is gone.

As an option, the syrup can be simmered until it thickens further and can be used like a jam and is great on toast.

Enjoy!

Beer Basics - Part Two: Storing and Serving

Most beer is not meant for long storage and should be drunk within a few weeks of bottling or kegging, depending on the beer. There are some exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking it's meant to be enjoyed sooner then later. Beer is best kept from exposure to sunlight as it can cause the beer to turn "skunky" and not so pleasant to drink, this is why most beer is bottled in dark brown bottles or kegs. Some beer is put into green bottles, which lessens the effects of the sunlight, but are not as protective as dark brown bottles.

Beer should be stored between 2 °C (35 °F) and 15 °C (60 °F), the higher the temperature the faster the beer will age. In North America beer is generally served chilled - this mutes some of the flavors and in Britain, it is served at room temperature so the full flavor can be enjoyed. As a general guide temperatures range from 7 °C (45 °F) for pale lagers to 15.5 °C (60 °F) for strong dark ales. Avoid freezing beer as it will form ice crystals that don't melt back the same way and will alter the taste of the beer.

There is a variety of glassware; almost every beer has its own glass that is designed to showcase the appearance, aroma, and the taste of the beer. As glassware could be a large topic, I digress. When it comes to pouring the beer, the amount of head there is on the beer in the glass can be controlled (to a point) by the pour. To archive a larger head the beer can be poured directly into the glass and to reduce the head, the glass can be tilted and the beer poured slowly.

The most important tip I can give it to always enjoy the beer and enjoy it responsibly.

~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Three: Types of Beer (some, not all)

Once Upon a Dark and Stormy Night...

It was a Dark and Stormy Night - no really, there's thunder outside and everything. I'm kidding, but there is Dark and Stormy Night by Picaroons Traditional Ale of Fredericton, NB, Canada on the table. Picaroons has produced this this deep reddish-brown ale that is a hybrid between a German dunkel and an English ale. It has a head that is off-white and slightly mocha with a light aroma of roasted barley with sweet, butterscotch notes. This ale has a slightly creamy texture and is lightly carbonated. The taste is wheat and roasted barley with a light, sweet caramel flavor.

This is a very easy drinking ale with a balanced flavor and light body.

My rating: 3.5/5

Beer Basics - Part One: Brewing God's Gift

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

-- Benjamin Franklin

Beer has been around for thousands of years, it was brewed since ancient times by the Egyptians. It is the third most drunk beverage in the world behind water and tea. Beer has played a role in shaping out history - the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in Plymouth because, as was written by one of the passengers "we could not take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer..."

Beer is made from pure water, hops, and grain, generally corn grits and malted barley (malted meaning that the barley has been soaked in water and allowed to germinate, sprouting just a little). The malted barley is what gives beer its flavor and color. The grains are cooked in the water to produce what is called the mash. The wart (the liquid part of the mash) is then removed with the solids discarded. The wort is boiled with hops and then cooled. Yeast is added and fermentation is allowed to occur (the yeast consumes the sugars producing alcohol and carbon dioxide). After fermentation is allowed to take place the end product (once filtered, most varieties anyway) is beer.

Brewing beer is an art and each brew is as unique as the brew master. Beer does not last forever, so each bottles is made to be enjoyed - and so we should.

~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Two: Storing and Serving

The Big Orange Screw

We now find ourselves in summer (well, in the northern hemisphere at least - sorry Australia) and it is a great time to enjoy the sun and have a cool refreshing cocktail. These are the days for laying on the deck, patio, or at the cottage, soaking up some sun and relaxing - - and of course enjoying a cool refreshing drink. Something that proclaims "Summer is here!", something that will quench your thirst on those hot, lazy days of summer.

Here is a refreshing summer drink that will please. It's served cool and has summer citrus flavours with refreshing zing of tonic water:

The Big Orange Screw

1 1/2 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz White Rum

1/2 Orange, juice of

Splash of Lime

Tonic water

Mix in a highball glass with ice. Enjoy.