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Happy Hour: Smithwick's Irish Ale

partysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:15:13 -0700

Recently, my parents returned from a vacation in Ireland.
Being as it was their first time in on the island, they eagerly sampled the local products, pubs, and pints. They picked up a fondness for a chocolate-colored, Irish ale named Smithwick’s (pronounced Smitiks). Their rave reviews made me curious, so when my dad invited me to join him at a local Irish pub, I jumped at the chance to taste the brew. Despite its dark color, the beer was surprisingly light and refreshing. The rich liquid was not bitter, but smooth, full, and stimulating. According to my father, the American Smithwick's lacked the frothy head of the brew he enjoyed in the old country, but I didn't mind, I thought it was delicious.

Have you ever tried Smithwick's? What do you think of the beer?

Like Cold Coffee? Try Cold Brewed Coffee

YumSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:01:18 -0700

You guys seemed pretty excited when I shared a simple tip to keep your iced coffee from getting watered down. Well, if you thought that one was good, here's one that the folks at Seattle's Best Coffee emailed to me. Instead of brewing their coffee like normal, they cold brew it overnight, resulting in an iced coffee that can stay fresh for up to seven days.

So what is cold brewing? It's essentially letting coffee grounds soak in room temperature overnight. You'll need a cold brew concentrator, or you could rig one up yourself with some jars and filters. If you're not interested in going the diy route, the Toddy Maker Cold Brew Coffee System is available for $28.

And if cold brew sounds too complicated (although it looks really quite simple), you can always brew up a batch of coffee, bring it to room temperature and then refrigerate to use the next day.

If you'd like to learn more about cold brewing, here's a step by step tutorial.

Happy Hour: Fireman's Brew

partysugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:15:33 -0700

This Father's Day, why not surprise dad with a flight of beers? Then have an impromptu tasting where you both enjoy the beers together. Be sure to select a beer that your dad has never tasted.

Recently, I did just this with my father. He's a retired fire chief, so when I heard of Fireman's Brew, a line of microbrewed beers created by two Los Angeles firefighters, I knew it would be perfect for a tasting. There are three beers to the collection: a blonde, brewnette, and redhead. The blonde is an easy drinking, light, pilsner style-lager that's crisp and refreshing; it really quenches on a hot day. The brewnette is a darker dopplebock with a heady fragrance and strong hoppy flavor. The red is an amber ale with a rich, bold, smooth flavor without any bitterness. It's the most distinct tasting and would be a nice complement to smoky barbecue.

Overall we enjoyed all three, but our favorite was the delightful blonde. What brewskies do you and your dad sip together?

Yummy Links: From In-N-Out to Home Brewing

partysugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:50:37 -0700

Will In-N-Out Burger finally become a national standby? - The Feedbag
There are so many ways (beyond salad dressing) to use vinegar and citrus. - Chow
If you love bruschetta, consider Spain's delicious variation, Pa amb Tomaquet. - The Atlantic
The latest on the Kentucky Fried Chicken riots. - Eater
Speaking of chickens, check out this hilarious ad for Swiss supermarket Migros. - Eat Me Daily
Recent James Beard winner Dan Barber on sustainable foie gras. - Serious Eats
Ten easy steps for brewing beer at home in your coffeemaker. - The Epi-Log

Source

YumSugar Gift Guide: The Craft Brew Connoisseur

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:15:29 -0800

One of my closest friends is an absolute beer fiend. From the moment he took a beer-tasting class in college on a whim, he's been hooked on microbrews.

I've got so many ideas for him this holiday that I don't know what to choose! I know he'll love this flight set for at-home tastings, or a beer of the month club membership. But I'm tempted to get him this beer game just so I can outsmart him!

Want more gift ideas? Browse the selection below or check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

Happy Hour: Witches' Brew

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:27:19 -0700

No Halloween is complete without a good old fashioned punch. Often times, folks will use dry ice as a way to create a spooky effect. However, dry ice can be quite dangerous, so I found a recipe that will evoke the same feeling without any of the risk. This recipe for a Witches' Brew starts off with a chilled apple cider and ends with a dollop of sweet vanilla ice cream. To get the recipe, read more

Witches' Brew
From How Stuff Works

Makes 4 (6-ounce) servings

2 cups apple cider
1-1/2 to 2 cups vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Process cider, ice cream, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg in food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Print recipe with images | without images

Happy Hour: Red Tail Ale

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:01 -0700

On my routine shopping trip last weekend, I found myself talking to the beer and wine guys at the local Trader Joe's. Not only did they tip me off to the fact that the store retails individual beer bottles - something I can't believe I'd never known! - but they also raved about one brew in particular: Red Tail Ale.

Red Tail definitely lives up to its superior reviews. The amber ale, which is made by Mendocino Brewing Company just over 100 miles north of San Francisco, has a saturated caramel color, moderate head of foam, and a slightly metallic finish. With bittersweet notes of dark chocolate, this brew's a fitting selection for Fall. Have you ever sampled it?

VIA Instant Coffee to Arrive in Starbucks Stores Nationwide

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:50:33 -0700

If you're a frequent or occasional instant coffee drinker, look out for a new kind of brew coming to a store near you. On Sept. 29, Starbucks will be rolling out its much-discussed instant coffee, VIA, in stores across the US and Canada.

When VIA Ready Brew was first introduced back in March, the insta-packets were only available in limited markets: Seattle, Chicago, London, and online. “Consumers have quickly adopted our instant coffee as their coffee while on the go,” CEO Howard Schultz said in a statement. “We were overwhelmed and humbled by the positive response from our customers and partners after tasting Starbucks VIA."

Unsurprisingly, Starbucks is not only marketing VIA as coffee on-the-go, but also as a creative element in the kitchen, playing a part in recipes from coffee sodas to cupcakes. Starbucks fans, do tell: Will you try out VIA once it hits your side of town?

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:29 -0800

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

What does your brew choice say about your personality?
It's down to the final three on The Next Iron Chef.
Right now, Angostura bitters are in short supply.
The 10 catchiest - and cheesiest - food jingles of all time.
Why one server believes she doesn't need to write down orders.
The story behind the legendary Harvey Wallbanger.

Source: Flickr User AchimH

Taste Test: Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:14 -0800

When Starbucks announced it would be launching VIA, an instant coffee product, the food world collectively gasped. How could a premium coffee chain start selling instant coffee, a product with a notorious reputation for bad taste?

Today, the VIA brews were introduced in two markets, Seattle and Chicago. They've been the subject of much speculation, since, according to the VIA label, it's taken "decades to develop" the soluble, microground arabica beans. We couldn't wait to see how they matched up to the standard Starbucks drip. To see the results of our blind comparison, read more.

Without knowing which coffee was which, several Sugar staffers sampled two VIA brews - an extra-bold Italian Roast and a medium blend from Colombia - against a same-sized cup of Pike Place Roast drip coffee purchased at a Starbucks store. Two of our tasters were able to correctly identify which cup of coffee was brewed and which two were instant; they described the instant cups as tasting "chalky" and "bitter at the end."

Two different tasters, however, not only thought the instant coffee was drip, but they believed the Starbucks drip was instant, tasting watery in comparison.

Italian Roast: Although this was PartySugar's favorite of the tasting ("I love strong, bitter black coffee"), it was my least favorite. Both another taster and I thought the coffee - described as "smooth, rich" - had a truly acrid aftertaste.

Colombia: Although this blend was slightly bitter, it was less aggressive than the Italian Roast and mellower in flavor.

When tasted next to brewed coffee, the taste of VIA was inferior in comparison, with a bitter end and little to no pleasant aroma. Still, I would drink VIA in a pinch and - at $9.95 for 12 servings - it's significantly more recession friendly than a traditional cup of Starbucks joe.

Do you plan to give VIA a chance? If you've tried it, I'd love to hear what you thought.

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