One wouldn’t normally think of beer with Sushi, but move over Saki…

I started off with a couple of notable craft beers:

• Hoptical Illusion – An India Pale Ale by Blue Point Brewing Company (6.8% ABV) from Long Island, NY
• 2011 Celebration Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (6.8% ABV) from Chico, CA

together with a couple of Sushi rolls from my local Sushi specialty take-out counter:

• Crunchy roll – with chili sauce enveloping rice, shrimp, eel, carrots, cucumber and spices, cooked to a crunchy finish
• Dragon roll – with fresh tuna, avocado, rice and pesto-like sauce

Celebration Ale perfect with Spicy Shrimp…

At first thought, it seemed like an unlikely pairing, but the more robust winter taste of the Celebration Ale aptly complimented the spiciness of the Crunchy roll with the chili sauce.  The mahogany woody essence of the Celebration Ale added a hearty richness to the shrimp and zesty chili flavors.

Celebration Ale fared far better than trying to combine the hoppiness of the Hoptical Illusion with chili flavor, but read on…

Hoptical Illusion enriches the Ahi Tuna

The more muted and less flavorful (but still delicious!) tuna and avocado flavors lent themselves well to the hoppy Hoptical Illusion, which was a nice surprise.  (The Celebration Ale overpowered the Dragon Roll to the extent that the sushi ended up tasting bland…)  Whatever was the sauce on the top of the Dragon Roll mixed and swirled well over the tongue with the Hoptical Illusion providing a light and flavorful burst for the unexpecting palate. A good combination indeed!
What is YOUR experience? 

Please let me know what Sushi and Craft Beer pairings you’ve tried and want to try again and again?  I’ll feature them in this blog and credit you!

Happy and safe imbibing my friends!

Sincerely,

The Unofficial Beer Goddess…

Photo courtesy of http://www.dailybeerreview.com/

While out to lunch the other day, we stopped at Dominick’s Side Door Pub in Chalfont, PA. From the outside, the small strip mall looks unimpressive, but that look is quite deceiving. Not only do they serve great pizza and cheesesteaks, but the beer list is tremendous. Now I’m not as high on rye as the Wookie, but I have found that it has an interesting flavor, and it works well with heavier food. So after a quick scan of the board, I opted for a RastafaRye Ale from Blue Point Brewing Company of Patchogue, Long Island. Here is what Blue Point Brewing has to say about this beer:

No children, no cry! In true Rastafarian spirit – drinking our RastafaRye Ale directly benefits underprivileged kids. Everything is Irie with our award-winning RastafaRye Ale, a hearty rye malt, blended with fresh West Coast hops resulting in a delicious, deep copper ale with just the right amount of rye flavor to offset the spicy, floral characteristics of the hops.

I found the RastafaRye Ale to have the following characteristics…

• Appearance: Clear copper color with good foam and lacing.
• Aroma: Hoppy and floral with a hint of pine and malt.
• Taste: A nice blend of malt and hops with a slightly bitter finish.
• ABV: 7.5%

This was a relatively mild rye ale given the monstrously bitter ryes that the Wookie has shared. I found this to be an easy drinking beer despite the higher ABV. As an added bonus, Blue Point donates a portion of all RastafaRye Ale sales to They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO), a Taj Weekes charity foundation that helps orphaned and underprivileged children in the Caribbean and around the world. So drink up and do your part! You know … it’s for the kids!

via wikipedia

As if last weekend wasn’t great enough (Blogger playdate! Concert! PR!), I wrapped it up with the holy grail of interesting activities: a BEER TASTING.

When my friend Kendria mentioned that she had seen a DailyCandy Deal where we could get 12 Novembeerfest tickets (1 ticket for a beer sample, 2 tickets for food) for $20, I agreed in a heartbeat. While my legs were pretty beat from my, ahem, awesome PR, the second I arrived, I was glad I had agreed to go.

No, I did not know that!

There were tons of great breweries there (and some not-so-interesting ones, like Samuel Adams and Anheuser-Busch. Although I’m not sure why anyone would go to those booths when they could try the others! Just a few of the awesome breweries that showed up:

Smuttynose (Portsmouth, NH)

Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Left Hand Brewing Co (Longmont, CO) and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA)

For each ticket, you got a few ounces of beer. It doesn’t sound like much, but ten samples later, it was plenty.

Beer #2: Six Point Hoptical Illusion. I will spare you all the pictures I took of every beer I sampled.

Some booths were more generous than others, but over the course of the afternoon, the ten different beers I tried were (I even remembered to write them down!):

• Smuttynose Winter Ale
• Blue Point Hoptical Illusion
• Ommegang Rare Vos Amber Ale
• Goose Island Matilda
• Abita Restoration Pale Ale
• Sixpoint Bengali Tiger
• Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
• Firestone Union Jack IPA
• Full Sail Pale Ale (rhyme!)
• Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale

Um…can you tell I am a fan of pale ales?

When you wear plaid to a craft beer tasting event, you fit right in.

Favorites of the afternoon were the Six Point Hoptical Illusion and the Full Sail Pale Ale…least favorites were definitely the Goose Island Matilda and the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. Too dark/heavy for me. But, live and learn.

Rebecca, me, and Kendria

We also had a blast rocking out to the BEST DJ EVER. Seriously — the man played an amazing mix of 80s, 90s, and current music. I wish I had thought to ask for his card (actually, I did think to ask for his card. But I was too embarrassed, and then also realized that I don’t ever have occasions to hire a DJ for anything), because he was that good.

Oh Instagram, you make me look so artistic.

In fact, there may have been some a lot of public dancing. Sorry Kendria, I had to post this…

Check out those moves!

By the end of the event, I was so tired that I could barely stand (and I’m sure 10 beer samples didn’t exactly help), but it was definitely one of the coolest — and cheapest — things I’ve done lately. Sometimes the random things you sign up for through those daily deal sites turn out to be lame and overpriced, but I definitely felt like I got my money’s worth with this one. It also helps to have friends who are just as down for (or up for — does anyone else find it weird that these two phrases mean the same thing?) random activity excursions as I am. Nice find, Kendria!

At preshift, Ryan shares with front of house staff two beers being added today to our list, Blue Point Brewing Company (NY) American Pale Ale and Flying Dog Brewery (MD) Tire Bite Golden Ale.

About every three months, bar manager Ryan Goodspeed adds a bundle of new specialty cocktails to the drinks menu and changes our brew on tap, which is now the seasonal Brooklyn Summer Ale.  Bottles change even more frequently.

As it’s the cusp of summer, Ellie and I had an opportunity to try Ryan’s three new musketeers on the cocktail list, the Southern Bell, Solstice & Graceland.  Please allow us to introduce them to you.

Solstice  Nolet Gin, Aperol, fresh orange, champagne, rhubarb bitters 11

Jackie: As bright as the summer sun! A refreshing mix of tangy citrus balanced with gentle bitter perfume of Aperol and smooth juniper in Nolet gin i.e. made for our sun-streaked patio, or better yet, a blanket on the beach.

Ellie: Aperol and prosecco are a refreshing combination on their own, but add a little gin and citrus to it and this is your summer cocktail with a bite.

Graceland  Southern Comfort, Drambuie, Georgia peaches, lemon, pink peppercorn, cardamom 12

Jackie: Pink peppercorns are my addiction.  Their sweet and spicy perfume pairs perfectly with sweet Georgia peaches and the comforting Southern drawl of fruit and spiced whisky.

Ellie: The thick fresh pressed peach juice sits right on top of the Southern Comfort like syrup making this drink go down a little too smooth.

Southern Bell  Rhum JM, Agavero, Florida blueberries, Teena’s Pride tarragon, lemon, sugar 12

Jackie: My absolute favorite of the bunch. A blueberry bomb heightened by sublime tarragon. Could drink this all day!

Ellie: Exactly what a Southern Bell should be: subtly tart covered in sugary sweet, with a little kick of interesting that you can’t quite put your finger on. (Spoiler alert: tarragon!)

Blue Point Summer Ale

First, let me start off by saying this review was fate. I’ve always heard of Blue Point, but never tried it. How fitting that the very first review I do on my blog just happens to be brewed in my birthplace of Patchogue, NY. Funny thing is, I didn’t even realize it until after downing my first one and then inspecting the bottle trying to find the % of alcohol. Maybe this is a good sign…

Let me set the scene for you: Memorial Day, BBQ, Alice in Chains on the iPod, friends, sun, 90 degree heat, and an iced cold Blue Point Summer Ale. It really couldn’t get any better than that.

Simply put, this beverage is awesome. It’s your typical, light summer ale, comparable to a Sam Adams Summer Ale or a Harpoon Summer Ale (the originality in the names is astounding).  Blue Point may not have the same billing as Sam Adams, but it is just as good, if not better. Again, this is my first beer from Blue Point and I can’t wait to try and review the others. This Summer Ale is seasonal, and is only available from April – July, according to the Blue Point website.

So yes, I love this beer, and will try it again. I don’t venture out to bars that often as I’d rather buy a 6 pack for $7-10 rather than 2 beers at the bar for the same price, but if I do find myself in a bar within the next couple of months, and this is on tap, you can bet your ass I’m ordering one. If you enjoy those light, summery beers like the ones I mentioned above as well as Corona, Landshark etc etc, you can definitely not go wrong with this.

If you are in area or live on Long Island, be sure to check out this brewery. They offer tours and tastings at their “Tasting Room” located at 161 River Ave. Patchogue, NY. Hours are Thurs & Fri from 3-7PM or Saturdays from 12-7PM. I will definitely be taking a Saturday trip to go back to the place of my origin and check Blue Point Brewing Company out.

Final Rating -   4.5 Pints

April 9, 2011 • Loggerhead Park • Juno Beach

The Eighth Annual TurtleFest: Exploring Cultural Conservation will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Loggerhead Marinelife Center and Loggerhead Park in Juno Beach. Hit bands B-Liminal, The Resolvers, Hit$how and Moska Project will take the stage while guests of all ages enjoy up-close encounters with threatened and endangered sea turtles. Focused on education appropriate for the entire family, the free-admission event will feature an all-new Global Village highlighting seven regions of the world, the sea turtles native to each, and the steps different countries are taking to promote ocean conservation.

The Resolvers are among the four bands playing at the free-admission event.

In between TurtleFest’s collection of live reggae, roots, surf and Latin music, conservation education will be front and center with presentations by Busch Wildlife, the Palm Beach Zoo, and Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s research and rehabilitation staff. Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s mascot “Fletch” will join with Rod Mast of Conservation International. Mast is the former president of the International Sea Turtle Society, serves as co-chair of the IUCN-SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group, and was the host of the XXIV Sea Turtle Symposium in San Jose, Costa Rica. He, like “Fletch,” has been known to dress up as a sea turtle on special occasions, traveling the world as “Mr. Leatherback.” Children and adults alike will enjoy interactions between the two characters.

Children and adults will enjoy interactions between "Mr. Leatherback" (pictured), and Loggerhead Marinelife Center mascot "Fletch."

Also for kids, the festival’s pre-event is a Children’s Fun Run. Children up to 12 years old can participate in the race taking place at 5:15 p.m. on April 8^th at Loggerhead Park and A-1-A. Upon entering the festival on April 9^th, families will receive a treasure map guiding them through the event. Kids will be entered into a contest to win a real treasure chest and can also participate in bounce houses, gymnastics and an array of games.

Children will enjoy an action-packed day of activities at TurtleFest 2011, including up close interactions with endangered sea turtles.

New this year, TurtleFest will feature a dedicated art area featuring highly acclaimed marine-themed artists. Jupiter native Brittany Brett has designed the TurtleFest 2011 poster, depicting a loggerhead sea turtle illuminated by the moon, casting a shadow of Florida’s coastline and symbolizing the importance of the worldwide Lights Out Campaign during sea turtle nesting season. The growing list of artists whose work will also be featured in the festival includes Lynne Barletta, Carey Chen, sea turtle portrait painter Pamela Hoke, Mark Johnson, Amber Moran, featured sculptor Geoffrey Smith, ArtiGras 2011 commemorative artist Beth Williams, Mark Worden, and Thomas Ziffer. The festival will also include various craft shopping.

Jupiter native Brittany Brett designed the TurtleFest 2011 poster, depicting a loggerhead sea turtle illuminated by the moon, casting a shadow of Florida’s coastline and symbolizing the importance of the worldwide Lights Out Campaign during sea turtle nesting season.

TurtleFest is Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s largest annual “Friend”raiser, attracting 15,000 people each year. TurtleFest 2011 is brought to you by presenting sponsors Florida Power & Light Company, McDonald’s, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, PGA National Resort & Spa, and Waste Management. The hospitality tent is provided by Downtown at the Gardens and the Beverage Station is compliments of Blue Point Brewing Company. Palm Beach Post is a media sponsor. Community partners include Bill Barbosa Photography, Loggerhead Club & Marina, Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Palm Beach County Cultural Council, The Benjamin School, and the Town of Juno Beach.

To volunteer at the event or learn more, visit www.marinelife.org/turtlefest or call 561.627.8280.

Roger Dean Stadium 

 This was the 3^rd annual Jupiter Field of Beers and I was fortunate enough to be at all 3 events.  Like the last 2 years, Fran, from Brewzzi, did an outstanding job of putting together this event.  I’m already looking forward to next years!

 This year there were 16 mouthwatering food and beer pairing stations.  2 were alongside 1^st base & 3^rd base; 3 were found inside each dugout where you could eat and drink while sitting on the dugout benches and the other 6 were scattered along the backstop behind home plate. 

 Here is the list of beers, as they were presented on the Field of Beers, not necessary in the same order as consumed.

 Behind 1^st Base

 Local Loxahatchee, Florida goat cheese and fresh fig compote on toasted whole grain flatbread with fresh basil.

Paired with: Lectio Divina:  

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Brewery: Saint Somewhere Brewing Co.   website

Country: USA

Region: Tarpon Springs, Florida

ABV: 8.0%  

Unfiltered amber colored ale combining elements of fruity sweetness and a pleasant tartness along with classic Belgian spiciness.

Bob of Saint Somewhere holding a bottle of Lectio Divina

Inlet's Monk in the Trunk

  #2 Grilled Kobe Beef Slider

Presented on a soft potato slider roll with horseradish cream sauce.

Paired with: Monk in the Trunk  

Style: Belgian Amber Ale

Brewery: Inlet Brewing Company   website

Country: USA

Region: Jupiter, Florida

ABV: 5.5%

A unique copper colored ale with a fruity, slightly spicy aroma and subtle nutty/malty sweet flavor brewed with fresh organic hops. 

 Inside the 1^st Base Dugout  

First Base Dugout

 #3 English IPA Battered Fish & Chips (Florida Snapper)

Served with smoky chipotle aioli in a paper cone.

Paired with: English IPA

Style: English IPA

Brewery: Tequesta Brewing Company

Country: USA

Region: Tequesta, Florida

ABV: ???%

Golden colored, medium body IPA, subtly balanced with floor malted Maris Otter and English Challenger and East Kent Golding Hops.

Fish and Chips in the 1st base dugout

Gordon Biersch Sticke Alt

 #4 Homemade Watercress Gnocchi

In shiitake mushroom ragu, prosciutto, roasted garlic cream and sprinkled with basil and fresh parmigiano reggiano.

Paired with: Sticke Alt

Style: German Altbier

Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery   website

Country: USA

Region: Miami, Florida

ABV: ??%   

A bigger version of the traditional Northern Altbier made with all German malt. Sticke Alt  means “Secret Ale” made in appreciation of loyal local brewery patrons.

Enjoying the Field of beers

 #5 Wild Pheasant and White Bean Chili

Served over a white cheddar and jalapeno biscuit with fresh oregano, tomatillo, green pepper and garlic.

Paired with: Helios Ale

Style: Saison

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company   website

Country: USA

Region: Downingtown, PA

ABV: 7.5%  

Starts with an earthy flavor and aromatic hop aroma, and turns to hints of lemon peel and pepper in the invigorating and quenching finish.

 Behind Home Plate 

Stone Smoked Porter

 

#6 South Florida Style Grilled  Apalachicola Florida Oyster “Rockefeller”

Topped with crispy pancetta, spinach, pernod cream with a hint of garlic and anise 

Paired with: Stone Smoked Porter

Style: Smoked Porter

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.   website

Country: USA

Region: San Diego, California

ABV: 5.6%

A smooth, deep-mahogany colored ale with chocolate and coffee like flavors balanced with the subtle smokey quality of peat-smoked malt.

Stone Smoked Porter

Brewzzi Darkhouse

 #7 Ziggy’s Cheese Shoppe Fondue with Homemade Bretzel

Creamy imported limburger, pickled carrot and beets on a caraway, rye “Bretzel”.

Paired with: Darkhouse

Style: Belgian Dark Farmhouse Ale

Brewery: Brewzzi   website

Country: USA

Region: West Palm Beach/Boca Raton, Florida

ABV: ??%   

American take on a traditional Belgian classic. Full-bodied, slightly tart Brown Ale well balanced with fresh American hops.

“At Brewzzi, our beer’s journey doesn’t end at the bottom of the glass.  The spent grain from our brewery goes to a Loxahatchee company which uses it to make organic worm castings…yes, worm poop.  The result is an all natural, 100 percent organic fertilizer which is then sent to an organic farm to help grow vegetables we intended to use in tonight’s beer and food pairings. 

But mother nature had other plans. Two months ago, the frost and freezing temperatures ruined a large percentage of crops throughout South Florida, including our veggies.  So, while we were unable to use sustainable vegetables this time around, we promise to try again next year.

Brewzzi Darkhouse

 

Big Bear Imperial Stout

 #8 Stout Braised Bottom Round of Grain Fed Beef

Crusted with pasilla pepper and toasted coriander and slow roasted with a veal demi glace. Carved to order with white cheddar grits.

When they say “grain fed beef” they meant “beer grain feed”!!  “Big Bear brewmaster Matt Cox contributed to both the beer and food in tonight’s pairing.  Matt donates his spent grain to a local cattle farmer in Delray Beach, who has been feeding it to his cows since last year.  The resulting beef is part of this pairing tonight.  It’s a great example of how craft beer and sustainability can go hand in hand.”

Paired with: Big Bear Imperial Stout

Style: Imperial Stout

Brewery: Big Bear Brewing Co   website

Country: USA

Region: Coral Springs, Florida

ABV: ??%     

Big and bold, rich, dark and roasty with a hint of smokiness. Balanced by a slight malt and toffee sweetness with a smooth and creamy mouth feel from the nitrogen tap.  

Terrapin Wake n' Bake

 #9 Coffee Stout Mocha Float

Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Paired with: Wake n’ Bake

Style: Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Brewery: Terrapin Brewing Company   website

Country: USA

Region: Athens, GA

ABV: 8.1%  

Black as night, this Stout is thick, rich and full of real coffee flavor. Brewed with flaked oats, flaked barley and balanced with Chinook and Northern Brewer hops.

Terrapin Wake n' Bake Ice Cream Float

Swamp Head Catherine's Passion

#10 Warm Chocolate Beignets

Cocoa and red velvet devils food doughnut with salted caramel dipping sauce.

Paired with: Catherine’s Passion

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Brewery: Swamp Head Brewery   website

Country: USA

Region: Gainesville, Florida

ABV: 9.75%  

Big flavored, dark ale infused with organic cocoa nibs and Fare Trade coffee with a noticeable (9.75 abv) alcohol presence.

The last Chocolate Beignets

My eyes started to swirl

My Feet Felt Different!

Widmer Brothers’ Reserve Brrr

 #11 Fresh Grilled Lamb Sausage

Spiced with rosemary and sage and served with savory minted anjou pear and beer reduction compote.

Paired with: Brothers’ Reserve Brrr

Style: Winter Warmer

Brewery: Widmer Brewing Company   website

Country: USA

Region: Portland, Oregon

ABV: 9.4%

Aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. Soft oak flavor transitions to a sweet, slightly dry finish with hints of vanilla and caramel.

Widmer Brothers' Reserve Brrr

 Inside the 3^rd Base Dugout

Left Hand Polestar Pilsner

 #12 Chef Carlino’s Lobster Mac and Cheese

Made with sharp aged cheddar fresh chervil and green parsley.

Paired with: Polestar Pilsner

Style: Pilsner

Brewery: Left Hand Brewery   website

Country: USA

Region: Longmont, Colorado

ABV: 5.5%

Light, crisp, elegant pilsner. Brewed with American hops yet delivering a true European Pilsner flavor.

Left Hand Polestar Pilsner

Cigar City Jai Alai White Oak aged IPA

 #13 La Caja China

Marinated, roasted whole pig with “Rincon Heat” gourmet hot sauce.

Paired with: Jai Alai White Oak Aged IPA

Style: India Pale Ale

Brewery: Cigar City Brewing    website

Country: USA

Region: Tampa, Florida

ABV: 7.5%  

Amber colored American IPA brewed with six varieties of the freshest northwestern hops with notes of macaroon, vanilla and dill.

Blue Point Rastafa Rye Ale

 #14 Florida Gator Wontons

Marinated Gator tail with sweet and spicy Florida citrus (Beer Infused) dipping sauce.

Paired with: Rastafa

Style: Rye Ale

Brewery: Blue Point Brewing Company    website

Country: USA

Region: Patchogue, NY

ABV: 7.5%  

A hearty, deep copper ale with just the right amount of rye flavor to offset the spicy, floral characteristics of the hops.

 Behind 3^rd Base

Brooklyn Local One

 

 #15 Green Tea Cured Salmon

Served with longan berries, basil and yuzu jelly.

Paired with: Local One

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery   website

Country: USA

Region: Brooklyn, New York

ABV: 9.0%  

Golden colored ale brewed with raw sugar, as well as German malt and hops. Re-fermented in the bottle with a dusting of Belgian yeast producing complex aroma and flavors.

Florida Swamp Ape IPA

#16 Florida Seafood Paella

Florida grouper, crab, spicy chorizo (sausage) and fresh cilantro in saffron rice.

Paired with: Swamp Ape IPA

Style: Double IPA

Brewery: Florida Beer Company   website

Country: USA

Region: Melbourne, Florida

ABV:10.0 %

Intense beast of a beer with potent aroma and bite! 10 percent alcohol IPA brewed with five distinct varieties of hops.

Florida Swamp Ape IPA

 My 3 Favorite Beer & Food Pairing of the night were:

(not including the 2 dessert pairings which were both awesome!!!!)

Wild Pheasant and White Bean Chili with Helios Ale

Wood Fired Flatbread with Lectio Divina

Grilled Kobe Beef Slider with Monk in the Trunk

My 3 Favorite Beers of the Night were:

(this was difficult as there were many great tasting beers at this event)

Swamp Head Catherine’s Passion

Cigar City Jai Alai White Oak Aged IPA

Saint Somewhere Lectio Divina 

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Join Us on a Bon Beer Voyage Beercation!

www.BonBeer.com 

A Great Time at the Field of Beers

ABV: 7.5%

Style: Rye Beer

Trivia: According to the Blue Point website, “RastafaRye Ale is a hearty rye malt blended with fresh west coast hops, resulting in a delicious, deep copper ale with just the right amount of rye flavor to offset the spicy, floral characteristics of hops. A portion of RastafaRye sales will be donated to TOCO (They Often Cry Outreach) to help underprivileged children around the world.” I’m all about drinking for charity.

Random: I’ve never had a Rye Beer before. I’ve had a few that use rye, but none that actually are termed a rye beer.

This brew poured with a one finger white head that dissipated relatively quickly and left mild lacing on the glass. On the nose, I got some fresh hops and a hint of spice. There was lots of visible carbonation on the orange clear body. On the taste, the carbonation definitely comes out to play. It’s prickly on the tongue and followed by lots of hops on the taste with a hint of spice. I’m thinking that maybe this is due to the rye. I still can’t get over how damn carbonated this beer is. The finish is really long and hoppy. The alcohol wasn’t even noticeable. I enjoyed the beer and would have this again. Thanks Steph and Ryan!

The newest beer I tried out for The Heap’s Beer Corner is Hoptical Illusion, an India Pale Ale (IPA) by Blue Point Brewing Company out of Long Island, New York.

This beer was chosen because I wanted to try out a different IPA, since I do enjoy that style of beer. As usual, poured at fridge temperature into my official beer tasting mug!

Pouring: A smooth pour, a slight hoppy smell emerges, small foam head forms once contents are completely poured

Smell: Slight hoppy smell noted, but actually seems to dissipate. The normal aroma of beer, nothing special.

Sounds: A foamy head forms, and you can hear it if you put your ear to it. Beer sounded normally active for a beer that forms a head.

Sights: A white foamy head of 1cm forms, and dissipates away as you drink. Color is a light amber, and beer is translucent. Also appears active, as you can see a lot of bubbles emerging to the top!

Taste: Was quite noticeably bitter at first taste. Decently smooth, but lacking the slight creamy texture of other favored IPAs. Left an undesirable aftertaste.

Overall: This beer did not offer the greatest experience… I was looking forward to trying this one since I do like IPAs, but it was just a bit too bitter for me. Probably the first beer in a long time that I struggled to finish. I did not enjoy it at all, but I will make it a point to give Blue Point another chance when I go to restock in the next few weeks. Would not buy again.

4.5 / 10 Bags

ABV: 5.3%

Style: American Amber / Red Lager

Trivia: This beer won gold at the 2006 World Beer Cup.

Random: I’m watching Steel Magnolias and I love Dolly Parton more and more.

This beer poured with a one finger white head that left moderate lacing on the glass. The body was a clear golden brown color with visible carbonation. On the nose, there was a hint of sweetness/malt but not much else. On the first sip, there is some smooth butteriness to it, and then a bit of nuttiness. There is also some carbonation on the taste. The finish lingers for a bit. The thickness of the beer is perfect. It’s an easy sessionable beer. There’s nothing remarkable about it, but it goes down easy and has a nice bit of flavor to it. I would have this again.

Wednesday, August 25 – Sierra Nevada Extravaganza, Blind Tiger Ale House, Manhattan: It’s that time of year again!  Sierra Nevada will be taking over the taps at the Blind Tiger Ale House for their yearly extravaganza.  Last years event was phenomenal with all of Sierra Nevada’s fantastic regulars and more than a handful of rarely released and specialty brews.  This is a brewery event you won’t want to miss at a beer bar that always puts on a great time.

Wednesday, August 25 – Blue Point Night, Standings, Manhattan: East Village Craft Brew hotspot Standings will be featuring four lines of Long Island’s favorite brewery:  Blue Point Brewing Co., out of Patchogue, New York.  They haven’t released the names of the brews that will be pouring but we imagine it’ll be somewhere along the lines of the Toasted Lager, Blueberry, Hoptical and maybe something mysterious.  Or the Summer Ale.

Thursday, August 26 – Allagash Night, Barcade, Brooklyn: It has been faaar too long since the Beer Friends have made it out  to this Brooklyn brewhouse/arcade.  It has been one of our favorite bars for beer events and Pac-man and an Allagash event seems like a perfect reason to head back.  So come on out to Barcade in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and join us in sharing some of Allagash’s traditional and experimental Belgian-Style Brews.  I’m looking forward to grabbing an Allagash Black and maybe a Curieux.

Saturday, September 4- Pony Bar Express, (leaving from) The Pony Bar, Manhattan: I know that Sept. 4th is not part of the week of 8/22…however this is something you need to do a.s.a.p.  The Pony Bar is featuring another installment of their Pony Bar Express tours, this one up to Ithaca, NY for the Ithaca Beer Co.’s Beer Festival.  Let’s talk about this event for a moment before you run out and by tickets:  The Pony Bar rents out a chartered coach bus, taps a few (last time it was 4 – this time is a longer drive so…6?) kegs for the ride up and heads out to whatever brewery in the tri (quad?) state area is having a beer festival.  This one is sure to be as spectacular as all the previous combined.  Over 40 breweries will head to Ithaca, a quiet, college city nestled against Cayuga, one of the many gorgeous finger lakes.  We’re not sure how many tickets remain but you have to order from the friendly bartenders.  So head in and have a pint and buy yourself a ticket.  However, in order to get a spot on this trip, you gotta act quickly.  As in now.  Run!

The Pony Bar @ 45th and 10th Ave (NW Corner)

The Beer Friends, although we miss Colorado already, are very happy to be back among the concrete mountains of NYC and the crisp craft beer rivers flowing from its many beer bars.  We hope to see you out at these events this week and the many more to come.  Keep checking in every Monday/Tuesday for more weekly brew events here in the world’s greatest city.

It was a delicious Raspberry Iced Coffee with skim milk (not too much of it, just how I like it!  I hate when you can’t tell whether they just gave you a lot of skim milk or really cream)

Don’t you love the super-cute coozie?  These are PERFECT for the warmer weather, since it keeps the cup from “sweating” all over the place!

OK, I’m not one to brag about my cooking skills very often, but I must say…this dinner was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!

I bought some whole wheat pizza dough at the store over the weekend and planned on making some pizza during the week.  Since it was SO nice out today, I was really in the mood to use the grill.  So…pizza + grill…why not?

First, I started by chopping up some veggies to roast in the oven.  Peppers, onions, halved cherry tomatoes, and broccoli.  Mixed with a little EVOO, S & P, and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Then I split the dough into 2 to make “his” and “hers” pizzas.

Before putting anything on them, the dough went onto the grill (medium-high heat) for about 3 minutes; just enough time to get one side a little crispy.

Once, off the grill, it was time for the fun stuff!

I started by brushing the grilled side of the dough with a little bit of garlic oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder.  Then I topped that with some diced tomatoes + Italian seasoning and a little grated Romano cheese.

Then it was time to separate the “guys” from the “gals”.  Cubed chicken for him, chopped fresh spinach for her.

After a little sprinkle of some part-skim mozzarella, it was time to add the veggies!  I took most of the broccoli & tomatoes, while he got most of the peppers & onions.

With another sprinkling of some mozzarella cheese & some dried basil, these puppies were ready to head back to the grill!

The excited chef!

After only about 5-6 minutes, these babies were ready to go!

His + Hers

We both started with half of our pizzas…

And definitely went back for seconds.  We obviously had no problem dominating this stuff!

The crust on this was amazing.  Chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside.

Along with dinner, we both enjoyed a nice adult beverage to celebrate an end to our work week.  I first tried this beer a couple weeks ago and instantly fell IN LOVE with it!  My friends Eileen & Dan had brought it over a while back (January!), and I just ended up trying it last month.  I assumed, since they live about an hour away, that they bought it near them and I wouldn’t be able to find it.  WELL, wasn’t I psyched when Eileen told me she bought it at a store just down the road from MY house!?!

The Blue Point Brewing Company brews a number of beers in addition to this Blueberry Ale.  I’m almost positive there will be another one (or two) of these consumed this evening!  Our friends Joe & Kate are coming over tonight to visit, and it’s always a fun time with those two!

**Don’t forget, tonight is your LAST chance to enter the Saratoga Peanut Butter Company giveaway!  Click here to go to the post and leave a comment on the one you’d most like to try!

I’ll post the winners tomorrow morning!  Good Luck!