Red, White and Brew

Let’s start with something somewhat easy:

What is a “stout” beer? A stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water & yeast.  Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest beers, typically 7 or 8%.  There are all kinds of different stouts - dry, Irish, Imperial, Milk, Oatmeal, Chocolate, Oyster, Coffee, etc.

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast: Brewed in Norway.  Oatmeal and coffee may not be the most balanced breakfast, but in the beer world, this is balance to the extreme. A wonderful blend of an oatmeal and coffee stout, this is a great beer to have any morning! Incredibly rich and full bodied, but still amazingly balanced.

Malts used — pale, oat, smoked, caramunich, brown, pale chocolate and chocolate.

Domestic Equivalent: Have you ever tried Founder’s Breakfast Stout from Michigan?

Price: $10.99 for 1 pint 9 ounces

Availability: We have approx 10 bottles on the shelf

Discount: Print this newsletter, get 10% off each bottle you buy!

Ratings: A- from Beer Advocate 100 pts from ratebeer

1 container (16 oz) Sour Cream

3 ounces Bacon pieces – crushed up

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

½ tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with crackers or veggies.

½ package fresh cranberries, 6 ounces

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup dry white wine

3 large ripe tomatoes, or 1 ¼ pounds plum tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 loaf Italian or sourdough bread

¾ cup fresh goat cheese (optional)

Note: If possible, make this the day before and refrigerate overnight. It mellows significantly.

Place the cranberries, sugar & wine in a nonreactive saucepan, & bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and let the berries cook for 8 minutes or until they are just soft, not mushy. Drain them well & let them cool.

Meanwhile, peel, seed and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Place them in a bowl, add the salt, and pepper them generously. Mix in the cranberries and the parsley.

Cut the bread into 16 to 20 thin slices. Toast them lightly (use grill if available), and top them with the cranberry and tomato mixture. Garnish with a small spoonful of goat cheese and additional parsley, if desired. Serves 8 to 10 people.

ALMOND BRIE SPREAD

Serve this creamy three-ingredient spread with

fresh fruit, crackers, or French bread

2 – 4 1/2oz. rounds Brie cheese

2 – Tablespoons cream sherry or milk

3 – tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Use a vegetable peeler or small paring knife to cut the thin white covering from chilled cheese. Place cheese in a mixer bowl; let stand at room temperature about 1 hour or until softened. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add sherry or milk. Beat till light and smooth. Chop 2 tablespoons of the almonds; stir into cheese mixture.

Serve the spread immediately or cover and chill overnight or till serving time. If chilled, let the spread stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with remaining toasted almonds. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.

1 cup Wesson oil

4 eggs

¼ cup vodka

¼ cup Kahlua

¾ cup water

Mix above ingredients together, then add ingredients below

And beat for 4 minutes:

I box yellow cake mix

½ cup sugar

1.6oz. box instant chocolate pudding

Pour into oiled bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool and remove from pan. Poke holes in cake (put in lots of holes almost to bottom). Pour glaze over cake. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cooled.

Glaze: ½ cup powdered sugar ¼ cup Kahlua

This fantastic brew is an intricate dark ale with a touch of smokiness.  The rich malt flavor, crisp bitterness and smoke reach perfect equilibrium in this brew.  At 7.5% abv, Fireside Ale will warm you right up on those cold winter nights!

Mirrabooka is the name that the Australian Aborigines give to the Southern Cross constellation, which has served as a celestial navigation guide in the Southern Hemisphere for centuries.  According to the myth, Mirrabooka was an ancestral being immortalized in the night sky to watch over his tribe and protect all humanity.  The Southern Cross is featured on the Mirrabooka label.

The Mirrabooka wines are crafted in the style that Australians love to drink.  They are fresh, vibrant wines with a strong sense of place and an emphasis on elegance.  The best part is that they are also modestly priced so you can enjoy them every day.

The Unwooded Chardonnay is an aromatic, crisp dry white wine that makes a perfect aperitif or accompaniment to seafood and poultry dishes as well as salads.

The Shiraz is a deeply colored, intensely flavored wine with a terrific balance of fruit and spice characters, making it an ideal accompaniment to grilled and barbequed meats.

People love beer.   But it has come to our attention that many of you feel a bit intimidated by the Import section of Red, White & Brew.  The average beer drinker feels very comfortable checking out the Domestic section: the IPA’s, the Brown Ales, the Stouts & Porters — but those same people may feel a little unsure about the Import section.  Do you know what a “stick beer” is?  Are you familiar with a Geuze?  Do you know how many Trappist beers are available in NJ?  If this is something you would like to learn more about, e-mail us at Stacey@redwhitebrew.net .  We’re going to start sending out one Beer Newsletter every week in an attempt to educate “Joe Average Beer Drinker” and turn him into a Superstar!  We’ll get information from Importers and Brewers themselves.  We’ll give you descriptions of what you should be tasting in each beer and will even give you recipes to make to serve with your new beers.  Yes, beer is quickly becoming acceptable at the dinner table along with the wine!  Be ahead of the game & get your BEER on!

This past Holiday season we noticed a huge surge in sales of Recession Buster Wines.  Yes, we sold our fair share of wines over $20 a bottle but the majority of you are still feeling the bite of the recession and choose your wines carefully.  In fact, we’d venture to say that the majority of you are buying more wine — but you are buying value wines; wines that are good quality AND priced right.  Good for you for having such discriminating taste!  Terra Andina wines from Chile are just those wines.  Both are under $10 and both are exceptional.  In fact, the Carmenere was probably one of our biggest sellers this Holiday season.

Dark and deep red with violet hues, Terra Andina Carmenere is a tasty blend of black currant, blackberry, grilled red pepper and black pepper.  With a very varietal character, this wine shows balance with volume and soft but present tannins and a pleasant after taste.  Pair this bad boy with braised and roasted meats, BBQ, hamburgers and mushrooms.

The Terra Andina Chardonnay is juicy and fresh with pineapple and citrus notes and a silky smooth texture.  Serve it with chicken, shellfish or pastas with a light cream sauce.

We often get asked about the different sizes of wine and Champagne bottles.  Here’s a little handy guide:

750 ml (regular sized bottle) ~ Standard

1.5 liter ~ Magnum

3 liter ~ Jeroboam

6 liter ~ Methuselah

9 liter ~ Salmanazar

12 liter ~ Balthazar

15 liter ~ Nebuchadnezzar

What are the 3 main grapes used in Champagne?  Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier

Why do people “clink” their Champagne glasses?  This stems from Medieval times to prove the wine or Champagne was safe.  The host would take a bit from each of his guest’s glasses and drink it to prove it was good and safe!  He would then “clink” each of his guest’s glasses to make sure they all knew it was OK to drink.

What are the different types of Champagne?  Brut is the driest, and the standard.  Extra Dry is less dry than Brut.  Sec is sweet and Demi-Sec is even sweeter.

What’s the difference between Vintage and Non-Vintage?  A Vintage Champagne is made up of grapes from one certain year or crop and the year will be shown on the label.  A Non-vintage Champagne can be made up of grapes from different years.