Tag Archives: Food Republic

Five Great Barley Wines

Posted on February 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Photo: Flickr/meisenberg13

In these dark, frigid depths of winter, piney IPAs just don’t cut it. Neither do prickly pilsners or even an inky stout. When the mercury dips low and the heater is cranked high, there’s one style of beer that’s guaranteed to stoke your stomach furnace: barley wine.

Consider this a most delicious oxymoron. The British-born barley wine contains no grapes. In fact, the beer style has nothing in common with Chardonnay or Merlot — save for an alcohol percentage that often tops double digits. Perhaps that explains why the thick, sometimes fruity, sometimes hoppy, always strong ale has become one of wintertime’s signature belly-warming brews, providing the liquid courage to shovel out the driveway yet again.

Broadly speaking, barley wines are broken down into several camps. British barley wines, like J.W. Lees & Co.’s Vintage Harvest Ale, are typically less brawny and more rounded. On the flip side, American brewers have a heavy hand with bitterness and booze. Case in point: Great Divide Brewing’s Old Ruffian packs more than 85 international bittering units (IBUs) and 10 percent ABV, while Rogue Ales’ XS Old Crustacean boasts more than 100 IBUs and an 11.5 percent ABV. Drink two, and it’s good night for you.

Here are five of our favorite barley wines for surviving winter’s chill. Continue reading →

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Welcome to the Year of the Craft-Beer Tall Boy

Posted on February 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Now you can try that with a 16-ounce craft beer! Photo: Flickr/ALittaM

In my early, drunken twenties, not long after I shook my cost-driven affection for forty-ouncers of malt liquor, I fell under the sway of a tall boy. Well, perhaps I should say tall boys, because there’s no way I could glug just one 16-ounce can of beer.

Unlike the standard 12-ounce can, the tall boy has serious heft. It feels substantial, an honest pint for an honest price. But as my tastes morphed over the years, from mass-produced watery lagers to bitter IPAs and roasty stouts, I left the tall boy in my rearview mirror. You see, tall boys were the territory of Bud and Coors. Craft beer held no quarter in tall aluminum cylinders.

In recent years though, craft breweries have begun reclaiming the can, which keeps beer fresher by sealing it off from destructive light and oxygen. First came the 12-ounce vessels, which are now populated by Brooklyn Brewery, New Belgium and Oskar Blues, whose hoppy Dale’s Pale Ale trailblazed the crush-it-against-your-head category. Now comes the next step in the metal revolution: Craft beer in 16-ounces cans.

Be still my beating heart. This year, 16-ouncers stuffed with sublime craft brews are poised to take the mainstream leap. The next big thing in beer is, well, big beers. Here are five of our favorite tall boys to try. Continue reading →

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Craft Beer for the Super Bowl

Posted on January 26, 2012 | Leave a comment


Following Sunday evening’s missed field goals, dropped touchdown catches and muffed punts, the slottings are set for a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and New York Giants — a.k.a., the Super Bowl where no one outside the Northeast will give a damn.

But no matter! Though Eli vs. Tom, Take II may lack the history-setting precedent of the first meeting, wherein David Tyree’s once-in-a-lifetime helmet catch helped take down the undefeated GQ QB, the Super Bowl remains an excellent opportunity to get blotto on a Sunday night and gorge on nachos and wings. Instead of relying on the standby suds on February 5, why not cram your coolers with beers that represent each team’s region? Here are six beers you’ll happily glug between the commercial breaks.

Following Sunday evening’s missed field goals, dropped touchdown catches and muffed punts, the slottings are set for a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and New York Giants — a.k.a., the Super Bowl where no one outside the Northeast will give a damn.

But no matter! Though Eli vs. Tom, Take II may lack the history-setting precedent of the first meeting, wherein David Tyree’s once-in-a-lifetime helmet catch helped take down the undefeated GQ QB, the Super Bowl remains an excellent opportunity to get blotto on a Sunday night and gorge on nachos and wings. Instead of relying on the standby suds on February 5, why not cram your coolers with beers that represent each team’s region? Here are six beers you’ll happily glug between the commercial breaks. Continue reading →

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Sorry, Tagine. It’s Lobster Time

Posted on December 11, 2011 | 1 Comment

Spider crabs, by way of Morocco. Photo: Jenene Chesbrough

Perhaps I would’ve had a different opinion of Moroccan cuisine if the first thing I ate upon landing in Marrakesh were not a spongy mass of lamb mammary.

That flan-colored, disturbingly luscious flesh sent my stomach roiling, leaving my appetite on rocky seas. Over the ensuing days, I barely touched my steaming tagine stuffed with sardine meatballs, or the spicy merguez sausages that were greasier than a teen’s complexion. Typically, I would’ve found some measure of culinary pleasure within this distant-land sustenance, but the sights and smells of Moroccan fare set off intestinal alarms: Do not eat.

As the days passed, my wife noticed my distress. “You’re not eating,” she said. “What’s wrong?” I explained to her my distaste with Moroccan food. I never quite cottoned to the reliance upon turmeric, pillowy piles of couscous or the dubious pleasures of cinnamon-sprinkled pigeon pie.

“I have an idea,” she said. “Let’s go to Oualidia.” Located on the Atlantic coast, Oualidia is a tiny fishing town known for its oysters, crabs, clams and other aquatic delights. Each morning, sun-browned, forehead-creased men alight into the salty, wave-smacked waters, returning with the day’s catch. Much of this fare does not make it to market. That’s because when the fishermen return, they sell their watery wares on the beach. Clams are bisected before your eyes, while fish is filleted and spindly spider crabs are cooked on sand-encased charcoal grills. It’s impossibly fresh food: alive one moment, in your belly the next.

After checking into our hotel room, my wife and I made haste to the beach with our friends Bati and Emily, with whom we were traveling. We’d been driving all day and were ravenous. We spread out our beach blankets and planted an umbrella in the sand. Within minutes, a shoeless chef approached us with his menu of the day. Continue reading →

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A Wish List for the Craft Beer Industry

Posted on December 1, 2011 | Leave a comment


By all accounts, it’s a charmed time to be a craft beer drinker. There are more than 1,700 breweries in America, with more than 700 in the planning stages. Pint by pint, brewers are forging a new identity for American beer, creating suds that are respected— and lauded — on an international stage.

But still, I want more. Forget the socks, sweaters and new toaster: This holiday season, I’d be happier than a clam in its shell if some of these wishes came true. Hanukkah Harry, are you listening? Check out Food Republic for my 1o picks.

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The South Is Rising—at the Bar

Posted on November 23, 2011 | Leave a comment

Meet the crew from Louisiana’s Bayou Teche, who are rewriting the Southern template for beer.

As a city, New Orleans excels in the culinary arena. It makes the marvelously meaty, olive-strewn muffaletta sandwich. Crusty po’boys packed with fried oysters and shrimp are tasty to the last crumb. The absinthe-haunted Sazerac cocktail exemplifies potent balance. But beer, well, that’s barely an afterthought.

In New Orleans, beer has long been consumed by the Big Gulp, with quantity mattering more than quality. Miller High Life and its watery ilk are as omnipresent as beads come Mardi Gras. Down in the Crescent City, it seems like nary a shot has been fired in the craft beer revolution.

At least that’s what I thought until I arrived at the Avenue Pub last week. Ostensibly, I was in town for a family reunion (it’s a long story how three dozen New York–bred Jews ended up in the Big Easy). While there, I thought, I might as well add a stop to my Brewed Awakening book tour. But where to go? I doubted anyone on Bourbon Street, home to three-for-one Buds and Hurricanes as sweet as Halloween candy, gave a damn about a book on craft beer.

“Go to Avenue Pub,” offered my friend Joel, a longtime NOLA resident. In the last couple years, I learned, Avenue Pub seriously upgraded its tap lines, offering dozens of drafts focused on of-the-moment American and European ales and lagers. Sure, it’s terrific to carry Sierra Nevada and Stone. But upon arriving at the Avenue (located off the St. Charles Avenue street-car line), I was more struck by the breadth and scope of novel locally brewed beer. From Mississippi, Lazy Magnolia made a marvelous stout hewn with sweet potatoes, as well as an ale dosed with pecans. Louisiana’s Bayou Teche turned out beers suited to the Southern palate. And right in town, NOLA Brewing crafted the pungent Hopitoulas IPA, which could stand toe-to-toe with anything from the West Coast.

I spent the evening sampling brews from below the Mason-Dixon Line, finding a delightfully idiosyncratic craft beer culture on the rise. Curious about which Southern beers are worth seeking out next time you make it down to New Orleans? Check out the rest of my story at Food Republic.

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A Tribute to the White Castle Slider

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 1 Comment

Hello, my favorite drunk food. Photo: Flickr/soupstance

*Note: This story first appeared on Food Republic. Check out the original!

The first time I ate a White Castle hamburger I was wildly stoned, the kind of brain-fried high you only get when you’re 17 and sitting in a friend’s car, listening to Built To Spill and cruising around the suburbs with no destination in mind.

At a stoplight, my friend Tim turned around and stared at the red-eyed quartet crowded into his backseat. He drove the sort of massive, maroon-hued American auto that late-’70s pimps favored, meaning that four could commandeer the rear and still have wiggle room. “You guys need to eat,” he said. “You need White Castle.”

We pulled into a parking lot and entered the dumpy, fortress-shaped White Castle, which recalled the dingy home of a once-regal king exiled to the suburbs and forced to work for minimum wage. At the time, I toiled for minimum wage, manning the deep fryer for Burger King. My bank account hovered in the low three digits, meaning I could make the rare splurge on dirt weed, the occasional CD, a late-night meal of Waffle House hash browns and, indeed, fast food.

“Everything is so…cheap,” I mumbled, mesmerized by the fluorescent lights and signs touting burgers for less than 50 cents. With the five-dollar bill in my wallet, I could eat like royalty—the king of White Castle. “Seven sliders,” I ordered, then watched the bored, grease-sheened cooks work their magic. Continue reading →

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Have You Ever Had Fried Pizza?

Posted on October 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mmm…pizza partly fried in oil.

If you follow the logic of the state fair, there’s not a single foodstuff that can’t be improved by a dip in a deep fryer. Snickers, Twinkies, Oreos, Coke, even batter-coated butter —a couple minutes in gurgling, scalding oil create a calorie bomb that’s one part oddity, one part oh-I-shouldn’t indulgence and all intestinal distress.

One bite of crisp, oozing butter, and you’ll glean an important lesson from this parable: Just because you own a deep fryer doesn’t mean you should use it.

Luckily, no one told that to Giulio Adriani, the madcap pizzaiolo behind Brooklyn’s Forcella. It’s one of the new-model pizzerias sweeping New York, complete with a wood-burning oven, ingredients and even a chef imported from Italy. But what separates Forcella from the doughy pack is a singular, stomach-expanding, deep-fried delight dubbed the montanara.

Curious how the fried pizza is made? Check out my full article at Food Republic.

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Get to Know Your Hops: Amarillo

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

Amarillo hops, ahoy! Photo: Flickr/Scott Mioduszewski

The story of Amarillo hops starts with serendipity. One day, the farmers at Washington’s Virgil Gamache Farms discovered a wild hop variety growing on the land.

“We thought, that’s a different looking hop plant,” Darren Gamache told Edible Seattle. “And so, we smelled the cones and we thought a beer should taste like this. The rest is history.”

The strange hop variety possessed a spicy, semi-sweet character, with a super-citrusy aroma verging on oranges. It recalled the quintessential American hop, Cascade (the reason you love Sierra Nevada Pale Ale), but only more so. Cascades on steroids, if you may. Sensing a winner, Gamache helped the family business patent this proprietary strain, which was dubbed Amarillo and is exclusively grown at Virgil Gamache Farms.

Amarillo’s aromatic star shines brightest in wheat-driven ales, pale ales and IPAs. Any questions? Good—class dismissed. Now try Amarillo in one of these five excellent American beers.

Curious about which beers use this singular hop? Check out my five picks over at Food Republic.

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Five Great Places to Eat and Drink in Denver

Posted on October 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Denver Beer Co. I ate a burrito here and drank a dizzying barely wine. Before 11 a.m.

For decades, Denver was a staunch steak-and-potatoes town. Plates were stacked with beef as high as the Rocky Mountains looming in the distance. But in recent years, the Mile High City has rewritten its culinary script. First came the craft breweries, filling tap lines with tasty, locally made ales and lagers.

Now, the dining scene is evolving too, with marvelous Mexican restaurants mixing with madcap eateries that think nothing of substituting pad Thai noodles with pig ears. Curious about my top five picks? Check out my full story at Food Republic!

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Great American Beer Festival Recap

Posted on October 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sadly, my hat will never get me drunk. Photo: Jason E. Kaplan

Not since that misguided night in college when I decided to double-fist 40-ouncers of Phat Boy, a thankfully discontinued malt liquor made with ginseng, has my liver felt so swollen and abused.

I’ve just returned from four days at Denver’s 30th annual Great American Beer Festival, a massive celebration of fermentation that attracts brew fans as fervid as religious devotees flocking to Mecca. And for good reason. Each year, hundreds of breweries from all corners of the country descend upon the Mile High City en masse, toting thousands of different beers. Some are good. Some are bad. But with each brew served by the one-ounce pour, you have ample opportunity to try any and every beer.

Consider it drunkenness by a thousand tiny cups.

Of course, sampling every beer is foolhardy, especially this year. Scattered across the floor of the sprawling Colorado Convention Center were more than 460 breweries, which doled out some 2,400 dark stouts, sour ales, bitter IPAs and carbonated oddities so curious, so strange, I wasn’t sure whether to dump them out or greedily ask for another glass. Freetail Brewing, I’m looking at you and your green and cloudy Spirulina Wit.

As far as trends to spot, brewers are still riding high on IPAs, with a swell of black-tinted takes on the style — I particularly liked the Blacktop IPA, from New Glarus Brewing, as well as Bear Republic’s Black Racer. Barrel aging continues to sweep the industry (I swooned over Foothills Brewing’s Bourbon Barrel Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout and the wood-flavored treats from Florida’s Cigar City), but what’s got me most excited is the surge of sour ales.

Increasing ranks of brewers are deploying wild yeasts and bacteria with a dedication that would impress a microbiologist. Breweries to keep an eye on include Captain Lawrence, Cambridge Brewing, Upland, Brugge Brasserie and Illinois’ Desthil brewpub, which wowed the crowd with its wild creations.

Though it’s impossible to highlight all my favorite ales and lagers—and my many, many skull-blasting hangovers—a few ales and lagers stood out from the sudsy, crowded field.

Which ones did I like best? Check out my full story at Food Republic.

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Papa’s Tomato Pie Flips Things in Trenton

Posted on October 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

Nick Azzaro, the dough mastermind behind Papa’s Tomato Pies.

On a hot summer afternoon, my friends and I drove to Trenton, New Jersey, to dine on a singular, upside-down delight: a tomato pie.

The typical pizza pie, beloved by generations of Americans, follows a standard construction pattern. Stretched dough is topped with herb-laden tomato sauce, then anointed with cheese and baked till gooey and crisp. Not so the tomato pie, the regional pride of Trenton. To create the cherished pizza, ripe tomatoes are simply crushed, not turned into a zingy sauce. A paper-thin crust is topped with olive oil and a smattering of mozzarella and then the chunky tomatoes. A drizzle of olive oil finishes the pie, which is cooked till it’s as crunchy as a Saltine cracker.

My favorite tomato pie can be found at Papa’s, a nearly century-old Trenton stalwart. Curious how the pizza, err, tomato pie tastes? Check out the full story at Food Republic.

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