Foodgoat found four vials of brewer's yeast in the back of the fridge that had been there for three years and was able to coax them back into viability. He was even able to use the corn syrup that I didn't know what to do with.
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Thursday, August 16, 2012
White House Beer
It's an election year, and I live in a battleground state, which means I really just want to crawl under a rock so I can stop being inundated with the overheated blah blah blah of opinion pieces, TV ads, fundraising calls, and news headlines. I've reached my saturation point of partisanship, thanks!
So the only election news I've really wanted to read was about how Obama has been bringing his home brewed White House beers with him on his Iowa campaign bus tour. Not so much about how it's an attempt to connect with those darn middle America independents, but about the BEER.
He bought a beer-making kit (with personal funds) last year, and there are three varieties (so far): White House Honey Ale, White House Honey Blonde Ale and White House Honey Porter, all with honey from Michelle Obama’s White House garden beehive. The beer has been served to White House guests at events celebrating St. Patrick's Day and the Super Bowl (the beer brewing came after the beer summit).
This may be the first time that beer has been brewed at the White House, although George Washington (who never lived at the White House) was an avid home brewer (here's his rather vague recipe).
Obviously, I don't think Obama's the one hovering over the giant pot stirring the wort down. It's the White House kitchen staff. The White House Press Secretary couldn't say exactly who the brewmaster was, saying, "I have exhausted my knowledge about this subject. (Laughter.) Usually, when somebody hands me a beer I don’t ask how it was made. I just drink it."
Foodgoat asks how it was made, and so do lots of other home brewers, so go find out, Mr. Carney! Also find out where the recipes came from, whether they had brewed before, where the other ingredients came from, what they do with the spent grain, what they are brewing now, their preferred methods of sanitizing bottles, and whether there is a stout coming up. I am a taxpayer and I want to KNOW. Please. If you have time. No hurry though.
Although, alas, Foodgoat has not brewed beer, which he was doing frequently for a time, in a while. I'm not sure why, but I'll presume it's the same reason we don't do lots of things anymore.
So the only election news I've really wanted to read was about how Obama has been bringing his home brewed White House beers with him on his Iowa campaign bus tour. Not so much about how it's an attempt to connect with those darn middle America independents, but about the BEER.
He bought a beer-making kit (with personal funds) last year, and there are three varieties (so far): White House Honey Ale, White House Honey Blonde Ale and White House Honey Porter, all with honey from Michelle Obama’s White House garden beehive. The beer has been served to White House guests at events celebrating St. Patrick's Day and the Super Bowl (the beer brewing came after the beer summit).
This may be the first time that beer has been brewed at the White House, although George Washington (who never lived at the White House) was an avid home brewer (here's his rather vague recipe).
Obviously, I don't think Obama's the one hovering over the giant pot stirring the wort down. It's the White House kitchen staff. The White House Press Secretary couldn't say exactly who the brewmaster was, saying, "I have exhausted my knowledge about this subject. (Laughter.) Usually, when somebody hands me a beer I don’t ask how it was made. I just drink it."
Foodgoat asks how it was made, and so do lots of other home brewers, so go find out, Mr. Carney! Also find out where the recipes came from, whether they had brewed before, where the other ingredients came from, what they do with the spent grain, what they are brewing now, their preferred methods of sanitizing bottles, and whether there is a stout coming up. I am a taxpayer and I want to KNOW. Please. If you have time. No hurry though.
Although, alas, Foodgoat has not brewed beer, which he was doing frequently for a time, in a while. I'm not sure why, but I'll presume it's the same reason we don't do lots of things anymore.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What is the Point of Light Beer?
The other day I was wondering ... why is there light beer?
I say this because I have had light beer maybe a handful of times in my entire life and Foodgoat never buys light beer. In my limited experience, light beer is ... almost flavorless.
That's usually bad, right?
Yet light beers account for about 38% of the total beer market share. So why do people drink light beer?
Is it for the taste? Is it for the lower calories?
Foodgoat has a theory.
First, some history ...
I thought light beer was just watered down beer, but light beer started in 1964 with a biochemist working at Rheingold Breweries, then an industry leader, who found an enzyme that prompted yeast to digest all the starch found in malt, resulting in beer with no residual carbohydrates and with less calories. Rheingold came out in 1967 with Gablinger's Diet Beer but it was a flop: the TV commercial featured a super fat guy shoveling spaghetti into his mouth and downing a Gablinger's. Apparently the beer drinking population saw the diet beer as a "sissy" drink that no "real man" drank.
All that changed when Miller bought Gablinger's, and in 1973 slapped a new label on the same beer calling it Miller Lite. More importantly, they ditched the fat guy, used ex-athletes and other macho, macho men to promote it, and came up with the "Tastes great, less filling" slogan. Instead of aiming towards people worried about their weight, the campaign targeted young men with blue-collar occupations - the typical beer drinker.
Of course, it worked. Miller Lite was a big hit, Bud Light came out in 1982, and by 1992 light beer became the biggest domestic beer in America. (Since light beer typically requires fewer and cheaper ingredients, it often has a bigger profit margin as well.)
So, why is light beer so popular?
Foodgoat doesn't think it's the low calories. It was a flop as diet beer, and while light beers tend to have lower calories than regular beer, it isn't always the case, and the difference is pretty minimal. In fact, it's a myth that dark beers are loaded with calories. The calories in beer come primarily from alcohol, so beers with less alcohol content, regardless of how dark it is, have less calories.
Foodgoat doesn't think it's the taste, either. Light beers really only taste good when they're ice cold, and one's taste buds are kind of numb.
So what is it? Foodgoat thinks light beer exists for ... binge drinking.
Light beer, by being "less filling," allows you to drink more beer than if you drank regular beer. Regular beer might make you feel full after a few drinks or so, but light beer, you can keep on chugging. So if your goal is just to drink a lot of beer, light beer would seem to be a good choice.
Since I first came across light beer at a keg on second base during a fraternity game of sloshball, I can't argue with his theory.
I say this because I have had light beer maybe a handful of times in my entire life and Foodgoat never buys light beer. In my limited experience, light beer is ... almost flavorless.
That's usually bad, right?
Yet light beers account for about 38% of the total beer market share. So why do people drink light beer?
Is it for the taste? Is it for the lower calories?
Foodgoat has a theory.
First, some history ...
I thought light beer was just watered down beer, but light beer started in 1964 with a biochemist working at Rheingold Breweries, then an industry leader, who found an enzyme that prompted yeast to digest all the starch found in malt, resulting in beer with no residual carbohydrates and with less calories. Rheingold came out in 1967 with Gablinger's Diet Beer but it was a flop: the TV commercial featured a super fat guy shoveling spaghetti into his mouth and downing a Gablinger's. Apparently the beer drinking population saw the diet beer as a "sissy" drink that no "real man" drank.
All that changed when Miller bought Gablinger's, and in 1973 slapped a new label on the same beer calling it Miller Lite. More importantly, they ditched the fat guy, used ex-athletes and other macho, macho men to promote it, and came up with the "Tastes great, less filling" slogan. Instead of aiming towards people worried about their weight, the campaign targeted young men with blue-collar occupations - the typical beer drinker.
Of course, it worked. Miller Lite was a big hit, Bud Light came out in 1982, and by 1992 light beer became the biggest domestic beer in America. (Since light beer typically requires fewer and cheaper ingredients, it often has a bigger profit margin as well.)
So, why is light beer so popular?
Foodgoat doesn't think it's the low calories. It was a flop as diet beer, and while light beers tend to have lower calories than regular beer, it isn't always the case, and the difference is pretty minimal. In fact, it's a myth that dark beers are loaded with calories. The calories in beer come primarily from alcohol, so beers with less alcohol content, regardless of how dark it is, have less calories.
Foodgoat doesn't think it's the taste, either. Light beers really only taste good when they're ice cold, and one's taste buds are kind of numb.
So what is it? Foodgoat thinks light beer exists for ... binge drinking.
Light beer, by being "less filling," allows you to drink more beer than if you drank regular beer. Regular beer might make you feel full after a few drinks or so, but light beer, you can keep on chugging. So if your goal is just to drink a lot of beer, light beer would seem to be a good choice.
Since I first came across light beer at a keg on second base during a fraternity game of sloshball, I can't argue with his theory.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Party Etiquette
In today's Dear Abby column, a parent planning a child's birthday party at a park asks if it's okay to offer beer and wine to the parents, and Abby responds:
But that's just me. And I can't imagine Foodgoat not offering some beer or wine to the grownups at any of GoatSpawn's parties. What do you think?
I actually don't see a problem with having some alcoholic beverages for the parents at a children's party. I would think most parents are responsible enough to not take the offer of a beer as an invitation to get blind stinking drunk while their kids set the park on fire or attack the geese with plastic forks."DEAR PARTY PLANNER: I see nothing positive to be gained by a group of parents drinking alcohol at a children's party. Alcohol dulls the senses, and besides, the purpose of the party is to see that the children have a good time. Rather than drinking and socializing, the parents should be concentrating on the kids, making sure they are entertained and closely supervised -- particularly in an outdoor setting that may not be familiar to everyone."
But that's just me. And I can't imagine Foodgoat not offering some beer or wine to the grownups at any of GoatSpawn's parties. What do you think?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A Not-So-Great Great Lakes Glockenspiel
The latest seasonal 4-pack to come out of Foodgoat's favorite brewery, local or otherwise, is the Great Lakes Glockenspiel, a Weizenbock, which is a strong wheat beer.Sadly, Foodgoat didn't like it.
While he likes the fact that it's 8% alcohol, as opposed to the usual 5%, it's one of their rare misses.
The problem?
Too ... German-y.
Actually, the Glockenspiel just doesn't taste like a Great Lakes beer. Not that it was bad, per se. But it lacks their signature ... something. Hand any other Greak Lakes to Foodgoat, and he could instantly taste the brand. This? Not so much.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Great Lakes Grassroots
When Foodgoat first opened a bottle of the new Great Lakes Grassroots ale, he took one sip, then handed it to me saying, "I think you'd like this." Which, I think, was an insult.Yes, it's light and mild and not too alcoholic and it does have that hint of chamomile ... okay, yes, it is kind of a girly beer. But it was refreshing and tasteful and sweet and perfect, I think, for Memorial Day weekends when it's hot outside and you're finally putting those tomato and pepper seedlings in the garden.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
What They're Drinking Out Of
Foodgoat's bottle of choice:
A purple siliskin glass bottle, filled with milk, extra warm, 4 ounces.Monday, March 23, 2009
GoatSpawn May Be Hungry
Then, on the plane ride back from California, she kept taking a swipe at the cheeseburger they served for lunch. Since it was an airplane cheeseburger, I could not imagine that she would really be compelled to eat that before anything else.
Then last week she tried to grab my bagel and cream cheese, and she stuck out her tongue.
But yesterday she tried to eat my cell phone, so I figured bagel and cheeseburger might just be flukes.
And then tonight this happened:
GoatSpawn tried to help herself (more than once I might add) to Foodgoat's beer.
It may be time to introduce GoatSpawn to other things to eat.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
BREAKING BEER NEWS!
Hello fellow beer readers,
Rarely do I get a chance to post some breaking food news, and today I have a doozy. My favorite beer company"Great Lakes" just released a new limited version- the Imperial Dortmunder and must share with you all how incredibly good it is.
A little background: and little ritual of mine is to head to the local beer store "Beverage Warehouse" and pick up something I never tried before. Normally I gravitate to the beer from England because I have found many excellent beers from GB. But this past year my beer of choice is a local brewery "Great Lakes" and I love their Dortmunder Gold- absolutely love it!
Now today, Great lakes released the Imperial Dortmunder---- I actually am the first person in my area to try it, so I feel the need to relay the experience...... It's good.... oh yeah it's good.
As you can see the color and body is quite simular to the Dort Gold (ignore the foaming head on the gold Ladygoat poured that one). Other than looking similar the taste is quite different. The Imperial is a PERFECT beer. I know that sounds crazy, but trust me readers it's perfect. Its dry hoppy and a touch of sweetness. It's so good even Ladygoat can tell how heavenly wonderful this beer is. [please forgive my crude writing style compare to Ladygoat- she is a much better writer than I- and I am feeling the effects of drinking two beers in one sitting :)]
So if you live in the Cleveland area- pick up the Imperial Dort ASAP. It is ........ Wonderful. If you never tried a Great Lakes and you love beer: head to your specially shop and try out the Dort. It gets the Foodgoat highest praise..... It's sooooooo goooooooooood.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
West Coast/North coast Beer Matchup
The Browns and the 49ers don't play until the last game of the season, but San Francisco and Cleveland recently went head-to-head in a Foodgoat Beer Battle, pitting the Anchor Liberty Ale vs. the Great Lakes Brewing Company Dortmunder Gold.The Dortmunder Gold, which Foodgoat considers the best of the Great Lakes beers and his beer of choice at the moment (especially when the Cleveland teams are playing) is a smooth lager with "more body and less hops than a Pilsner, and less malt and more hops than a Munich style lager."
Against it we tried the Anchor Liberty Ale, (first brewed in 1975 to commemorate Paul Revere's ride). Anchor describes this beer as "a heavily hopped ale (Cascade hops) with a copper color and a hoppy nose."
How would the West Coast ale hold up to the North Coast lager?
Oddly enough, they taste almost exactly the same. Foodgoat took a swig of the Liberty Ale and thought for a minute that he had the Dortmunder.
It's downright spooky. They're like long lost beer twins.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Orange You Beery?
Having finally finished the last Harry Potter book, blogging can once again proceed as previously scheduled.
Last week, Foodgoat and I had dinner at the Winking Lizard downtown, just before watching the Browns' preseason game (and the excellent debut of Great Brown Hope Brady Quinn), and discovered that not all buffalo chicken sandwiches are created equal. Some buffalo chicken sandwiches, in fact, are created quite badly.
Passing up on the beer cocktails this time, I tried the Ommegang Witte Ale. It's a nice, light, very summer-like beer, that I would drink again.
Except without the orange slice this time, thank you very much. Although I hadn't seen it before, white wheat beers are often served with a slice of orange, though this may be a marketing ploy to promote Blue Moon. In the case of the Ommegange Witte, I didn't care for the addition of orange at all, which made it taste far too citrusy. Actually, it made me feel like I drinking another beer cocktail after all.
Last week, Foodgoat and I had dinner at the Winking Lizard downtown, just before watching the Browns' preseason game (and the excellent debut of Great Brown Hope Brady Quinn), and discovered that not all buffalo chicken sandwiches are created equal. Some buffalo chicken sandwiches, in fact, are created quite badly.
Passing up on the beer cocktails this time, I tried the Ommegang Witte Ale. It's a nice, light, very summer-like beer, that I would drink again.
Except without the orange slice this time, thank you very much. Although I hadn't seen it before, white wheat beers are often served with a slice of orange, though this may be a marketing ploy to promote Blue Moon. In the case of the Ommegange Witte, I didn't care for the addition of orange at all, which made it taste far too citrusy. Actually, it made me feel like I drinking another beer cocktail after all.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Beer Cocktails
I've always thoughts that beer and cocktails were two separate and mutually exclusive things. You drink beer or you drink a cocktail (alternatively, you drink beer and then you drink a cocktail or vice versa), but a beer cocktail sounds all kinds of wrong. Is that really what they call a mixed beer drink?
That's apparently what I had at the Flannery's Pub, where Foodgoat and I dinnered before Saturday's preseason Browns game. Specifically, I drank a Snakebite, which is half hard cider, half lager beer.
It sounded nice and light and hot summer day-ish, Harp's and Longbow cider, but it seems my taste for cider, and sweet alcohol in general, has faded. The Snakebite just tasted really sweet, leaving no room for any of the other tastes and flavors that come with beer. It might have been fine if it came in a little cordial glass, along with dessert, but in Flannery's Trademark 20 oz. Imperial Pint,.. no, no, no.
According to wikipedia, a Snakebite might also refer to Guiness and cider, which might also be called a Black & Gold, which is what Foodgoat's mixed beer choice was called, but his Black & Gold was Guiness and Dortmunder Gold lager. His drink was much better than mine, not only because it tasted better, but the two beers separate out into two layers.
The Guiness, surprisingly, was the floating top layer - I thought it would be the sinking bottom layer because it looks and feels heavier, but it seems Guinness is carbonated with a lighter gas mixture of nitrogen and CO2. Who knew?
That's apparently what I had at the Flannery's Pub, where Foodgoat and I dinnered before Saturday's preseason Browns game. Specifically, I drank a Snakebite, which is half hard cider, half lager beer.
It sounded nice and light and hot summer day-ish, Harp's and Longbow cider, but it seems my taste for cider, and sweet alcohol in general, has faded. The Snakebite just tasted really sweet, leaving no room for any of the other tastes and flavors that come with beer. It might have been fine if it came in a little cordial glass, along with dessert, but in Flannery's Trademark 20 oz. Imperial Pint,.. no, no, no.
According to wikipedia, a Snakebite might also refer to Guiness and cider, which might also be called a Black & Gold, which is what Foodgoat's mixed beer choice was called, but his Black & Gold was Guiness and Dortmunder Gold lager. His drink was much better than mine, not only because it tasted better, but the two beers separate out into two layers.
The Guiness, surprisingly, was the floating top layer - I thought it would be the sinking bottom layer because it looks and feels heavier, but it seems Guinness is carbonated with a lighter gas mixture of nitrogen and CO2. Who knew?
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Only Kind of Beer that Goes Well With Chainsaws
Last weekend, after many a manly hour with a chainsaw and a pile of tree pieces, Foodgoat found himself yearning for a beer. But there was no beer to be had. In the entire house, not a single beer.
And there the story might have ended - a horror. No -- a tragedy. But then he decided to sample one of my latest acquisitions in fine gourmet beers. It was a cool, creamy brew from Goose Island Brewery in Chicago and turned out to be so refreshing, so flavorful, touched with just the right notes of vanilla and just the right amount of sweetness, that the six-pack was finished off in no time.
Sure, it was root beer. But in my book, a really fine root beer is every bit as satisfying as a really fine beer.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Beer Cheese
Beer and cheese is a combination known to us as Good, but beer cheese? Not so known. According to wikipedia, it's also known as Weisslacker, and it's a German cheese that's is now made in the U.S. too. I don't think there's beer in it - it gets its name from the practice of eating it with beer or dipping into the beer (this I did not try).
I can verify that it is a pungent and salted cheese. Not too pungent - but flavorful enough to stand on its own, making it a very good cheese to nibble on.
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Fwd: Whine Re: Beer
Foodgoat has fallen off the wagon. Wedding planning? So not fun. And my head hurts.
As if that wasn't trial and tribulation enough, there's the new Lindemans lambic flavor, Pomme or Green Apple. In a word: BLEAH. Not easy for me to say that, being a green apple fiend and Lindemans lambic fan. Their raspberry beer is so delicious! Their black current beer so delightful!! Their green apple so ... weird-tasting. I'm not sure why - it did taste like green apple, and yet it didn't taste good. Almost like it was too fresh.
You see how much I suffer?
.....................
Questions:
If WWII was an MMORPG?
Dinosaurs eat biscuits?
As if that wasn't trial and tribulation enough, there's the new Lindemans lambic flavor, Pomme or Green Apple. In a word: BLEAH. Not easy for me to say that, being a green apple fiend and Lindemans lambic fan. Their raspberry beer is so delicious! Their black current beer so delightful!! Their green apple so ... weird-tasting. I'm not sure why - it did taste like green apple, and yet it didn't taste good. Almost like it was too fresh. You see how much I suffer?
.....................
Questions:
If WWII was an MMORPG?
Dinosaurs eat biscuits?
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Beer With Me
I once played 7 1/2 innings of sloshball (5 innings of which was spent at second base), but even that was not enough for me to get over the taste of beer. But I'm older now, and I figured there must be something to it if Foodgoat is so enamoured of the stuff. So I resolved to embark on a journey of beer discovery.
Fortunately, my first opportunity came the very next day. Unfortunately, it was in the form of Miller Lite.
Miller Lite, I found, HAS NO TASTE. It's more water than beer: not a bit of flavor, and only slightly more weight. Spring water with a slice of lemon has more substance and interest to it. Orange juice is more refreshing. Sparkling wine is more fun and more intoxicating.
Is it supposed to be like that? Do you drink it when you want water, but want a buzz from it? Or is it like that so it's easier to chug?
Why, WHY, does Miller Lite exist?
Friday, November 18, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
4 more beers!
Dear me, did your tickets to today's re-coronation and inaugural luncheon get lost in the mail too? Pity. Look what we missed:
Scalloped Crab and LobsterAt least we still have the recipes.
Roasted Missouri Quail
Chestnuts
Brined Root Vegetables
Steamed Lemon Pudding
Apple Wild Cherry Compote
Windsor Vineyards, 2004 Sauvignon Blanc
Mendocino County, Private Reserve
Windsor Vineyards, 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma County, Signature Series
Korbel Natural “Special Inaugural Cuvée” Champagne
I must say though - quail? Who eats quail? Quail eggs, I've heard, are delish, but roasted quail sounds rather too delicate and timid. Wouldn't our beloved warmonger prefer steak tartare? Or a big, beefy filet mignon? Or Cheney favorite, Rocky Mountain Oysters?
Tuesday, December 7, 2004
I'll drink to that!
Sunday was the anniversay of the repeal of Prohibition!
Will someone let 24 of the states know that? Ohio only allows direct shipment of limited quantities of beer and wine if they are not available at all in the state. But Ohio's antiquated liquor policies don't stop there: though they recently chucked a 70-year ban on Sunday sale of liquor, many local communities still disallow them. And what's with only being able to buy hard liquor at state-owned and operated liquor stores? Not to mention that a state-mandated 135% markup on each bottle makes Ohio the most expensive place to buy wine.
I say let the liquor flow! L'Chaim!
Will someone let 24 of the states know that? Ohio only allows direct shipment of limited quantities of beer and wine if they are not available at all in the state. But Ohio's antiquated liquor policies don't stop there: though they recently chucked a 70-year ban on Sunday sale of liquor, many local communities still disallow them. And what's with only being able to buy hard liquor at state-owned and operated liquor stores? Not to mention that a state-mandated 135% markup on each bottle makes Ohio the most expensive place to buy wine.
I say let the liquor flow! L'Chaim!
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