Beery Yuletide Greetings!!

Yuletide greetings, happy holidays and a merry Christmas to all!  

I'm finally home from the sea for a little while and have stocked up the beer cellar (aka the garage!) with some fine offerings which I will be talking about soon enough.  I also got a Christmas beers box from Best Of British Beer which I will review shortly.

However, now that I am home the one thing I have been longing to do is cook with beer, more accurately, BAKE with beer :-)

I found a fun little recipe that used Coor's Blue Moon as a cup cake ingredient and thought I'd give it a go...

Recipe inspired by Miss Make here

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup Blue Moon beer

1/4 cup milk

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat into the mixture.
3. Mix the Blue Moon beer and milk in a cup and add to the bowl, beating to mix.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, then slowly add to the mixture, folding in so as not to knock the air out of it.
5. Finally add the vanilla and fold in.
6. Fill paper cake cases 2/3 full and bake in the oven at 200°C for 18 minutes until they are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I iced half of my batch with lemon buttercream icing and left the other half plain as there are fussy people in my house J

I found that the beer added an interesting texture to the mix, making it a bit more chewy.

Try it out and let me know what you thought.

Repositioning Round-Up 3: The Finale

Well, we are finally coming to the end of our travels from the West to the East coast through the Panama Canal.  I tried beers in each country we stopped at and here are the last ones:

Costa Rica: Imperial – Ceveceria Costa Rica

Light gold with a creamy white head and an acidic citrus taste.  Not bad in the heat but your usual adjunct lager :-)

Costa Rica: Pilzen – Ceveceria Costa Rica

Light gold and acidic like Imperial but with a more malty body – I liked this one much better!

Columbia: Aguila – Ceveceria Bavaria S.A.

Gold with a fuzzy white head the aroma of this brew reminded me of Heineken.  Aguila has a good body with a balance of hops and malt but seems a bit oily.  Not bad for an adjunct lager though.

Puerto Rico: Magna Premium Lager – Cevecera de Puerto Rico

Clear light gold with a low head with a slightly limey aroma with a background of grain.  This is a lager with a very good body and a balance taste of grain, malt and some sweetness.

St. Thomas US Virgin Islands: Banks Premium Caribbean Lager – Banks (Barbados) Breweries

This lager was interesting – light amber in colour with a fizzy head and very carbonated it has an acidic lime aroma.  It had a very acidic taste also with a lime and grain background, interesting but odd as well!

And now we are on the East coast!  And Christmas is coming too… stay tuned!

Repositioning Round-up 2: San Francisco & Mexico

Let’s continue with my repositioning adventures.  After Oregon we ventured to San Francisco where my beer tasting continued.  I was fortunate enough to try the Anchor Steam beer, which holds the copy right for this name as it is the last beer produced by the original steam method.  I also got to try one of Speakeasy Ale & Lager’s offerings – the Big Daddy IPA.  Next we moved down away from America and into Mexico.  I’d asked my twitter friends for some recommendations for Mexican beers and was not disappointed by Modelo Negra which I think will be my go to Mexican beer from now on.  Let’s check out the tasting notes:

San Francisco Anchor Steam Beer

This beer had a beautiful amber colouring and a low head.  With a grainy, lightly citrus aroma this brew was quite satisfying with my burger.  I enjoyed the bitter beginning leading to a maltiness that filled the mouth.

Big Daddy IPA – Speakeasy Ale & Lager

Gold with a lingering white head this offering had a good balance of bitter grapefruit sweetness and nettle linger – my favourite combination in an IPA.

Modelo Negra - Modelo

This was recommended to me by Beerinalia on Twitter when I asked which beers I should try in Mexico and the Caribbean.  I’m really glad I took his advice!  Darm amber in colour with a quick;y dissipating fuzzy white head this beer had a rich malty sweet aroma with some underlying fruitiness.  I found the malty taste very refreshing with it’s sweet linger.

Victoria – Modelo

This was a recommendation by my server in Huatulco, Marco.  It is light amber with little to no head and a pine aroma.  Victoria has a good body with a grainy taste and only a little bitterness which was very refreshing in the heat.

Pacifico Clara – Modelo

Pale gold with no head to speak of this lager was not too bad despite the fact that I am not a fan of lagers in general.  It has a sharp lime aroma and a crisp grainy taste but I found it a little on the alkaline side for my tastes.

Bohemia Dark – Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma

I have had the regular Bohemia before but had not found the dark version until my current season in Mexico.  I enjoyed it a lot more than the regular version, once again confirming my love of darker beers!  Nut brown with a low head this offering has a slightly astringent flavour with some roastiness.  The flavour begins mild but then becomes more roasted like a stout.  I found it more refreshing and watery than a regular stout though.

We are almost through the Panama Canal in my beer adventures so stick around to hear more soon!  

Repositioning Round-Up: Fort George Brewery, Astoria, Oregon

I think I have mentioned that I currently work on cruise ships.  This gives me the opportunity to travel while doing a job I love, and also to try lots of different beers from different places.  Repositioning is a particularly exciting time for this.  Repositioning is when a cruise ship moves from one area to another and changes its itinerary.  Usually this is in April/May and September/October time as we move from winter to summer and vise versa.  My ship repositioned from Alaska to the Caribbean which gave us the chance to visit some new places that we would only go to once.  The first port of call was Astoria, Oregon.  I did some research before we got there and made a bee-line to the Fort George Brewery.  I was not disappointed!

The brewery has a large variety of beers on offer and you can try all of them in their tasting sampler that is very reasonable priced.  At the time of year I visited there were several fresh-hopped beers that were interesting to try.  The staff are very knowledgeable and there is an extensive “Beer Book” that tells you about all of their regular brews indepth so you can make an informed choice. 

I really enjoyed the décor of the brewery and that the regular sized drinks were served in mason jars!  I had the sampler of all 11 beers and their wasabi ginger ale as a palette cleanser.  There is definitely something for everyone at Fort George as my tasting notes will show you:

1811 Bicentennial Lager

Brewed for Astoria’s Bicentennial in 2011 this lager has a depth of flavour that surprised me.  It has an aroma of lime and citrus fruits, has a good body and a combination of slight bitterness next to a slight malt background that I really liked.  But Lite this is not!

Quick Wit

This wheat beer uses elderflower, coriander and lemongrass giving it a gorgeous fruity taste.  It smells like marmalade and I found it very smooth, only a touch floral at the end.

Divinity

This fruit beer was an instant fave with me.  Light amber in colour with a slight beery hue and a fuzzy head it smells of juicy berries with a creamy background.  The taste is summer fruits bursting in your mouth.  Absolutly divine for sure!

Nut Red Ale

Reddy brown with a light tan head, this amber ale had a sweet, malty aroma.  It has a strong malt taste with an underlying nuttiness leading to a subtle sweetness.  I like my amber ales a bit stronger, but it was still good.

Vortex IPA

Not bad as IPAs go, bright clear amber with a fuzzy white head and a hoppy, sweet grapefruit nose.  It is not too bitter, being smooth to start leading to a pleasing maltiness and ending with a nettle/grapefruit sweetness.  Tame compared to some of the Alaskan IPAs I’ve tried.

Working Girl Porter

Dark brown with red highlights and a lingering tan head this porter was a bit too much like a shot of espresso for me.  It has a strong coffee aroma and a smooth espresso taste with a chocolate aftertaste.  Needed to be a bit sweeter for my tastes.

Cavatica Stout

This one is for the people that like their ABV’s high.  Dark brown/black in colour with a tan head, there isn’t a lot going on aroma wise, only a very mild maltiness.  I got a strong alcoholic taste from this with fruit cake and malt in the background.  It was too strong for me but I am sure a more seasoned stout drinker would love its complexities.

Fresh Hop Vortex IPA

Now we get into the seasonal beers, beginning with our first fresh hop variety.  This is the same as their Vortex IPA but made with fresh hops – what a difference.  Fresh is not the word!! What is fresher than fresh?  Nettle and grapefruit on the nose this beer hits you with nettle and grapefruit in the taste then a freshness that I cannot describe.  I liked this so much more than the regular IPA because of the freshness.

Hopstoria

Another fresh hop brew, this time bringing a more organic flavour to the table.  Hopstoria is a clear bright gold with a quickly dissipating head.  It has an organic fragrance that almost reminded me of cannibis.  This organic quality continues in the flavour giving it a chlorophyll and nettle taste.  I wasn’t a fan, it made me think I was chewing on a leaf.

Co-Hoperative 2012

Another fresh hopped beer, this one uses hops gathered from all the growers in Astoria so is slightly different every year.  For me, this was an instant favourite.  A slightly cloudy amber with a light head, this years offering has an aroma that is a combination of sweetness, malt and hops.  It has a well balanced malty sweetness that lingers on the tongue, very satisfying!

Fresh Hop OPA (Oatmeal Pale Ale)

The last beer on the list and another fresh hopped one.  The regular version of the OPA was out when I visited but it was on the Draft Magazine top 25 beers of 2012.  This beer is gold with a fuzzy white head and has an aroma that is a combination of hops and buttered popcorn.  It begins bitter in taste leading to a buttery creamy finish that I think must come from the oatmeal.  It wasn’t a favourite of mine but I did find the mouthfeel very interesting and kept going back to it to sip it and feel it out.  An interesting use of specialty grains for sure.

I loved Fort George Brewery and really hope that I get to visit Astoria again some day so I can try some more of their delicious brews. 

Canadian Beer Round-Up

While in Victoria this season, as with Alaska, I tried a lot of different beers.  Here we are going to focus on three Canadian breweries with brews that I particularly liked:

Phillips Brewery

Along with Service 1904 which I talked about last post I tried several beers from Phillips Brewery.  Blue Buck is what seems to be their stock beer – a pale ale with a bitter, biscuit flavour.  Analogue 78 is a Kölsch style beer with a creaminess to it that I also found in the Service 1904.  It was wheaty with a buttery aroma overlapping a freshness that was quite pleasant.  I think I have made it quite clear in previous posts that I enjoy a good raspberry wheat and the offering of this style from Phillips is very tart with a raspberry beginning.  I enjoyed the wheat aftertaste but wished this brew had more body.  I found the selection from Phillips Brewery to be quite satisfying and diverse.

Cannery Brewing Co

I have a friend who currently lives in Vancouver (which we will return to shortly) but studied in Victoria.  One day she picked us up from the ship and we went to her friend’s house for a bbq and some beers.  I picked up Cannery Brewing Co’s taster pack (in cans, no less) and really enjoyed it.  For a start I think a mixed six pack, three each of a style, is an awesome idea.  I know Boston Brewing Co also does mixed sixes, this idea needs to come over the pond for sure!  In my taster pack was their IPA, their Nut Brown Ale and the Anarchist Amber.  Of the three the Nut Brown was my favourite – brown with a tan head, a sweet, malty aroma that continues into the flavour with a good balance of nuttiness also.  The Amber came a close second being bitter to begin followed by a malt sweetness and a caramel finish.  The IPA wasn’t quite fruity enough for me, leaning more to the malty side of the IPA spectrum, but was still drinkable.  These guys are also pretty active on twitter so if you try their offerings, let them know, they like the feedback.

Steamworks Brewing Co

Back to Vancouver then, where we stopped just once and my friend came to visit again.  This time we had lunch at Steamworks Brewing Co which has a good selection on offer.  I tried the Frambozen (obviously) first, and this has become an instant favourite.  It is bright red in colour with a low pink tinged head and smells strongly of raspberry sweetness with a sour background.  The taste is pure raspberry with a bitter aftertaste that balances the sweet beautifully.  Secondly I tried their Ipanema White wheat ale which was also very tasty.  This is a very aromatic brew smelling of orange and spice, but unlike some of this style these are not overpowering in the taste which sometimes puts me off.  Slightly floral and spicy but balanced with a creaminess I enjoyed this brew almost as much as the Franbozen.

Before I sign off for this post I should also mention Lighthouse Brewing Co and Vancouver Island Brewing, who I also had some interesting offerings from.  If you are every in Canada, there is so much to choose from you will definitely find something that suits your taste buds!

Irish Times, Victoria, BC, Canada

It has been crazy busy around here lately, hence the lack of posts.  Here's a new one from Canada, then we'll soon get onto the beers I tried while my ship was repositioning - keep your eyes peeled!!

Irish Times is an Irish themed pub in Victoria.  It has a wide selection of draft beers from Canada and the local breweries and also from Ireland.  I tried the Taste Of Ireland sampler while I was there and here are my results:

Harp Lager

Pale yellow with a low head this lager smells very solventy with a hint of citrus and apples.  It has a very crisp taste with a hoppy background.

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale

Orange amber with a creamy white head this ale has a sweet, solventy aroma with some maltiness in the background.  It is very smooth on the pallet; malty with a touch of sweetness and a creamy aftertaste.  As with most cream ales I found it a bit lacking in flavour, but the creaminess was definitely there.

Smithwicks

This Irish red lives up to it’s name being a red amber in colour with a low head.  It’s aroma has a malty depth with a sweet background.  It is bitter to begin followed by a malty body.  I enjoyed this combination.

Guinness Irish Stout

If you are trying Irish beers then obviously you have to include Guinness!  Almost black with red highlights and a good creamy tan head, Guinness has a roasty burnt quality to it that is very pleasing.  I enjoyed the creamy, almost coffee background to the taste.  I think I have only ever had Guinness out of a bottle or can before so the draft version was much more satisfying to the tastebuds!

I also tried Caffrey’s Irish Ale (bitter with a smooth, sweet creaminess) and a Scottish Ale brewed just for this pub called Service 1904 by Phillips Brewery, which is local to Victoria.  I was very surprised by Service 1904.  It is billed as a Stone Fired Ale so I expected it to have a smoky quality.  Quite to the contrary it was fruity with a creamy sweetness and a full mouth feel.  I’m quite sad that I am no longer in Victoria to enjoy more of it!

Next post I will give a quick Canadian beer round-up, then on to my repositioning beer adventures, which are long overdue reporting!

Swan's Brewpub, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Unfortunately my time in Alaska has come to an end.  My ship is now repositioning to the Caribbean… not sure how much good craft beer I am going to find there!  But for now I will continue to tell you about my last few stops just outside of Alaska – did I mention my run took me to Canada as well?

Our stop in Canada took us to Victoria in British Columbia.  Here we discovered a brewpub called Swan’s that was the home to beer brewed at Buckerfields Brewery.  We went back here a couple of times so we could try the whole selection!  Conveniently you could choose flights in four or six glasses or try each beer in taster size individually…. I got flights of six almost every time !

Here are my tasting notes from Swan’s:

Old Towne Lager

Pale, watery gold in colour with not much head to speak of, this lager is solventy with a maltiness that gives it body.  Not my favourite from here but a pretty good lager overall

Pandora Pale Ale

Warm gold with a low head this brew has a sweet aroma with a malty base.  It has a sweet taste with a very subtle fruitiness overwhelmed by a malt finish.

Extra IPA

Orange gold with a low white head, this IPA has a good combination of hops, nettle and grapefruit on the nose.  It starts of bitter with a nettle taste that lingers followed by subtle fruit in the background.

Buckerfield’s ESB

This Extra Special Bitter is amber with a quickly dissipating head.  It has a malty aroma with an underlying sweetness.  To taste it begins bitter with a sweet maltiness lingering on the tongue.  A very good example of this style in my opinion.

Appleton Brown Ale

Brown with a low head, this ale smells smoky and malty almost with a coffee background.  This tastes like a watery stout with a combination of grain, malt and roastiness. 

Berry Ale

This is a more subtle fruit beer, being amber with a red tinge and a low head.  It strongly smells of berries and tastes bitter to begin with a raspberry shot then a lingering grainy taste left behind.

Honey Lager

This brew tastes like an IPA with a sweet background.  Golden straw in colour with minimal head is has a hoppy, lightly sweet aroma.  Bitter to begin with a background taste of sweetness from the honey this lager finishes with light nettle and hoppiness.

Arctic Ale

Gold straw in colour with a low head there is minimal aroma to this brew, possibly slightly malty.  The taste was also minimal to me, a touch grainy and biscuity.  I like my beers a little stronger than this but my Bud Lite drinking friend adored it.

Coconut Porter

Not being a fan of coconut, I didn’t think I was going to like this one but along with the berry ale and ESB it is actually one of my favourites.  Dark brown but red in the light with a low tan head this brew has a strong coconut aroma accompanied by a light roastiness.  In tasting it is smooth and creamy with slight coconut and a good amount of roasty aftertaste.

Riley’s Scotch Ale

For a high alcohol content ale I found this surprisingly easy to drink and very smooth.  Brown with red highlights and a low head this scotch ale has a dark, fruit cake aroma.  It is oily in the mouth but not in a bad way and is fruity and grainy.

Oatmeal Stout

Black with red highlights and a low almost nonexistent head, this stout had a good burnt aroma with a background sweetness.  As with the Scotch Ale it was very smooth tasting of coffee with a lingering sweet, burnt aftertaste.

Phew!  That was a good run of beers there!  I have a couple more installment from my times in Alaska/Canada, next we will look at some more commercial beers and then the beers I like from Canada… then we will move on to new pastures!