Every game of Cards Against Humanity requires a great brew by your side. I had seen Left Hand Brewing's Milk Stout Nitro on the shelves over the last month or two and was always intrigued. Nitro seems to be the new buzz word when it comes to beer, so when my friend picked up a six-pack, I was happy to pour one for myself and see just why.

The first thing to note is the deep black color of the beer. It's like a black hole - no light escapes this elixir. Just about one finger of head formed with my pour, and the pillowy whipped cream appearance was stunning. It reminded me of the whipped topping on a cuppa, all frothy and smooth.

The smell was very strong toasted aromas. The first taste was very strong with molasses and coffee. It was a very smooth finish with a slight bitter hoppiness. As it warmed, the rich dark chocolate flavors began to come out to play. The beer started to taste like a hoppy mocha, combining my two favorite things: coffee and beer. It was carbonated with excellence; smooth and silky going down.

I'd love to get my hands on the non-nitro version and conduct a side by side. I would be very interested in the differences in overall flavor, texture and carbonation. I may just have to conduct this little experiment.

I was very happy with this beer, overall. I would recommend it to any stout lovers. The rich roasted aromas with the smooth light sweetness made it a perfect beer for a cold summer day playing cards with friends.

Did I mention that Left Hand has recipes to use this beer in on their website? How do Nitro Oreo Cupcakes sound do you? I wouldn't be surprised if these magically show up in my kitchen some time soon...

Beer: Milk Stout Nitro
Style: Sweet Stout
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co.
ABV: 6%
Served from: Bottle
Rating: 4/5 - This beer hit all the high notes.

Good news, everyone! I’ve found a way to sneak beer to work! HR will never know – and you get to enjoy your favorites right at your desk. You can even invite your coworkers to join… if you like them enough. How, you may ask? BEEF JERKY.

Yes, yes, I know. There isn’t any alcohol left after the dehydration process… But the point is you get all that great flavor AND delicious meat.

Beef jerky couldn’t be any easier. I was inspired after reading a friend’s paleo diet blog where she took on beef jerky, so I thought to myself ‘Self, why don’t we do this, too? But with beer!'

And thus it began.

I bought top sirloin that had been precut and labeled as “stir-fry beef”. I could have bought and sliced some myself, but this precut lot made my first go very slick. I picked a few rubs to try out and then headed to the liquor store to find the perfect beer for the marinade. Most recipes I found call for a marinade with liquid smoke and Worcestershire, so I decided on a bourbon aged scotch ale (why not) and a smoked Baltic porter (because hells yes).

Next, I sliced my meat into about a finger width size strips, length-wise. I lightly sprinkled one side of the meat with my chosen rub and then used a meat tenderizer to gently beat the rub into the meat. Flip over and repeat.

After all the meat had been rubbed ad massaged, I tossed them into Ziploc bags and covered them in beer. Be mindful to poor slowly! The rub does cause the beer to get quite effervescent. Make sure to use enough to coat the meat, then squeeze out as much air as you can and seal.

I let mine sit for 8 hours – overnight. In the morning, it was jerky time. Using toothpicks I hung my meat between the grates of the oven rack, which I moved to the highest setting. Put some tin foil or a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch any drippings from the jerky.

I have a gas oven that I was able to keep at 150 degrees. Make sure you don’t go hotter than 160 or you will cook your meat rather than dry it. Prop the oven door open just slightly to let moisture escape and set the timer for 6 hours. I checked mine at 4 and it was coming along great. I ended up pulling it out at 7 hours. When it comes down to the wire, check your meat at hour 6. If it is still flexible, let it cook longer. You want that classic jerky bend where the meat is slightly crackly but not crispy to the point is just snaps.

From what I have found on the Interwebs, this jerky can last two weeks when refrigerated.

Here are my flavor combos from batch one:
McCormick’s Steakhouse Rub – Surly Smoke 2012 Baltic Porter for marinade
McCormick’s Smokehouse Maple Rub – Tyranena Shaggin’ in the Woods Scotch Ale for marinade

If you make your own rubs, excellent! Try them out with different beer combos. All in all, I used about 2.5 lbs of meat bought for 10 bucks and made about 10 3oz bags of jerky. This means that those 3oz bags you see for 3-4 bucks a piece… well you just made 30 bucks worth of jerky for a ten spot. Nice work, you.

This was one experiment I am glad to report has been a hit around the office and with my very own taste buds. It’s easy, it’s healthy, and it will save you money! Now get out there and spread the good news. Craft beer makes amazing beef jerky!

Last night we had folks over for the UFC Pay-Per-View. As with any good party, we had to break out some of the great beers to go with the wild fights. Carl, being the meat magician that he is, smoked and steamed a giant brisket all day long. What goes better with a smoked meat than a good smoky beer?

The first sniffs out of the glass are heavy with smoke. You get that burning wood aroma, like being around a meat smoker. The color was a dark brown that was moderately translucent. A thin tan head capped this beer off and dissipated quickly.

I have never really found a smoked beer that I am hog-wild over. Mostly, I think they taste like liquid Slim Jim's. I found this bottle at a store on clearance and knew well enough to just buy it without asking. I was pleasantly surprised.

The first taste is filled with that woody smoke from the aroma. As it washes over the pallet, the more complex flavors begin to shine. First was that meaty jerky flavor. Next came a warm boozy wooden taste. As it warmed and I continued to drink, the nuance began to become more noticeable. The bottle claims a fig, raisin and plum taste. They weren't kidding. There was a very earthy date and fig taste with the mild sweetness of raisins, mostly on the finish.

I was happy with this beer, though it is one I only wanted a bit of and not often. I would love to see this in smaller bottles so that I didn't feel like I wasted so much of something that had such a complex tone to it, overall. It was sippable, not drinkable. Smoke was a beer I will keep an eye out for in the future. As for the rest of the bottle? It just got used to make some beef jerky. Yep, I said it. Stay tuned for that post next week. Never let a good beer go to waste.

Beer: Smoke
Style: Baltic Porter
Brewery: Surly Brewing
ABV: 9.5%
Served from: Bomber
Rating: 4.5/5

It’s just about that time of year where folks will head out to the wine stores to gather up the finest in Thanksgiving appropriate wines to share around the dinner table. This year, I’ve switched gears completely and I will be offering up a variety of craft beers to go with our turkey and taters.

Anyone who knows me knows that this is very strange for me. I used to spend hours at the store, talking to wine professionals about the planned foods and what wines would be best… And this year, I take to the internet to find out if any of the million beers. Here are a few of the articles I’ve found!

GQ has a say, apparently. They would like all the classy men out there to know the best pairings for the man trying to impress his loved ones. On this list, I've got Rogue Ales Pumpkin Patch. It's definitely a contender for my family's celebration.

Serious Eats offers a guide to Thanksgiving beer pairings as well. They even include a little bit for dessert pairings. I do have a few barley wine beers, so they may be making a showing as well!

CraftBeer.Com has a pretty great list that divides their pairing suggestions out by beer style. I have surprisingly few on this list. However, there is a beer called Ninja Vs. Unicorn. I am fairly certain I would give my left arm to try one of those out. Also, all of this talk of Cigar City Brewing... I feel like I am severely missing out. A cucumber infused beer?! REALLY? Why have I not had this?

Last but not least, WineMag has a little piece on beers. Do I trust a wine site with my beer lists? Well, they rated a beer I have as their top choice, so maybe. I sometimes think of wine people like the Sharks and the Jets. There be turf wars up in here, yo. However... I guess the basic idea of pairings is universal between the Jets and the Sharks territory. Maybe we can just street fight dance our differences out.

Well there you have it. A quick little piece on Thanksgiving beer pairings where I tell you nothing but let others do the talking for me. I hope you've got a good list going for your own celebration! What will you be bringing to the table?
 

Fitger’s Brewery has a lot of nostalgia for me. As a child, my parents frequently drove us up to Duluth, Minnesota to spend time along the north shore and Lake Superior. The wooden boardwalk that lead to the Fitger’s Brewery facility was a favorite trip. While I was too young to drink beer at that time, I do recall the candy store within the pedestrian mall that was attached to Fitger’s.

Fitger’s makes all kinds of fun styles of beers. I was privileged enough to try their anniversary Sour Cherry Mash while visiting on the way up to my brother’s wedding this fall. This review, however, is about another beer I found at the brewery. El Chupacabara.

El Chupacabara is a beer that is a Vienna lager infused with chipotle chili. In my life, I had never hear of such a thing. Naturally, this meant I had to try it. The first sip is very classic to a lager. Smooth, clean and clear. Wait for a few moments and you get an incredibly pleasing warmth throughout your throat and mouth.

It poured a goldish red color, which I attribute to the chili peppers in the brewing. There was not much head, and what head there was dissipated quickly. The nose only hinted at the chipotle taste of the beer. It smelled a bit peppery and intriguing. This beer isn’t too spicy and isn’t overwhelmed by the chipotle used in the brewing process. It was very nicely balanced.

I like the novelty of this beer. Fitger’s does not bottle their beer for retail sale. You can only get Fitger’s beers by visiting their gastropub or purchasing a growler to take home with you. I have a growler of this puppy in my fridge, which I enjoy pouring from time to time. I would never want more than one glass of El Chupacabara at once, but that warming feeling has been greatly appreciated as Minnesota winter approaches.

As a side note – This beer would be an amazing Bloody Mary chaser. As an additional side note, AutoCorrect would like to make Chupacabara into Copacabana. And this amuses me. Happy Wednesday!



Beer: El Chupacabara
Style: Vienna/Lager - Chili Beer
Brewery: Fitger's Brewery
ABV: 5.5%
Served from: Growler
Rating: 3.5/5