Brew Day, Batch 333: Rye Peppercorn Pale Ale

Yeah. Like this. Haven't been brewing much, owing mainly to cooperage gridlock. We've blown a few kegs, so I'ma ramp up production again....

Happy Birthday Fort Street!

Today is the sixth anniversary of the opening of Fort Street Brewery, and we will be heading down there to toast them with a bottle of Doug's Opus Amor wheat wine we've cellared since their fifth anniversary. Whoo!

Lots of new small batch beers will be released all through the week to celebrate. Check it out.

Some great events coming up!

The first annual FeBREWary- tomorrow! Feb 12.

FeBREWary at Detroit Beer Co. You can win tickets to the sold out Michigan Brewers Guild's winter fest. Read all about it......
http://www.michiganmicrobrews.com/home/2011/1/31/febrewary-on-broadway.html


Fort Street Brewery's 6th anniversary celebration- starts on Monday 14th! Some information.....
http://www.fortstreetbeer.com/fort_street_new_design_009.htm

And, Ashley's Belgian Fest at Ashley's Westland. Starts next Wednesday 16th. Read all about it....
https://sites.google.com/site/ashleysbbf/home

Remember this?

It's back. Well, in Ohio anyway. (Thanks to our friends Doug & Tracy for bringing us back a bottle!) Enjoyed immensely with a recent dinner of pan-fried calf's liver with a light sauce made from deglazing the pan with Mr Cicerone's Schwarzbier and adding a touch of pomegranate molasses. And a side of rich caramelized onions. Mmmm, good.

Nice Article in Patch.com

Here's a nice piece on Annette and Merchants Fine Wines at Patch.com.

Adventures in the Antipodes.....

(....or not.)
I had to take a quick trip back to Melbourne, Australia recently to take care of some family business, and I didn't have ANY spare time, so I didn't get to any bars, breweries or restaurants. But, the good news is that the local bottle shops had plenty of good beers to keep in the fridge at my mum's place, including a few I'd not tried before, and the local food shops offerred a plethora of fantastic fresh fare for me to cook.

The beer on the far left was a simple lager brewed with NZ Nelson Sauvignon hops, and was delicious. The Pepperjack was a beer mixed with some Shiraz grapes and made in the Barossa Valley. Little Creatures was the staple in my fridge, along with Melbourne's Mountain Goat Brewery's Steam Beer (not pictured.)

 

 

 My mum lives in a predominately Greek area, and the local shopping centre reflected this with an abundance of fish markets featuring fresh octopus and fresh sardines! Cooked simply in a little garlic and olive oil, the elusive (to Detroit, anyway) sardines were just superb (though my mum said she preferred the canned ones!). Another evening saw us feasting on giant fresh shrimp over linguine. And another on duck breast with a pomegranate and balsamic reduction sauce. And, I can't forget the freshly caught rabbit, courtesy of a friend of my mum's, braised with prunes and James Squire Porter, and accompanied with Tasmania's Cascade Stout.

My only free two hours during the whole time away saw me at Acland Cellars, an amazing bottle shop that specializes in imports that nobody else has. Check out what I found there......(and the prices!)

Alaskan Smoked Porter!!

I resisted the urge to buy the Consecration to bring back with me, but kicked myself as I was eating the duck breast......

A Fine Feast

Roast in Detroit hosted a great beer dinner this past Tuesday, featuring Stone and Jolly Pumpkin beers.

My brother Dave has the full story here.