THE NIBBLE Gourmet News & Views
Trends, Products & Items Of Note In The World Of Specialty Foods
Read all of our content on TheNibble.com, the online magazine about specialty food.
Archive for Beer
|
May 16, 2008 at 8:52 am
· Filed under Beer, Tip Of The Day
|
| May 14th-20th is American Beer Week, so take some time to celebrate. Unlike wine, beer is meant to be drunk fresh, within 90 days of bottling. Over time, beer oxidizes; while some bottles are perfectly drinkable a year later, others are “skunky” or flat and watery. Some major brewers print “best by” dates on their labels, but foreign and craft brewers generally don’t. What can you do? Don’t stock up: Buy only what you need each month. Purchase fine beers at stores that have good turnover. E-mail your Congressional reps that all beers should be dated, just like other foods. And if there’s a code on the bottle, try to crack it—often the company’s website will provide a translation key. Read more about beer in the Premium, Craft & Microbrews section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
|
Who wouldn’t want to stock up on O’Hara’s Irish Stout (a Nibble favorite)? But keep it fresh by only buying a one-month supply at a time.
|
| |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
April 20, 2008 at 11:37 am
· Filed under Beer, Gourmet News
|
THE 2008 champion Best Large Brewery In The World. Blue Moon, based in Golden, Colorado, is owned by Coors. |
|
Beers in 91 style categories took honors yesterday at the 2008 World Beer Cup championships, held in San Diego. Every two years, a highly-qualified panel of beer professionals selects winners in what has been called “the Olympics of beer competitions,” because it awards a gold, silver and bronze in each category. A World Beer Cup gold medal allows a brewery to say that its winning beer represents the best example of that beer style in the world. Craft beer has grown enormously over the past decade. In 1996, at the first World Beer Cup, held in Vail, Colorado, 250 breweries in 20 countries entered 600 beers. This year, 644 breweries from 58 countries and 45 U.S. states vied for awards, with 2,864 beers entered. While brewers from all major continents earned awards, the U.S. won 185 of the 268 style category awards and four of the five Champion Brewery/Brewer awards. |
Judges from 21 countries worked in teams to conduct blind tasting evaluations of the beers. Of the 129 judges, professional brewers and brewing industry experts, 64% came from outside the U.S. Where is America’s award-winning craft beer coming from? California (35 medals), Colorado (22), Oregon (16), Illinois (9), New York (8) and Washington (8). Entries were received from 45 of the 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico—everwhere except Alabama, New Hampshire, South Dakota, North Dakota and West Virginia.
Here are some of the top beers to look out for: The Lost Abbey beers, made by Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, California, is the 2008 Champion Brewery in the Small Brewing Category. The MidSize Brewing Company Champion is Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH of Germany, maker of Hopefner Pilsner. And the Large Brewing Company champion is Blue Moon Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which is actually owned by Coors. A detailed analysis of the entries and awards can be found at WorldBeerCup.org. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
March 3, 2008 at 11:47 am
· Filed under Beer, Trends
|
A trio of craft beers from New York State that “competed” in our Super Bowl beer tasting (New York versus New England). |
|
This Bud’s not for you, if you’re one of the millions of Americans with a finer palate for craft beer, represented by the bottles at the right—all of which are proudly brewed in our home state of New York. (Brooklyn Brewery, which has quite a few exciting brews—of which the lager shown is the everyday basic—is one of our favorites.) The craft beer market again grew by double digits in 2007, leading all other segments in the beer category. The Brewers Association reports that estimated sales by independent craft brewers were up 16% in dollars (12% percent in volume). While craft brewers’ share of the total beer category is just 5.9% of sales and 3.8% of volume, In 2007, the U.S. had 1,449 total breweries in operation, of which 1,406 comprise small, independent, and traditional craft brewers. The other 43 are industry giants— Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser, Miller), Molson Coors, Pabst (also owns Schlitz) and regional brewers like Ballantine of New Jersey, Rheingold of New York, Stroh of Michigan, Stroud of Pennsylvania and Narraganset of Rhode Island. |
| Since 2004, dollar sales by craft brewers have more than doubled: they’ve increased by 58%, according to the Brewers Association. This correlates with the trend of buying local products, plus a preference for higher-quality, more flavorful specialty foods and beers. While craft brew quaffers are very familiar with labels like Anchor Steam, Brooklyn Brewery, Goose Island, Harpoon and others carried by stores that can carry upwards of 100 craft brands, nearly 70% of craft breweries are brewpubs that make and sell most or all of their beer on-premises. Read more about beer in the Beer Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
February 4, 2008 at 8:03 am
· Filed under Beer, Entertaining, Super Bowl
|
| The 42nd Super Bowl is over, an exciting game for fans on both sides. But what about the 1st Beer Super Bowl? THE NIBBLE pitted some of the craft beers of New England versus New York a few days before the game, to see what would happen on the beer gridiron (or at least, on the coffee table). Thanks to beer editor Ryan Smith for creating this concept. We’ll be using it to watch games of many kinds going forward. So…did the beer competition parallel the pigskin? See who won the Beer Super Bowl. |
|
 Congratulations, Giants. But who won the Beer Super Bowl |
| |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
January 22, 2008 at 8:53 am
· Filed under Chocolate, Beer, Gourmet News, Events
|
Which beer would you drink with this piece of chocolate (from Knipschildt Chocolatier)? Start pairing beer and chocolate to find out. |
|
For years, beer and chocolate lovers have traveled beyond the enjoyment of a good chocolate stout, combining malty and chocolaty craft beers with fine chocolates and chocolate desserts (see the recipe for a Chocolate Stout Float—chocolate stout and chocolate ice cream). In his book, The Brewmaster’s Table, Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery, describes a luncheon of sommeliers held at the Gramercy Tavern in New York City. The dessert trio included a chocolate-caramel tart, a molten chocolate cake and a malted milkshake. Oliver paired the dessert with two beers: Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout and a Belgian raspberry lambic. No sommeliers could come up with any wine that would pair as well as either of the beers. If you live in New York City, you’ll be able to attend a chocolate and beer pairing on February 1st as Garrett Oliver and chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt chocolatier (read our review of Knipschildt chocolates), pair chocolate and beer. |
If you’re not in the neighborhood, check your local area food calendars: Beer and chocolate are hot stuff, and pairing events are happening all over the country. We’ll be attending the event and reporting back in time for you to plan your own beer and chocolate party for Valentine’s Day.If you can’t wait, where should you begin?
- Porters and Stouts. These dark beers are made from darkly-roasted barley or highly-toasted malts. With roasted, toasted and some coffee-like flavors, these beers match well with most chocolate desserts. Some are made with chocolate malts, chocolate nibs and/or actual chocolate.
- Belgian-Style Ales and German-Style Weizens. These beers have big, fruity-spicy beers aromas that complement chocolate. Weizens have subtle spicy flavors including banana and clove; Belgian-style ales have notes of apple, apricot and peach. As you can see in our chocolate flavors and aromas chart, similar tastes appear in fine chocolate, and actual fruits and spices are added to chocolate desserts, making for excellent pairings.
EVENT DETAILS: February 1 Chocolate & Beer Pairing At Whole Foods Market in NYC, with Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster and Fritz Knipschildt, chocolatier and owner of Café Chocopologie, in Norwalk, Connecticut. The event will be held at the Whole Foods Market at 95 East Houston Street (between Bowery and Chrystie Streets), 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. To register, phone 1.866.462.2838, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
December 8, 2007 at 2:14 pm
· Filed under Beer, Gourmet News
|
It’s not just America’s artisan cheeses that are bringing home the medals at international competitions: Craft beers are holding their own as well, winning a combined 30 medals at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival and the European Beer Star Competition. According to the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade and education association for American craft brewers and the community of beer enthusiasts (BeerTown.org), 18 U.S. craft breweries participated in the U.S. craft beer booth at the 2007 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival, and eight won medals:
Category: Well Hopped Lager max 5.9% ABV
Silver - Boston Lager, Boston Beer Co.
Category: Ale 4.8% to 5.9%
Gold - Harpoon IPA, Harpoon Brewery
Silver - Red Seal Ale, North Coast Brewing Company Inc.
Bronze - 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Odell Brewing Co.
Category: Porter/Stout to 5.9% ABV
Gold - Porter, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Silver - St. Bridget’s Porter, Great Divide Brewing Co. |
|
Dark ale with pheasant. Photo courtesy of Brewers Association. |
Category: Strong Beer 6.0% ABV and above
Gold - Shakespeare Stout, Rogue Ales
Category: Strong Beer 8.0% ABV and above
Gold - 90 Minute IPA, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. In a field of 575 entries from breweries in 58 countries, there were 22 U.S. craft brewery medal winners in the European Beer Star Competition—one of the industry’s most coveted awards, recognizing original and innovative beers.
Gold Medal Winners:
Brewery Ommegang: Hennepin Farmhouse Saison
Boston Beer Co: Samuel Adams Cream Stout, Samuel Adams Holiday Porter, and Samuel Adams Brown Ale
Deschutes Brewery: Obsidian Stout, Bachelor ESB, and Abyss
Harpoon Brewery: Harpoon Octoberfest and Harpoon IPA
Silver Medal Winners:
Boston Beer Co: Samuel Adams Black Lager, Samuel Adams Pale Ale, and Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig
Deschutes Brewery: Black Butte Porter
Great Divide Brewing Co: Titan IPA, and Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Left Hand Brewing Co: Milk Stout
Victory Brewing Co: Victory Prima Pils
Bronze Medal Winners:
Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co: Alaskan Smoked Porter
Boston Beer Co: Samuel Adams Boston Ale, and Samuel Adams Honey Porter
Rogue Ales: Shakespeare Stout
Victory Brewing Co: Victory Storm King Stout
Try gathering up some of these winners for your holiday parties. Dark ales and Scottish ales are delicious with turkey, pheasant and goose—don’t hesitate to serve them with your holiday dinner. Other suggestions: Belgian red cherry or raspberry beer with turkey or ham, brown ale with spiced pumpkin soup (look for Rock Bottom’s Old Elk Brown Ale), spiced ale with pumpkin pie, Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout with sweet potato pie and vanilla ice cream. For spicy dishes, try an Indian Pale Ale like Sierra Nevada’s Celebration. Visit the Beer Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine for more information about beer. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
November 28, 2007 at 5:57 pm
· Filed under Beer
|
| Got beer? According to THE NIBBLE’s beer expert, Ryan Smith, the three beers you should be cozying up to right now are Goose Island Nut Brown Ale from Chicago, Ayinger Ur-Weisse from Bavaria and Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale from California. Read the full article, including why you should change your beer with the seasons, just as you eat seasonally, in this informative and thirst-inspiring article in the Beer Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine. Even if you don’t live in an area where the seasons change much, you should still change your beers, because brewers take advantage of seasonal ingredients just like chefs. |
|
Our beer expert thinks you should beg, cajole, even take a trip to the California brewery for some of this amazing ale. |
| |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
October 15, 2007 at 10:22 am
· Filed under Beer, Gourmet News
|
| At the recently-concluded 2007 Great American Beer Festival, more than 100 judges labored for three days to evaluate 2,793 beers. (For those of you who don’t consider this labor—it truly is). An impressive 222 medals were awarded in 75 beer style categories; top breweries and brewers were then named based on the total number of medals won. Brewers covet Great American Beer Festival medals as the highest recognition of their brewing talents and beer quality. Each year brewers send their beers to Denver to be evaluated by the festival’s Professional Judge Panel which looks to select the top three beers that best represent each style. Winners can tout their awards to customers and distributors to help build their reputations and sales.Among the 75 categories, American-style India Pale Ale continued to lead with the most entries; but there was explosive growth in the Fruit and Vegetable Beer category and impressive growth in the Wood-Barrel-Aged Beer category. The new category of Gluten-Free beer, with just 8 entries, is expected to grow dramatically as brewers recognize the size of the market of beer lovers with wheat allergies. This year, California brewers took the top prizes. Firestone Walker Brewing Company of Paso Robles was chosen as best Mid-Size Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey of San Marcos, brewed by Port Brewing, the best Small Brewing Company. |
|
The Lost Abbey 10 Commandments Ale |
| It is worth visiting LostAbbey.com just to read their philosophy and contemplate the beers (“Judgment Day, “Devotion” and others). If you live in one of the 25 states into which it is legal to ship beer, you can become a Patron Saint and order a Lost Abbey sampler pack. The rest of us need to petition our state representatives to repeal legislation that protects a few beer distributors and penalizes consumer craft beer enthusiasts. For a full list of winers in each of the 75 style categories, visit Beertown.org. Read more about craft beer in THE NIBBLE’s Beer Section. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
October 5, 2007 at 4:25 pm
· Filed under Beer, Gourmet News
|
 Photo of Czechoslovakian hops vines by Dušan Gavenda | IST. |
|
What revelers at next week’s Great American Beer Festival won’t be discussing is the higher prices forthcoming on their brews of choice. While the segment grew 11% the first half of this year, the cost of materials is growing as well. As reported today in the Wall Street Journal, poor harvests, the week dollar and farmers’ shifts to more profitable crops have caused the price of hops and barley to rise—the largest ever faced by the industry. Malting barley, which gives beer its color and sweetness, is less a profitable crop than corn, in demand for biofuels like ethanol. Hops, which provide aroma and bitterness, are commanding higher prices because of poor crops in Europe (hops are also grown in America’s Pacific Northwest). At the same time, the acreage devoted to hops has decreased by half over the past dozen years because of a previous glut of hops. |
| According to the Wall Street Journal, the cost pressures could slow the expansion of American craft brewers and even put some smaller ones, who have not locked in contracts for hops and malt, out of business. Big brewers face the same cost increases, but they use far fewer hops and barley in most of their beers, which is why they are lighter in taste (and calories). A barrel of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, for example, has about twice the malt and up to five times the hops of a mass-market brew like Budweiser or Miller. As in any industry, large manufacturers have the finances to to secure long-term contracts that protect against rising costs of materials. Now, smaller brewers are trying to do the same, and some are tweaking their recipes to see what they can do without the European hops they’ve always relied on. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
October 4, 2007 at 2:10 pm
· Filed under Beer, Travel, Gourmet News
|
| The doors open on Thursday, October 11, 5:30 p.m., and until Saturday at 10 p.m. (not nonstop, of course); attendees at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival will have 1,884 beers available to sample. A total of 2,832 beers will be judged over three days by more than 100 judges. There are some new styles among this year’s 75 beer categories, including Pumpkin Beer, Other Low Strength Ale or Lager, Gluten Free Beer, American-Style Sour Ale, Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer and American-Style Imperial Stout. |
|
 |
| Attendees can sample beer by state, visit educational booth areas, attend food and beer seminars from an A-list of chefs and food experts and listen to live interviews with the rock stars of the brewing industry. New this year, the festival has gone green with the goal of recycling all possible packaging and festival programs. Craft beer has never been hotter. According to data from Information Resources Inc., supermarket sales increased a whopping 17.8% increase in 2006—more growth than any other alcohol beverage category in the supermarket channel. In the past three years, craft beer sales have grown by an astounding 31.5%. Visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com for tickets and event information. |
|
|
Permalink
|
|
