Cheers to Cheese and Beer

There is a time and a place for a stick of string cheese and an ice cold Rainier, a handful of Colby Jack shreds and a PBR, some queso and a longneck Corona.  Cheese and beer have an inevitable union.  Pairing the products of two businesses within a block of each other, forty lucky locals were treated to a palate journey unlike any other at Cheers to Cheese and Beer.  Puyallup River Brewing's ales along with My Cheese Shoppe's treats made this an event to remember.  A few unplanned surprises even made their way to our table.  Put down your squeezy cheese folks and check out these fancy duos.



Pariing 1:  Paradise Blonde Saison with Coastal Chili Lime Cheddar.
Not a big Saison fan, I was interested to see how the cheese would help make this beer drinkable for me.  The subtle heat from this grainy cheddar complimented the coriander and lemon zest essence in the beer. As the beer came to room temperature, I even enjoyed it by itself.

Pairing 2:  Cucumber Lemon Saison with Lemon Stilton.
A small ball of lemon cheese sat on my plate.  A quick first taste revealed a sweet flavor, almost like that of a lemon flavored cream cheese blend.  Spread on a water cracker, the cheese was tasty.  This Saison was a quirky little devil.  While it wasn't my favorite sip of the night, I could see how using this as a base for a homemade Shandy would be unique.

Pairing 3:  Fryingpan Cascadian Red Ale with Huntsman
We first taste food with our eyes, and then with our memories.  A childhood full of blue cheese, which now might be considered child abuse, had me wincing at sight of the blue Stilton layered Huntsman.  I took an adventure bite of the cheddar side, which still hit me with too much blue.  One of our crew, on the other hand, finished off his own Huntsman, as well as mine, and even took home a slice.  The beer was a malt bomb with just a tad of bitter.  Best of both worlds.

Pairing 4:  Point Success Porter with Comte
This raw cow's milk creation caught my eye from the beginning.  A rectangle of aged cheese goodness was begging for a nibble.  Flavorful yet mild, it was well enjoyed alone or with a dried apricot.  Paired with this Porter, it had to have been one of my favorite duos of the night.  This cheese gently brought out the chocolate notes in the Porter without overpowering it.  A match made in beer cheese heaven.

Pairing 5:  Electron IPA with Double Gloucaster
Finally, an IPA for this patient hophead.  I made my way through two Saisons without complaint, but really could only think about getting some hops in my mouth.  This IPA delivered the right amount of bitter bite to work with the cheese.  A one made with full fat milk, the Double Gloucaster made an indulgently nutty appearance. 

Notable Special Somethings
As promised, Eric from Puyallup River Brewing said there there wouldn't be any shortage of tasty surprises.  The first was a baguette with goat cheese and lavender honey.  A unanimous favorite at our table, the honey gently glazed the mild goat cheese to give it just a touch of sweetness.  There wasn't a scrap left of this little treasure.  Our final beer of the night was a snifter of Meeker Street Madness, PRB's Barleywine.  That style of beer is a bit finicky, both for the drinker and the brewer.  Too hoppy, too sweet, or too much alcohol burn tends to be the result.  When it is done right, the beer knocks one out of the park.  In my opinion, PRB hit a homer!

Final Thoughts
Everybody's palate is unique.  One man's trash is another man's treasure.  Each attendee was able to find at least a few combinations that pleased their taste buds.  That's what is so great about beer.  And cheese.  So many choices.  So many opportunities for new discoveries.  Who would have thought that I would like a Comte...let alone a Saison?

 

www.puyallupriverbrewing.com                www.mycheeseshoppe.com

WABF: A Father's Day Tradition

                                                                                                 This time of year we are reminded of traditions.  Whether it is a graduation ceremony, an annual family trip, or even that favorite BBQ the first weekend of summer, everyone cherishes and looks forward to traditions.  A few years back, I started a new Father's Day tradition with my dad.  In lieu of me making the trip south, he would pick me up and we would make the trek out to the Washington Brewers Festival at Marymoor Park (http://www.washingtonbeer.com/wa-brewers-fest/).  Besides being an excuse to drink beer and hang out with me all day, my dad looks forward to testing his palette with new to him beer styles.  Of course, he has me to thank for that well seasoned palette that no longer can stand the taste of that yellow fizzy stuff.  I make a point of hitting the fest a day early to do my civic duty and volunteer.  Immediately following, I do my daughterly duty and check out the beers that are must haves for Dad.  These were our favorites after an afternoon of tasting.

Reuben's Brews American Rye  (reubensbrews.com)

Lighter in color than I expected, this Rye Ale was nice and citrusy.  Dad loved how easy drinking this 5.2% beer was.  In fact, I think he might have snuck another token taste when I wasn't looking!

Skookum Brewery's Breakfast of Crows (www.skookumbrewing.com)

This Oatmeal Stout was aged on Bourbon chips and let's just say that all 7.5% ABV was delish.  While Dad was super intrigued with the logo (he is a wood carving artist by hobby), he was also captivated by the smoothness of the beer.  The Bourbon back on this creamy stout had me at hello.         

Seapine Brewing Company's La Fantasma (seapinebrewing.com)

Described as an extra hopped Blonde, this Seapine ale automatically sold me on their brewery.  While chatting with Dad, I looked up their location and already scouted out my first visit.  With an IPA and two other Pales in their repertoire, you can bet that this might become one of my favorite places.

Kulshan Brewing Company's Bastard Kat IPA (www.kulshanbrewery.com)

A new brewery in Bellingham, WA that won a medal for it's IPA, I knew I had to try it.  Dad, following my lead, really enjoyed this 70 IBU hoppy number.  Watching with pride as he finished the sample before I did, I caught a glimpse of a Bellingham Beer Week poster.  Guess where I will be in late September?

Two Beers Brewing Company's Simple Shandy (www.twobeersbrewery.com)

A recent research of the Shandy for a soon to be published EC Kraus article (blog.eckraus.com) led me directly to Two Beers.  Traditionally a lager and citrus soda mix, their Shandy was made of an American Wheat and homemade lemonade.  The result was a thirst quenching light beer mix that would appease everyone on a hot summer day.                                                   

Keeping It Classy: Four Loko Style

What better way to spend the last Friday of the school year than conducting a Four Loko tasting?  Luckily, I have some super classy friends that were down for the task.  After shamelessly filling up my shopping basket with every Four Loko flavor available, I headed over to get the party started.

Watermelon Flavor
Bright pink liquid met our lips as we all winced at the first taste.  Hoping for a Jolly Rancher flavor, we were met with what one willing participant described as "an intense watermelony attack on my tongue."  With the essence of cheap wine, we took a few more daring tastes before we poured the rest down the drain.  The only food that go well with this flavor would be a couple day old gas station corn dogs.

Fruit Punch Flavor
The aroma and taste of this beauty felt like Punchy came right out and smacked us with a pitcher of Hawaiian Punch.  Much better than the first flavor, yet still a bit too hot pink and crackish for our taste, we gave this one the ole college try.  The fruitiness would be enhanced with some cold fish sticks and a package of uncooked shrimp ramen.

Loko Uva
As if a melted Otter Pop made its way into my glass, this purple Loko was unlike the others.  While I really wanted to like this one, Alexander the Grape is my favorite Otter Pop you know, I just couldn't.  Pungent from sip to swallow, it was unanimous that the only pairing worthy would be that of chipped beef gravy on stale toast.

Margarita Flavor
This was Four Loko's last chance to convince us.  Our bellies warm with malt liquor already, it was hard to tell if this flavor was good, or just the best of the worst.  Either way, it was a bit refreshing to not automatically gag.  The ultimate pairing?  Squeezy cheese and a cheap bag of chips.  Class it up even more with some finely chopped jalapenos.

drinkfour.com

Pedaling For Pints: Cycle Saloon Seattle

Convincing a dozen or so of my friends to meet me in Seattle and hop on a huge bike to pedal around Ballard from brewery to brewery was hardly a task in itself.  In fact, what better way was there to spend a sunny near summer afternoon in the Emerald City?  Once we figured out exactly where we needed to be, we saddled up right across the street from George and the Dragon Pub.  Red Solo cups and beer cans quickly filled the drink holders.  See, if you read the fine print, you can actually drink and pedal.  The key?  Obtain a Washington State Banquet Liquor License for a mere $10 fee.  With beverages in hand, we began our trek to the first brewery.

Populuxe Brewing
www.populuxebrewing.com
As we pulled up to our first stop a bit winded (though I have to admit I did score one of those non-pedaling seats), we piled in to taste what Populuxe was brewing.  CDAs and IPAs with a few Porters mixed in made their way into our hands while we went outside for a spot in the sunshine.  The aromas coming from the El Sabroso (www.elsabrosodeseattle.com) filled the air while teams of four tossed around some bags in a game of Cornhole.  One pint down the hatch and we were back on the bike.  Turns out, when you are first one on the bike, you can score one of those elusive seats without pedals.  Lucky me.  Off we went to the next establishment.

Peddler Brewing Co.
www.peddlerbrewing.com
An aptly named place to stop while being a peddler on the Cycle Saloon, we arrived to see a packed bar.  After what seemed to be quite a bit of time in this popular watering hole, we scored some beers of the Tangerine Wheat and IPA variety.  Good thing the garage doors were up so that we could enjoy that fresh afternoon breeze.  With beers waiting for us on the bike, we finished up quickly to go explore some more.

NW Peaks Brewery

www.nwpeaksbrewery.com
A last minute suggestion from a bossy beer rider (me, of course) landed us at this quaint neighborhood nano.  Samplers for all were enjoyed while basking at a sunshine laden picnic table.  My favorite was the Ingalls Ginger.  Refreshing and light, this 4.75% pale quenched my thirst after that last pedal.  Turns out, when people hear you yell "Mush!" and can't remember you ever pedaling, they get a bit testy.  So, I did my peddling part which obviously made me a bit thirsty for beer.  Checking to make sure we had time for one more stop, I once again convinced the driver to head to an unplanned location.


Maritime Pacific Brewing Company
maritimebrewery.com
I have a love hate relationship with Maritime Pacific.  I absolutely love their brews: from a vintage Jolly Roger to a crisp cold Imperial Pale,  Don't let me forget to mention their famous beer battered bacon.  That being said, the hate part of this bipolar union is when I have to leave.  Or is it that I hate that I can't remember leaving?  Either way, I was excited to share this place with my peeps.  Yes, I just said peeps.  Don't judge.  Somehow, a pitcher of Jolly Roger made its way to the outdoor urban beer garden.  While others opted for samplers, and some even made them to the table, the consensus was clear.  Beer from here was delish.

Cycle Saloon Seattle: where beer lovers and bike enthusiasts alike can imbibe, ride, and explore.  Oh, and don't fret.  Single seats are available for reservations too.  Check them out online at www.thecyclesaloon.com. 

Ales vs. Lagers: Battle of the Brews

I made an interesting discovery on my most recent trip to Canada.  Turns out, I think I might be growing a bit fond of some craft lagers.  Now, I know that the word lager might make you cringe.  You think yellow fizzy bland water.  But nowadays, craft breweries are testing out lager styles to set them apart from everyone else.  After I twisted the arm of one of my most respected beer palettes (Dan O'Leary of DUO Brewing), a nearly formal beer battle was on deck. 

Battle #1

American Porter (ale) vs. Baltic Porter (lager)
This last minute match up became our first battle of the evening.  After pouring all three into pints, we noticed right away that the Black Boss Porter was substantially lighter than the other two.  While it was tasty, it definitely didn't come across as a porter to me.  So the match up truly came between Baltika 6 and Schooner Exact's Profanity Hill Porter (www.schoonerexact.com).  The Baltic Porter from Russia seemed thin yet mildly buttery, which while true to style, didn't seem to match the thickness I expected from its dark hue.  Profanity Hill had a thick raisiny texture which prompted us to finish the pint.  
Winner: Ale

Battle #2
India Pale Ale vs. India Pale Lager
Lord of the Hops IPA and Hoparazzi IPL, both from Parallel 49 Brewing Company (parallel49brewing.com), went head to head in this match up.  While I was at Parallel last month, I tried both of these hoppy treasures.  Whether it was the sunny afternoon or the five kilometer walk it took to get to the brewery, something about the IPL seemed a bit more favorable than the IPA.  This time around, in a side by side comparison, Lord of the Hops was malty and thick.  The unfiltered pint was quite pleasingly bitter, as you would expect from the name.  Hoparazzi poured clear and crisp, as to be expected by a lager.  Adequate bitterness with a clean finish, the IPL seemed to be the perfect combination of taste and refreshment. 
Winner: Lager

Battle #3

Cascadian Dark Ale vs. Cascadian Dark Lager
Another Canadian beer battle courtesy of my recent imports.  This time Black Hops CDL from Parallel 49 met up with Cloak and Dagger CDA from Granville Island Brewing (gib.ca).  What I love about this multi named style (Black IPA, India Black Ale, or CDA) is how the dark roasty malts pair with a side of hoppy bitterness.  These two did not disappoint.  The CDL had the roast and bitterness with a clean crisp finish.  The CDA had a lingering hoppiness that I loved.  After finishing off the bottles, it was clear that they were both well loved.  In fact, Dan and I kept going back and forth naming the winner, having a hard time picking just one. 
Winner: Tie

With today's craft beer options, our advancing palettes are quite spoiled.  The difference between one really good beer and another really good beer is simply preference.  Whether it be lagers or ales, porters or stouts, get out and try some new styles.  Chances are, you just might be surprised at how much you enjoy your new discovery.