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October 2008
Cask AleFest to take place this Saturday
Beer lovers rejoice! Chappys Tap Room & Grille, at 2733 West Alex-Bell Road, is slated to play host to a huge selection of cask-conditioned ales this Saturday, Nov. 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the first annual Cask AleFest.
So just what is a cask ale? AleFest Chairman and Founder Joe Waizmann writes, “my definition of Cask: Cask Ale - Also known as Real Ale in Great Britain, traditionally a draft beer that is unpasteurized and carbonated strictly via a dosage of yeast and malt at kegging. This low carbonated beer is typically served at cellar temperatures-50-55˚ by means of a hand pump or wooden faucet. Due to the absence of additional CO2, cask ales have a shelf life of 14 days untapped, and only 2-3 days maximum once tapped. The cask is the keg & traditionally was wooden, however modern casks are generally stainless steel. The cask rests on stillage, a wooden platform that accommodated the correct side serving position, and is allowed to breathe via a spile, which is inserted at the top of the cask as it rests on its side for storage & serving.”
He continues saying, “the collection of casks and keg-conditioned beers [at Chappy’s] represent the greatest ever in the state of Ohio. We are committed to increasing the selection in future years.”
Here’s what you need to know: Tickets are limited to 175 reservations. Tickets are $40 and include tastings of at least 15 cask ales as well as appetizers. It is recommended that anyone interested in attending first call Chappys at (937) 299-RIBS (7427) to determine ticket availability. The preferred method is to physically purchase and pick up tickets prior to Saturday, however, they are able to hold some tickets as will call that will be payable at the door.
Also worth noting that they will be offering pints for $5 and growlers (1/2 gallon glass jugs) for $15 for sale after 5 p.m. as cask quantities last.
For more information call (937) 299-RIBS (7427), visit chappystaproom.com or shoot an e-mail to AleFest@earthlink.net.
Here’s a photo snapped by Joe Waizmann of several of the cask ales, “in cool, tilted slumber until Saturday’s ceremonial tapping” as he so eloquently put it.
Ales on hand will include Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Spiced Ale, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale-American IPA, Heavy Seas Winter Storm ESB-Extra Special Bitter, Buckeye 76-American IPA, Ringneck/Brew Kettle 4 C’s-American Pale Ale, Two Brothers Heavy Handed India Pale Ale, Two Brothers Cane and Abel Rye & Palm Sugar Ale, Kentucky Bourbon Ale, Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza, Hoppin’ Frog BORIS Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Bell’s Best Brown Ale, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale- American IPA, Tröegs HopBack Amber Ale, New Holland Mad Hatter IPA, Keg Conditioned-Beer Engine, Weyerbacher Hops Infusion IPA and Avery Old Jubilation- English Strong Ale.
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TweetBeer pairings: Find the right beer for your meal
Pairing food with wine is a no-brainer. Most fine restaurants around the country are set up with menus and wine lists to make it work to palate-pleasing perfection, but for most serious foodies and the places they frequent, beer can be an afterthought.
Often viewed as unsophisticated, beer has for years been relegated to bar food. But if you listen to outspoken beer authorities such as Garrett Oliver, author of “The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer With Real Food” and brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewing, beer is where it’s at, thanks to the wide range of flavors and variations it can be procured in.
Recently, craft beers have been making the trek from trendy bars to top-shelf dining establishments. DeepWood restaurant in Columbus is one such place.
Colin Vent, sous chef at DeepWood, formerly at Z Cucina in Grandview, has experience with beer pairings and creating beer and wine dinner menus, experimenting with dishes to see what goes best with different beers to create an experience diners’ taste buds won’t soon forget. Bob Gera, Mid-Atlantic divisional sales manager for the Global Brewers Guild, recently worked with Vent to put on a beer dinner at DeepWood that showcased six Rogue beers from the popular Oregon craft beer brewer.
An interior view of DeepWood restaurant at 511 N. High St., in Columbus’ Short North District.
We spoke to Vent and Gera to ask some questions about beer pairing for those who are interested in experimenting at home on their own time.
Q When planning a beer dinner like those you’ve done at DeepWood, is it important for the beers or courses to be linked in some way or is it a make-it-up-as-you-go-along proposition?
Vent: I generally pick my beverage courses first, and then plan my foods to suit the beer or wine I’d chosen for each course.
I typically think of the meal as a sort of arc, starting light, clean or bright on the palate, and then ramping up the richness or intensity of flavors and textures toward the main course(s), and then easing off again through a cheese course and dessert.
Q How do you come up with your menus?
Vent: When a producer comes to us with their products and says, “Let’s do a dinner,” DeepWood chef Brian Pawlak and I will sit down and taste the beers or wines we’re going to feature, and talk.
Gera: Beer dinners are at the preparers’ discretion. Treat it like a normal dinner. Typically, you would want to start lighter and work your way up.
Q Is there a way beer should be served to best help with flavor and pairing with food?
Vent: The mega beer conglomerates who sell 90 percent of the world’s beer advocate drinking their products as cold as possible. This has misled most people into thinking all beer should be consumed ice-cold …
Ales really should be drunk a bit warmer, closer to cellar temperatures, like red wines. If the beer is too cold, it deadens the flavor and aroma. As the beer warms, those characteristics start to come out.
Gera: Blonde Ales/Wheat Ales/Lightly Hopped Lagers (light, thirst-quenching) pair well with spicy-hot foods.
Bocks/Dark Lagers/Octoberfest/Marzen (caramel, toffee) pair well with grilled meats or salted/cured meats and hot mustards.
Ales (Bitter, Pale, IPA)/German Pilsners (hop-focused, bitter) pair well with rich sauces, oil-rich/fatty foods, highly acidic sauces/condiments.
Amber Ales (malt body, hop finish) pair well with barbecue and some Mexican and Thai.
Porters/Stouts (sweet to bitter) pair well with grilled meats, heavy sauces, oysters and desserts.
Lambics (dry, tart, acidic) pair well with seafood, poultry, cream sauces and desserts.
Q Is there a way to substitute beers for wines if you’re throwing a party using both? We’ve heard ales can sub as red wines and lagers as whites.
Vent: While there’s no hard and fast rule for swapping a beer for a wine, those aren’t bad guidelines.
The problem is that ales and lagers are each huge categories with a hundred different beer styles contained in them. It’s important to keep in mind that no beer is going to taste like a Pinot Blanc, or a Merlot, or a Bordeaux. Instead realize that there are beers that share certain characteristics; British beers often have an earthiness due to the water they use, not unlike dry whites. Stouts can show smoke, chocolate, char, coffee and deep-red fruits like plums and figs, which would make them analogous to French reds and California Cabs.
Gera: To substitute beers for wines, there isn’t one set rule. Beers actually pair better than wines due to the variety of beer flavors, bodies and styles. With wine, you have only grapes to work with. With beer, you can have a beer brewed with grapes and even aged in wine barrels, but that is only the beginning. Beers are cooked, made with grains, can be smoked, just like food. It is a natural fit.
Q What are some resources folks can turn to for more information?
Vent: The book “The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer With Real Food” by Garrett Oliver the head brewer of Brooklyn Brewery is a great start.
The beer forum, Beer Advocate, has a section dedicated to beer and food (beeradvocate.com/forum/list/3) and many people who’re open to answering questions.
Check your favorite brewer’s Web sites, many of them will have suggestions for foods to match up with their products as well as specific temperatures and glassware recommendations.
Q What’s your best suggestion about pairing beer with various meals or individual dishes?
Vent: Experiment!
Gera: Remember, there is no such thing as one perfect pairing, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
Region: If a beer is from a particular region, pair it with food from that region; Abita from New Orleans will go great with Creole foods.
Preparation: If a beer is used in the preparation (marinade, reduction, glaze), that beer will pair with the food.
Intensity: Match beer strength with food strength: stronger-flavored food with stronger-flavored beers.
Imagination: Use your imagination; don’t overthink it and use your pallet as a guide.
For five tips on pairing food with beer from DeepWood restaurant’s Colin Vent click to read more …
Five tips on pairing food with beer from DeepWood restaurant’s Colin Vent
Spicy foods such as southeast Asian, Indian and Central/South American pair well with the beers they produce there, generally pilsner-styled lagers (excluding the excellent Sri Lankan Lion Stout). The crisp body helps tame the heat.
Classic garnishes for cheeses include nuts, lightly acidic fruits and sweets such as jams and honeys. Beer can fill these rolls: a nutty brown ale, sweet hoppy double IPA or tangy wheat ale can provide these balances.
Stouts and porters, the darkest beer styles, match chocolate and coffee flavors in desserts or meat dishes very well. Their dark color comes from highly roasted barley that lends a degree of bitter roast character. Try a coffee rub on beef, or a Mexican Molé.
Belgian beers exhibit a high level of complexity due to their various yeast characteristics. They’re often spicy, tangy or fruity. If you pair them up with foods featuring spices and herbs, those foods will help pull similar flavors forward from the beer.
Barleywines are beers that feature a rich body, sweet flavor and, in the case of American versions, a high degree of hoppy bitterness. These beers are built to stand up to almost any cuisine, and any course. British versions tend to be much more syrupy and fruity, making them excellent stand-ins for dessert wines such as ports and Madeiras during dessert courses. American examples’ high level of hops helps them stand up to rich and fatty meats as well as creamy sauces and starches.
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TweetThis Halloween, let the spirits in and get your ghoul on
This from Skyy Vodka: Long before Halloween was associated with bobbing for apples and jack-o-lanterns, it was recognized as the eve of the cold winter season, which people believed brought about evil spirits that would damage the warm summer’s harvest. This Pagan Celtic celebration was called Samhain, and the Celts in the British Isles donned costumes to ward off trouble from the ghosts of the dead. The term Halloween is shortened from “All-hallow-even,” as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day.”
This Halloween let’s raise a toast to the Celts for bringing us one of the most frighteningly fun holidays of the year. Get everyone in good “spirits” with these wickedly tasty SKYY Infusions cocktails. Fresh, all-natural SKYY Infusions offer an unrivaled true-to-fruit taste to liven up any Halloween celebration.
SKYY Infusions Vampire Blood
Ingredients: 2 oz SKYY Infusions Raspberry Vodka, 4 fresh raspberries, 1 oz black plum puree, 3 fresh lime wedges, 1/4 oz simple syrup
Instructions: Muddle fresh raspberry, lime wedges, plum puree and simple syrup in pint glass with ice. Add SKYY Infusions Raspberry and shake vigorously. Strain into a gold rimmed coupe glass. Garnish with lime and raspberry.
 SKYY Infusions Eerie Eyeballs
Ingredients: 2 oz. SKYY Infusions Grape, 1 oz. Lillet Blanc Aperitif Wine, 2 oz. Pineapple Juice, 1 oz. Freshly squeezed Lime Juice, 1 oz. Simple Syrup
Instructions: Mix ingredients in mixing pint over ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a stemless champagne flute and garnish with fresh grapes on a pick.
SKYY Infusions Witch’s Punch
Ingredients: 2 oz. SKYY Infusions Citrus, 1/2 oz. Fresh lemon juice, 1/4 oz. Fresh pomegranate juice, 1 oz. Simple Syrup
Instructions: Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled highball glass. Garnish with blueberries and serve.
Ghostly SKYY
Ingredients: 2 oz. SKYY Vodka, 1 tbsp. light cream, 1/2 oz. amaretto
Instructions: Combine all ingredients and shake with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
SKYY Red Zombie
Ingredients: 2 oz. SKYY Vodka, 4 oz. Cranberry juice, 1/2 oz. Triple sec
Instructions: Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled martini glass with sugar rim.
The Associated Press had a couple of cocktails they wrote about recently that are also worth sharing. The first is a more sophisticated adult cocktail called the Warm Harvest Martini. The second — Purple People Eater — can be made for adults or altered for kiddies. For one possible variation, fill an ice cube tray with gummie worms, add water and freeze. Use the frozen worm cubes instead of the worms called for in this recipe. For a kid-friendly version of the Purple People Eater, ditch the alcohol and serve a blend of grape soda and cherry juice in the prepared glasses with gummie worm garnish.
Warm Harvest Martini
Ingredients: 2 ounces apple cider, 2 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce vanilla liqueur, 2 tablespoons caramel sauce, Pinch cinnamon, 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions: In a 1-cup microwave-safe measuring cup, combine the cider, vodka and vanilla liqueur. Heat the mixture in the microwave until warm, but not boiling, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Pool the caramel sauce in a shallow bowl. Overturn a wine glass and dunk the rim in the sauce, twisting it to coat well. Turn the glass right side up. Pour the martini into the wine glass, then sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Purple People Eater
Ingredients: 1 lime wedge, Orange crystal or decorating sugar, 2 gummie worms, 3 ounces tequila, 3 ounces triple sec (or other orange liqueur), 1 1/2 ounces chambourd, Ice
Instructions: Use the lime wedge to wet the rim of 2 martini glasses by rubbing it along the edges. Spread the orange crystal sugar evenly in a small plate. Overturn the glasses, then one at a time dip them in the sugar, twisting them gently until the sugar coats the rims. Turn the glasses right side up, place 1 gummie worm in each and set aside. In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, triple sec and chambourd. Add ice and shake well. Strain the mixture into the prepared glasses. If desired, add fresh ice to the glasses.
And for even more Halloween cocktail recipes, check out this excellent page at www.drinkoftheweek.com.
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TweetCelebrate National Dessert Month!
There’s a month for everything, and the month of October is National Dessert Month. Sure there’s Halloween candy as far as the eye can see, but if you’re in search of something a little more adult, here are some recipes for dessert cocktails courtesy of Three Olives Vodka that might appeal to your mature sweet tooth. If you want more where this came from, bartender.com has a list of 31 Three Olives recipe back from a calendar they did in August 2007.
Chocolate Covered Cherry
Ingredients: 1 oz. Three Olives Chocolate Vodka, 1 oz. Three Olives Cherry Vodka, 1 oz. White Crème de Cacao
Instructions: Shake with ice and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake-tini
Ingredients: 2 oz. Cabana Bay Pineapple-Coconut Rum Vodka, 1 1/2 oz. Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, 1 1/2 oz. cream
Instructions: Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass Garnish with a pineapple slice
Three-O Chocolate Shake
Ingredients: 2 oz. Three Olives Chocolate Vodka, 2 oz. Milk, Large Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Syrup
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TweetPresidential candidates served on the rocks
It’s been a while, I know! Just returned from a trip of the east coast. The fall trees were beautiful, the ocean along the way was sparkling baby blue, the big city (New York) never slept and the cocktails were fabulous!
Politics have long found the way into conversations at the bar, but now presidential candidates are finding themselves on the menu.
Borgata’s Gypsy Bar has opened the polls early on the bars signature Electoral Cocktails. The Atlantic City bar is tracking the results online at borgatanightlife.com until the official votes are finally tallied.
Here are the descriptions of what visitors have to choose from exactly as the bar lists them. This is really great inspiration if you were planning to throw an election night party of your very own …
CIROC OBAMA: Ready for change? Barack the vote with Ciroc Vodka, Blue Curacao, lime juice, Sprite and a lime garnish served over ice.
MCCAINARITA: It’s the maverick of cocktails — a reformed margarita made from Siembra Azul Reposado, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice and pomegranate juices served over ice.
MISS INDEPENDENT: For all those nonpartisan types, this one is, like, totally hot! Show your independence with a Stoli Razberi Cosmo and lemon garnish served up in a martini glass.
Do you know of any bars or restaurants here in or around town that is doing anything similar? If you do, please share. In the meantime, here’s a screen shot of the Gypsy Bar tally as it stands now …
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TweetOur favorite sports bars in town
As the weather cools, many will come in from the outdoors. But it won’t just be the shivering that will bring them inside in hoardes. It will be the game. In fact, during college football season, pro football season and, for some, fantasy football season, many will adopt a home away from home field at their favorite sports bar.
Food and drink specials abound, and a fraternity of equally passionate strangers clad in jerseys await. And better yet, there’s sure to be no shortage of working televisions. In honor of football season, it’s time to take a look at some of our favorite sports bars in town. If you haven’t been to one lately, check out the action — and more importantly, a game — for yourself.
HERE ARE FIVE SPORTS BARS THE LIZARDS LOVE
The play: With more than 10 locations scattered around the area, BW3’s is our pick for a top sports bar in town. Combination sports bar, wings joint and friendly neighborhood hangout, each space offers different hours, atmosphere and amenities. But all are home to some of the best boneless wings in town. Along with numerous TV screens strategically placed for you to catch the big game no matter where you’re sitting, the late-night kitchen hours will help those fighting hunger pangs long after many other sports-themed bar cooks have called it a night. Say what you want, but the number of locations, the knowledge that there will always be a game on TV and the affordable food make these spots a sports-fan staple.
University of Dayton Alumni watch the Ohio State University game at BW3s on Brown St. in Dayton.
The play: Revving up the sports bar scene is our No. 2 pick, Cadillac Jack’s. Step into the newest location on Springboro Pike, and you’ll think you’re in Vegas baby! There’s more energy in this space than if you’d group a dozen small bars together. The nearly wall-to-wall TV screens make it nearly impossible to miss the big game or a NASCAR race — you pick the sport, they’ve got it covered. While the locations are not all under the same management, each location shares basic elements, including menu items. The older locations, while not offering nearly as many sophisticated visual features, are comfortable. But if you’re going to plan a visit, we suggest the newer locations in Beavercreek and Miamisburg. A common feature to Cadillac Jack’s is the wings, although the prices and sauces vary slightly by location. Each location offers a full bar and a variety of beers on tap to help you fuel your way through game day.
The play: At Fricker’s, as with many sports bars, it’s all about the wings — the perfect food to match with any game-day activity if you ask us. Depending on your mood, there’s a sauce for you, 10 in all, ranging from BBQ, Hot, Frickin’ Kicker to the ultimate Frickin’ Killer and a few in-between. All locations have TVs a-plenty airing the sporting event of the season from Major League Baseball to the NBA. Fricker’s newest and now largest area location in Troy boasts more than 9,000 square feet of family fun. Although you may not think about soup at a sports bar, Fricker’s Frickin’ White Chicken Chili is thick like a casserole, packed with chicken and quite a delicious deal at $3.49. Also keep in mind that Tuesdays bring a 35 cent wing deal that draws crowds, so don’t be surprised if a line greets you at the door.
The play: Beef O’Brady’s sports a family friendly atmosphere that’s sure to be a hit with kids of all ages, making it our No. 4 choice of sports bars in the area. The food, extensive beer lists and its many, many TV screens scored a touchdown with the Lounge Lizards. While not open as late as some other sports bars, if you’re in the mood for a family friendly place to watch the game, this is it. With daily drink specials for parents and a Tuesday night promotion where kids 12 and younger eat free from 4-7 p.m. with an adult meal purchase, this is a great place to watch a sporting event with the kids in tow.
The play: Rounding out our top five is Little York Pizza and Tavern. It’s a little tricky to locate, but well worth the effort. Little York Pizza and Tavern is an entertaining stop for two to 50 of your friends looking to watch the game or to play pool if the game goes a little off course. Don’t forget to sample the terrific pizzas — the barbecue chicken and Sicilian pizzas are standouts — or any of the other tasty treats on the menu. On last count, there were more than 20 TV screens to catch the game of your choice.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Offense! Defense! Beer!!! There’s a fine line between bar and sports bar, and a number of other bars in town pull game coverage off in fine style. Let us know where else you like to go that may not be on this list. Cheers!
Champps: 7880 Washington Village Drive, Centerville. (937) 433-2333
Fox and Hound English Pub & Grille: 2661 Fairfield Commons Blvd., Beavercreek. (937) 426-4145
Geez Grill & Pub: 5841 Far Hills Ave., Kettering. (937) 439-0001
Roosters: 3501 N. Main St., Dayton. (937) 277-0114; 103 N. Springboro Pike, Miamisburg. (937) 433-4630; 257 W. Central Ave., Springboro. (937) 748-3017
Rusty Bucket: 2812 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Miami Twp. (937) 436-2426
TJ Chumps: 12 E. Linden Ave., Miamisburg. (937) 859-4000
This page has links to maps of all of these places if you need ‘em.
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TweetA List Lounge to open in former Bimini Bills location
Demetrius Wright and Donald Jones have big plans for the former Bimini Bills location at 212 S. Ludlow St. in downtown Dayton and it comes with an equally ambitious name — A List Lounge.
The co-owners of the A List Lounge say they are looking to attract the “after five downtown professionals that are 30 and up.”
Wright assures that those who remember Bimini Bills will still recognize the space with it’s handsome brick walls and spacious bar, but there will be many differences as well including the kitchen area which has been converted into a lounge space and a larger dance floor with couches along the walls. Wright explains, “it’s like an upscale lounge and sports bar.”
Wright and Jones currently say they have plans to open sometime during the second week of November.
The Lounge will not have a menu and will be cocktails and drinks only says Wright. Business casual attire will be required for customers and music from the ’80s and ’90s will be showcased. Wright and Jones say they see themselves as similar to another recently opened downtown bar — Sidebar — except for “bigger and we have a dance floor.”
Some things they have planned for visiting A-Listers include a Thursday Latin dance night which will include instruction, an old school night on Friday’s that will include 92.1 FM broadcasting live and karaoke backed by a live band (Dave Speed and Band) on Saturdays.
Wright said he has been doing club promotion for the last 15 years and this has been a long time coming with an active search for an A List Lounge space going on for the the last year-and-a-half.
A List Lounge: 212 S Ludlow St., Dayton. (937) 220-9330
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