What we had:
Carillon Coriander Ale: One of the first two beer recipes discovered by Brewster Brock is an 1831 recipe that features the herb coriander, used in a variety of culinary applications, mostly as a garnish.
Brock says Coriander Beer was considered a medicinal brew. Brock was quick to say she can’t make any such claims now, though she did indicate the Coriander Beer was thought to “fix what ail’s ya.”
The Dining Divas were searching for the healthful benefits of coriander. We discovered these purported benefits for medical conditions that could make one queasy. Don’t let this list scare you off:
Coriander is good for treating “skin disorders, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, smallpox, indigestion, high cholesterol, blood sugar disorders, conjunctivitis, and beneficial for the eyes.” We were just hoping for help with a stuffy nose. Also in the recipe is peppercorn.
Sandy discovered The Carillon Coriander Ale is her favorite. The unusual taste is ever-so-slight. The ale is sweet. Notes of citrus top off what CBC considers a biscuity base. You get the slight peppercorn flavor at the finish, which wakes up those sinuses as Brock promised. It goes down easy, with no hoppy taste.
The other beer CBC is unveiling now is an 1862 recipe for a Porter ale. It earned its name as a favorite of those men who carried and delivered goods who preferred a mix of the light and dark beers. This ale is a mix of light and dark malts, with a hint of chocolate and roasted coffee flavors. Brock found the recipe in a Cincinnati commercial brewer’s cookbook from the era.
CBC is also brewing non-alcoholic beverages that are surprisingly delicious.
The Carillon Ginger Ale is made from an 1831 “housewife recipe” book. Modern versions of ginger ale are much sweeter with a heavy emphasis on the ginger. Carillon’s recipe, however, is a perfect and easily-drinkable blend of fresh ginger, cane sugar and honey with a hint of hop bitterness to balance to sweetness.
“This is fantastic!” Sandy blurted out. We agreed it would be good with a shot of vodka dropped in, too.
The other non-alcoholic option is the Carillon Root Beer. Brock’s recipe combines dark molasses and brown sugar with spices that change throughout the year. “I taste star anise!” Connie exclaimed. Well, that as well as vanilla, cinnamon and birch bark — a blend that evokes a cold weather feel.
According to Brock, housewives brewed their own beers and served it to their families, including children. The beers were brewed daily and provided much-needed nourishment and hydration. It was safer to drink the beer than water. (The “daytime” beer the children drank was typically only 1-2 percent alcohol and not intoxicating.)
In the mid-19th century, Dayton’s infrastructure was being built. Illnesses from waterborne diseases took the lives of young and old, even members of the Patterson Homestead family. We learned the area around Brown Streeet was somewhat marshy, with run-off from the hills above that brought sewage and disease they didn’t know existed or how to fight.
Brock says people believed it was the beer’s alcohol that was keeping them from being sick or curing them. They didn’t understand it was the boiling of the water that made it safe to drink.
Visitors to the Carillon Brewing Company are slightly and pleasantly overwhelmed the first time they step inside. This 10,586 square-foot brewery/museum is full of barrels of brew, fires in the hearths, employees hand-cranking ingredients or hand-roasting the barley malt in the open hearth.
Servers are plentiful to take your order. Don’t worry, they’re not “in character” like at Disney. You won’t have a bunch of “yays,” “thees” and “thous.” What you do find are a well-trained staff and “hearty fare.”
For our latest Dining Diva review, Connie began dinner with the Estancia Pinot Noir. Sandy ordered both the Ginger Ale and the Coriander Ale.
The Carillon menu is full of German/Irish/English delights; soups and salads, choice of three entrees and a variety of sandwiches.
Connie wanted an appetizer of Sauerkraut balls ($7). Despite being deep-fried, they melt in your mouth. There’s a crust around a soft center of kraut. Served with mustard dipping sauce.
“Despite their fragility,” Connie opined, “they are loaded with flavor!” Sandy agreed.
Connie ordered the Roasted Chicken Salad ($11). It’s a hearty portion of mixed greens and Romaine lettuce, herb roasted chicken, green beans, tomato, and stilton bleu cheese (served on the side) with mustard lemon vinaigrette. It was fresh and delicious.
The best line of the night: “Green beans excite me!” said Connie. She meant it.
Sandy chose the Brew House Cheeseburger ($8.95). The 1/3 -pound patty was presented on a toasted Kaiser bun with all the fixin’s, even contemporary condiments. Sandy ordered a side of German potato salad (or your choice: fries, locally-made Mike-Sells potato chips, sweet & sour red cabbage, braised sauerkraut and seasonal succotash.)
With two spoons we shared the Black Forest Chocolate Layer Cake, ($5.25). The three-inch-high, dark-chocolate round cake, layered with cherries and chocolate ganache was topped with whipped cream, then drizzled with a tart cherry liquor called kirschwasser. This cake, too, melts in your mouth.
History: Carillon Brewing is the creation of Dayton History, Montgomery County's official historical organization. First envisioned to be merely an exhibit at Carillon Park, the idea grew to create an interactive historical exhibit that pays tribute to the very important brewing heritage of the Dayton area by immigrants who shaped the area.
The info:
Carillon Brewing Company at Carillon Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd. Daytn;CarillonBrewingCo.org;
; 937-910-0722; info@carillonbrewingco.org
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Final musings: Dining Divas Sandy Collins and Connie Post love to bring their culinary adventures to your door, tablet or mobile device. Send us your comments, suggestions or questions to life@coxinc.com with "Dining Divas" in the subject line.
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