Cooking with Beer | Marinated Cerveza Fajitas

May has arrived, my friends! Summer seasonal beers are already being poured and decks everywhere are itching for a summer cook-out. If you haven’t cleaned off your grill and fired it up yet, then you are behind the game. Cinco de Mayo may have passed, but you can still practice your grill skills with this deliciously picante recipe!

Read More

New Belgium Brewing | Honey Orange Tripel

When you think of the holidays, what memories come to mind? I think of the smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies with burnt edges because my mom left them in the oven too long. I remember the Christmas presents constantly needing protection from our 100-pound Golden Retriever, who had a particular proclivity for shaking and tearing the wrapping paper off the gifts like he was hunting live game. Most of all, I love bringing fresh, delicious flavors of the season to all of the holiday festivities, for everyone to try. This year, I have found my beverage of choice for our new annual Christmas party beer sampling – New Belgium Brewing’s delicious Honey Orange Tripel.
Read More

Flying Fish Brewing Co. | Exit 3 Blueberry Braggot

“As any swalwe sittynge on a berne. Therto she koude skippe and make game, As any kyde or calf folwynge his dame. Hir mouth was sweete as bragot or the meeth, Or hoord of apples leyd in hey heeth.” – The Miller’s Tale, from the Canterbury Tales.

Read More

Event Preview | Pottstown Brew Fest 2017

The Pottstown Brew Fest is back for another year of celebrating craft beer, wine, cider, food and great music.  The award-winning fest is returning to Pottstown Saturday, October 28 but it will be held at a new location — the Norco Fire Company.  From 12-4:30 p.m., guests can sample beer and cider from some of the finest craft brewers in the Mid-Atlantic region and from across the United States.

Read More

Victory Brewing Co. | Blackboard No. 06 – Peach Belgian Blonde with Coriander

Experimental flavors, quality products, great taste: these are all elements that consumers don’t just seek out, but expect it in their craft beer.  With summer upon us, consumers want refreshing ingredients and lots of flavors!  One company who delivers upon these standards for the craft is Victory Brewing Company.
Read More

Beer Cocktail | Kriek Kocktail with Saint Benjamin Wit or Wit Out and Ommegang Rosetta

Sometimes, I just have a tough time making decisions, especially when it comes to what beer I want to try (I know, I know, #firstworldproblems. I hear your sympathetic violins). However, when a beer menu presents you with 15 choices, but your flight only allows for four beers, and the waitress is just staring at you because you can’t decide, it becomes an issue. So when I saw a cocktail of a kriek and a tripel, both of which I wanted to try, I thought “Genius!”(The cocktail was delightful, by the way). It’s summer though, and I want to keep it light & refreshing. I decided to find a kriek and a witbier that complimented each other’s flavors and was super refreshing.

Read More

Brewery Showcase | Urban Village Brewing Company Opens in Philadelphia

Featured Image Credit: Urban Village Brewing Company

Envision this: a Berliner weisse made with 300 pounds of beets. It is as strange and tasty as it sounds, and it is one of the varieties of brews available at Philly’s newest brewpub, Urban Village Brewing Company.

Opened to the public as of June 1, Urban Village Brewing is a part of a myriad of storefronts opening in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, creating life for this up-and-coming neighborhood. In a city with a booming restaurant scene, Urban Village sets itself apart with its quaint ambiance and quality beer.

Read More

Cooking With Beer | Stuffed Burgers made with Dogfish Head Namaste White

There is a bar in Philadelphia that makes the most amazing burgers. Good Dog Bar has a burger called ‘Good Dog’. This is a juicy 1/2 lb.of meat, where every salty bite is filled with gooey Roquefort cheese is then topped with fried onions. Am I making you hungry yet? Since I don’t live within a reasonable distance of Good Dog Bar to obtain one of these tasty morsels regularly (which is probably a good thing), I decided to recreate this burger with my own twist: beer. Instinct told me to go with a darker selection, but I defied my better senses and went with a surprisingly delicious choice.

Read More

Beer Cocktail | Redneck Mule with UFO White Ale

Memorial Day weekend signifies the unofficial beginning of summer. Barbecues, parties and parades represent a few traditions that Americans look forward to during this three-day holiday. A new Memorial Day weekend tradition of mine is joining my boyfriend’s family on their annual weekend-long camping excursion. Not just any camping trip, though — this is legitimate redneck camping. Campers travel in droves to the campground and park in Northeast Pennsylvania. Trailers, patio lights, lawn chairs (sometimes the random couch) and plenty of beer cans decorated each campsite, in true backwoods fashion. So, what is more appropriate than creating a cocktail as resourceful as the people I watched create an elevated camper by putting a tent on their truck bed? (Boom. Bed.) Though I do enjoy the classical version of a Moscow Mule, I was low on supplies in the woods and needed to get creative. So, with a beer and a dream, I created the Redneck Mule; a mix of beer and vodka and a bad idea. Part beer, part ginger beer and part vodka, I wanted to create something light, yet citrusy, so I wanted to pick a beer that offered me both.

Read More

Event Preview | The Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival

Featured image courtesy of phoenixvillebeerwinefestival.com.

An exciting event is coming to Phoenixville, PA this May. The first Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival is happening this Saturday, May 13 at the Kimberton Fairgrounds. From 12-4:30 p.m., guests will be able to sample beverages from a myriad of local and national breweries, wineries, as well as mead, cider and spirits. Read More

Cinco de Mayo Beer Cocktails with Manayunk Brewing Company’s El Rio Lager

This recipe is featured on These Are My Storys.

When you think of Cinco de Mayo, what comes to mind? I think of margaritas, guacamole, lots of fajitas and, of course, cervezas! Capitalized on by the beer industry in the 1980’s, Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with parties, fun, and lots of booze. So, in honor of this 5th of May, I decided to take my own spin on a cerveza with two variations of beer cocktails. Both pack a spicy kick, yet are refreshing and go down so easy!  To create these cocktails, I decided to use a local Philadelphia brewery’s version of a Mexican-style lager, Manayunk Brewing Company’s El Rio.

Read More

Cooking with Beer | Braised Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Dale’s Pale Ale

This recipe is featured on These Are My Storys.

I have a hard time understanding why Brussels sprouts seem to be the most-hated vegetable in America. Yes, they are a bit stinky (and if you overcook them, it becomes a MAJOR stink bomb), but they are packed with so many nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin K, iron, folic acid, magnesium and fiber. They are also an extremely versatile vegetable to cook with and the variety of dishes one can create is extensive. I have made several Brussels sprout dishes, but never with beer and I have been missing out!

Read More

Elite Eight | Barleywine Style

I’ll be real honest with everyone, I don’t know much about basketball. I do, however, appreciate the fanfare and competitiveness of March Madness. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve heard of people describing, in depth, how well their bracket was doing or how it became “busted.” If I had created a bracket, mine would most definitely rank last.

Read More