Fall in a glass

Left Handed Brewing Company’s OKTOBERFEST is Fall in a glass. And we were happy to fall into this one.

It has an inviting copper color with a pale orange foamy head. It is a fine example of a Märzen Lager, a beautiful lace clings to the side of the glass. The pour gives off a malty toasty bread aroma.

The initial taste is slightly sweet, with caramel and spice cookie notes. It ends with a hit of hops- a nice dry finish. It’s lightly carbonated and does not leave you with the bloated feeling some action-packed lagers can.

This is a great beer for tailgating or watching the game at home. It paired well with pizza and wings. The beer cut through the fatty goodness of the wings and the meats on the pizza without diminishing its strength. Out of the many more hearty beers we sampled in October, this beer certainly earns its name.

The Anti-Pumpkin Beer for the Anti-Pumpkin-Beer Beer Lover

Sloop Brewing Company’s (no) Pumpkin IPA promises it is '“brewed without pumpkin or spices for 100% pure IPA pleasure.” It is the perfect October beer for people who hate pumpkin beer!

It has the coloring of an Arnold Palmer and the hoppy flavor profile of a New England IPA. You get a big juicy hit with a lime leaning, and notes of also mango and melon. It pours with a frothy head and a lingering classic lace.

It reminds me of a more hearty cousin to Sloop’s famous Juice Bomb, one of my favorite NEIPAs to date. This is the beer for you if you think pumpkin beer is worse than pineapple on pizza.

The other Bell's beer

In our house we call Bell’s TWO HEARTED ALE ‘the fish beer’ because of its signature brand art. It is also the only beer our friend Jerry will drink on fishing trips. Jerry is not alone. Again this year the guzzler was rated as the #1 beer in America by the American Homebrewers Association.

The brewery was also listed as #1 in this year’s Top-Ranked Breweries list. That’s an incredible honor!

Another one of our favorite offerings by Bell’s is their AMERICAN AMBER ALE. Its perfect for this summer/fall transition time of year. The brew has a striking caramel color and taste. There are notes of cloves with a toasted marshmallow finish. It’s a nice beer with a hint of fall but not the dose of heavy spices the pumpkin beer haters complain about.

This beer accompanied a grilled sirloin with au gratin potatoes and broccoli admirably. We’ll keep a pack of this in the drink fridge for a while. Come on by!

Holding on to Summer Session Ale

As summer winds down there is a beer I have been wanting to try- Maine’s Peak Organic Summer Session Ale. It is an American pale wheat ale. It is a great transition beer when temperatures can vary 20-30 degrees from day to day.

I poured it into a pint glass, to see it’s appealing pale yellow color. With a slight foamy head and some lace on the glass, the toasted hops were pleasant with a grassy flavor and wallop of citrus. There was a bitterness on the back end that I did not mind.

This paired well with a grilled Thai coconut and lemongrass chicken. It supported the intense flavors solidly. I think it would make a great beer for seafood and fish, also. Check it out!

Wine and beer with the perfect mango chicken burger

We're refusing to give up on summer.  The fact that temps in upstate NY this week have exceeded 90 degrees helps our case.  One of our favorite burgers to enjoy is this chicken, mango and jalapeño burger.  We've been convinced it is healthy, and it is certainly delicious. The flavor combination makes for a seemingly unique twist on a traditional griller.

A few of our followers ask why we have only featured our recipes in pairings with wine.  In reality, pairing beer and cocktails with food can be an equally rewarding process, and we do it all the time.  For purely whimsical reasons, we're suggesting two pairings for this burger- a wine from Alsace, and a beer from upstate NY.  Choose one, and make this delicious and simple burger before summer fades!

CHICKEN, MANGO BURGER with JALAPEÑO

We can't remember how this burger evolved, but we've enjoyed it for years.  Last year we made it for the person we have credited for years as its creator, and he told us the dish was new to him. Go figure!

Its evolution continues as we've added a new ingredient that might surprise you- parmesan cheese.  At one point we used a few breadcrumbs to bind the ground chicken and the mango, but we've found parmesan accomplishes that task and offers a flavor that supports the stars nicely.

Burgers:
1 lb ground chicken
1 mango- skinned and chopped
1 jalapeño, diced finely (use this ingredient to taste; sometimes we eliminate it)
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the burger ingredients and form into 4 patties.  Grill or pan-fry. In either case, be sure your grill or pan is freshly oiled, and hot before you place the burgers.  In either method we cook them on each side until they are firm to the touch.  Remove to rest for 5 minutes before assembling.

This is how we top our burgers these days, but stack and slather things your family enjoys!

Garnishes:
4 brioche buns (use your favorite, or even leaves of butter lettuce as a bun)
4 grilled pineapple rings
4 slices of tomato
4 thin slices of red onion
Teriyaki sauce
Mayonaise

Don't wait too long to assemble, because a slightly warm burger paired with an ice cold beverage makes the combination even more interesting.  Here are two beverages that pair perfectly with these puppies:

 

DRY HOPPED SAISON, Paradox Brewery, Schroon Lake, NY, $4
This super dry, effervescent belgian style saison married perfectly with these burgers.  The sour edge of the beer highlighted both the mango and the teriyaki angles, while the brighter citrus notes of the beer perked up the chicken and parmesan patties.  The beer is lighter bodied, and the slight musk- expected from the saison yeast- supported rather than overpowered each bite. We've respected the brews of this southern Adirondack brewery for a while, and the food pairing possibilities of this flavor-packed, hazy saison are vast.

Another beer pairing option for this burger would be one of the juicy NEIPAs. The citrus spectrum these beers offer would support the burger nicely.

C'OTES D'AMMERSCHWIHR, 2014, Domaine Maurice Schoech, Alsace $18
This beer was recommended by my friend Kim.  Food pairing may be its super power, but this lighter bodied, Alsacian makes for a delicious sipper.  The flavors of pear, melon and even mango, its respectable acidity and toasty finish allowed the mango and jalapeño flavors of the burger to pop.  The finish is brief, but plenty of time to allow the musty parmesan cheese to pair with the toasty linger of the wine.

Another wine option would be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with its traditional tropical fruit flavors.

This burger is simple, delicious, and offers a spin on tradition.  Whether you're a wine or beer person, we've got you covered in boozey ways to enjoy it, and these final days of summer.  Enjoy!