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!

3 garden harvest cocktails

This time of year my favorite place to enjoy an evening sipper is on our back patio.  It affords a view of our colorful garden.  As I watch veggies and herbs mature in front of me, its easy to imagine these beauties paired with some of my favorite spirits.  If your garden, or local farmers market is peaking, think about making one of these delicious cocktails!

GREEN PEPPER and BASIL GIMLET

This is a unique combo that makes for a slightly savory and addictive flavor.  We've had great success with peppers this harvest.  Our goal is to try this same concoction by substituting poblanos and jalapeños this month.

2 inch slice of green pepper
5 or 6 basil leaves
1 t of agave nectar (or simple syrup)
1 lime juiced
2 oz gin

Muddle the pepper, basil and agave in a cocktail shaker until everything is pulverized. Fill the shaker with ice and add the lime juice and gin. Shake it all up until ice cold. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a sprig of basil.

CARROT MOSCOW MULE

This beautiful cocktail amps up a drink I thought was already perfect.  The carrot adds a refreshing earthiness to the traditional mule, playing off the flavor of ginger nicely.  Its difficult not to pound them, or appreciate the engaging color.  

1 part vodka
1 part carrot juice, fresh or store-bought
1 dash per drink of Angostura bitters
Squeeze of lime juice
3 parts ginger beer

Gently stir together vodka, carrot juice, bitters, and lime juice.  Pour into a glass full of ice.  Top with ginger beer. Garnish with slivers of carrot or carrot sticks and a lime wedge.

CUCUMBER MOJITO

The muddled mess this cocktail leaves in the glass, including the crunchy sugar, makes for a very satisfying and refreshing drink.  

3 slices of cucumber, cut 1/4 inch thick
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
1 t sugar (granulated or turbinado)
2 oz white rum
Club soda
Cucumber slices and mint leaves for garnish

Muddle cucumber, lime and sugar in a glass.  Fill the glass with ice and add the rum. Top with club soda. Pour this glass into another glass and back again to be sure it all mixes nicely and you rescue as much residual sugar as you can. Garnish with cucumber slices and mint leaves.

Happy Harvest, everyone! Muddle up!

3 boozey things to do with watermelon this Labor Day

Farmer's markets are bursting with fresh watermelon, and if you're lucky, even your garden might be filled with these lumpies.  Here are three ideas to mix your favorite booze with a watermelon this Labor Day weekend!

WATERMELON, MINT and GIN FIZZ-

This is a simple idea, with a huge return on investment. A few sprigs of mint from your garden give this combo an extra boost.

4 c. watermelon chunks
Sprigs of mint.
8 oz.  Gin
8 T. lime juice
A can of ginger ale

Puree the watermelon with a couple sprigs of mint. Strain. Divide the juice among 4 ice-filled glasses.

Add 2 ounces of Gin, 2 Tablespoons of lime juice. Stir. Then top with ginger ale. Garnish with mint sprigs or lime wedges, even some frozen watermelon chunks! 
 

VODKA INFUSED WATERMELON-

Doing this makes me feel like I'm back in college.  It makes me feel a little bad-ass, and I kinda love that. This is such a good idea; the pairing of watermelon and vodka is pretty much perfect.

The technique is simple- wrap a kitchen towel around the base of your watermelon to keep it from rolling away.  Cut a small roundish hole in the top of the fruit, and scoop out just a few tablespoons of pulp to give the vodka a starting chance to infuse.  Now you have two options- you may pour vodka through the hole you made every few minutes, allowing the fruit time to absorb.  Your second option, which is truly bad ass, is quickly tip the entire bottle through this hole and push the bottle into the fruit a bit so the bottle can remain inserted unassisted, allowing the vodka to slowly meld into the watermelon throughout the day.  I've always done this the night before I intended to serve it.  I've placed it in the fridge overnight, and the bottle is always empty by morning.

Be aware as you slice it up, that there will be some extra liquid.  You're good to go now to either slice, or chunk the watermelon and enjoy it that way. I've also pureed a bunch with some ice and enjoyed it as a slushy. Both techniques and serving ideas have made me happy.  Good luck, it's fun!

WATERMELON INFUSED TEQUILA-
 

This is the start of a wondrous opportunity to enjoy watermelon in a sipper.  The uses are endless- substitute it in any recipe calling for tequila, and of course it makes for an utterly delicious shot with lime and salt.

There's not much of a recipe to make this happen.  Chop up about 2 cups of watermelon.  Put it in a large jar with a tight fitting lid. Fill the jar with tequila. Store in your fridge for at least 4 days, shaking the bottle everyday. You can strain it all into a different clean jar. This has never lasted more than a couple weeks for me, but that's about how long I would keep it.  It's very addictive and utterly delicious.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

Blood Orange WILD ALE!

Pucker up!

There are many different styles of sour beers- Goses, Saisons, Lambics, and America's wild ale. Today we are looking at those wild ones. These are made with the same style of yeast that is used in sourdough bread.  It's the powdery white substance you see on the outside of grapes. (If you like sourdough bread, and are an adventurous baker, look up Nancy Silverton's starter recipe which starts with grapes.) For centuries brewers went to great lengths to keep this stuff out of beer, now it's embraced by craft brewers. We are seeing all different styles of American wilds now, from sour wheat to sour IPA and ever sour stouts.

Today I'm drinking COMMON ROOTS' BLOOD ORANGE TASTEFUL DECEPTION.  It has a yellow orange glow with an effervescent aroma of citrus that tickles the nose.  You taste the blood orange at first, followed by subtle grassy notes.  It has big juicy flavors but doesn't have the haze of a NEIPA.  

The wild yeast and bacteria combine with the blood oranges to give a wonderful tart flavor which is rounded out nicely with a mild sweetness from the fruit.  It makes a great beer to say good-bye to summer and welcome fall. Enjoy Labor Day Weekend, everyone!