A Bell's Brewing Break From Cabin Fever

Friday Night was the "Bell's Dirty Dozen" tap takeover at Capital Ale House, so Colleen and I headed downtown for some good beers and a meatless dinner. The roads were clear from this week's snowstorm, and with more snowfall headed our way Saturday, this was likely to be the only break from the Winter doldrums we'd have this weekend.

Before we got to the beer menu, we needed to order food. We struggled a bit with the menu during this Friday in Lent. Perusing the appetizer menu we paused at the tasty Fried Pierogies; Fried potato and onion pierogies topped with applewood smoked bacon bits. And the soup special on Fridays is Scallop Chowder, with bacon. We finally settled on the Spinach, Crab & Artichoke Dip appetizer and Fish & Chips as our main course. Now on to the beer.

Twelve Bell's Brewing beers were offered, some new, some we've enjoyed before. We selected a few that we planned share during the evening. I had already decided I would start with the seasonal Hopslam Double IPA. This is an intensely hoppy beer, one whose popularity I believe is enhanced by its limited availability. I refuse to pay $20-$30 for a six pack, but do try to enjoy it on draft each year. Colleen ordered the Third Coast Old Ale Barleywine. This one has some nice dark fruit and is mildly flavored, as Barleywines go, but quite enjoyable. 

Also on tap this evening were some interesting beers from Perennial Artisan Ales of St. Louis, Missouri. When we were handed that menu, our decision making was thrown for a loop, since we now had more options to process. (A good problem to have.) Colleen ordered Perennial's Vermilion Barleywine. This one was a little more robustly flavored than the Bell's version, with rich, dark fruit and molasses notes. After much thought, and a recommendation from a friend, I opted to stick with Bell's and ordered Roundhouse IRA, an "India Red Ale." Slightly sweet and resinous, the flavor of the hoppy red ale was at first hidden by the lingering flavors of the barleywines. After a few sips my palate "reset" and I enjoyed the full flavors of the beer.

There were still many interesting beers to try, from both menus, but one can only do so much in a sitting. I decided to wind down with a Bell's Kal-Haven Ale. This Rye Ale is fermented with Brettanomyces yeast giving it a funky, sour flavor. The sourness worked well with the breadiness of the rye. It was certainly a switch from the evening's previous beers. I lingered on this glass for quite a while, sipping slowly and enjoying the interesting flavor of the sour ale.

It was an extremely pleasant evening, and a great relief from being cooped up by work and weather. As I write this post on Saturday morning, the snow is falling steadily. (And another planned trip to the range cancelled.) I guess as ProudHillbilly noted, February is hibernation time. But hey, I don't have to like it!

Five O'Clock Friday: Bacon Blessing

We already know about the blessing for beer, but there's also a Catholic blessing for another of our favorite food groups — bacon! While it might not be very useful on a (meatless) Friday, it's a good tool to share with your favorite priest.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord

R. Who has made heaven and earth.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with your spirit

Let us pray. Bless, Lord, this bacon which You have made, that it may be a healthful food for mankind. Grant by the invocation of Your holy name that all who partake of it may receive health of body and safety of soul, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen. (Then it is sprinkled with holy water.)

H/T to The Catholic Gentleman.

Bacon, and More Bacon

Earlier this week, Colleen decided to try out a couple of new bacon recipes she had recently come across. While a late night bacon taste test is not a regular occurrence around here, it was looked forward to with much anticipation.

The first recipe was called "Millionaire's Bacon." Thick cut bacon is coated with a rub of sugar, cayenne and black pepper. The coated bacon strips are baked until they are crisp and crunchy. In this test batch the bacon was cooked until "almost burnt." All the tasters decided the extra charred bits were the most tasty. The peppery rub was applied heavily and the flavor was intense. It hit the palate strongly, but, interestingly enough, quickly faded to not burn out the taste buds.

Millionaire's Bacon

The second recipe was for "Beer Candied Bacon." In this case the bacon is brushed with a brown sugar and stout glaze. As the meat is baked, it is repeatedly brushed with more glaze. After cooking, the bacon strips are allowed to cool and the glaze hardens into a candy-like coating. Colleen used a Dogfish Head Chicory Stout in the glaze. The recipe called for just 1/4 cup of the beer, so I enjoyed sipping on the rest of the bottle while the bacon treats cooked.

Bacon Candy

Of the two, the taste testers were unanimous in their selection of Millionaire's Bacon as the best of the two. The spicy strips provided an intense flavor treat in a crunchy, fun form. Both bacons were also tasted as condiments for a molten chocolate cake. We dipped pieces of the bacon in the hot, gooey chocolate. Again, the Millionaire's Bacon reigned supreme. The combination brought out the bacon flavor, and reined in the warm spiciness a tad.

The Millionaire's Bacon is a keeper. We are already discussing using it in the annual beer tasting we'll do this Spring for our son's school fundraiser. Of course, we'll have to taste this treat again in order to figure out the best way to use it in a beer and food pairing.

Bacon Sundae!

Now, this is dessert! This week Burger King released it's new dessert. It's concocted with vanilla soft serve, fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles, and a piece of bacon.

Photograph: Noel Barnhurst, AP

This gastronomic delight weighs in at 510 calories, 18 grams of fat and 61 grams of sugar. Yea, I might just go get one, but I think a day of fasting to prepare might be in order.

Bacon. Beer.

What more do you want?

Credit: Planet Beer