A Pre-St. Patrick's Day Celebration

We found ourselves with some "free time" Sunday afternoon, and decided to head over to Capital Ale House for a quick beer and late lunch. After taking seats at the bar we were handed a menu that listed some intriguing beers from The Bruery one side, and from Allagash Brewing on the other. First world problems for sure, but we were facing tough decisions.

Fortunately, the bartenders at Capital Ale House are eager to assist. We obtained small samples of a few of the Allagash beers; Confluence, a Belgian Ale with Brettanomyces yeast, Saison Rye, and Hugh Malone, a Belgian Strong Ale brewed with Simcoe and Warrior hops. After passing the glasses back and forth, our decisions were make only somewhat easier. Colleen selected the Confluence, and I ordered a glass of the Hugh Malone.

Allagash Confluence and an empty sampler

Allagash Hugh Malone is labeled as a "Belgian IPA," a newish style that we've been seeing more of lately. These beers make the flavor range from "Belgian" to "IPA." I prefer the ones that favor the IPA side of the scale, with a hint of Belgian yeast for added interest. Hugh Malone fit my preferences quite well. The citrus and piney notes were predominant with just a hint of Belgian yeast "funk" adding a fun twist. Colleen's Confluence, with its tart but not overpowering Brett and grassy citrus flavors was equally enjoyable. We accompanied both beers with an appetizer of Spinach, Crab and Artichoke dip served with Pretzel bread bits.

We still weren't done with interesting beer offerings, this time turning our attention to The Bruery side of the menu. Colleen ordered a pint of Autumn Maple. This seasonal from The Bruery is a Belgian Ale brewed with yams. This was an interesting take on a traditional "pumpkin beer," with similar spice, but using yams instead of pumpkin in the brewing process.

For my decision, the friendly bartender again aided by offering small tastes of Humulus Lager and Tart of Darkness. The Tart of Darkness is a Sour or Wild Ale that was very interesting, with a flavorful, juicy tartness. If I weren't having food, I would have definitely ordered a full pint. However, I had placed an order for some spicy wings, so I opted for the Humulus Lager.

The Bruery Humulus Lager is another one of those crossover-style beers; an Imperial Pilsner on one hand, a citrusy IPA on the other. The crisp citrus and fruity hop flavors are accompanied by a crispness one expects in a lager. Just the thing with Capital Ale House's spicy habanero wings.

It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, especially as Monday's weather forecast calls for yet another Winter storm headed our way.

Vintage 51 & A Lost Rhino Beer

We visited friends in Northern Virginia over the Easter weekend, so broke from our traditional meal at home, and enjoyed a meal out to celebrate. We opted to try out Vintage 51 in South Riding. Sister restaurant to Vintage 50 in Leesburg, Vintage 51 offers family dining in a casual atmosphere. This was a place I've been wanting to try for some time, so was looking forward to our dinner.

Vintage 50 has a brewery onsite. Not so 51, but their online beer menu did list the Vintage 50 Cat IPA. Unfortunately, the house beer was not available. While disappointing, another selection was easy to make. The beer menu at Vintage 51 is well-done, with a wide variety of bottle and draft craft beer choices. I opted for Face Plant IPA, from another Virginia brewery, Lost Rhino in Ashburn. My dining partners also found selections they enjoyed as well. Colleen opted for a draft Allagash White, our friend selected Original Sin Cider.

Lost Rhino Face Plant IPA (Gotta love the name!) pours a hazy copper color with a thin white head. The aroma is stronger on the sweet malt, but with some citrus notes thrown in. It's not heavy in the aroma profile, but pleasing nonetheless. The citrus and bitter hop notes come out more in the flavor. It's still a malt-forward IPA, but with enough bitterness to keep my interest. The bitterness of grapefruit rind lingers in the mouth for a long while. While not extreme in any sense, I found Face Plant to be quite enjoyable. In fact, I finished my glass before we finished our appetizers, and ordered second to enjoy with my meal.

The food menu offers much variety; steaks, sandwiches, salads, pasta, seafood, not to mention plenty of appetizers. We decided to start with a couple of starters, it was a Feast day after all! We selected the Vintage Wings (Buffalo style) and the Onion Rings. The wings were large, meaty and spicy with a nice crispy outside. The Rings were tasty as well; lightly breaded and served with a spicy remoulade. Two winners here.

For my entrée I opted for the Black & Bleu Strip. The streak was coated in Cajun spices and topped with Blue Cheese. I enjoyed the steak very much and the Face Plant IPA went quite well. Colleen ordered the Grilled New York Strip, our son the Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich, while our friend opted for the BBQ Pork Shanks. Every one of the entrées was well-prepared, and no one had any complaints about the food. My son filled up on appetizers so left most of his BBQ sandwich. When he enjoyed it for lunch the next day he remarked that he wanted to back to Vintage 51 soon.

When it came time to think about dessert, we did think about it, but all were too stuffed to make that move. However, we did opt for coffee while we lingered and continued our fun conversations. I am often wary of restaurant coffee. It's very hit or miss I find. Even after a restaurant serves a fine, delicious meal, there's no guarantee the coffee with be any good. I am happy to report that the coffee was hot and very dark French Roast. In fact, it I hadn't had my fill of food and beverage, I would have accepted our server's offer of a refill.

I think the only thing I have not covered is the service. That too was excellent. Justin was attentive and cheerful. We kept him hopping as we lingered between ordering each course. We discussed our experience at Vintage 51 quite a bit after we left. We were unanimous in our opinions. We will definitely be returning when the opportunity presents itself. We've tried a number of local "pubs" while visiting Northern Virginia, and with it's offerings of good craft beer and a well-rounded menu, Vintage 51 might be one of my new favorites.

Going South to Find Beers From North

Sometimes beer distribution patterns can be frustrating. Readers of these Musings will know that I have a fondness for Clipper City beer (Yea, I know they are called Heavy Seas now, but old habits die hard.) Unfortunately, the beer from this Baltimore brewery, is hard to come by in Fredericksburg of late. I've been told "it's the distributer." The reason is irrelevant, what matters is the beers aren't here. Imagine my delight when I walk into Chip's Beer & Wine in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and I see on the end cap bottles of Heavy Seas Letter of Marque! Then, later in our trip, we're at a local grocery store and spy an entire display of Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale. Not just in stock, but featured!

And the welcome sightings weren't limited to Heavy Seas. Colleen is a fan of Allagash White. We get other Allagash Brewing beers in Fredericksburg, but for some reason this particular one is hard to come by. We've even asked for it in places known for extensive beer selections and have been disappointed. But there it was, on the shelf at Chip's. Of course we picked up some to bring home. Later in our trip, we stopped in for dinner at the Lucky 12 Tavern and they had Allagash White on draft, served in a logo glass as well. A nice surprise indeed.

When we visit North Carolina I make it a point to look for beers that I can't get back home. Typically those are local North Carolina beers. But sometimes we find beers from other regions that just aren't available to us. That's what makes traveling fun.

Allagash Beer Dinner Menu Posted

Capital Ale House has published the menu for its upcoming Allagash Brewing Beer Dinner with brewer Rob Tod. The lineup of beers is quite intriguing. The event will be held at the downtown Richmond Capital Ale House on August 12.

Opening beer: Allagash White

1st Course: Allagash Victor
Country Pate with Pickled Hop Shoots

2nd Course: Allagash Confluence
Brie with summer fruit salad

3rd Course: Allagash Curieux
Butter Poached Maine Lobster Tail with foie gras butter

4th Course: Allagash Burnam Road Smoked
Smoked Duck Breast

5th Course: Allagash Interlude
Creme Brulee

Tickets can be purchased here. The $75 price includes includes the 6 beer courses and 5 food courses listed above, an Allagash glass, tax and gratuity. Doors open at 6:30PM.

More 'Meet the Brewer' Opportunities

While we're quite fond of all of our local Virginia breweries and brewers, it's also a thrill to welcome brewers from distant states when they visit Virginia. Just a few weeks ago we got to meet Garrett Oliver at a Brooklyn Brewery beer dinner right here in Fredericksburg. And now, here are two more opportunities to meet brewers from distant states.

On Sunday, July 19, Patrick Rue from The Bruery in Orange County, CA will be visiting Mekong Restaurant in Richmond, VA. The Bruery's beers are new to Virginia and here's an opportunity to try out a few of them and meet Patrick as well. Restaurant owner An Meking says Patrick will be sharing his Orchard White, Black Orchard, Saison Rue and Trade Wind Triple beers. Contact the restaurant for more information.

On Wednesday, August 12, Allagash Brewing of Portland, ME will be featured at a beer dinner at the downtown Richmond Capital Ale House. Allagash head brewer and owner Rob Tod will be there to present an array of Allagash beers, expertly paired with delicious foods. Allagash specializes in bottle conditioned, Belgian-style beers. The $75 ticket price includes six beers (some of which have never been seen in Richmond), five courses, tax, gratuity, and souvenir glass. Online ticket information can be found here.

I'm checking my schedule now.

Christmas Dinner

After a big Christmas morning breakfast, an afternoon of video games, and a quick jog through the neighborhood it was back to the table for more dining pleasures. Our Christmas dinner menu consisted of standing rib roast, oyster casserole, baked sweet potatoes, and asparagus sauteed with garlic. For a beer to go along with the repast I selected Allagash Grand Cru.

The Allagash makes a nice visual impression served in my new thistle glasses. (A Christmas gift from Colleen.) It pours a bright ruby-orange with a thick, billowing head. The head does drop pretty rapidly leaving a thin ring and plenty of lacing. The pleasant aroma of bananas and yeast gave a hint of the taste to come. The flavor is banana, clove and other spices. There's a slight citrus tang along with a slightly sweet malt. The beer is quite carbonated and a good palate cleanser. The fruit and spice flavor was gentle, but was more than adequate to stand up to the strong flavor of the oyster casserole and the fresh minced horseradish served with the beef.

Later in the evening, Colleen prepared a dessert of Flourless Chocolate Cake with Molten Ganach. This is another recipe from The Best of American Beer and Food by Lucy Saunders. We've tried a number of recipes from this book and it continues to impress. The recipe calls for a dark wheat beer so we used Victory Moonglow Weizenbock. Besides using it in the recipe itself, we also enjoyed it along with dessert.

The house was filled with the aroma of chocolate as the cakes were baking so they were awaited with much anticipation. Needless to say we were feeling a bit stuffed by this time, but the flourless cakes were very light and essentially dissolved in the mouth. They were quite tasty with warm, gooey chocolate centers. This was a good choice for a rich chocolate treat without being too filling. The Victory Weizenbock has a predominately malt aroma with clove and nutmeg spices in the background. The malts predominate the taste with some banana and clove as well. There is a bit of spiciness in the after taste to round it out. Some tingling carbonation is also present. The Victory beer had a similar flavor profile to the Allagash we had with the main course, giving a nice continuity to the meals.

Yesterday's festivities were special as always. This year no trips or visiting, just our family enjoying the day at home. It was fun to have a few special beer-related treats throughout the day. I hope your Christmas celebration was just as much fun.