It's been a while since I last posted a blog. You see, I normally write when I am listening to football on the internet, and seeing as today is the start of the football season again, then it seems only natural that I pen something while in front of the laptop with a beer in hand.
Loads has happened since I last wrote. I'm delighted to say that Estonia has totally embraced the craft beer scene. More and more craft beers from Denmark, America and the UK are on sale, and more importantly, locally produced micro brewed beers are available and are selling out nearly as fast as they are made.
Pudel bar, which I'm part owner of, has grown from strength to strength, and it's not unusual to struggle to find an available table both inside and outside on a weekend. And this is a bar that got famous for being a "Saku free zone". Finally, drinkers in Estonia have a choice of some great beers, without being bombarded with 2=3 offers and free t-shirts. It also is good to see, that Tallinn's drinkers are happy to pay a little bit extra for quality, rather than look for the quantity of beer they can get for the money in their pocket.
And what can I say about Põhjala Brewery? They dared to challenge the current local market with some premium, niche craft beer. Starting out with just a few cases of bottles, they've now progressed to producing kegs of beer, being served in some of the main beer outlets in Tallinn. They are struggling to keep up with demand, and it's this demand that is driving more bars to stock their beers, and more "home" brewers to add foundation to their dream of starting their own brewery. This year alone, I've been given about fifty different samples from home brewers, who are looking to expand their current production from friends to customers.
I import Mikkeller, Brewdog and several others to Estonia. Since I started two years ago, my orders have gone from two or three brands from each brewer, to two or three pallets (that's 72 cases) every couple of weeks. Just yesterday, I had a delivery of 15 pallets and I'm already looking to place my order next week, as I don't think that 1080 cases of beer will satisfy the demand of the 50 plus bars and restaurants that stock my beer.
What's driving this demand? I think it's the Estonian desire to be individual that is the main moving force. The Kalamaja distict, where Pudel Bar is located is getting more and more fashionable - it's an industrial setting which a couple of years ago was pretty much a "no go area". As prices have risen in the old and new parts of Tallinn, people have decided that they need to move away from the centre and into an area which is different, has attitude and potential. It's these same people who make decisions based away from the norm, who want to drink a beer that shares the same values as their lifestyle. They don't want a commercially produced beer which is for the masses, they want something that is alternative and with taste. It's no secret that we opened Pudel Bar up in this area, because we knew that there was a demographic who would visit the bar and keep it crowded week in week out. The knock on effect, is that the other bars in this area and around, are also stocking craft beers. These bars don't have the old attitude of "we won't sell the same beer as other bars", but rather "we want to be a select group of bars that serve beers that our customers want".
So what's up next for the Estonian beer scene? I can see a few more local micro breweries opening up, I can see a lot more restaurants realising the potential for matching good, quality beer with food, and I can see a lot more demand from customers. We've raised the bar to the highest level its been - and the only way is up. I can now start to import styles of beer that I didn't think were possible a year or so ago. Sours, barrel aged, smoked and high strength beers are now on my shopping list. Limited edition beers sell out within a few hours. Põhjala beers are being asked about in many bars. Supermarkets are ringing me up saying that they need to stock craft beer.
It's a nice business to be in at the moment, and the biggest reward is seeing the satisfied faces on the customer when they drink the beer. It's almost as good, as seeing the dis-satisfied faces of customers when they visit a bar that doesn't stock craft beer, and they move onto another that does.
Let's keep that bar raised high, and together we can work to make the beer drinking experience an excellent one.
James
Showing posts with label Mikkeller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mikkeller. Show all posts
Saturday, 3 August 2013
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Estonian micro revolution starting to get big.
Last weekend, I went down to Tartu to visit fellow beer shop owner, and beer geek Karmo. Karmo owns the excellent "õllepood Nr.1". The reason for my visit, was that there was a gathering of Tartu home brewers and Karmo wanted me to help judge their beers.
"Make sure you stay overnight" said Karmo, which I took to mean that there was going to be plenty of sampling going on.
Before I did the judging, I went next door to Möku, which is a nice little bar that has recently expanded its beer range. Lauri asked me if I'd like to give his staff a brief training session about some of their new beers, which of course I was very happy to do. Beer culture in Estonia has expanded so rapidly, that more and more beers are appearing on taps and in fridges each month - with the staff needing to know a bit about them. That in itself is refreshing - staff actually wanting to know about the beer they are serving. I think it goes to show that craft beer actually has a personality, with each having its own story to tell. Mainstream generic beers are boring - they all have the same life story - which is not really that exciting to tell the truth. So we had a good chat about beer, how it's made, why it tastes like it does bla bla bla, so much so that I over-ran and was late for my date by half an hour. I could have gone on for hours more.
So I arrived at Karmo's place, and there were already people there waiting for me. It was good to see that the usual photo fit of a home brewer wasn't present here. No socks, sandals and beards, but regular guys including two smartly dressed young educated gentlemen, a biker, a DJ and me. And Karmo - who has a beard and was wearing sandals with socks.
Now I have to admit - I'm not a fan of all home brewed beers. Some are very good, some are passable, but to be honest, most are pretty bloody awful. The people who make them, have to drink them. When you've spent a good few hours brewing and bottling them, you'll drink the sweat of your labours, no matter how it tastes. And what you'll also do - is give some to your friends and ask them to try it. I get a lot of these - with requests of "honest feedback". Most of the time, I'm not entirely honest, but forthright enough to make sure that I don't get any second bottles sent to me.
Life is too short for bad beer. So I take a sip, and if I don't like it, then it gets poured down the sink. Which is interesting in itself. I told an Estonian friend that I pour the beer away if I don't like it, and he looked at me shocked. "But it's free" he said. "How can you waste something that is free?" he asked. Whereas my viewpoint is that if I didn't pay for it, then I'm losing nothing by pouring it down the drain.
So when I was told that there was going to be over 20 different beers to try, I tried to work out how I was going to throw away the beer I didn't like - when I had the guy who made it sitting right in front of me.
As it turned out, it was pleasantly suprising. There were 28 different beers, which at times was a bit of a chore - because not all of them hit the mark. Some of them were not, how shall I put it...."to my taste". As all the narrative was in Estonian, I did my best to work out the ingredients, and in one beer I was sure there were bananas. A banana IPA I wrote on my tasting notes. When I submitted my feedback, I was given looks of astonishment and hilarity. "What sort of bananas do you have in England?" They all laughed. The beer didn't have any banana in it at all. Shame it tasted like it did. Drainpour!
But on the whole the beers were good. Some were excellent, with one Imperial Black IPA in my opinion, being good enough to sell to the public. It was the overall winner out of the bunch, with an IPA brewed by the same brewer coming in second place.
I left Tartu smiling, not only because I had tasted some nice new beer, but because I managed to sell six copies of my book to these home brewers too. That's the hotel sorted then ;)
So what's happening in Tallinn? What's not happening in Tallinn is more to the point. Talk of the town this month is that a new beer bar called Pudel has opened up in the up and coming area of Telliskivi. I'm lucky enough to be co-owner of it, and once again I'm glad that I decided to enter the beer industry when I left University, not sell washing machines like my old man wanted me to. The great thing about being involved in small scale bars, is that you get to pick and choose what brands you sell. If you're boring and want to make a sure fire profit, you go with the major brands, and basically sell your soul to them. If you are a bit more gung ho, and want to work hard at making a profit by being non mainstream, then you get to play around with some interesting beers, hoping that the fact you are being different will bring the punters in.
Pudel has its foot firmly in the non mainstream camp. It has the largest selection of beers in Tallinn (read, Estonia) with many of the brands making their debut. Punk IPA, Baltic Frontier, Thornbridge beers are all on tap, and there are world class ratebeer 100/100 beers on the shelves in the name of Mikkeller George Cognac Edition, Nelson Sauvignon and Trappist beers from Rochefort, Achel among others.
One of the other co-owners, also happens to be a brewer. Not a kitchen or garden shed brewer, but a full on "we're gonna make so much we're gonna keg it" brewer. They call it Põhjala, which means Nordic Territory in English. They've been putting together a few brews, sampling it (I get bottles too, and I'm pleased to say that I don't have to drain pour them), re brewing it, sampling it over and over to ensure it's ready. Ready for what? Bottling and kegging with the intention of becoming the first Estonian micro/gypsy brewed beer available to buy in Estonia. They are so intent on becoming the best, that they learnt and borrowed resource from the best. Two of the brewers spent a week at Brewdog, and then Brewdogs brewer came over to Estonia to help them put together the beer.
Next Friday, the 8th of Feb in Pudel bar, the boys will be having a launch night for their new beer. It's called ÖÖ, which means Night in English. It's a Baltic Imperial Stout coming in at 9,5% abv, and like the name suggests, is a black as the night. Look out for the Facebook invitation - the brewer from Brewdog will be coming over too, so it's a great chance to try the beer and ask questions to the guys who created it. The very cool thing is that the beer is packaged in Key Kegs, which uses compressed air to dispense. No gas enters the beer, which means you get to taste it just as the brewer intended.
Just to whet your appetite for the 7th, I managed to blag myself a bottle, and reviewed it.
It's a 33cl bottle (50cl at 9,5% abv would be too much), with a striking design on the label. It depicts a black night, with twin, vanilla coloured moons, reminding me a bit of Tatooine's binary sunset in the Star Wars film.
The pour is nice and thick, and it is at this moment when you realise that the beer is as black as the label. It comes out like a sludgy engine oil, building a thick creamy foam which is coffee cream in colour. It's the sort of head Guinness drinkers like to boast they can rest a penny on top. Except this one didn't require any nitrogen or 181 seconds to pour.
The aroma is as you would expect (if you are experienced at this game) of a Baltic Stout. Loads of roasted scents such as burnt oak, coffee, caramel, liquorice, spice, raisins and alcohol. It's worth pointing out, that the head has diminished from its original state, but is still there, almost like a vicars collar on top of the beer.
The taste is similar to the aromas you pick up - but there is a little sweetness too, almost like black syrup or molasses. It's not overly bitter, and any bitterness that is picked up is mostly from the malts rather than the hops. It's nice and smoky, and has a good depth of flavour, starting with smoke, which turns into chocolate, which then turns to dark fruits. The alcohol is there, but it's very well hidden, making this an easy 9,5% beer to drink.
The finish is smooth, but also a little salty. I'm not sure if this salt is intended, as it gives a little medicinal saline finish to the beer - which doesn't really fit in with the rest of the flavour portfolio. I'm not talking sea water salt, but just a little hint towards the end. Normal people probably won't notice it at all. Such is my curse for being a geek.
The overall impression of the beer is that it's very good. It's up there in style with such luminaries as Mikkeller Black Hole, and Brewdog Alice Porter (which maybe even had the same brewer). Of course the real success story of this beer will be its loyal, Estonian fans. Estonian beer geeks have always been hunting for that really good beer made by one of their own, and now they have one. There is talk of more styles coming from them, including one called "Topelt Nelson", which is a dry hopped IPA using the Nelson Sauvin hop. Looking forward to that.
So, if you want to check out the new bar, and also check out the new beer, and also check out the brewers - then put a date in your diary/iphone/Samsung for the 8th of Feb. Check out Pudel Baar on Facebook for further updates. This stuff is great in bottle, but I suspect it will reach another level on tap.
"Make sure you stay overnight" said Karmo, which I took to mean that there was going to be plenty of sampling going on.
Before I did the judging, I went next door to Möku, which is a nice little bar that has recently expanded its beer range. Lauri asked me if I'd like to give his staff a brief training session about some of their new beers, which of course I was very happy to do. Beer culture in Estonia has expanded so rapidly, that more and more beers are appearing on taps and in fridges each month - with the staff needing to know a bit about them. That in itself is refreshing - staff actually wanting to know about the beer they are serving. I think it goes to show that craft beer actually has a personality, with each having its own story to tell. Mainstream generic beers are boring - they all have the same life story - which is not really that exciting to tell the truth. So we had a good chat about beer, how it's made, why it tastes like it does bla bla bla, so much so that I over-ran and was late for my date by half an hour. I could have gone on for hours more.
So I arrived at Karmo's place, and there were already people there waiting for me. It was good to see that the usual photo fit of a home brewer wasn't present here. No socks, sandals and beards, but regular guys including two smartly dressed young educated gentlemen, a biker, a DJ and me. And Karmo - who has a beard and was wearing sandals with socks.
Now I have to admit - I'm not a fan of all home brewed beers. Some are very good, some are passable, but to be honest, most are pretty bloody awful. The people who make them, have to drink them. When you've spent a good few hours brewing and bottling them, you'll drink the sweat of your labours, no matter how it tastes. And what you'll also do - is give some to your friends and ask them to try it. I get a lot of these - with requests of "honest feedback". Most of the time, I'm not entirely honest, but forthright enough to make sure that I don't get any second bottles sent to me.
Life is too short for bad beer. So I take a sip, and if I don't like it, then it gets poured down the sink. Which is interesting in itself. I told an Estonian friend that I pour the beer away if I don't like it, and he looked at me shocked. "But it's free" he said. "How can you waste something that is free?" he asked. Whereas my viewpoint is that if I didn't pay for it, then I'm losing nothing by pouring it down the drain.
So when I was told that there was going to be over 20 different beers to try, I tried to work out how I was going to throw away the beer I didn't like - when I had the guy who made it sitting right in front of me.
As it turned out, it was pleasantly suprising. There were 28 different beers, which at times was a bit of a chore - because not all of them hit the mark. Some of them were not, how shall I put it...."to my taste". As all the narrative was in Estonian, I did my best to work out the ingredients, and in one beer I was sure there were bananas. A banana IPA I wrote on my tasting notes. When I submitted my feedback, I was given looks of astonishment and hilarity. "What sort of bananas do you have in England?" They all laughed. The beer didn't have any banana in it at all. Shame it tasted like it did. Drainpour!
But on the whole the beers were good. Some were excellent, with one Imperial Black IPA in my opinion, being good enough to sell to the public. It was the overall winner out of the bunch, with an IPA brewed by the same brewer coming in second place.
I left Tartu smiling, not only because I had tasted some nice new beer, but because I managed to sell six copies of my book to these home brewers too. That's the hotel sorted then ;)
So what's happening in Tallinn? What's not happening in Tallinn is more to the point. Talk of the town this month is that a new beer bar called Pudel has opened up in the up and coming area of Telliskivi. I'm lucky enough to be co-owner of it, and once again I'm glad that I decided to enter the beer industry when I left University, not sell washing machines like my old man wanted me to. The great thing about being involved in small scale bars, is that you get to pick and choose what brands you sell. If you're boring and want to make a sure fire profit, you go with the major brands, and basically sell your soul to them. If you are a bit more gung ho, and want to work hard at making a profit by being non mainstream, then you get to play around with some interesting beers, hoping that the fact you are being different will bring the punters in.
Pudel has its foot firmly in the non mainstream camp. It has the largest selection of beers in Tallinn (read, Estonia) with many of the brands making their debut. Punk IPA, Baltic Frontier, Thornbridge beers are all on tap, and there are world class ratebeer 100/100 beers on the shelves in the name of Mikkeller George Cognac Edition, Nelson Sauvignon and Trappist beers from Rochefort, Achel among others.
One of the other co-owners, also happens to be a brewer. Not a kitchen or garden shed brewer, but a full on "we're gonna make so much we're gonna keg it" brewer. They call it Põhjala, which means Nordic Territory in English. They've been putting together a few brews, sampling it (I get bottles too, and I'm pleased to say that I don't have to drain pour them), re brewing it, sampling it over and over to ensure it's ready. Ready for what? Bottling and kegging with the intention of becoming the first Estonian micro/gypsy brewed beer available to buy in Estonia. They are so intent on becoming the best, that they learnt and borrowed resource from the best. Two of the brewers spent a week at Brewdog, and then Brewdogs brewer came over to Estonia to help them put together the beer.
Next Friday, the 8th of Feb in Pudel bar, the boys will be having a launch night for their new beer. It's called ÖÖ, which means Night in English. It's a Baltic Imperial Stout coming in at 9,5% abv, and like the name suggests, is a black as the night. Look out for the Facebook invitation - the brewer from Brewdog will be coming over too, so it's a great chance to try the beer and ask questions to the guys who created it. The very cool thing is that the beer is packaged in Key Kegs, which uses compressed air to dispense. No gas enters the beer, which means you get to taste it just as the brewer intended.
Just to whet your appetite for the 7th, I managed to blag myself a bottle, and reviewed it.
It's a 33cl bottle (50cl at 9,5% abv would be too much), with a striking design on the label. It depicts a black night, with twin, vanilla coloured moons, reminding me a bit of Tatooine's binary sunset in the Star Wars film.
The pour is nice and thick, and it is at this moment when you realise that the beer is as black as the label. It comes out like a sludgy engine oil, building a thick creamy foam which is coffee cream in colour. It's the sort of head Guinness drinkers like to boast they can rest a penny on top. Except this one didn't require any nitrogen or 181 seconds to pour.
The aroma is as you would expect (if you are experienced at this game) of a Baltic Stout. Loads of roasted scents such as burnt oak, coffee, caramel, liquorice, spice, raisins and alcohol. It's worth pointing out, that the head has diminished from its original state, but is still there, almost like a vicars collar on top of the beer.
The taste is similar to the aromas you pick up - but there is a little sweetness too, almost like black syrup or molasses. It's not overly bitter, and any bitterness that is picked up is mostly from the malts rather than the hops. It's nice and smoky, and has a good depth of flavour, starting with smoke, which turns into chocolate, which then turns to dark fruits. The alcohol is there, but it's very well hidden, making this an easy 9,5% beer to drink.
The finish is smooth, but also a little salty. I'm not sure if this salt is intended, as it gives a little medicinal saline finish to the beer - which doesn't really fit in with the rest of the flavour portfolio. I'm not talking sea water salt, but just a little hint towards the end. Normal people probably won't notice it at all. Such is my curse for being a geek.
The overall impression of the beer is that it's very good. It's up there in style with such luminaries as Mikkeller Black Hole, and Brewdog Alice Porter (which maybe even had the same brewer). Of course the real success story of this beer will be its loyal, Estonian fans. Estonian beer geeks have always been hunting for that really good beer made by one of their own, and now they have one. There is talk of more styles coming from them, including one called "Topelt Nelson", which is a dry hopped IPA using the Nelson Sauvin hop. Looking forward to that.
So, if you want to check out the new bar, and also check out the new beer, and also check out the brewers - then put a date in your diary/iphone/Samsung for the 8th of Feb. Check out Pudel Baar on Facebook for further updates. This stuff is great in bottle, but I suspect it will reach another level on tap.
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Hoppy Christmas!
Christmas is a time for taking it easy, eating large amounts of food, and drinking more than your daily limit of alcohol.
Lots of people are realising that it's just as acceptable to bring beer to the table, as well as wine. But what beer goes best with Christmas food?
Christmas food, especially in Estonia, is particularly heavy. It's more often than not a little fatty too - think goose, pork, turkey and roast potatoes. There are some spices involved, such as black pepper, cloves, caraway and nutmeg. Sauces play a big part, with meat gravy, cherry, apple and orange all served as accompaniments.
That's a lot of flavours. But fortunately, there are plenty of beers to match.
Traditional Christmas beers are dark, and more often than not, contain a combination of spices similar to the ones I've already mentioned. These are great to go with smoked hams, pork and traditional Estonian food. Blood sausages and dark beer are a match made in heaven. You can even cook with dark beer. Sauerkraut slowly simmered in a dark Christmas beer stock, is a real crowd pleaser.
Here's a recipe taken from the excellent Estonian Nami Nami blogspot. www.nami-nami.blogspot.com
BEER BRAISED SAUERKRAUT
Serves 12
1KG Fresh Sauerkraut
100 grams soft brown sugar or honey
1 tsp salt
500ml strong dark Christmas beer
Pinch of caraway seeds
50g butter
Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat on a medium setting. Stir every now and again until the cabbage is golden, soft and caramelised. Should be about an hour.
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I'd then pair this with a dark Christmas beer when eating. The caramel, burnt sugar flavours in the cabbage, go absolutely hand in hand with the roasted, caramel malts and spices.
What if you're having duck or goose? I'd go for a fruit beer. Especially a cherry one. The acidity of the beer cuts through the fat of the bird, while the subtle fruit flavours provide a beautiful counterpoint.
Here's a selection of my recommended dark traditional Christmas beers, which will go nicely with a dish of Pork, Saurkraut, blood sausages and all the trimmings
A Le Coq Jouluporter.
A nice traditional Baltic Porter, with some spices, and nice dry bitterness from the roasted malts.
Puls Joulu Legend.
Not as bitter as it's other Estonian counterparts, but a bit more spiced. Some nice juniper taste.
Brewdog Christmas Porter.
Lots of roast malts, chili and chocolate in this one. I think it'd go great with blood sausage.
Mikkeller Fra Til Via.
Super roasty, bitter, dry porter. It's got cloves, cumin and coriander in it. Christmas in a bottle!
Santa's Little Helper 2011 Speyside whisky edition.
Serve this after the meal in a 4cl glass. Super peaty, super whisky, super woody. Super!
Of course, there has to always be an alternative Christmas. Just as we've seen that the trend in beers is moving towards hop forward, refreshing beers, the same has happened with Christmas beers. Danish Brewer To Øl states on it's beer "Snowball":
"Enough heavy dark obnoxious sweet super malty x-mas and winter beers. When you eat heavy duck with fat gravy, the last thing you want is another heavy sweet malt liquor!
NO! you want something that can help you sink the dinner, ease you stomach and cleanse your throat"
I've got to admit I agree with them. Quite often my plate is so crammed with food at Christmas time, that I'm struggling to fit any liquid down my gullet. As I've mentioned before, temperature plays a big part in "drinkability", and for me, I prefer a nice cold beer sliding down my throat as I'm eating my third helping of turkey, than a heavy porter. If we take turkey as an example, it's often served with lemon, or has been basted or stuffed with lemon. Think of some of the modern beers packed with fresh new world hops - citrus, grapefruit and pine. These flavours will absolutely sing with a lemon basted turkey.
Here are some of the beers which should be served chilled at the table, and will provide a nice refreshing zing with your turkey:
To Øl Snowball.
A hopped Saison style beer. Nicely carbonated, it's almost like a sparkling wine. Refreshingly hoppy.
Mikkeller Hoppy Lovin Christmas.
An IPA made with ginger and pine needles. Really refreshing, with a great ginger bite towards the end.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale.
Not a Christmas beer as such, but contains cloves, cardomon, cinnamon and other "Xmas" spices.
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted.
Again, not a Christmas beer, but it's got so much lemon zest, that it just works so well with white meat and fish.
And now we come to fruit. As I mentioned, a good cherry lambic will provide a little acidity to cut through the fat of a goose, turkey or piece of pork, as well as giving a bit of sweetness which goes nice with the meat. If you are going to serve some sort of sauce - like a cherry compote, or some cowberry jam, why not stir a little fruit beer into it just before serving? A glass of cherry beer with goose, chicken, turkey, duck and even pork is a real treat. You'll find that even those who say they don't like beer, will be totally amazed at what they are drinking. I'm willing to bet money that even Granny will love a Belgian fruit beer!
Ok, here's my recommendations:
Kasteel Rouge.
The old favourite. I have yet to find someone who doesn't like it. Hate beer? It's my trump card. Loves duck.
Lindemans kriek.
Takes the cherry up a notch. Expensive, but worth it. Expensive because it contains so much fruit.
Baltic Frontier.
Made with sea buckthorn. Super bitter, but this and some fatty meat are a match in heaven. Great paired with lamb.
So there you have it. And as I always say - if it doesn't work, sit back and decide why it didn't and try something else. That's the great thing about beer - there is ALWAYS a beer out there that will go with your food. Christmas time is an occasion to relax and let things come to you - maybe you'll just happen to stumble across a beer which you find a total favourite, and you'll make some food that goes with the beer, not the other way around :)
A big Happy hoppy Christmas from me, and a big thank you for all that read this blog!
Have a good one!
James
Lots of people are realising that it's just as acceptable to bring beer to the table, as well as wine. But what beer goes best with Christmas food?
Christmas food, especially in Estonia, is particularly heavy. It's more often than not a little fatty too - think goose, pork, turkey and roast potatoes. There are some spices involved, such as black pepper, cloves, caraway and nutmeg. Sauces play a big part, with meat gravy, cherry, apple and orange all served as accompaniments.
That's a lot of flavours. But fortunately, there are plenty of beers to match.
Traditional Christmas beers are dark, and more often than not, contain a combination of spices similar to the ones I've already mentioned. These are great to go with smoked hams, pork and traditional Estonian food. Blood sausages and dark beer are a match made in heaven. You can even cook with dark beer. Sauerkraut slowly simmered in a dark Christmas beer stock, is a real crowd pleaser.
Here's a recipe taken from the excellent Estonian Nami Nami blogspot. www.nami-nami.blogspot.com
BEER BRAISED SAUERKRAUT
Serves 12
1KG Fresh Sauerkraut
100 grams soft brown sugar or honey
1 tsp salt
500ml strong dark Christmas beer
Pinch of caraway seeds
50g butter
Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat on a medium setting. Stir every now and again until the cabbage is golden, soft and caramelised. Should be about an hour.
.jpg)
I'd then pair this with a dark Christmas beer when eating. The caramel, burnt sugar flavours in the cabbage, go absolutely hand in hand with the roasted, caramel malts and spices.
What if you're having duck or goose? I'd go for a fruit beer. Especially a cherry one. The acidity of the beer cuts through the fat of the bird, while the subtle fruit flavours provide a beautiful counterpoint.
Here's a selection of my recommended dark traditional Christmas beers, which will go nicely with a dish of Pork, Saurkraut, blood sausages and all the trimmings
A Le Coq Jouluporter.
A nice traditional Baltic Porter, with some spices, and nice dry bitterness from the roasted malts.
Puls Joulu Legend.
Not as bitter as it's other Estonian counterparts, but a bit more spiced. Some nice juniper taste.
Brewdog Christmas Porter.
Lots of roast malts, chili and chocolate in this one. I think it'd go great with blood sausage.
Mikkeller Fra Til Via.
Super roasty, bitter, dry porter. It's got cloves, cumin and coriander in it. Christmas in a bottle!
Santa's Little Helper 2011 Speyside whisky edition.
Serve this after the meal in a 4cl glass. Super peaty, super whisky, super woody. Super!
Of course, there has to always be an alternative Christmas. Just as we've seen that the trend in beers is moving towards hop forward, refreshing beers, the same has happened with Christmas beers. Danish Brewer To Øl states on it's beer "Snowball":
"Enough heavy dark obnoxious sweet super malty x-mas and winter beers. When you eat heavy duck with fat gravy, the last thing you want is another heavy sweet malt liquor!
NO! you want something that can help you sink the dinner, ease you stomach and cleanse your throat"
I've got to admit I agree with them. Quite often my plate is so crammed with food at Christmas time, that I'm struggling to fit any liquid down my gullet. As I've mentioned before, temperature plays a big part in "drinkability", and for me, I prefer a nice cold beer sliding down my throat as I'm eating my third helping of turkey, than a heavy porter. If we take turkey as an example, it's often served with lemon, or has been basted or stuffed with lemon. Think of some of the modern beers packed with fresh new world hops - citrus, grapefruit and pine. These flavours will absolutely sing with a lemon basted turkey.
Here are some of the beers which should be served chilled at the table, and will provide a nice refreshing zing with your turkey:
To Øl Snowball.
A hopped Saison style beer. Nicely carbonated, it's almost like a sparkling wine. Refreshingly hoppy.
Mikkeller Hoppy Lovin Christmas.
An IPA made with ginger and pine needles. Really refreshing, with a great ginger bite towards the end.
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale.
Not a Christmas beer as such, but contains cloves, cardomon, cinnamon and other "Xmas" spices.
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted.
Again, not a Christmas beer, but it's got so much lemon zest, that it just works so well with white meat and fish.
And now we come to fruit. As I mentioned, a good cherry lambic will provide a little acidity to cut through the fat of a goose, turkey or piece of pork, as well as giving a bit of sweetness which goes nice with the meat. If you are going to serve some sort of sauce - like a cherry compote, or some cowberry jam, why not stir a little fruit beer into it just before serving? A glass of cherry beer with goose, chicken, turkey, duck and even pork is a real treat. You'll find that even those who say they don't like beer, will be totally amazed at what they are drinking. I'm willing to bet money that even Granny will love a Belgian fruit beer!
Ok, here's my recommendations:
Kasteel Rouge.
The old favourite. I have yet to find someone who doesn't like it. Hate beer? It's my trump card. Loves duck.
Lindemans kriek.
Takes the cherry up a notch. Expensive, but worth it. Expensive because it contains so much fruit.
Baltic Frontier.
Made with sea buckthorn. Super bitter, but this and some fatty meat are a match in heaven. Great paired with lamb.
So there you have it. And as I always say - if it doesn't work, sit back and decide why it didn't and try something else. That's the great thing about beer - there is ALWAYS a beer out there that will go with your food. Christmas time is an occasion to relax and let things come to you - maybe you'll just happen to stumble across a beer which you find a total favourite, and you'll make some food that goes with the beer, not the other way around :)
A big Happy hoppy Christmas from me, and a big thank you for all that read this blog!
Have a good one!
James
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Beer and food - not as good as wine surely?
Wining for dining, beering for cheering. That's what we're led to believe, and of course in some cases it's correct. It all depends what type of beer you are drinking.
Craft beer (that's the stuff that is brewed with real ingredients, has a specific style and bags of taste. Can be called real ale in the UK, or traditional ale in the States) is the new star with the international cuisines that we are all eating today. Craft beer can do amazing things with food, and it goes places where wine cannot go. Don't get me wrong - I love wine. I've spent some very pleasurable days of my life in France, sipping Burgundy over four hour lunches. I've even got a minor diploma in wine tasting. I'm not just a beer geek. Wine is wonderful, but lets be honest - it can't do everything.
Craft beer can do everything. Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Cajun and Middle Eastern food, and barbecue, are far better with real beer than with wine. Even with traditionally wine friendly foods, beer often shows superior versatility and flavour compatibility. The range of flavours and aromas in beer is vast - it's deep and wide and tall, and it easily surpasses that of wine. Beer has bitterness to slice through the fat, carbonation to refresh the palate, caramelised flavours to match those in your food, and sweetness to quench the fire of chilies.
If you've tasted only mass-market beer, I'm afraid that you haven't actually tasted beer at all. Craft beer can be imperial stout, matching your dessert with flavours as bold, chocolatey, and roasty as espresso, or it can be a Belgian wit, matching your fish dish with flavours as light and citrusy as fresh lemons. It can be American pale ale, full of bright grapefruit and smelling of pine needles, or a Belgian Framboise, as fruity and as sharp as a raspberry sorbet. It can be a ten year old British barley wine, as warming and complex as a vintage port, or an Indian pale ale, spritzy and full of the aromas of a tropical fruit orchard.
When paired with food, these flavourful beers can really make the meal sing. No matter how complex or refined the dish, whether it's foie gras or a simple smoked sausage, there is a beer out there that will provide the perfect accompaniment. If you love food, but only know wine, then you are trying to write a song using only half the notes and half the band.
Beer by itself can be wonderful. Food however, is where it all comes together. Most of us, myself included, can clearly remember some of the best meals we've ever had. Those meals stand out as peak moments in our lives. Mine was the De Karmeliet in Brugge about twenty five years ago. It was the first real six course meal in a posh restaurant I'd ever had - I couldn't believe you got free sorbet between each course!
Unfortunately, not all meals can be Michelin standard. There are times when meals seem rushed and food is little more than fuel. Even when you've had a good meal, there's often something missing. This is where beer can help you.
As I mentioned, if, to you, "beer" means the yellow fizzy stuff sitting in cans on supermarket shelves, I want you to empty your mind of the fact that these beers actually exist. We're not including them in this little project. We're talking about the real thing here. And this is what real beer can do: it can make every single meal you have an interesting and flavourful experience. It's something that can actually make you pay attention to what's happening on your palate. Paying a little attention to both your food and your beer, is the difference to having an "ok" cooking and eating experience, and having one filled with flavour and lots of it. You'll have to cook or buy nice meals though, beer won't turn a Big Mac into a feast, but it can turn a good chilli into a firework display, or a simple roast chicken into a spectacular meal.
Can't wine do the same thing? Yes and no. I like wine, and frequently enjoy it with my meals. But I don't enjoy wine with all meals. A rack of lamb or some roast beef? Sure, I'd probably crack open a bottle of red. But how about Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese? I love this type of food, and I don't want wine with it. I've had the wine that is supposed to match these foods, but in my opinion, they are a poor substitute for beer. The spices in these dishes distorts the delicate wine flavours, turning white wines sickly and red wines bitter. Wine doesn't refresh the palate like beer does. Nor does wine have caramelised flavours to match my Chinese sticky ribs.
Even wine experts admit that there are many foods that are simply no good with wine. They call these "tricky ingredients". Here's a list: Eggs, chili, smoked meat, smoked fish, tomato, ginger, curry, chocolate, avocado, garlic, spinach, artichokes, asparagus, cumin.
You guessed it, beer has no problem with these ingredients. Wheat beers are great with eggs, spicy Saison or Double IPA's are great with chili, cumin, curry and ginger. Imperial stouts are perfectly suited for chocolate desserts. Each beer really has it's own match for all the types of food and flavours we enjoy.
Another food product that people always associate with wine is cheese. I bet you can't believe I'm about to say that cheese doesn't go with wine. The much hidden secret in the world of wine, is that most wine, especially red, is a very poor match for cheese. Ask any honest sommelier. One well respected wine writer says in this book, that he's had to conclude that the idea of matching red wine with cheese "basically doesn't really work most of the time". He goes onto say that the relationship between cheese and wine is more like a "wary relationship than a real marriage". Another writer says that matching cheese and wine is "fraught with confrontations", and yet another goes onto say that even mild cheeses like Brie, can "clash horribly, especially if you let them get too ripe and runny".
Someone once told me an interesting observation. He said that the places you are normally offered wine and cheese together, are weddings, parties and functions opening a new art gallery or something. He went onto say that the reason why many people end up serving wine with cheese, is that the cheese coats the palate, blunting the flavour of the wine. This makes cheap wine taste pretty much ok. It's why quite a lot of wine shops try and push the cheese and wine combination.
Traditional beer and cheese on the other hand, are absolutely perfect together. And it's not very suprising when you think about it. Beer and cheese are both traditionally farmhouse products, and back in the old days, they were made by the same person. They both derive, to some extent from grasses, they are both fermented and aged, and they both have bacteria (although not the same type) doing the fermenting. And they both have similar flavour attributes - sweetness and acidity, fruitiness and yeasty. Many cheese makers have gone on to become brewers and vice versa. As I said, beer was traditionally made on a farm.
Have you ever seen a cow in a vineyard?
Of course we're talking about cheese with serious, complex and for want of a better word, funky flavours. So just as I said disregard the fizzy yellow beer on the supermarket shelves, do the same with those packets of hiirte juust (mouse cheese in English) on the shelves in the next aisle. The key thing to matching beer with cheese is that you can find harmony as well as contrast. If you take one of my favourite cheeses, Cheddar, you'll find nutty, fruit flavours, and a sharp acidity in the cheese. This means you'll look for a beer that has some nice bitterness to work with the cheeses sharpness, and some nice fruit character and maltiness to match the fruit and nuts in the cheese. An India Pale Ale fits the bill perfectly. Think of one of the very first pub meals - the ploughmans lunch (again, the farm connection), and you now start to understand why cheese, cold meat and fresh bread were paired with a traditional ale.
Want some Gruyere? It's easy to match a beer to the cheeses nutty, acidic, milky flavours. Think of a wine that tastes milky with hints of nuts? Neither can I.
I once was part of a dinner event that not only matched cheese and wine, but also beer and wine. There were seven different cheeses, and each had a wine and beer paired with them. Many of the people thought it was crazy that a beer could even sit on the same table as cheese and wine, but as each course finished, more and more of them were siding with the beer. There is just no way a wine can pair better with a strong cheese like Stilton or even Stinking Bishop, like a Barley wine, French Saison, or Belgian Tripel. The people begrudgingly admitted that the beer had won the battle, and they were all suprised to hear the wine sommelier admit that he knew he would lose the competition. For the record, not one of the wines that were paired with the cheese was red - they were all dry whites.
If you're at a dinner party, the host traditionally wheels out the dessert wine to go with the sweet stuff. Most decline. It's sweetness vs sweetness. Traditional fruit beers open up a whole different set of possibilities, especially with sweet cheeses like mascarpone and goats cheese. Here the sweetness, compared with the tart flavours of fruits such as cherry, raspberry or blackcurrants, work very well.
And as for coffee - why not try an imperial stout or coffee porter instead? Believe me, once you've tried beer with not just cheese, but dessert, roasts, Chinese, Indian, whatever - you just won't go back.
I think the market has advanced so much now, that it's socially acceptable to bring (good) beer to a dinner party. In years gone by, when the only beer available was the aforementioned yellow fizzy stuff in cans, it would have been pretty embarrassing if you turned up and put your four pack down next to all the bottles of wine that the others had brought. Wine was the sophisticated drink, beer was looked down upon. I think there as now been a bit of a role reversal. When I turn up to a dinner party (it rarely happens to be honest!), I always make sure I choose and interesting beer - most likely in a 75cl bottle. So many people assume it's a wine, and when it's poured into their glass and they taste it, you can see them struggling, trying to work out what sort of wine it is. A bottle of Deus is mistaken for champagne, a bottle of Kasteel Rouge is mistaken for some sort of Italian strawberry sparkling wine, and a merlot barrel aged Mikkeller stout, is mistaken for a good, vintage red.
Think about it next time you are offered wine at that next function you attend, you might want to embarrass them and bring some decent beer with you next time.
Cheers!
James
Ps....for those who don't know (is there really anyone I haven't told yet?!), I like beer and food so much, I've written a book about it. Specifically British pub food and what beer to drink with it. Let me know if you're interested in the book if you're not in Estonia.....
Craft beer (that's the stuff that is brewed with real ingredients, has a specific style and bags of taste. Can be called real ale in the UK, or traditional ale in the States) is the new star with the international cuisines that we are all eating today. Craft beer can do amazing things with food, and it goes places where wine cannot go. Don't get me wrong - I love wine. I've spent some very pleasurable days of my life in France, sipping Burgundy over four hour lunches. I've even got a minor diploma in wine tasting. I'm not just a beer geek. Wine is wonderful, but lets be honest - it can't do everything.
Craft beer can do everything. Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Cajun and Middle Eastern food, and barbecue, are far better with real beer than with wine. Even with traditionally wine friendly foods, beer often shows superior versatility and flavour compatibility. The range of flavours and aromas in beer is vast - it's deep and wide and tall, and it easily surpasses that of wine. Beer has bitterness to slice through the fat, carbonation to refresh the palate, caramelised flavours to match those in your food, and sweetness to quench the fire of chilies.
If you've tasted only mass-market beer, I'm afraid that you haven't actually tasted beer at all. Craft beer can be imperial stout, matching your dessert with flavours as bold, chocolatey, and roasty as espresso, or it can be a Belgian wit, matching your fish dish with flavours as light and citrusy as fresh lemons. It can be American pale ale, full of bright grapefruit and smelling of pine needles, or a Belgian Framboise, as fruity and as sharp as a raspberry sorbet. It can be a ten year old British barley wine, as warming and complex as a vintage port, or an Indian pale ale, spritzy and full of the aromas of a tropical fruit orchard.
When paired with food, these flavourful beers can really make the meal sing. No matter how complex or refined the dish, whether it's foie gras or a simple smoked sausage, there is a beer out there that will provide the perfect accompaniment. If you love food, but only know wine, then you are trying to write a song using only half the notes and half the band.
Beer by itself can be wonderful. Food however, is where it all comes together. Most of us, myself included, can clearly remember some of the best meals we've ever had. Those meals stand out as peak moments in our lives. Mine was the De Karmeliet in Brugge about twenty five years ago. It was the first real six course meal in a posh restaurant I'd ever had - I couldn't believe you got free sorbet between each course!
Unfortunately, not all meals can be Michelin standard. There are times when meals seem rushed and food is little more than fuel. Even when you've had a good meal, there's often something missing. This is where beer can help you.
As I mentioned, if, to you, "beer" means the yellow fizzy stuff sitting in cans on supermarket shelves, I want you to empty your mind of the fact that these beers actually exist. We're not including them in this little project. We're talking about the real thing here. And this is what real beer can do: it can make every single meal you have an interesting and flavourful experience. It's something that can actually make you pay attention to what's happening on your palate. Paying a little attention to both your food and your beer, is the difference to having an "ok" cooking and eating experience, and having one filled with flavour and lots of it. You'll have to cook or buy nice meals though, beer won't turn a Big Mac into a feast, but it can turn a good chilli into a firework display, or a simple roast chicken into a spectacular meal.
Can't wine do the same thing? Yes and no. I like wine, and frequently enjoy it with my meals. But I don't enjoy wine with all meals. A rack of lamb or some roast beef? Sure, I'd probably crack open a bottle of red. But how about Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese? I love this type of food, and I don't want wine with it. I've had the wine that is supposed to match these foods, but in my opinion, they are a poor substitute for beer. The spices in these dishes distorts the delicate wine flavours, turning white wines sickly and red wines bitter. Wine doesn't refresh the palate like beer does. Nor does wine have caramelised flavours to match my Chinese sticky ribs.
Even wine experts admit that there are many foods that are simply no good with wine. They call these "tricky ingredients". Here's a list: Eggs, chili, smoked meat, smoked fish, tomato, ginger, curry, chocolate, avocado, garlic, spinach, artichokes, asparagus, cumin.
You guessed it, beer has no problem with these ingredients. Wheat beers are great with eggs, spicy Saison or Double IPA's are great with chili, cumin, curry and ginger. Imperial stouts are perfectly suited for chocolate desserts. Each beer really has it's own match for all the types of food and flavours we enjoy.
Another food product that people always associate with wine is cheese. I bet you can't believe I'm about to say that cheese doesn't go with wine. The much hidden secret in the world of wine, is that most wine, especially red, is a very poor match for cheese. Ask any honest sommelier. One well respected wine writer says in this book, that he's had to conclude that the idea of matching red wine with cheese "basically doesn't really work most of the time". He goes onto say that the relationship between cheese and wine is more like a "wary relationship than a real marriage". Another writer says that matching cheese and wine is "fraught with confrontations", and yet another goes onto say that even mild cheeses like Brie, can "clash horribly, especially if you let them get too ripe and runny".
Someone once told me an interesting observation. He said that the places you are normally offered wine and cheese together, are weddings, parties and functions opening a new art gallery or something. He went onto say that the reason why many people end up serving wine with cheese, is that the cheese coats the palate, blunting the flavour of the wine. This makes cheap wine taste pretty much ok. It's why quite a lot of wine shops try and push the cheese and wine combination.
Traditional beer and cheese on the other hand, are absolutely perfect together. And it's not very suprising when you think about it. Beer and cheese are both traditionally farmhouse products, and back in the old days, they were made by the same person. They both derive, to some extent from grasses, they are both fermented and aged, and they both have bacteria (although not the same type) doing the fermenting. And they both have similar flavour attributes - sweetness and acidity, fruitiness and yeasty. Many cheese makers have gone on to become brewers and vice versa. As I said, beer was traditionally made on a farm.
Have you ever seen a cow in a vineyard?
Of course we're talking about cheese with serious, complex and for want of a better word, funky flavours. So just as I said disregard the fizzy yellow beer on the supermarket shelves, do the same with those packets of hiirte juust (mouse cheese in English) on the shelves in the next aisle. The key thing to matching beer with cheese is that you can find harmony as well as contrast. If you take one of my favourite cheeses, Cheddar, you'll find nutty, fruit flavours, and a sharp acidity in the cheese. This means you'll look for a beer that has some nice bitterness to work with the cheeses sharpness, and some nice fruit character and maltiness to match the fruit and nuts in the cheese. An India Pale Ale fits the bill perfectly. Think of one of the very first pub meals - the ploughmans lunch (again, the farm connection), and you now start to understand why cheese, cold meat and fresh bread were paired with a traditional ale.
Want some Gruyere? It's easy to match a beer to the cheeses nutty, acidic, milky flavours. Think of a wine that tastes milky with hints of nuts? Neither can I.
I once was part of a dinner event that not only matched cheese and wine, but also beer and wine. There were seven different cheeses, and each had a wine and beer paired with them. Many of the people thought it was crazy that a beer could even sit on the same table as cheese and wine, but as each course finished, more and more of them were siding with the beer. There is just no way a wine can pair better with a strong cheese like Stilton or even Stinking Bishop, like a Barley wine, French Saison, or Belgian Tripel. The people begrudgingly admitted that the beer had won the battle, and they were all suprised to hear the wine sommelier admit that he knew he would lose the competition. For the record, not one of the wines that were paired with the cheese was red - they were all dry whites.
If you're at a dinner party, the host traditionally wheels out the dessert wine to go with the sweet stuff. Most decline. It's sweetness vs sweetness. Traditional fruit beers open up a whole different set of possibilities, especially with sweet cheeses like mascarpone and goats cheese. Here the sweetness, compared with the tart flavours of fruits such as cherry, raspberry or blackcurrants, work very well.
And as for coffee - why not try an imperial stout or coffee porter instead? Believe me, once you've tried beer with not just cheese, but dessert, roasts, Chinese, Indian, whatever - you just won't go back.
I think the market has advanced so much now, that it's socially acceptable to bring (good) beer to a dinner party. In years gone by, when the only beer available was the aforementioned yellow fizzy stuff in cans, it would have been pretty embarrassing if you turned up and put your four pack down next to all the bottles of wine that the others had brought. Wine was the sophisticated drink, beer was looked down upon. I think there as now been a bit of a role reversal. When I turn up to a dinner party (it rarely happens to be honest!), I always make sure I choose and interesting beer - most likely in a 75cl bottle. So many people assume it's a wine, and when it's poured into their glass and they taste it, you can see them struggling, trying to work out what sort of wine it is. A bottle of Deus is mistaken for champagne, a bottle of Kasteel Rouge is mistaken for some sort of Italian strawberry sparkling wine, and a merlot barrel aged Mikkeller stout, is mistaken for a good, vintage red.
Think about it next time you are offered wine at that next function you attend, you might want to embarrass them and bring some decent beer with you next time.
Cheers!
James
Ps....for those who don't know (is there really anyone I haven't told yet?!), I like beer and food so much, I've written a book about it. Specifically British pub food and what beer to drink with it. Let me know if you're interested in the book if you're not in Estonia.....
Thursday, 16 February 2012
More than words can say..
Ok, this is a blog. But every so often, there is a beer that can only be described in physical words. Here's one of them. Promise I won't switch to video from now on. As mum used to say, I've got the perfect face for radio.
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