Celtic Kitchen Recipe for Rogue Chocolate Stout Cake

I came across this recipe online in the Irish American News' Celtic Kitchen. Thanks to Julianna Leber for posting it and suggesting my beer, and to the reader who requested it. Time to dig out the bundt pan and do some baking!

Chocolate Stout Cake
Makes 1 2-layer cake or 6 mini bundts
1 c. stout (Guinness or a Rogue chocolate stout)
2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (+ 2 T.)
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 scant c. sour cream

Ganache
1 c. heavy cream
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, in bits

Butter and flour (with 2 T. cocoa) pans. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat stout and butter in heavy pan and stir. Add cocoa powder and mix completely. Let cool. Whisk dry ingredients together. With electric mixer, combine eggs and sour cream. Add stout mixture to egg mix and beat to combine. Add four mixture and mix slowly, just to combine. Using spatula, fold ingredients together to mix completely. Pour into pans and bake 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Mini bundts will be 10 minutes shorter. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove and cool completely.

In heavy saucepan combine cream and chocolate and stir until fully melted. Set aside and cool until almost spreadable. When ready, frost or pour ganache over cakes, top with whip cream and serve.

Merry Christmas!!

To twitt or not to twitt, when you've been tweeted...

I have resisted twitter, but now I've been tweeted... what is a beer to do?

• Rogue Chocolate Stout. It's like all the best sex you've ever had poured into a bottle and served by a sexy lady.

To knead or not to need beer bread...

What a wonderful surprise to my wondering eyes... a Chocolate Stout Beer Bread recipe posted on Maria's Golden Oven uses Rogue Chocolate Stout inspired by a no-knead method. I may not need bread but I love a loaf with a crunchy crust and lots of flavor and texture inside. Maria writes this bread may be better than the beer itself... I don't know about that, but it is up to you to decide! I'm thinking this would make great French Toast, yummy toasted with Peanut or Almond Butter and Bananas, or toasted for a BLT (bacon is one of my feel good / comfort foods to cook, and eat!)

Photo Caption: I invented this recipe after being inspired by Jim Lahey's no-knead method. It's even better than beer itself! At least I think so.
___________________________________
Ingredients
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
5/8 cups chocolate stout beer (I used Rogue beer from OR)

Directions
1. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Add the beer and mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. If it's not really sticky to the touch, mix in another tablespoon or two of water. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a tea towel on your work surface and generously dust it with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. If the dough is tacky, dust the top lightly with wheat bran, cornmeal, or flour. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place the covered 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution - the pot will be very hot) Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to gently lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

Thank you Maria!

Seeing, Listening and Haiku'ing Beer

Having your own haiku ... and drinking it too...

how sweet it is!
Captain Hops, thank you!





The looking glass photo was taken during the Brewers Association Media Luncheon at Great American Beer Festival. I spoke about Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale, which was paired with the molten chocolate cake and Andy from BA took this photo through a glass of Rogue's elixir.


Beer and Comfort Foods... sounds like Umami! CraftBeerRadio has posted a mp3 of me talking about beer and flavors during the GABF Tasting Panel... its here is the marquee



Beer is food according to Rogue Advocate, Sebbie Buhler. Some of our favorite comfort foods (and haute cuisine) are best enjoyed with ales, lagers, stouts and porters. This tasting experience will touch on the versatility of beer as the ultimate beverage for sweet, salty, bitter and sour along with the fifth sense, Umami. Explore the flavors of Rogue Creamery Cheese, Nueske's Bacon, and Tcho chocolate; paired with a selection of beer from Rogue Ales

Beer and Cheese 101

When pairing beer and cheese, consider the classic Ploughmans Lunch in Britain -- a pint of bitter, a wedge of cheddar, pickles & picked onions, charcuterie and a baguette. The variety of craft beers & styles and artisan cheeses that are available can be daunting, so here are a few tips and rules of thumb to break! It is all about Taste... Aged cheese (parmesean, gouda, blues, cheddars) have a crystalline texture from the naturally occurring glutanic acid, this is the basis of Umami. Some argue Umami is the fifth taste sense (bitter, sweet, salty and sour are the core four), others say it is just a sensation. It is hard to argue the pairing of an aged cheese with a big flavored beer (lots of malt, and hop forward) is anything but amazingly delicious, and quite pleasurable, thanks to Umami. and Breaking Myths... this headline sums it up: Forget wine and cheese parties -- the true soul mate for fromage isn't made from grape juice. Janet Fletcher, a noted author of 18 books on food (Niman Ranch Cookbook), wine, and cheese (The Cheese Course) , has a cheese column in the San Francisco Chronicle. Her article in Februaury 2005 heralded the virtues of beer and cheese ~ Janet had a beer and cheese epiphany, which is music to my ears! Her article highlights pairing rules, suggestions and references from Garrett Oliver (brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, author of Brewmasters Table), Lucy Saunders (Beercook.com website, noted beer/food author) and Tom Dalldorf (Celebrator Beer News editor). Her article is great read and reference. Janet's pointers are bold, along with a few of my pairing suggestions: Pairing Pointers... Although you'll find many happy matches that break the following rules, these guidelines are a good starting point for thinking about beer with cheese. Pair delicate beers with young, fresh cheeses. Morimoto Soba Ale with a fresh chevre (goat milk), or the classic pairing with Rogue Creamery Morimoto Soba Cheddar. Juniper Pale Ale with Vella Dry Jack or Rogue Creamery Crater Lake Blue (really!). Pair rich malty beers with nutty, aged cheeses. Dead Guy Ale or American Amber Ale with an Aged Gouda (Willamette Valley) . Hazenut Brown Ale with Rogue Creamery Raw Milk Sharp cheddar or TouVelle. American Amber Ale with Rogue Creamery Chipitle Cheddar. Pair highly hopped, bitter beers with tart, sharp cheeses, especially cheddars. Youngers Special Bitter with Fiscalini Bandage Wrapped Cheddar (other classic aged cheddars, WSU Cougar Gold, Beechers, Jasper Hill, Grafton, Shelbourne Farms, Widmer Bros.) Imperial Younger’s Special Bitter with Rogue Creamery Echo Mountain (part goat, mostly cows milk). Pair strong, sweet beers with blue cheeses. Any Rogue Stout (Chocolate Stout, Shakespeare Stout, Imperial Stout) or Old Crustacean Barleywine paired with any Rogue Creamery Blue (OR Blue, Crater Lake Blue, Smokey Blue, Rogue River Blue, Oregonzola, Cave Man Blue, Echo Mtn Blue). Bottom line: Cows do not eat grapes... (JackJoyce-ism) Photo: Seb's beer and cheese class at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center in NYC

Save room for dessert paired with chocolate stout

This week the Naked Pint book tour was in the land some call Munich on the Willamette or the City of Roses... BlueHour sponsored a dinner with Christina and Hallie, fellow Rogue colleagues attended and sent me the menu... first thing I notice, the name is wrong... Rogue Double Chocolate Stout will be released in 3Q 2010, also Double Chocolate is not twice the hops and barley and oats you find in "regular" Rogue Chocolate, but a totally different hop and grain bill! For the record on their book tour dinner, Blue Hour paired Rogue Chocolate Stout with their dessert Chocolate Oatmeal Stout Pot de Creme and dried cherry chocolate chip cookies... Yummmm, I hope the folks who attended this dinner saved room for dessert!


Since this post is about pairing beer and dessert and the various chocolate stout recipes, here is another pairing story.


Rogue Imperial Chocolate Stout was served at the National Homebrewers Conference in June 2009. Next summer (2010) this beer will be debuted in a 22oz bottle as part of the Double series (with Dead Guy and Mocha Porter)! Remember, Imperial, aka Double Chocolate is an evolution of the regular Rogue Chocolate Stout recipe, but not twice the ingredients.

Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton's dessert (for 800) was made with a keg of Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale and many pounds of Tcho chocolate (in the mousse), sprinkled with roasted Crystal Malt and whipped cream was served in an edible chocolate cup, with pieces of Tcho's chocolates on the side -- paired with Japanese export bottle, Rogue Imperial Chocolate Stout. It was sublime! To Tcho or not to Tcho? I Tcho!

Read All About it...

I have a plethora of new books to read from recent travels and events. Here is a quick look at my reading list and beer related gift suggestions:

the beerbistro cookbook.
by Stephen Beaumont and Chef Brian Morin
Great design and readability, well presented and categorized.
Who doesn't want to cure their own bacon... Chocolate Stout Jelly...
My brief visit to beerbistro was with the Brewers Assoc Trade Mission, featuring American Craft Beer for Canadian Retailers and LCBO.
Maple Berkshire Bacon Brulee was the opening amuse ~ it was an incredible dinner with great beer pairings, conversations and connections.
I cannot wait to visit BeerBistro Restaurant on King Street in downtown Toronto again, but until then, I'll enjoy the photos (mussels!) and experimenting with Chef Brian's recipes at home. I highly recommend this book. 262 pgs, hardcover.


Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune, authors of The Naked Pint, the unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer, came to the City of Brotherly Love on a book tour. A dinner was arranged at Fork Restaurant with the help of Jennie Hatton. The dinner comprised six beers paired with the reception and four course dinner, representatives from each brewery attended.

Beerlass Suzanne Woods blog'd the dinner designed and prepared by Chef Terence Fuery, with food photos and nice recap. Below is a group photo with Ellen Yin (Fork Restaurant), JennieHatton (ProFile/PR), Suzanne Woods (Sly Fox, BeerLass), Megan Maguire (Ommegang), Wendy Dormant (DogFish Head), Christina Perozzi (NakedPint), Jodi Stoudt (Stoudts), Hallie Beaune ((Naked Pint), Sebbie Buhler (Rogue Chocolate), Whitney Thompson (Victory), Tracy Mulligan (Victory). Even Lew blog'd it... he'll review the book soon too.


I sat with several locals who are foodies and love beer, soon to be Dr's Julia and Dan, Luke and his wife Abbey, a Fork'ster...they all bought the Naked Pint and I cannot wait to get their opinions! Three Cheers and thanks to Ellen Yin at Fork, one of Phila's earliest supporters of women in the beer and beverage industry!

Yo, forget the cheesesteaks in Philly, head to Market & 3rd and dine at Fork ~ be sure to have the Lamb Belly Confit, we had it with Sly Fox Saison, yummmm... Loved the scallops & meyer lemon (along with bacon, scallops are a must have in my diet) paired with Rare Vos; Smoked Duck & Raison D'Etre, duck-d'etre- done; the dessert was divine ~ chocolate caramel tart and Rogue Chocolate Stout.

Back to the reason we were dining at Fork, the book... Naked Pint is something I've perused several times this week and will continue to peruse. I love easy reading, I love opening a book to any page and enjoying it. Love the Tiffany Blue, golden type and Chocolate Stout mirage on the cover... selling is all about first looks, and this book has it. Love the table of contents: Beer 101, The Art of Beer, Neophyte, Sophomore, Devout, Promiscuous, Home is where the Beer is, Beer Lover's Kitchen, Brewing at Home, Entertaining with Beer, and Parting is such sweet sorrow. Bravo Christina and Julia! As for the rest of y'all, don't even think about borrowing this book, buy your own!


Mastering Cheese ~ a new book from David Gibbons and Max McCalman, Dean of Curriculum at Artisanal Premium Cheese in New York City. I've had many chances to sample beer and cheeses with Max in the last 2 years at cheese conferences, food shows, and the dozen classes at APC in NYC I've co-taught. Max recently presented Rogue Juniper Pale Ale & Hazelnut Brown Ale at his annual Epcot / Artisanal Cheese class to much fanfare and delight (from the emails Rogue Ales gets!) , so I know he understands why beer pairs better with cheese...


Rogue Chocolate Stout was selected for one of the tasting plates (page 258-260) which pairs three beers: Pilsner Urquell, Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, Rogue Chocolate Stout; with six cheeses: Stanser Schaf Reblochon, Durrus, Fiscalini Bandage Cheddar, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Aged Dutch Gouda, Cashel Blue.

Max's deduction, Rogue Chocolate Stout paired the best with the six cheeses (proof is on the pairing score sheet), especially with the Fiscalini Bandage Cheddar which reminded him of the flavors in a chocolate cream pie.

Mastering Cheese is a mere 384 pages, chock full of information about cheese, cheese makers, styles, pairings, recipes, photos and facts, faqs and more facts. A welcome addition to my library, and I hope yours too.

Back to beer books... I was highest bidder on Silent Auction Lot #2, the Ale St News package at the Richie Stolarz Tribute Dinner on November 10th at Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell NJ. Lot #2 included: Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium, Roger Protz's 300 Beers to Try before you Die, Jef Klein's History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York, Bill Yenne's The American Brewery. All welcome additions to my library!

Back in August at the American Cheese Society I bought Ari Weinzweig's Guide to Better Bacon. Ari is a partner at Zingermans, one helluva promoter and business leader. His bacon book is already one of my favorite gift items for 2009, and will be in 2010 too! They even have a limited edition PigSkin edition... cereal!

Hazelnut Brown Ale Gelato and Molten Chocolate Cake at GABF Media Luncheon

I attended the Brewers Association Media Luncheon on behalf of Rogue Ales, during Great American Beer Festival on 9/25/2009. Hosted at the Marriott Hotel, the hotel Chefs prepared the meal and were involved in the beer selection, Kudos to the Marriott Chefs/kitchen and BA for a job well done!


Dessert,a molten chocolate cake with a Hazelnut Ale Gelato and a fresh Chinook hop bud (sprucy, grapefruity). was paired with Rogue Ales' Hazelnut Brown Ale and Jolly Pumpkin's Maraciabo Espacial Brown Ale.

Here is a nice shout out from The Captains Table.

Fifth Course
Molten Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Brown Ale Gelato and Garnish of Fresh Chinook Hop
Paired with Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale, Rogue Ales and Maracaibo Especial Brown Ale, Jolly Pumpkin
The density of the cake was amazing, with the gelato elevating the dish with a creamy texture that really worked for me. Sebbie Buhler at Rogue explained that Oregon is the nation’s largest producer of hazelnuts, accounting for 97% of production, and it’s clear they’ve perfected the incorporation of the ingredient in their beer. Both the Rogue Hazelnut Brown and Jolly Pumpkin’s offering were a nice way to cap off what was a very memorable meal.

Thanks to Julia at the BA for showing my short video of a 14 yr old bottle of Chris Studach's NHC/AHA commemorative beer from 1993, Oregon Nut Brown. This was brewed at Rogue with John Maier's help, and sampled in the summer of 2007. Thanks also to Charlie Papazian for gifting me this bottle at NHC / Denver in 2007, which I got to share with John & Chris, 14 yrs after they brewed it!

Umami Flavors and Beer at the Great American Beer Festival

I spoke at the Great American Beer Festival Taste Pavillion on 9/26/2009 about Umami Flavors & Beer. The comfort food I prepared was Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon wrapped around a fresh organic fig stuffed with Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese, broiled until crisp, cooled and tempered in Tcho 68% dark chocolate.

This was served on the plate as a component, and deconsructed with
a rasher of bacon, a few chips of chocolate, a piece of 2 yr old Shelbourne Farms Cheddar, and the flavor map for tasting Umami with the 4 beers from Rogue:
Somer Ale, MaierFest Lager, Morimoto Soba Ale, and Chocolate Stout.







'






Thanks to everyone who contributed and assisted with this tasting -- Carrie, Liam, Marlys, Jeremy, Cary & DavidG, Bradley & McKenzie, Carolyn for her heartfelt introduction, Chefs Sean & Bruce for your words of encouragement, and the students from Johnson and Wales who assisted plating, serving and pouring beers to a packed house.

Rogue Spirits Rum Balls -- recipe ideas

I've been making Rum Balls with Rogue Spirits White Rum and served them at Rogue events this year. Long story short each batch is different--variety is the spice of life. Here are some of my recipes and suggestions.
Base: vanilla wafers or gingersnaps, cocoa powder.
Sweeteners: agave, honey, sorghum, molasses.
Texture: bacon, coconut, roasted hazelnuts, ovaltine,
Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue cheese, chilis ...
Coating (optional): smoked sea salt, tempered dark chocolate. roasted crushed hazelnuts.
Booze: Rogue Spirits White Rum, Hazelnut Spice Rum, Dark Rum, Dead Guy Whiskey... Spruce GinBall anyone? I'm game, stay tuned!

having your cake and eating it too

One of my favorite beer cookbooks is Bruce Aidell's Real Beer and Good Eats. So imagine how thrilled I was to hear about the October 2009 issue of Bon Appetite Magazine and a chocolate layer cake recipe that recommends Rogue Chocolate Stout, written by Chef Bruce!

Forget milk—stout is the perfect pairing for this cake.
Serve glasses of the same brew you used in the cake batter.
Take it up a notch by adding a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream to the beer for a grown-up float.

Bravo! The photo of a wedge of cake with a glass of stout in the backgroud is irresistable! Thanks to Diane for calling Rogue Ales HQ, asking where to buy a bottle of RCS in Potomac, MD in order to bake this cake, which was passed onto me for followup. I hope your cake was delicious! The recipe calls for strong coffee, my pick is Stumptown HairBender.

Another chef who uses Rogue Chocolate Stout in a cake and frosting recipe is Chef Michael Wagner from Lola's on Harrison in Hollywood, FL!

Rogue Chocolate Stout marinated steak scores a Red Ribbon at TX Reds Steakoff

Rob Bane's Team Cruel and Unusual took 10th Place at Third Annual Texas Reds Steak Cook-off in Bryan, TX. for their Rogue Chocolate Stout marinade!

I marinated the the steak for 6 hours in
chocolate stout then seasoned with a rub
of salt pepper garlic and chipotle.  I then
sauced the steak with chimichurri and habanero
& purple haze goat cheese sauce.
I took  my rogue bottle up to the stage hoping
to get it in the paper or on the steakoff website.  

Rob has used Rogue Chiopotle Ale in his marinade for some time, and contacted the brewery when he could not find a supply for the TX Steak Cookoff finals a few years ago. Rogue Ales hooked him up and we've kept in touch about his steakoff endeavours & competitions ever since.

The Texas Steak Cookoff in Hico was held this past weekend and this year we used Rogue Chocolate Stout as a marinade and made our own rub consisting of chipotle, salt, pepper and garlic. There were 82 teams attending this year so they split us up in three heats of 27 teams each with 8 teams advancing from each heat. Unfortunately we had a tough heat consisting of the top ten from last years competition and 17 other teams and we didn’t make it out of the 1^st round. However on a good note, we cooked a lot of steaks for the public and we received a lot of comments that our steak was the best they tried even after trying some from those who made the final round.

My next competition will be held in Bryan Texas on June 20 at the Texas Reds Festival

Brooklyn's Chocolate Room and Chocolate Beer

As the smell of chocolate manages to make its way outside from “The Chocolate Room,” located on 86 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, it’s obvious.

You know you’re in for a special experience.

Sitting in the middle of an area finishing up a demographic shift that is quickly becoming a trendy epicenter for new businesses, “The Chocolate Room,” which has been in business for a few years now, fits right in with a soft-lighted dessert palace that is sure to hook anyone looking for something different.

Billed as a dessert cafe, “The Chocolate Room” is so much more, offering a wide selection of flavored coffees, hot chocolates, confections, cakes, chocolate-flavored beer from the Brooklyn Brewery such Black Chocolate Stout, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, Rogue Chocolate Stout and wine, making it a destination for those looking to relax with a drink as well.

Thanks to Patrick Henry for this post above, and to the folks at The Chocolate Room -- Jon, Naomi and Chef Fritz!

The Chocolate Room, 86 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217 // (718) 783-2900

The Chocolate Room, 269 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 // 718-246-2600

Rogue Creamery takes a Red Ribbon for Chocolate Stout Cheddar and wins Best of Show for Rogue River Blue

Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar won a Red Ribbon (2nd place in its category) for a second year in a row at the American Cheese Society conference held in Austin Aug 5-8, 2009. My beer is infused into this cheese, how surreal! It was exciting sitting next to Rod from Willamette Valley Cheese Co during the awards, he won several for his Dutch-style cheeses (love the Perrydale), and witness the multiple awards for Rogue Creamery, including Best of Show for their Rogue River Blue and to be able to congratulate and share the moment with Cary and David! If you are anywhere close to Portland, OR - The Wedge is October 3rd, an Oregon Cheese Guild event hosted at the Green Dragon.

Boho Braises with Rogue Chocolate Stout

I love reading about chefs who cook with beer, and pair beer with their food--and diners who enjoy these meals and share their dining experiences and photos. I mailed Chef a postcard thanking him for using my beer in his braise -- cannot wait to visit SoCal and make my own pilgrimage to Boho in LA. Thanks to foodshethought for the shout out.

HM ordered the short ribs, and luckily for me she loves to share. Braised in Rogue chocolate stout and guajillo chiles, this had just a trace of sweetness, much less than the oxtails. I loved the pearl onions and carrots. In the back of the photo you can see the buttered spaetzle making an appearance. Yum.

http://foodshethought.blogspot.com/2009/05/second-chances-at-boho-hots-misses-but.html

Sommelier Smackdown in Gotham... Beer vs Emily Wine!

I received an unexpected invitation that I could not refuse...would I consider challenging Emily Wines, a master sommelier, to a smackdown in NYC--her beverages against mine, paired with a three course meal. Odds are I'll learn a thing or ten, being a beer advocate with no bartending experience. I've been known to blend my beers and infuse my cocktails, and considering the host is Chef Patricia Williams at Nios, we will eat well too! So join me on Tuesday July 28th at Nios Restaurant inside The Hotel Muse for Round 2 of the Sommelier Smackdown in Gotham, and see whose beverages reign surpreme!

Where were the beer drinkers? One more vote for the barley would have ensured a victory over the grape... I lost by a few points--it was really close, so I challenged Emily to a rematch, with cheese. She has retained her title and belt, but not for long!!


Nice shout out in a SeroiousEats interview!
Q: What have been some of your favorite pairings from the smackdowns you've hosted so far, either yours or someone else's?
A: I loved the dark beer spritzed with hazelnut liquor that Sebbie Buhler from Rogue Ales did with the chocolate peanut butter crepes.
Toche'' I spritz’d each glass before serving the Chocolate Stout & Hazelnut Brown Ale beer blend at the table. Then I spritz'd the glasses individually which added lovely nutty aromas and foam! Emily & I spritz’d her pairing, a classic Port, which was seriously good with Rogue Spirits Hazelnut Rum!

Rogue-Trip NYC Summer Tour

Summer in the city means the smells of street food will be wafting up the avenues and across the streets of Gotham, especially when Street and Savory, the annual Gala for CityMeals-on-Wheels returns to Rockefeller Center on 6/8.

On Monday June 8th, I will be pouring
1. Rogue Juniper Pale Ale, in honor of Chef Josh DeChellis at La Fonda del Sol, who is serving Taylor Bay Scallops, Tomato, Saffron, Horseradish. 2. Dry-hopped Saint Rogue Red, in honor of Chef Zak Pelaccio at Fatty Crab & Cabrito and his Pork Belly Satay.
3. Rogue Chocolate Stout, because I am. 4. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale, because its Morimoto! 5. Stuff from under the table, because its where the stash is... Diet Killer, Diet Coke & Dead Guy Whiskey anyone?

Beer According to Women

I moderated a panel at the 2009 Craft Brewers Conference, Beer According to Women: How Women Brew, Present, Pair and Sell Beer (yes, gender matters).

This was my first panel and first time speaking to my peers in the craft beer industry. It was just a little daunting (!) and choosing the panel was not easy, despite the small percentage of brewers who are women. I wanted the panel's perspective to include brewing, retail experience, sales and distributor management, educational and culinary focuses, and last but not least, a deep passion for beer and a sense of humor. There were so many women I wanted to invite on the panel, but I narrowed it down to Jodi Stoudt (Stoudts Brewing), Candice Allstrom (Beer Advocate), and Teri Fahrendorf (Pink Boots Society).

I shared the questions in advance, and the responses were posted on Candice's blog, as well as the Beer Advocate Forum which raised some lively discussion whether gender matters! The panel was also blogged by DrinkCraftBeer and TopFermented! Thanks to everyone for their input!

We will continue this discussion, so stay tuned and please do raise your voice if you have an opinion!

Here are a few figures and soundbytes from the Craft Brewers Conference:

• 50.9% of the US Population are Women, we are the Majority.
  A Majority is not a Niche or Novelty. (Ginger/Snap!)
• You train for a marathon, you mentor for a lifetime. (Ginger/Snap!)
• 31% of Women in the US Drink Beer (Julie/BA)
• Women between the ages of 21-30 are drinking more beer than any other agre group. (seb/web)
  
• Beer drinking among women in the 50-plus age group is increasing,
  a fact and group often overlooked in the media. (seb/web)
  
• 20% of MBAA members are women in 2009, there were none thirty years ago.
  (seb, from Brewers Bulletin editor and mbaa members)
  
• By 2010, women will control more than half the private US Wealth, or about $14 Trillion. (seb/web)

Chocolate Stout for Easter, suggestions from Down Under

Slow Beer's suggestion for Easter... I agree! Who needs peeps or a hollow milk chocolate bunny?

Pours dark dark brown with substanital dark tan coloured head. Aromas of dry coco and vanilla dominate. Palate is rich and viscous with hazelnut, chocolate and some dry coffee roast. Caramel/honeycombe malt supports well to make way for a roasty, bitter finish.

Cloudwine Cellars

Slow Beer is the specialist on-line beer retailing arm of Cloudwine Cellars, a fiercely independent wine merchant with 3 stores in Melbourne – Camberwell, South Melbourne and Brighton.

Homebrew Recipe, Rogue Chocolate Stout

This recipe appeared in Zymurgy, the official organ of the American Homebrewers Association awhile back. An updated recipe is rumored to be coming soon (Summer of '09). The ingredients are no secret, Rogue's 22 oz bottles list all the barley and hops for each beer (without proportions/ measurements), and Rogue's proprietary Pacman yeast can be cultured, but that free range coast water is native only to Newport!

http://www.beertown.org/pdf/BestBeersAmerica4.pdf

Rogue Chocolate Stout Gelato at Capogiro Artisan Gelato in Philadelphia

How sweet it is...

During Philly Beer Week 2009, unbeknownst to me, the folks at Capogiro Artisan Gelato made this amazing gelato! Best of all, the brewmaster from Rogue, John "more hops" Maier and his wife Stacey learned about the RCS gelato at Home Sweet Homebrew, around the corner from Capogiro's 2-th & Sansome Street store... Heartfelt thanks to Janina et al for the delicious experience. Here's what they have to say about it...

The Rogue Chocolate Stout gelato bears just a trace of the beer's dark color, but fully captures the rich roastiness that makes this brew so enjoyable. A bitter, bracing finish reminds you that this is an adult treat.

http://www.capogirogelato.com/article.php?id=35&c=n

From the mouth of Babes...

Felicia D'Ambrosio's Brew Revue in the Phila City Paper came as a complete surprise on Valentine's Day! Sweet!!

Sebbie regards Stilton.

Photo l Michael Persico

Ever take a look at the babe on the Rogue Chocolate Stout bottle and wonder, what do you have to do to get your face on an amazing beer? The chick is Sebbie Buhler, the Oregon brewery’s East Coast rep and all-around badass.

Sebbie herself was in town on Wednesday getting some Beer Week events in order, and she spared a moment to offer us a beer and cheese pairing — one of her passions, along with pairing beer and chocolate.

The huge quantity of chocolate in Rogue Chocolate Stout, along with malted barley and tons of hops, give it a full body that can only be matched by an equally robust cheese. “Stouts call for stinky cheese,” Sebbie opined. The best match? “Colston Bassett!” she said firmly, and Di Bruno’s cheesemonger Hunter agreed.

Colston Bassett Stilton is the only remaining traditional Stilton; it is produced in Nottinghamshire, England. The curds are hand-ladled over the course of four days, creating a cheese that has “sweeter flavors of dried fruit and maple syrup, with the refined character of walnuts, tobacco and old leather,” according to Di Bruno’s description.

With a fistful of blue cheese in one hand and a chilled chocolate stout in the other, I have to agree that the funk of the cheese makes a fine foil for the smooth and roasty beer, which tames the cheese’s salty wildness. The pairing elevates each solitary product from merely excellent to absolutely transcendent.

To get your face on a bottle, you gotta be good — and Sebbie is epic. “Gotta head out,” she said, giving Hunter a farewell pound. “See you when you least expect it.”

Colston Bassett Stilton is $29.99 per pound at Di Bruno Bros., and Rouge Chocolate Stout can be found at any bottle shop or distributor worth their foam.

http://mealticket.blogs.citypaper.net/blogs/mu/2009/02/12/brew-revue-from-the-mouths-of-babes/

Chocolate Stout at Ted with Vosges Chocolate

Rogue Chocolate Stout at the 2009 Ted Conference, courtesy of Vosges Haut-Chocolate and paired with the Caramel Marshmallow.

Rogue Chocolate Stout blogged at San Francisco Fancy Food

Fancy Food Show in San Francisco just wrapped up, but even before the show ended I got blogged.

I helped Rogue Creamery in their booth and introduced the folks from  lickmyspoon.com  

to Rogue Ales and the Chocolate Stout Cheddar and Morimoto Soba Ale Cheddar made by Rogue Creamery.

Sheana Davis of Epicurean Connection hosted an openhouse Monday evening at the Rogue Ales House in North Beach which Brewed for Thought reviewed. Guests included brewers, cheese makers, wine makers, chefs, press, picklers makers, tea importers/purveyors, kobe breeders, retailers, and many other food service industry allies. Thanks to everyone who came for sharing in the celebration!

Chocolate Stout winter warmer... neat!

Goodbye 2008... what a year, and its over.
Hello 2009...change is in the wind, bring it on!

A few words of wisdom for 2009 from the City of Brotherly Love ~ how to enjoy the long, dark and cold days of winter ~

"On frosty nights when darkness comes to fast, there's nothing like a rich, inky stout to warm you. The dead of January is prime time for one of America's most revered beers, Chocolate Stout from Rogue Ales in Oregon.

Plush in the mouth, with a whisper of sweetness and a creamy froth, this black beauty is loaded with flavors of espresso and bread pudding.

Try it on tap at South Street's Ten Stone, Jose Pistola's on 15th or Ron's Original Bar and Grille in Exton.- M.O."

(wow...my humble thanks to Marnie Old, Philadelphia Magazine, January 2009, pg 123.)