Beer, Cheese and Chocolate in San Francisco on 2-10-2010

A Taste of the Rogue Nation... On February 10th during San Francisco Beer Week join the crew at Rogue Ales Public House in North Beach for an evening with Sheana Davis of the Epicurean Connection and sample 8 different Rogue Ales with a selection of artisan and farmstead cheeses and chocolates. Tutored tasting runs from 6-8 pm, $40 Rogue Nation Members, $45 Non Members.
A great Valentine's Day gift for that special Rogue in your life!

Rogue Chocolate Stout, GYO/Chatoe Dirtoir Black Lager, Morimoto Soba Ale, American Amber Ale and Russian Imperial Stout are just a few of the beers that will be paired with cheeses and chocolates on 2/10/2010.

A hat-trick of Beer Blends using Rogue Chocolate Stout

Here are three of my favorite beer blends, perfect for any occasion!

1. Holy Mole'

Blend Rogue Chipotle Ale with Rogue Chocolate Stout.
The proportions are your choice, some prefer more smoked jalapeno/chipotle flavor, others more chocolate. I use 50/50. Hints of smoked jalapeno linger through the bittersweet chocolate and oatmeal stout flavors. Pair it with with Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese, or try it with a steak.

2. Spontaneous Sebbie

Blend equal amounts of Hanssens Oude Kriek, a Belgian sour cherry lambic that is spontaneously fermented, with Rogue Chocolate Stout.

An aperitif beer cocktail created and named by Stephen Beaumont for a beer dinner at Monks Cafe in Phila in 2004. He also suggested the name Sebbie up the Kriek, but introduced it as Spontaneous Sebbie, both are pretty funny (imho!) It was served in a stem aperitif glass (6-8 oz...), I recommend upsizing this to a full pint, and enjoy it before, with or after dinner!

This lovely dry, tart, fruity and rich drink pairs beautifully with duck confit, lamb shanks, pork loin, blue cheeses, and rich desserts.


3. Malted Maven's ChocoNuts & Spirits

Spritz a wine glass or stemmed beer glass with Rogue Spirits Hazelnut Rum, pour equal amounts of Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale and Rogue Chocolate Stout into the glass, and spritz the finished blend with more Hazelnut Rum.

The aroma is chocolaty and nutty, the taste is sublime. I created this on the fly for the dessert course at a Sommelier Smackdown Dinner in NYC in July 2009. I was pitted against Master Sommelier Emily Wines at Nios Restaurant. We had nicknames for the evening, I was the Malted Maven, Emily was the Blue Nun. She did beat me by a couple of votes (rematch!), and was quoted in Serious Eats as being impressed with my elixir!

Bon Appetite!

Beer Cocktail, The Rogue Diplomat Gone Nuts

There are many ways to create fun beer blends using Rogue Chocolate Stout, but I wanted to take it to the next level and make my own signature beer cocktail for Valentines Day, so I chose the Stout Diplomat as the base (created by Yanni at Nopa in SFO) and tweaked it. Here is my recipe for the

Rogue Diplomat Gone Nuts!

Blend in an Old Fashioned glass, or wine glass

1 ounce Rogue Spirits Hazelnut Rum
1/2 ounce Pedro Ximenez Sherry
6 ounces Rogue Chocolate Stout

Stir, but do not shake. I recommended you chill the bottles prior, since no ice is used in this cocktail... unless you use whiskeystones. For those who don't like the flavor of Hazelnuts, try Rogue Spirits Dark Rum.

The sweet, nutty and roasted flavors of this beer cocktail pair beautifully with spicy foods, anything grilled, big cheeses (Rogue Creamery blues, esp the Smoky Blue, aged cheddars or goudas (Boerenkase), and bloomy rind cheeses), and of course desserts like creme brulee or a slice of apple pie and ice cream! Sip and enjoy!

Cambridge Common Rogue Dinner Menu 1-26-2010

Rogue Ales Beer Dinner, Tuesday January 26, 2010 from 6:30PM - 9:30PM
at Cambridge Common Restaurant, Cambridge, Massachusetts
beerdinners@cambridgecommonrestaurant.com (617) 547-1228

Event Details:

Pre-Dinner Beer: Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale -- an India Red Ale, perfect to stimulate your appetite! Dedicated to Captain Sig of FV Northwestern and the Hansen Bros, the Rogues of the Bering Sea.

~ Soup ~ Garlic, Cheddar, and Andouille, Paired with Dead Guy Ale -- a Maibock hybrid, rich and malty with a medium crisp hop finish, brewed with Pacman (Ale) Yeast, giving this beer an Oregon twist to John's German Heritage.

~ Salad ~ Baby Spinach, Toasted Hazelnuts, Cranberries and Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Paired with Hazelnut Brown Ale -- a rich & robust brown ale with a nutty finish that is more food forward than most beers.

~ Entree ~ [choice of]

Crab Stuffed Halibut with a Peppadew Buerre Blanc, Hop Infused Rice, and Poblano Fries Paired with Yellow Snow -- an India Pale Ale that stands up to heat and then some...just watch out where the Huskies go.

OR

Pork Chop with a Black Lager Mushroom Jus, Scalloped Potatoes, and Haricot Vert, Paired with the new Chatoe series Dirtoir Black Lager -- the roasted malts will meld with the earthy flavors of this dish. Brewed with first growth RISK malts, along with Independence and Revolution hops from the Rogue Farms.

~ Dessert ~ Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, Paired with Rogue Chocolate Stout. Yummmmm, just save room for dessert...

Tickets are $50 (inclused tax, gratuity and the Brown Paper Ticket fee.

Cupcake Villains' Rogue Chocolate Stout Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Thanks to Gibbs for posting this recipe and giving a shout out to use Rogue Chocolate Stout. Gotta love a cook who suggests you drink the leftover beer while the cupcakes are in the over (my kind of recipe!) Cupcake Villain's blog lists the ingredients and recipe for the cupcakes and frosting, with step by step instructions and photos. I could not do justice to it here, so skip on over to wordpress and check it out! Get your mixing bowl and measuring cups ready, and a 22oz bottle of Rogue Chocolate Stout. Here is a visual treat... Food for thought...Happy Baking!

http://cupcakevillains.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/chocolate-chocolate-stout-cupcakes/