New Beer Friday, Steve's Famous Chicken Edition (July 26)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

We’re in the midst of grilling season and while I like my burgers, brats, steaks and dogs as much as the next guy, I have to admit that during the dog days of summer my favorite grilled meat is chicken. Slathering the fowl in barbecue sauce is always good but even better in my book is dipping breast filets in an olive oil wash, coating them in Italian bread crumbs and then grilling them over high heat to a dark golden brown.

I like to accompany the grilled chicken with a side dish of pasta. When vine ripened tomatoes are in season, Barb and I will use the ripest and juiciest to make fresh sauce with sweet onions, basil and a touch of sugar. Since the good tomatoes are still a couple weeks away we recently dressed our fettuccine with a simple mushroom sauce we concocted with a one ounce package of Earthly Delights Stir Fry Mix dried mushrooms. We reconstituted the mushrooms in vegetable broth then sautéed them in the broth along with a touch of olive oil and seasoned them with garlic salt and red pepper flakes. When the pasta was served, we topped it with grated Parmesan a handful of fresh, chopped basil.

Pair this light, flavorful and healthy dish with a bottle or two of good pinot noir. Or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, try it with something off this week's list of new (and returning) beers.

New (and Returning) Beers

• Jolly Pumpkin IO Saison, $15.49/22oz - "Ale brewed with rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus" (source).
• Arcadia Cellar-Aged 3 Year Cereal Killer, $10.49/22oz - "Clear amber to copper pour with a thin beige head. Nose consisting of apple, plum, caramel and booze. Malty and caramelly flavor with a light fruit finish" (source). Ratebeer.com user tasting notes.
• Founders All Day IPA, $19.89/12pack cans - "The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatic and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures" (source).
• North Peak Wanderer, $1.99/12oz - "North Peak Wanderer is a Session IPA. This exciting new style is balanced with malt and hop characters and has a clean finish. The combination of full hop flavor and lower alcohol gives Wanderer a a wonderful drinkability! Wanderer has a light, clean and refreshing body, and is hopped with Perle, Willamette, Centennial and Citra hops that gives Wanderer a Citrus and Pine finish. Wanderer is rounded out with a generous amount of dry-hopping with Citra hops to fill the nose. It is brewed in Traverse City, MI, on Old Mission Peninsula incorporating locally grown hops" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Tumbler, $1.59/12oz - "Sierra Nevada uses malt within days of roasting at the peak of its flavor to give Tumbler a gracefully smooth malt character. Two-row pale, crystal 40, chocolate and smoked malts give it a malty complexity. Challenger hops in the boil add balancing bitterness, while more Challengers and some Goldings give just enough hop flavor in the finish to balance all that malt" (source).
• Great Lakes Brewing Co. Silver and Gold, $3.29/12oz - "Our silver anniversary isn’t about gold medals. It’s about 25 years of passion and heart. Silver & Gold IPL represents our past and present, from original brewmaster Thaine Johnson’s Dortmunder Gold recipe and engineer Charlie Price’s vision for our Brewhouse to our ever-growing family of beers. Silver & Gold IPL is for our neighbors who’ve shared pints and stories, for the fans who’ve challenged us to be exceptional from day one, and for us-a bottled reminder of how far we’ve come. Brewed with a complex blend of American hops and a mixture of specialty malts, Silver & Gold IPL is bold yet well-balanced, dry yet refreshing. With respect for tradition and a nod to the future, we toast to the next 25 years" (source).
• Paw Paw Brewing Co. K.U.A. Extra Pale Ale, $1.79/12oz - "American style pale with great aroma & citrus notes" (source).
• Midland Brewing Copper Harbor Copper Ale, $1.79/12oz - "Copper colored, clear Ale with off white head. Smooth, crisp, easy drinking. Lite hop aroma, slight grainy flavor. Delicate malt finish. Great opportunity to expose the non craft beer drinker to craft beer" (source).
• Midland Brewing Co Dublin Street Stout, $1.79/12oz - "A full bodied American stout that is creamy, smooth, and full of malt. Black patent and chocolate specialty malts lend roasty, chocolate, and coffee notes, as well as a pleasantly dry finish" (source).
• He'brew Hoppy Variety Pack, $24.39 (no splits) - "Four hop-centric, 12 ounce beers in one Hoppy Variety Pack equals a very happy hophead. The Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack® is made up of Genesis Dry-Hopped Session Ale®, Hop Manna IPA®, Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.® and HE’BREW’s debut seasonal lager — David’s Slingshot Hoppy Summer Lager®" (source).

Question of the Week

Do you have your own name or term for hangovers?

If so, what is it?

Cheers!