Soups and Beer from Stone

Last evening, we hosted another beer dinner and featured soup and beers from Stone Brewing Co.  Gayle and Dennis bought over chips, guacamole, sausage & cheese appetizer, chips and Stone Pale Ale.  Nicole and Tibor brought over fruit desert pizza and Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard.  Lori and I had prepared 3 soups, Ham & Beans, Chili, and Chicken & Noodles.  I also  whipped up corn bread muffins.  Everything tasted great and my recipe for the chili is below.  It is always great to get together with friends and we had a fantastic evening.

The beers we sampled -
Stone - Pale Ale (5.4% ABV and 41 IBU)
Stone - Vertical Epic 10-10-10 (9.5% ABV)
Stone - Vertical Epic 11-11-11 (9.4% ABV)
Stone - Vertical Epic 12-12-12 (9% ABV)
Stone - Arrogant Bastard (7.2% ABV and CLASSIFIED IBU)
Stone - Double Bastard (11.2% ABV and CLASSIFIED IBU)
Stone - Oaked Arrogant Bastard (7.2% ABV and CLASSIFIED IBU)
Stone - Lukcy Basartd (9.2% ABV and CLASSIFIED IBU)

We started with Pale Ale and the Vertical Epics were poured as a flight and the Arrogant Bastards were poured as a flight.  The Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10 was the favorite of the Vertical Epics and it had been cellared for over 2 years.  For the Bastards, Lukcy and Double were the preferred Bastards.  These are big beers and they were really tasty.  I also really enjoyed the Pale Ale.  I think the Vertical Epic 10-10-10 was the best beer of the evening and it has really improved / evolved with age.  

Chili recipe 
8 Ancho dried chilies
2 Roasted Anaheim Chilies (these were purchased and frozen in the fall)
4 C. Water
3 T. Vegetable Oil
2 - 3 # of Pork Shoulder
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 Yellow Onion
4 tsp. Garlic
2 Cans of diced tomatoes

Heat 4 C. of water to boil and remove from the burner, roast the Anchos over med. - med. high heat and remove the seeds and stems and place in the water.  Soak for ~30 minutes and place something on top of the Anchos to keep them submerged.  

While the Anchos are soaking, cut the pork shoulder into small cubes.  Heat a large skillet and the 3 T. of vegetable oil and brown the pork.  You will need to cook in a few batches and drain the port on paper towels.

Coarsely chop the onion and add the Anchos, water, Cumin, Coriander, Oregano, Garlic and Tomato in a blender or food process and puree.  

Place the pork and the puree into a pot or a crock pot and simmer for a few hours and stir occasionally.  You can vary the thickness of the chili by decreasing the amount of water.  Serve with corn tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and avocado.  

Stone - Double Bastard 2011

Stone provides some very interesting beers and they try to challenge the drinker's perception of what beer should taste like.  They waited one year to release Arrogant Bastard after they accidentally created it, because they did not think people would like it or "get it".  Arrogant Bastard proved to be very successful and helped put Stone on the map.  Double Bastard was first released on the one year anniversary of Arrogant Bastard.  Double Bastard (10.5% ABV and CLASSIFIED IBU) is a big beer that pours an orangery tan with a nice head.  It has very good malt tastes that is quickly overtaken by a hop wallop.  I have enjoyed the various Bastard releases by Stone and this year's release of Double Bastard is very good.  This is a "one and done" release for the year, so get it while the getting is good.  For those who really like Double Bastard, it is released in a 3-litre bottle - excellent.

Website description -  "This is one lacerative muther of an ale. It is unequivocally certain that your feeble palate is grossly inadequate and thus undeserving of this liquid glory...and those around you would have little desire to listen to your resultant whimpering. Instead, you slackjawed gaping gobemouche, slink away to that pedestrian product that lures agog the great unwashed with the shiny happy imagery of its silly broadcast propaganda. You know, the one that offers no challenge, yet works very, very hard to imbue the foolhardy with the absurd notion that they are exercising ‘independent’ thought, or attempts to convey the perception it is in some way ‘authentic’ or ‘original.’ It’s that one that makes you feel safe and delectates you into basking in the warm, fuzzy, and befuddled glow of your own nescience. Why so many allow themselves to be led by the nose lacks plausible explanation. Perhaps you have been so lulled by the siren song of ignorance that you don’t even notice your white-knuckle grip on it. You feel bold and unique, but alas are nothing but sheep, willingly being herded to and fro. If you think you are being piqued in this text, it is nothing when compared to the insults we are all asked to swallow streaming forth from our televisions and computers. Truth be told, you are being coddled into believing you are special or unique by ethically challenged “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” marketers who layer (upon layer) imagined attributes specifically engineered to lead you by the nose. Should you decide to abdicate your ability to make decisions for yourself, then you are perhaps deserving of the pabulum they serve. Double Bastard Ale calls out the garrulous caitiffs who perpetrate the aforementioned atrocities and demands retribution for their outrageously conniving, intentionally misleading, blatantly masturbatory and fallacious ad campaigns. We demand the unmitigated, transparent truth. We demand forthright honesty. We want justice! Call ‘em out and line ‘em up against the wall... NOW."

Abita - TurboDog, Avery - White Rascal & Stone - Double Bastard

Last night, the family went to NoNos café and I had Blackened Crab Stuffed Quesadillas with an Abita – Turbo Dog.  Turbo Dog is a dark brown ale with 5.6% ABV and 28 IBU and has a deep brown / red color.  This went very well with the quesadilla and I would order this combination again.  Abita’s web site describes Turbo Dog as their flagship and it was a very nice beer.

After I got home, I decided to try Avery’s White Rascal – Belgian White Ale with 5.6% ABV and 10 IBU.  This pours a golden yellow color that is cloudy because the beer in unfiltered and it has a foamy head.  This is a nice drinkable beer and I would think that this would be a good “conversion” beer for those who have not tried or are new to craft beer.  I could taste the Curacao orange peel in this and I thought the balance was very nice.  This will be in my fridge during the summer as this would be great after yard work or on picnic.  Nicely done and true to style.

Last Sunday evening I tried Stone – Double Bastard – American Strong Ale with a 10.5% ABV and ? IBU.  Stone does not publish the IBUs for the Bastard line of ales.  This one pours a deep dark amber color with a smaller head.  The taste was bready, creamy, fruity – bitter fruity, and one can taste the alcohol – but it is not “hot” – one knows it there.  Personally, I liked Arrogant Bastard better, and I would like to try them side-by-side for a comparison.  I also think Double Bastard would be interesting with some cellaring and a vertical comparison.  Stone makes beer with kick and they like the hops – these will take your palette to a new level.