Le Merle, Matilda and Pizza

We met up with friends at Parry’s Pizzeria and Bar last Sunday for a couple of pints and some pizza.  I was in the mood for some farmhouse ales and I ordered a couple of Belgian inspired ales.  First up, was North Coast Le Merle (7.9% ABV and 26 IBU) a Saison.  Saison is the French word for “season” and these beers were traditionally brewed in the winter to be consumed in the summer.  

Next up was Goose Island’s Matilda (7% ABV and 32 IBU) a Belgian Strong Pale Ale.  Both of these beers are very good and I would highly recommend either of them.  We had The Five Burroughs Pizza - pepperoni, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, red onions - that paired very well with both beers.  We also had some stuffed mushrooms and fried mozzarella for appetizers.  The food was very good and we had the opportunity to celebrate our friend’s anniversary with some good friends - a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Saison -  BeerAdvocate - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/129
Belgian Strong Pale Ale - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/55 - Beer Advocate

North Coast Brewing Co. - http://www.northcoastbrewing.com
Goose Island - http://www.gooseisland.com

June Beer Dinner – Pizza & Amber Ales

Nicole, Tibor and Dennis came over for a evening of amber ales and tasty food.  For the menu, Dennis brought over a fresh fruit tray for an appetizer, we made grilled pizzas, and Nicole and Tibor brought over Watergate Salad and 7 Layer Cookie Bars.  Everything was very good and the Amber Ales went well with everything.  I served two homebrewed Amber Ales – Peregrine and Citra Ace.  There was a split decision on these two and I will probably end up entering both into competitions.  We choose Widmer’s Drop Top Amber Ale as the best of the evening – all were good – Drop Top is a bit sweeter and went with the food very well.

For the commercial beers we sampled the following:

North Coast – Red Seal (5.5% ABV and 42 IBU)

Odell – Levity Amber Ale (5.1% ABV and 24 IBU)

Widmer – Drop Top Amber Ale (5.3% ABV and 18 IBU)

Alaskan – Amber (5.3% ABV and 18 IBU)

Full Sail – Amber (5.5% ABV and 31 IBU)

Red Seal - http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-RedSeal.htm
Levity - http://odellbrewing.com/beer/levity-amber-ale/

Drop Top – http://widmerbrothers.com/beer/#drop-top-amber

Alaskan Amber - http://www.alaskanbeer.com/our-brew/year-round-beers/amber.html

Full Sail – Amber - http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/beers/amber.cfm

Pizza Dough Recipe - http://draftmag.com/recipes/detail/227

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce bottle or can brown ale, room temperature (I used an Amber Ale)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons instant yeast

21/2 cups bread flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

11/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

Whisk together the ale, oil and yeast in a medium bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Pulse together bread flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal and salt in a food processor fitted with a dough blade. With the motor running, add the ale mixture to the food processor. Pulse until the dough comes together, then process for 30 seconds. (You can also use a stand mixer or make the dough by hand. If using a stand mixer, mix the dough for 4-5 minutes with a dough hook; by hand, knead the dough about 10 minutes.) The dough should be smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

HOW TO: GRILL YOUR PIZZA
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Very generously coat a pizza peel, unrimmed baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Gather your pizza toppings together and put on a baking sheet or plate for easy transport. You’ll also want a large metal spatula or tongs. 2.  Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut dough in half (or desired size). Roll and stretch one piece of dough into desired size and shape and transfer to the prepared peel or baking sheet. Head out to the grill.
3. Clean the grate of your grill. Using a single, quick motion, transfer the dough to the grill. Top with sauce and desired toppings; close the grill top. Grill the pizza until the underside is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to the peel or baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough and toppings.

North Coast – Old Rasputin

North Coast is a brewery located in Fort Bragg, California and I picked up a 4-pack of Old Rasputin (9.0% ABV and 75 IBU) Russian Imperial Stout during a family vacation in Phoenix over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I had heard and read good things about North Coast and about Old Rasputin.  I picked it up at Total Wine in Glibert, AZ, which has an amazing selection of beer, wine and spirits.  I am a big fan of stouts and Russian Imperial Stouts are one of the best selections for a winter evening.

Russian Imperial Stouts – “Inspired by brewers back in the 1800's to win over the Russian Czar, this is the king of stouts, boasting high alcohol by volumes and plenty of malt character. Low to moderate levels of carbonation with huge roasted, chocolate and burnt malt flavours. Often dry. Suggestions of dark fruit and flavors of higher alcohols are quite evident. Hop character can vary from none, to balanced to aggressive.”  Beeradvocate

Appearance – Black with a large tan head that takes some time to recede.

Aroma – Rich smell of malt with undertones of coffee and chocolate, maybe some vanilla and alcohol.

Taste – Wow – this is a big beer – Coffee, chocolate, slight alcohol, earthy and bready with a nice medium bitter finish.  Let this warm up to let the tastes come out.  These should be tasted at ~50-55 degrees. 

Overall – A+ - This is a very good Russian Imperial Stout and is one of the best I have tasted.

Website description – “Produced in the tradition of 18th Century English brewers who supplied the court of Russia's Catherine the Great, Old Rasputin seems to develop a cult following wherever it goes. It's a rich, intense brew with big complex flavors and a warming finish.”

URL - http://northcoastbrewing.com/beer-rasputin.htm