"Sour, Salty and (EXTREMELY) Delicious"

        Westbrook Brewing Co. is located on 510 Ridge Road, Mt Pleasant, South Carolina 29464. 

Their mission is, “To make the most interesting, drinkable, and generally awesome beer possible.” Quoted directly from their website

They are all about using new brewing techniques and incorporating new flavors and ingredients. 

That’s one solid mission statement in my opinion.

        Westbrook Gose is a 4% ABV 5 IBU traditional style German sour wheat beer; with estimated calories 120; the main ingredients in the beer being coriander and salt. 

German style wheat beers are brewed with souring agents such as lactobacillus or wild yeast and pale malted barley or wheat.

They are typically low in ABV and have fruity citrusy sour notes. 

They haven’t been all too popular in recent years, but we have been seeing more starting to be brewed within the last decade.  

Brewers seem to be experimenting with this old traditional style and adding modern flavors and techniques; which is always fun and exciting to see. 

One of the main ingredients that I noted before; coriander is also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley, native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. 

This plant looks exactly like the parsley many of us are familiar with; broad base with thin flowery stems. Some notes associated with this plant are citrus, soapy taste or smell, nutty, and spicy.

According to Westbrook’s website, they pronounce this brew Gose-uh and it was first released in April of 2012. Gose is available year round on draft and in 232 oz bottles.

        Westbrook Gose is a pale lite golden yellow color. This brews body is extremely hazy, you are absolutely not going to see through this beer, even if you try.

There really isn’t much of a head, you can hold your glass completely vertical and tip your can with the same exaggeration, and you still will only get 1/8” of head. The head that you are able to see is bright while and dissipates immediately. I wasn’t even able to take a picture of the head it dissolved so quickly.

I get a strong aroma of low tide, a very musky saltiness that is exaggerated by a lingering citrus scent. Really opens up your nostrils!

Very, very strong lemony citrus, funky low tide possibly a mix of yeast and sea salt aroma.

BAM! Blast of carbonation hits you in the face at the beginning of your first sip.

Tangy, tasty, ludicrous salty lemon explosion.  

Carbonation fizzes on your lips with each sip, 

Lemon lines your tongue, 

Salt sits on the top of your mouth,

And all three separate entities come together to create this perfectly pungent, savory salty, crisp, sour lemon bomb.

Absolutely delicious!!!

This beer is good at room temperature, especially when tasting for the first time… 

But really, drink this beer cold, it’s like a frozen dessert, or salty lemon citrus Italian Ice on a hot day. 

Crisp and balanced to bring the lemon and salt forward.

I just want to mention… my boyfriend froze one of these accidentally once… and it was delicious. What a beautiful mistake that was.

        Overall this is a fantastic beer. I love the blast of flavor and the fact that this is still a drinkable beer. I can picture drinking this year round during any season; although this beer makes the perfect go to for a hot summer day at the beach. You won’t even be able to tell if you get a little bit of salt water in the can accidentally. Win, win.

​I paired this was Lemon, Blueberry Westbrook Gosemuffins that I made and topped with a sugar lemon Westbrook Gose frosting. I will be posting the recipe shortly so stick around!

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Keep in touch, I love talking about beer and sharing enthusiasm for a similar hobby and passion.

*Also please feel free to check out my newest material on SommBeer.com There are some amazing enthusiasts on that site with a ton of craft beer knowledge. Stop by and check out some reciews, also feel free to leave us any comments or suggestions you may have*

 

Be safe and have fun,

 

CBrewGal

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

www.Westbrookbrewing.com

www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/the-mystical-world-of-sour-wheat-beers

www.ratebeer.com/beer/westbrook-gose/174127

 

"Earth, Wind and Beer." Trader Session IPA from Uinta Brewing Co.

        Uinta Brewing Co. Is located on 1722 Fremont Drive in Salt Lake City Utah. Uinta started off brewing in a renovated mechanic's garage, in 1993.

After they started bottling the demand became so outrageous they relocated to their current location... A 26,000 square foot facility. They have VASTLY expanded their distribution!!  

Here we go... They now distribute to: ME, RI, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA, OH, KY, NC, SC, GA, FL, IL, MO, MN, KS, TX, NM, CO, WY, UT, ID, NV, AZ, CA, OR, WA and limited distribution in PA.

A little bit bigger than the mechanics garage I imagine...

Uinta is named after a mountain range located in northeastern Utah.

It was interesting to find that many of Uinta's brews are named after landmarks or have historical significance.

For instance, Kings's Peak Porter is named after Utah's highest pike.

Another awesome tid bit... Uinta has been completely wind powered since 2001, and they also installed solar paneling on their roof. 

Their catch phrase "Earth, Wind and Good Beer" really seems to fit them well at this point.

        Trader is a Session India Pale Ale at 4%ABV, IBU 42 and estimated calories 120.

Trader has a white fluffy head that quickly dissipates. The amber, golden body is completely transparent. This beer is really aesthetically pleasing, quite inviting to drink.

I get a tone of honey in the scent of this brew; very sweet hop aroma also; Almost fruity, sweet mild pear and strong malt notes.

This beer is very thin, very drinkable sips as you would expect from a session. Very crisp carbonated bite at the end of each sip along with a slightly bitter hop bite to compliment the carbonation. I really only get that strong carbonation at the beginning and end of each sip, it's not defined throughout the whole sip. I feel like this really allows you to absorb the intense crisp affect from when the carbonation finally hits your tongue.

There are also very, very mild caramel like nutty notes that I feel go well with the sweet subtly bitter hops; feels like an amber ale.

      I wish this had a bit more developed of a hop profile but I do enjoy the drinkability. Trader was very pleasant to drink although very malt forward. 

The funny thing is this beer has such a great appearance...

In my opinion I feel it might smell better than it tastes.

I would give this beer a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Definitely a pleasant experience, like I said, but just wish there was a bit more flavor other than malt. The malt really dominated this brew.

     I paired this with garlic knots and pizza. I made the dough with one of the main ingredients being Trader Session IPA. 

I will be posting the recipe for both shortly. I will definitely keep you posted!

Thanks again for reading. It truly means a lot that you all take the time to listen to what I have to say, and possibly even take into consideration some of the experiences I've had.

I will be posting a review for Hop Nosh also brewed by Uinta. That's very soon to come so stick around. :p

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Keep in touch, I love talking about beer and sharing enthusiasm for a similar hobby and passion.

*Also please feel free to check out my newest material on SommBeer.com There are some amazing enthusiasts on that site with a ton of craft beer knowledge. Stop by and check out some reciews, also feel free to leave us any comments or suggestions you may have*

 

Be safe and have fun,

 

Craft Brew Gal

Sources: UintaBrewing.com

**Update recipe now availsble below. Also posted in Cooking with Craft.**

Margarita Session Pie:

What you will need:

For the dough:

1/4 C Trader Session IPA

1/4 C Milk

4 TSP Sugar

2 TSP Dry Yeast

3 C Flour

1.5 TSP Baking Powder

1.5 TSP Salt

2 Eggs

3/4 C Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt

Toppings:

1-2 Tomatoes-Sliced 

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

1/4 C Mozzarella 

1/4 C Basil (Roll and Slice)

3 TBS Minced Garlic  

(You can modify the toppings however you want, for this pie I used pepperoni instead of sliced tomato, and Cheddar Cheese instead of Mozzarella; to compliment any hoppy notes that may have been brought out in the dough.) 

1/2 Can Tomato sauce (Or see below for home made sauce.)

***Good idea to make the sauce a day before. It only takes 30 minutes, 40 tops, but it's a good idea to let it chill before applying to dough.***

Sauce:

5 Large Tomatoes 

1 TBS Olive Oil

4 TSP Garlic (Or to taste, I love garlic so I usually add more; just check and see what you prefer.)

1 TBS Sugar

Black Pepper to taste

1/2 TSP Salt

1/2 TSP Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Herbs to taste (I used basil, dill, rosemary and oregano.)

Instructions: 

For Dough:

*Preheat oven to 375 F

*Warm milk in cup for 30 seconds

*Combine milk, beer, yeast, and sugar; Stir and let site for 5 minutes

(You will notice the mixture start to bubble.)

*In a food processor (No, this will not work in a blender.) combine mixture and rest of dough ingredients. Pulse until completely mixed together.

*Transfer dough to floured area (You will need a bit of space.)

(If the dough is too sticky kneed in flour, if too tough add equal parts warm milk and beer.)

*Kneed dough 

*I used aluminum foil because I didn't have a big enough baking sheet... Or a brick oven ...which would've been lovely.

It took two pieces about a foot and a half long. I overlapped them about half an inch in the center and sprinkled cornmeal.

*Put your dough in the center of the foil and roll into a circular shape about 16" in diameter. (You can also do 12" depending on what best suits your kitchen.)

*To get a thick crust like seen in the pictures just roll the outer edge back towards the center about 1/4"

*If you aren't using the dough immediately you can cover and leave in the fridge. Take it out 30 minutes before using.

For Sauce:

*Cut off tops of the tomatoes, slice into fours

*Combine all sauce ingredients in food processor

*Transfer to medium-high heat in medium sized pan

*Bring to boil consistently stirring

Reduce heat, stir while thickens for 20-30 minutes 

*Let cool before applying to dough

After sauce has cooled:

*With large spoon or ladle, dump 1 spoonful into the center of the pie; with spoon move counter clockwise in a circular motion starting In the center of the pie and slowly working your way to the crust. Do not cover crust with sauce. (Although you can cover it with equal parts beer and butter if you want to be really fancy :p )

*Add all other toppings (You can do this step however you want, get creative, and have fun! I do recommend using some parmesan cheese on top, after all your toppings are added.)

*Pop in the oven for 12-15 minutes... 

Depending on your oven, may cook quicker or take longer. My best advice, CHECK after 6 minutes and rotate at least 90 degrees to avoid uneven heating. If it's taking longer rotate another 90 after 12 total minutes. REMEMBER to CHECK the bottom... Pizza is deceiving, the top can look finished but the bottom may not even be golden yet. Be proactive to avoid ruining your pie :p

Also, if your pie is sticking to the aluminum foil a ton DONT FRET!!! 

To rotate just grab the edges of the aluminum foil and when you take it out of the oven let it cool a bit and then cut it, any pieces in which the foil stuck...just peel back the foil it will come right off. This is a lot better than trying to get the foil off while your pie is flaming hot and still whole.

Alrighty, so there ya have it. My hopefully fool proof, Margarita Session Pie.

I hope you enjoyed reading... Let me know if you try the recipe, I'd love to hear what you think.

Stay safe and have fun!

Craft Brew Gal

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NEW PINTREST:Craftbrewg (My recipes are under Cooking with Craft) 

*Also please feel free to check out my newest material on SommBeer.com There are some amazing enthusiasts on that site with a ton of craft beer knowledge. Stop by and check out some reciews, also feel free to leave us any comments or suggestions you may have*

Kicking off Summer with some Spice!

      Summer Swelter Ale is a seasonal Herb/Spiced beer brewed by Baxter Brewing Co. ABV: 4.70%  EST Calories: 141

Baxter is located on 130 Mill Street, Lewiston, Maine. 

Starting out in 2011 Baxter is fairly new to the game, but they already have six solid brews under their belt. If you haven’t had the chance to grab the Baxter Backpack just do it. At the end of that variety pack I felt like I had a good understanding and appreciation for what these guys are offering.

Baxter currently distributes to Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. They actually just started distributing to New York also which is exciting news, so spread the word! 

      Summer Swelter has a lite golden, hazy body with a brilliant white fluffy head. I would definitely approach this pour gingerly.

This brew has a luscious lemony bitter lime scent to open up your sinuses, complimented with a bubbly, earthy bitterness masking each sip.

Very smooth and lite sips, not to mention the earthy properties combined with the bitterness really act as a really nice, crisp, palate cleanser. 

I get a ton of lime with this beer and decided to investigate…

I found out that Baxter uses Kaffir lime leaves to brew this beer. 

I know what limes are… but Kaffir lime leaves I had not heard of. 

Sooo… I looked further into this plant.

Kaffir lime leaves are used a lot in Thai dishes. The leaves are thicker and dark; Small and mighty also when it comes to flavor. To prepare these leaves you are supposed to roll them and slice them much like basil. If you are interested in reading more about this plant I found a nice small direct article with photos also for visual aid. http://www.thaitable.com/thai/ingredient/kaffir-lime-leaves

      The only somewhat negative thought I have regarding these leaves are their potency. These leaves are just so bold… almost too bold. I feel like the bitter properties really cancel out the sour sweetness you should be getting from the lemongrass. The lemony notes are still present but definitely not defined as well as you would wish.

Overall this is a great beer for the summer. I’m impressed with the creativity also; It’s nice to see a brewery go against the grain a bit and come up with something seasonal but not predictable. I feel like it’s really easy to release a shandy, or session to hit off the summer, but a sessionable spiced herb beer… that is interesting and I appreciate that. 

I would give this beer a 3.75 out of 5 stars, I found this very enjoyable to drink and I even learned a few new things regarding ingredients they used. I would recommend trying this brew, it’s a fun time for the summer. 

​I paired this brew with homemade mac and cheese. I used the Summer Swelter to make the cheese sauce, so in honor of this brew I named this dish, “Sweltering CRAFT Mac and Cheese”. Here’s the recipe straight from my blog if you had an interest:

 

 

 

Sweltering CRAFT Mac and Cheese(CROCKPOT!!)

 

 

 What you will need:

 

1 lb. pasta (I used Rigatoni and it came out perfect)

4 Cups Milk

3-4 tbs Minced Garlic

¼ Cup Butter (salted) or olive oil (I used ½ butter ½ olive oil)

¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese

¼ Cup Cream Cheese

¼ Cup mozzarella cheese

1 slice American cheese (I broke into four pieces to melt easier)

Salt and pepper to taste (I also used rosemary, oregano and basil but you can pick your herbs and spices)

3-4 tbs of flour or potato flakes 

1 egg

¼ Cup Baxter’s Summer Swelter Spice/Herb beer (you can sub for another lite beer but I would go with a mild shandy or a mildly spiced lite beer. If the sweetness is too intense it could overpower the cheddar cheese. Baxter’s Summer Swelter was the perfect balance of bitterness and spiced flavor to add to a cheddar mac and cheese. The bitterness from the lime peel in the brew perfectly complements the bitterness in the cheddar cheese) (Jusstttttt saying :P )

 

 

Instructions:

 

• Wisk together egg, melted butter, flour and milk

• Turn on crockpot to high

• Add pasta and butter egg combo

• Add all other ingredients and spices

• Add beer 

• Stir every 15-20 mins

• Leave on high until noodles begin to soften (that was about half an hour in for me)

• Turn on low stir every 15 minutes until noodles are al dente 

• TURN OFF HEAT 

• If not for immediate consumption put in fridge and re heat in crockpot on high for 30 minutes to an hour until warm (stir every 10 minutes)

• EAT!!!

 

 

 

Thanks again for reading everyone! Next review should be out shortly.

Feel free to follow me on…

 

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Twitter:@CraftBr3wGal

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Keep in touch, I love talking about beer and sharing enthusiasm for a similar hobby and passion.

*Also please feel free to check out my newest material on SommBeer.com There are some amazing enthusiasts on that site with a ton of craft beer knowledge. Stop by and check out some reciews, also feel free to leave us any comments or suggestions you may have*

 

Be safe and have fun,

 

Craft Brew Gal

Sources: 

http://www.thaitable.com/thai/ingredient/kaffir-lime-leaves

Www.ratebeer.com/beer/Baxter-summer-swelter-ale/216084/

Summer isn’t the only thing wet and hot this year…

 

        Thanks to Finch’s we can start off the warm weather with a good old fashion wheat ale.

         Finch’s Beer Company is located on 4565 N Elston Ave in Chicago Illinois. Head brewer Ben Finch was born in Norfolk Varginia and eventually moved to Chicago to attend the Art Institute of Chicago. Whilst in the midst of managing a website development company, “The Killswitch Collective”, Ben discovered his true love for craft beer. 

Ben had originally been accepted to school on a sculptor scholarship, and really found a love for the “design” of beer and the brewing process; He associated this back to his love for art, and from that seed Finch’s Beer Company emerged.

​Wet Hot American Wheat gets its name from the brewing process Ben used. For this brew Ben incorporated “particularly “wet” mash” and “hot” initial fermentation temperature.” 

This beer is brewed and dry hopped with both Centennial and Columbus hops as well as White Wheat and Torrified Wheat. This gives the beer a sweet body that is well balanced with hops. 

This ale is sold in 16 oz cans and is available for the Summer season. 

It is categorized as an American Pale Wheat Ale with an ABV of 5.0% and IBU:22

Wet Hot American Wheat has a pale yellow shade, mildly hazy with a bright white head. When you stick your nose into a glass of this you get a whiff of wheat and lemon notes immediately. This isn’t a super strong punch, but mild and inviting.

Really everything about this beer is appealing for a nice, warm sweaty summer day.

Sipping this beer is very enjoyable, fully carbonated bubbly body complimented with a wheat-y citrusy crispness. The lite body of this beer and full carbonation I feel really make this brew stand out as a summer sipper. 

There really is not much better than sipping a cold, fresh, crisp, carbonated brew on a wet summer day. Add some citrus and wheat… yea this beer is good to go!

​In the past I havn’t been completely impressed with Finch’s but this beer definitely did the trick.  

Almost drank the full four-pack in one night to be honest.

I paired this with some homemade sweet and salty potato chips, because what goes better with carbs then … a duh…. MORE CARBS!

But… wheat beers do pair excellent with salmon, citrus fruit, bananas, and citrus beers go really well with fish as well, pasta, and other fruits. 

There are definitely a lot of options when it comes to pairings with this beer. You can’t really go wrong with a dish considering the drinkability of this brew.  

Like I said this is just the perfect summer brew, easily drinkable and beautiful tasty notes. The can art is also pretty fantastic, just throwing that out there.

Thanks Finch’s this was a great, fun, creative, tasty way to kick off the summer!

Thanks so much for reading guys! 

Next review to be announced shortly. 

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Keep in touch, I love taking about beer and sharing enthusiasm for a similar hobby and passion. 

Be safe and have fun,

Craft Brew Gal .