The unveiling of annual holiday brew Christmas Cookie Ale didn't go as well as we'd hoped. We tinkered with the recipe this year and we tinkered too much. We added too much cinnamon and vanilla to this one and made something that borders on undrinkable. Fortunately for us we have updwards of 30 bottles of the stuff left to drink. Awesome. Just awesome. We hope it mellows out over the coming weeks and softens enough so we can drink it. For now it stares. Not mocking or tempting. Just idling in its own vat of borderline mediocrity.
One of the most excellent gifts the Amazing and Wonderful Wife gave me for Christmas is the fixins for our next brew an oatmeal chocolate stout. We've been talking about whipping up an oatmeal chocolate stout for at least a couple months now. With all that anticipation and build up I'm pumped to have all the ingredients in hand and can't wait to get brewing. I feel like each brew we do we learn a little more about the process the ingredients and how they all work together. I feel like our base of brewing knowledge continues to grow and we become more confident with each brew we make. I have a really good feeling about this one. Prosst!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Holly Jolly Christmas
2011 marked the 4th year the Amazing and Wonderful Wife and I put on our Christmas Day brunch at our lovely and modest homestead. Each year we invite all our loevd ones to celebrate Christmas without worrying about exchanging any gifts, just partake of the yumminess and enjoy yourself. In years past we've served mimosa's, coffee, (staples to all our brunches) warm apple cider with cinnamon and store bought egg nog. This year we wanted to do something special so we made our egg nog from scratch and damn was it good. We cut the recipe a little and used 3 cups of half and half instead of 3 cups of heavy cream. It still had a dozen egg yolks over a cup of sugar and 3 cups of whole milk so it still makes cardiologists very happy. My brother mentioned over dinner just before the big day that we should do bloody mary's. We didn't have it in us to tinker with our menu (go shopping for more things at the last minute) to get the fixings for them. However we like the idea of keeping the brunch new and fresh so we landed on the idea of making a signature beverage each year. So our tentative plan for next year's beverage is you guessed it, bloody marys. For now we're just basking in the warm glow of another wonderful Christmas day brunch and enjoying the best this time of year has to offer.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Oxford Companion to Beer
Here at S & S Brewing Co. we (see I) have been looking for a clearing house of information on beer. A catch all go to source of information dangling at my fingertips where I can go for all things beer. I want the end all be all for every lick of information there is to know about beer. The search for this holy grail came to a brilliant and triumphant close yesterday, thanks be to The Amazing and Wonderful Wife.
Yesterday I celebrated another year, another ring on the tree trunk. On these occasions gifts are given to celebrate the day you joined everyone else on the 3rd stone from the sun. Such was the case yesterday when The Amazing and Wonderful Wife handed me a hefty gift and was almost giddy for me to open it. After the paper was torn away and my eyes fully swallowed up what the mighty tome on beer I have just been given, I realized this is it. THIS is what I've been looking for. What is it exactly? Well the jacket says it far better than my paltry vernacular and command of the english language could conceive of. "A truly groundbreaking work, The Oxford Companion to Beer is the most comprehensive reference book ever published on the subject of the world's most popular and diverse fermented beverage. Garrett Oliver has collected the vast knowledge and research of more than 165 beer experts from more than twenty countries. The result is a complete compendium of the world of beer, comprising more than a thousand entries, many of them covering subjects that have scarcely been written about before now. From the specifics of the brewing process to beer history, from hop and barley varieties to profiles of beer-producing countries and regions, and from beer styles, food pairing, and glass to barrel aging, dry hopping, and bottle refermentation, this book covers virtually every subject of interest to the enthusiast, brewer, or food and beverage professional. Not only are the entries expertly written, they are also attractively illustrated, with numerous photographs, postcards, etchings, paintings, advertisements, stamps and brocures. The outstanindg eclectic collection of images, some of which date back to before Prohibition also inclues a full-color insert."
It goes on to elaborate on the depth and breadth of the knowledge assembled - "There are over 200 entries for hops alone, covering their histories, genealogical lineages, growing habits, flavors, and uses. Some entries reach back to the beginnings of human society and others bring us right up to the moement, expounding on such cutting-edge subjects as the recent use of wild yeast strains by craft brewers." Oh ya. The Amazing and Wonderful Wife has yet again reinforced why she is The Amazing and Wonderful Wife. (She also set the bar pretty damn high for herself for Christmas!)
Yesterday I celebrated another year, another ring on the tree trunk. On these occasions gifts are given to celebrate the day you joined everyone else on the 3rd stone from the sun. Such was the case yesterday when The Amazing and Wonderful Wife handed me a hefty gift and was almost giddy for me to open it. After the paper was torn away and my eyes fully swallowed up what the mighty tome on beer I have just been given, I realized this is it. THIS is what I've been looking for. What is it exactly? Well the jacket says it far better than my paltry vernacular and command of the english language could conceive of. "A truly groundbreaking work, The Oxford Companion to Beer is the most comprehensive reference book ever published on the subject of the world's most popular and diverse fermented beverage. Garrett Oliver has collected the vast knowledge and research of more than 165 beer experts from more than twenty countries. The result is a complete compendium of the world of beer, comprising more than a thousand entries, many of them covering subjects that have scarcely been written about before now. From the specifics of the brewing process to beer history, from hop and barley varieties to profiles of beer-producing countries and regions, and from beer styles, food pairing, and glass to barrel aging, dry hopping, and bottle refermentation, this book covers virtually every subject of interest to the enthusiast, brewer, or food and beverage professional. Not only are the entries expertly written, they are also attractively illustrated, with numerous photographs, postcards, etchings, paintings, advertisements, stamps and brocures. The outstanindg eclectic collection of images, some of which date back to before Prohibition also inclues a full-color insert."
It goes on to elaborate on the depth and breadth of the knowledge assembled - "There are over 200 entries for hops alone, covering their histories, genealogical lineages, growing habits, flavors, and uses. Some entries reach back to the beginnings of human society and others bring us right up to the moement, expounding on such cutting-edge subjects as the recent use of wild yeast strains by craft brewers." Oh ya. The Amazing and Wonderful Wife has yet again reinforced why she is The Amazing and Wonderful Wife. (She also set the bar pretty damn high for herself for Christmas!)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Just because.
The Amazing Wife and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my brother and sister-in-laws house, they fried up a big ol' bird and whipped up the fixings to go along with it. My sister-in-laws family and my parents were there and everyone had a grand ol' time. The Amazing Wife and I decided we wanted to have a similar celebration but without all the work involved. We also wanted some kick ass left overs. Ya. So we roasted a nice chicken and did it up with all the fixings. We also busted out our fine china and crystal glassware that we received as wedding gifts. We drank our last bottle of Polaris, a wheat stout aged in bourbon barrels, from Rising Tide Brewery. We even got a stussied up for the event. The cause for the celebration? Our life together is damn good.
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