When we weren't sitting down to a full spread breakfast or 5 course dinner, we supplemented our starvation with many snack breaks to ward off weakness and fill our shrinking bellies. Let me just say that sitting in a screened-in gazebo with an unfettered view of Lake Champlain in the summertime surrounded by friends is a great place to be. Add snacks to the equation and you've got a damn near perfect day. Take down the ingredients to make your own perfect summer snack afternoon!
Wonderful summer spread- butter pretzels, Dakin Farm horseradish cheddar spread, fresh kalamata olives, thinly (and not-so-thinly) sliced Cob Smoked Vermont Cheddar (also from Dakin Farm) and local brews from Otter Creek!
Otter Creek Summer '09 disguised within these frozen antique Bud mugs.
Contemplating jumping in... and obviously being too lazy and full.
Pleased with the spread.. and quizzical as to why I was wasting time snapping a photo rather than diving in headfirst into snack heaven.
We migrated to the dock... and that is in no way depressing. Bottoms up!
The wife and I were looking for a day trip on Sunday and decided on a jaunt down to Solomons Island, MD. Before we left the house we did a quick check on the Solomons Chamber of Commerce website and noticed that there was a local winery, aptly named the Solomons Island Winery. Now, we aren't big wine drinkers, but it sounded like a nice thing for us to do together. The winery was located about 10 miles outside of Solomons. Now the website reads, "Located on 15 acres just north of Solomons Island in southern Calvert County Maryland..." This quote led me to believe that the winery actually grew grapes on premises. After carefully plotting our way there, we pulled onto Monticello Road off Rt. 4 and wound our way back into the woods following signs to the winery. At one point as we were driving through the woody lot Meg said, "I hate these little wineries that are hard to find, at least breweries are located right on the road." Which ended up being a foreshadowing comment. Well we found the "winery", which was actually someone's house. We walked around to the backyard and found the entrance to the "winery." There was 6 of us there for the tasting and that was probably two too many people to fit in the sampling room. We tried several things, both white and red, sweet and dry and really did not enjoy any of the wines. The lady running the tasting informed us that they buy grape juice just ferment it on premises. We politely purchased a bottle of white and peeled wheel out of there throw rocks all the way to Rt.4.
Now, here is where it gets good. As we were waiting for a break in the traffic in order to pull onto Rt. 4, Meg and I saw across the road a grain silo sticking out the top of a building and we were pretty certain that we just spotted a brewpub and noted it for the return trip. We then proceeded to spend some time in Solomons touring around and eating lunch.
On the return trip we pulled into where we thought we spotted a brewpub and sure enough we sat there staring at the Ruddy Duck Brewery. We managed a pair of seats at the bar and were approached by Jay the barkeep. He informed us that they had six of there own house brewed beers and I another six guest beers on tap as well. We asked for the flight of six sampler, in order to taste their full spectrum of beers and I'm glad we did. Most were really great, the six included a wit, a pale ale, an IPA, a porter, a trippel, and a golden ale. Probably the only one that was unremarkable was the golden ale, but I feel that is pretty typical for the style. After making short work of our flight, we each moved onto a pint. I went with the IPA which was very bright with citrus hop flavor. Meg choose the Wit, which is saying quite a lot, because she has a general aversion to anything brewed with wheat. We talked more with the barkeep and he informed us that the Ruddy Duck just opened in June and that in the last few weeks the place was really coming into its own. I inquired about the brewer and he said it was a guy named Jonathan who had 15 years of experience brewing in the DC area including brewing at Sweetwater Tavern.
We paid the bill and headed back to the big City, but we both agreed that another trip down to the duck for dinner might be in our near future.
Vacation is that wonderful time when food piles over plates, drinks flow a'plenty, and calories just don't seem to count as you soak them up unabashedly and continuously in an ever-mounting cycle of piggetry. Now, if you go on vacation with Mary Lou Ivey, let's just say that dinner is multiplied by five, and every hour on the hour is snacktime of epic proportions. This is only Part One of a multi-volumed blog series about our vacation in Vermont, land of delicious cheese, smoked meats, and enthusiastic brewmasters and snackmakers.
Dakin Farm is a tourist-style working farm in South Burlington, VT that is open 7 days a week to the public. Let's just say the clouds opened and angels sang their heavenly chorus when the doors opened during my first visit to the fabled land dedicated to the fresh and delicious. This roadside attraction is a must-visit hot spot to anyone who loves 1) cheese, 2) meat, 3) fudge, 4) jam, 5) honey, 6) syrup, or just damn good eats. My mind was continuously boggled by the amazing variety of treats and snacks made just around the corner, so freshness and flavor were apparent in every offering. Everything was available to sample, so you can bet your boots I did just that. Everything was basically the best thing I'd ever had, so this cornucopia of wonder turned into a wonderland of flavor that stretched through our entire week there.
Yes, that is a maple smoked garlic meat stick that I am enjoying.
Ashton and Virginia share my enthusiasm for yum.
This is only a smidgen of the fresh meats offered.
WANT. WANT IT ALL.
Their honey is so fresh they actually pull it from the bee's bodies. THAT IS FRESH.
Dakin's jams vary from the super sweet to succulently spicy, but the common thread is fresh flavor explosion guaranteed in every morsel.
These cheeses constituted about 89% of our diet for the week, and that was in no way depressing.
Virginia is as stuck as I am in what incredible variety to buy next!
If Vermont is the land of maple syrup, we hit the mother lode.
As pretty as it was delicious on the pancakes that we also got here!
Why go small? You know you want to drink gallons of the stuff. And you are on vacation, so it doesn't count! THAT IS SO CONVENIENT!
I hope you enjoyed it, because its over. I know you're looking at the 10 day weather forecast and thinking to yourself that this HolzBrew guy doesn't know what the hell he is talking about, but let's face it folks Oktoberfests are just starting to hit the shelves here in DC and that is a clear signal fall is fast approaching. According to last year's post it looks like summer 2008 ended on Thursday August 14 at 7:15 am. Wow, the summer just keeps getting shorter and shorter. What can I say? How does global warming factor into all of this? Is the Obama administration to blame?
A lot of folks get up in arms when they see 'fests on the shelf before September. Frankly, I for one will not let this get me down. Here's the good news, tonight I sampled 4 Oktoberfests, each wonderful in their own way: Spaten, HofBrau, Weihenstephaner, and Hacker Pschorr, rolls off the tongue. I decided upon a six pack of the Hacker Pschorr. Pretty good stuff again this year. I will withhold a review until I taste a few more this season and can accurately compare them. The one Oktoberfest that I dream about at night, Left Hand, has not yet hit the shelves here in the NOVA area. I can't wait for it.
The taste of Oktoberfest ensures that football and tailgating season are right around the corner. Nothing complements a bratwurst better than an Oktoberfest. Expectations are set high this year as the Hokies are ranked highly in the preseason. And the Hokies have decided to start the season off with a bang by opening against Alabama on September 5th.
Mandatory link to the 2003 VT-Miami Enter Sandman Entrance, click here.
Guess what .... I'm engaged! Which is why i'm starting a new blog for the time being, to chronicle my intercultural wedding planning adventures (that sounds pretty wolpertingery to me!!)
The Ruff Ryders! (What!?!) The Ruff Ryders! (repeat 4 times)
Unfortunately this post will not be about the classic (too far?) 1999 single released by the Ruff Ryders (ah yes, senior year of high school was fun).
Rye, a frequently overlooked grain that has been gaining acceptance in the craft brewing scene. Mention rye and the average person thinks of dense and flavorful bread, crispy crackers and various types of distilled spirits. Rye's ability to thrive in poor soil conditions and cold temperatures has made it a staple in the northern climate zones. Rye has long been associated with beers from Scandinavia, Germany, and Russia.
I personally enjoy rye as a fermentable agent. Rye lends a light, dry, spicy taste to a beer. In the last 5 or 6 years some American craft brewers have taken to brewing hoppy beers with rye. Bear Republic is well known for their Hop Rod Rye IPA. Terrapin Brewing makes a fantastic Rye Pale Ale as well as a big 'ole DIPA dubbed Rye Squared.
Well I experimented with rye last year when I brewed up a continuously hopped IPA named Kelly's R.I.P.A. The comments I received on that beer were largely complementary. About five weeks ago I decided to brew up a rye pale ale. I based it largely on a pale ale I brewed last year. Recipe as follows:
Minimash @ 156 F -3 lbs. Rye Malt -1 lbs. German Munich Malt -.25 lbs. Special B (Super Secret Ingredient, now revealed)
Boil for 60 mins
-5.5 lbs. of extra light DME -1 oz. of Summit Hops @ 60 -1 oz. of Cascade Hops @ 20 -1 oz. of Summit Hops @ 20 -1 oz. of Cascade Hops @ 0 -1 oz. of Cascade Hops for dry hop in secondary
Yeast - Safale US-05
OG - 1.058 FG - 1.010
ABV - 6.3%
The ABV came out a little higher than I planned, I was shooting for ABV at about 5.8%, but the wort boiled down faster than anticipated and I wound up with less liquid, thus making it more dense.
I kegged and bottled (split the batch) this last week, but unfortunately I haven't had much opportunity to review it so far. The tasting I did over the course of kegging was pretty enjoyable.
