A Pleasant Surprise: Ruddy Duck Brewery

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.

Gotta love a pleasant surprise,

HolzBrew

Dakin Farm

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!

The End of Summer 2009

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.

Damn! I love the fall.

-HolzBrew

I'm ENGAGED!

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!!)

Check it out! http://weddingdiplomat.blogspot.com/

Rye or Die

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.

Live and let rye,

HolzBrew

Brunch, pub style

We've been surprisingly lax with our brunch outings in the past few months- with visitors, making breakfast, or just being out of town, there have been serious breaks without our weekly outing! However, this week we planned ahead and FINALLY made it to Shakespeare's Pub and Grille at 3701 India Street, at the bottom of the hill on Washington where India dead ends. We had stopped by for drinks once with some friends previously, and the food looked incredible. It looked better than the food I had while IN England! They offer first-class authentic fare at reasonable prices, and their spirit selection is exactly what you would hope for in an authentic English pub. The restaurant layout is eccentric, twisted, and totally perfect. Outdoor seating for brunch, indoor seating for soccer hooligans, and a cramped, dark bar perfect for a pint. Since it was a perfect San Diego morning, we took advantage of the near-empty patio overlooking the airport and watched the planes go by while awaiting what promised to be a gut-sagging brunch experience.

My bloody mary was perfect. Their "secret spicy" mix was a delight, and for $5 it was large, cool, refreshing, and the perfect companion to my Full English Breakfast. Their brunch menu is basically 3 options, so don't go if you aren't in the mood for either a Full English Breakfast, Omlette, or Small English Breakfast. They also have a few side options, but as far as the English Breakfast goes I can't imagine a better one in San Diego. It comes with 2 eggs your choice, English bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, potato pancakes, button mushrooms, and a generous portion of baked beans with a few tomato slices as garnishes. HB Sauce topped everything off nicely, and everything was bland enough to be authentic, but tasty enough to gobble down and enjoy heartily. I am anxious to go back and enjoy some of the dinner dishes available! Fish n' Chips, Shepherd's Pie, Steak and Kidney Pie, Bangers n' Mash, Scotch Eggs... prepare to be stuffed, jolly, and full of Guinness!

Vegan Cobbler

Ok, I have a confession to make. I promised several vegan friends that not only would I try my hand at baking, I would take it a step further and have my first sweet attempt be a vegan one.

It didn't end up that way.

I caught the baking bug today, and untimingly found myself a lone carnivore! All of my friends are in Boston for our wonderful friends wedding, taking their animal rights and appetites with them. With no reason to spend extra money on non-dairy goods like butter and milk (really the only two things) I totally cheated and used my cruel ingredients. However, I did take the recipe from the following cookbook:

This book is chock-full of great, all natural goodies, many of which I plan on actually trying my hand at when I once again find myself surrounded by animal loving hungry friends. I used the "Blueberry Cobbler" recipe and altered it into a "Peach/Blueberry Cobbler"- inspired by Brittany and in honor of my mom, whose peach cobbler is f*!@ing out of this world. Ashton lent me a hand in the kitchen as I rolled up my sleeves and banged out what proved to be a damn good dish.

Ingredients- Cobbler Biscuit Dough (all of this is unbleached, natural, dairy-free in the book- I used what I had on hand plus some fresh peaches and blueberries, so I'll skip the description. Get what you want. I'm sure Splenda would work just fine in lieu of sugar, etc.)
1 1/3 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar (divided)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 to 2 tbsp milk OR 1 to 2 tbsp butter to brush on top of dough

Ingredients- Filling
4 to 5 cups blueberries (or whatever fruit you wish- I used 2 pints blueberries and 4 medium to large fresh peaches sliced)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp grated lemon or lime zest- optional (I squirted some lemon juice in there, but I'm sure lemon zest would have been better. C'est la vie)

Preheat the oven to 375. I used a 2" deep baking pan around 9" square and sprayed with nonstick spray. For the dough, mix the flour 2 tbsp of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a deep bowl. When mixed thoroughly, add the butter and milk and stir until it forms a sticky dough. Put it aside and get to the filling!

Wash and dry the fruit, slice it if necessary, and in another large bowl combine them with the sugar, flour, and lemon zest (if using). Spread evenly in the baking dish and cover with the dough. The recipe says to use the tablespoon to spread it, but it is extraordinarily sticky and I ended up just reaching in and stretching small amounts across with my fingers. It worked well, IMHO. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining 1 or 2 tbsp of milk or butter (I opted for butter, duh) and sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp sugar. Here's what it looked like before baking:



Bake until top is golden brown and juices are slightly thickened, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving- with ice cream! I couldn't help but take an action shot because it smelled SO GOOD:



And the final dish!



The blueberry dripping sides were so hot and gooey that it looked like giant soda bubbles blasting to the top. It was awesome!

Wish you were here?