New Brew Thursday: 'The Mystical Resurrection of the Alpaca Magi' from Proclamation Ale Company

About four and a half years ago I was lucky enough to attend the Second Annual Ocean State Beer Festival that was held at Foolproof Brewery in Pawtucket. I consider this one of the best beer events I have ever been too and the day that I truly fell in love with Rhode Island Craft Beer. While I had been drinking craft beer for many years prior and had tried many Rhode Island Breweries it was this event where I truly realized just how big the beer scene was in the smallest state. This is when I first tried “The Chosen One” from Tilted Barn and experienced one of the best sour lines in the state, Alpaca Magi from Proclamation Ale Company.

Those who know me, know that while sours are one of my favorite styles I didn’t really start to love them until around this time. When I walked up to the Proclamation table, I tried their fantastic Pale Ale ‘Derivative’ and while I am not sure which one I had, as it was a very fun festival, I remember loving it (still do) and being asked if I liked sours. Answering in the affirmative I was told to come back in a few minutes as they were going to open their award-winning sour, ‘The Unyielding wrath of the Alpaca Magi.’ Now, I LOVE A GOOD BEER NAME, and was curious to try it and it was everything I love about sours. A Light mouthfeel with a lingering and palate coating sourness. I was then told that this was a series and that there were others in this line. Thusly, I made it my mission to try as many as I could. The last release, ‘The Tropical Excursion of the Alpaca Magi’ was released around the fall of 2018 so it had been awhile since their last new release… until last night. I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw it and it was glorious. Proclamation announced ‘The Mythical Resurrection of the Alpaca Magi’ and about five minutes later I had placed my order.

“Mystical Resurrection” pours into the glass a rich but cloudy purple with an off-white head that disappears just seconds after the pour. The notes show off the beers funk as the barrels round out the raspberries, blackberries, and merlot grapes. The taste is fantastic. With an impossibly light mouthfeel you get an initial tartness from the raspberries and merlot grapes in the front of your mouth that then builds to a slight sweetness. The sweetness does not last long though as you get a rich and complex sour that coats the entire palate from the back of your tongue to the front of your mouth. The Woodford Reserve barrel acts as a kind of amplifier for the foeder which adds to a slight oak finish and lingering sour that builds ever-so-slightly with each sip. Coming in at a dangerous 8% ABV there is no warning halfway through the bottle when it hits. “Mystical Resurrection” is just another in the Alpaca Magi family that delivers every, single, time!

New Brew Thursday: 'Mega Treat' from Tree House Brewery

Early last week Tree House had both ‘King Julius’ and ‘King Jjjuliuss’ in cans so I knew that I had to try and get up to Charlton. I have not been able to get to Tree House in a few months so I was eager to get up there but due to work and the weather I was not sure I would be able to. However, when they announced ‘Mega Treat’ I knew I had to get up there as it had been on my must try list since it was first brewed last year. I got a few other cans as well, but I was most excited to try ‘Mega Treat’ and it did not disappoint.

‘Mega Treat’ pours into the glass a hazy dark yellow with a thick white head. It has strong sweet notes of candied tropical fruit with a heavy emphasis on the sweetness that gives way to the softer fruit. The taste is amazing. While ‘Treat’ and ‘Super Treat’ have an initial bitterness ‘Mega Treat’ is an absolute juice bomb from start to finish. It has a thick and luxurious mouthfeel that coats the palate and tongue and is an impossible combination of soft and juicy with a slight lingering front-of-the-mouth bitterness. Coming in at 8.7% ABV it is just boozy enough to stop you from crushing it. ‘Mega Treat’ is a definite must try for all those who love their hazy boys.

New Brew Thursday: 'Sunrise Over Sea' from Tilted Barn

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Tilted Barn on my Rhode Trip (click HERE). While I was there I had a few of their offerings but only a small sip of today’s #NewBrewThursday from my girlfriend’s glass, ‘Sunrise Over Sea.’ Now, I have had some of Tilted Barn’s sours in the past (BIG fan of ‘Seek The Wild’) so I was excited to get some cans and have a full taste for myself, and let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint.

‘Sunrise Over Sea’ pours into the glass a cloudy pink with a small white head. The notes feature an abundance of fruit (I smell orange and raspberry, but I am not sure those are featured in the beer) with additional sweetness. It has a light mouthfeel and slight tartness that stays in the front of the mouth that lingers ever so slightly. It has a big fruit flavor and while being tart, that tartness is not overwhelming and ‘Sunrise Over Sea’ is quite refreshing as well. Coming in at 5% ABV it is crazy crushable and perfect for a hot day or a change-of-pace beer.

While Tilted Barn is very well known for the IPAs I am LOVING their forays into sours and other lighter style beers and I for one hope they keep it up.

Cooking With Beer: Chili

While the Super Bowl this past Sunday saw Tom Brady win number seven (not a Buccaneers fan but happy for my guy) I was able to make chili. Now, whenever I make chili, I do tend to experiment a little with my spice paste and with the beer.

Finished Product

When it comes to beer in chili I have seen people use Mexican style lagers and saisons but I have always had great success with stouts and porters. Typically, I stay away from pastry stouts as I think their sweetness would have an adverse effect with the meat. I also stay away from stouts and porters with certain flavors like peanut butter, marshmallow, coconut, and vanilla. I look for stouts and porters that feature chocolate, coffee, and oatmeal. I did recently experiment with a milk stout that produced an exceptional batch of chili, my theory is that the lactose in the stout acted similar to the milk/cream that is added when making a Bolognese sauce to make it creamier. It did produce a richer chili. I also try to go with imperial stouts as the flavors are more intense. This time I used an oatmeal stout from Beer On Earth called ‘Stout’s Meal’ that produced a slightly lighter chili that was still quite delicious. Here is the recipe so you can try it for yourself.

Spice Paste:

2 dried ancho chilis

3 dried pasilla chilis

5-6 dried arbol chilis (these are for spice, add/reduce to increase/decrease spiciness)

¼ cup dried Dominican Oregano (Mexican or Italian is fine)

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

 

Chili

3lbs chuck roast (or 1lb chuck roast/1lb of 80/20 ground beef)

2 medium sized onions (I prefer vedalia)

1 jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 large cloves of garlic

1 16 oz beer

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans

1 bay leaf

Salt and Black Pepper to taste 

Method:

For the chili paste, cut/tear the chilis into small pieces and remove the seeds. Place them into a dry pan and lightly toast them until they are warm and fragrant. Then add about two cups or enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and let go for about two minutes. Kill the heat and then let them steep for at least ten minutes. In another pan toast the cumin seeds and black peppercorns until they are fragrant. Next place them into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Combine the chilis, water, black pepper, cumin, oregano, thyme, cocoa powder, and cornmeal into a blender and blend into a smooth paste.

For the meat, I typically take a three-pound chuck roast and cut it in half and grind the fatty portion into ground beef and cut the leaner half into half-inch pieces. If you do not have a meatgrinder get 80/20 ground beef and a 1lb chuck roast and cut that into half-inch pieces. Next, roughly chop the onions and jalapeno pepper and set aside. In a very hot dutch oven or pot add the oil and pieces of the chuck roast to sear adding salt and black pepper and once seared, remove from the pot and let sit. Next, add the ground beef pressing hard to the bottom of the pot to get a hard sear. Add salt and black pepper and once well browned remove from the pot. Then, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and jalapeno and sauté until they are slightly translucent and grate the garlic into the pot and cook for roughly one minute. Now add the meat back to the pot and thoroughly combine with the spice paste and cook for another minute or so. Next add the beer to the chili and bring to a boil stirring so it does not burn. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release all of the fond and reduce until only about four ounces are left. Now add in the tomatoes, one can of water, and the beans with the bay leaf and stir thoroughly. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about two to three hours stirring occasionally. If you like a thicker chili then let it reduce further or if it gets too thick then add some more water.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, green onion, and sour cream to enjoy. Feel free to experiment with your choice of beer and let me know what works for you.

Rhode Trip: Shaidzon Beer Company

(The next part in a multi-part series as we complete the Rhode Island Brewer’s Guild Passport. To learn more about the passport and download the app click HERE)

As we continue our Rhode Trip let me take you back to last weekend. Right after leaving Tilted Barn we decided to head down the road to Shaidzon Beer Company. A little off the beaten path in West Kingston and located in a complex with other businesses, they are where Proclamation use to be (a very Rhode Island phrase/occurrence). Currently, they are only serving in their outdoor space due to COVID-19 and this seating area is located towards the back of the building with multiple picnic tables and chairs around propane fireplaces, it has the feel of drinking in a friend’s backyard.

While there are available heaters, last weekend when we went it was absolutely frigid with a blustery wind that whipped right through the beer garden. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions the beer was top notch. I ordered ‘Rachard’ which is a Peach IPA brewed in honor of Rachard Nash, a member of the staff that tragically passed away. It was a super juicy and hazy IPA that was almost too crushable. My girlfriend ordered ‘Winter Nightz’ a rich and robust stout that was perfect for such a cold day.

While spirits were high as we sat there bundled up near our propane fireplace we had to leave early because of the cold. I definitely wanted another pour but settled for some To-Go cans instead. Shaidzon continues to be one of the great breweries in the state and a place you need to make an effort to go to… Just make sure you are wearing the right clothes

Shaidzon Beer Company is located at 141 Fairgrounds Rd. West Kingston, RI 02892. For more information about the brewery please click HERE

Part one: Long Live Beerworks

Part two: Buttonwoods Brewery

Part three: LineSider Brewing Company

Part four: Taproot Brewing Company

Part five: Community Bruin (CLOSED)