New Brew Thursday: 'Indigo Sunrise' from Dorchester Brewing Company

Last month when I visited Boston the first stop was to Dorchester Brewing Company. While I had never been I had always heard good things and I was not disappointed as the beer was absolutely fantastic. While I will go more into the visit in a future post (thanks Freddy Foreshadowing) when I was there, I saw this awesome looking light purple beer but was not able to try it. When I got my to go cans I saw that it was actually indigo and that it was called ‘Indigo Sunrise,’ and man do I wish I grabbed a pour of this when I was there.

‘Indigo Sunrise’ pours into the glass a cloudy indigo color with a light pink head. It has strong fruit notes of blueberries and plums with a soft tangerine note at the end which adds a slight sweetness. The taste is awesome and textbook kettle sour. The blueberries and plums are heavily featured with each sip with just a hint of tangerine, it finishes with the perfect amount of mid-tongue tartness that lingers ever-so-slightly after each sip. Often times, kettle sours are not very tart but ‘Indigo Sunrise’ nails it with the perfect amount of tartness for those who really enjoy sours. With a light mouthfeel and ABV of only 5% you will be nearly done with the glass before you realize it, but you will not be feeling it.

New Brew Thursday: 'Inner Crazy (Strata)' from Electric Brewing Company

Since starting the Instagram account that goes with this blog (follow The Drinking Lawyer on Instagram) I have entered dozens of giveaways. I had never won one until last week when I won a giveaway from @IPAlot. Not only did I get a new glass and t-shirt but a sweet four pack of two Triple IPAs that he collaborated with Electric Brewing Company with. I was told that these beers were awesome and tonight’s #NewBrewThursday did not disappoint. Especially because it features a hop that I am really starting to love, Strata.

‘Inner Crazy (Strata)’ pours into the glass a hazy yellow with a nice white head. As far as I know, I have never had a triple dry hopped IPA and I have to say that I am a BIG fan. It has heavy notes of sweet melon from the Strata hops that linger ever-so-slightly. The taste is fantastic. With a thick, yet soft, mouthfeel that coats the entire palate before delivering a big juicy punch of Strata. The other hops play nicely to support the Strata and it is just delightful with a slight bitterness that lingers just so on the tongue. Despite being a Triple IPA with an ABV of 10% it is not overly heavy and boozy. But be warned, it is super drinkable and you’ll be three-quarters done with the glass before you know it.

In all, the only downside to this beer is that I only have one more left.

New Brew Thursday: 'I See You' from Finback

Way back when, in mid-March, when I received my New York City Brewer’s Guild beer week case I was filled with happiness. Due to my hectic schedule I knew there would have been NO way for me to attend in person and when I first heard about the case (shout out to IPA.fan on Instagram) I new I had to have it. Now that I am down to my last beer I only have one thought. I cannot believe this case lasted so long and that I left this absolute beauty from Finback for the end.

‘I See You’ pours into the glass a hazy yellow with a thick white head. It has soft notes of melon that do not overpower the nose, just subtly whispering into the nostrils (that might be one of the most pretentious sentences I have ever written). The taste is phenomenal. The label promises cantaloupe and boy does it deliver on that promise. While I have never had an IPA with Belma or Blanc hops they definitely play a supporting role to both introduce and round out the Mosaic, as the beer has the juicy and thick mouthfeel of a classic hazy Double IPA. A slight bitterness lingers on the back of the tongue to punctuate each sip. Despite having an ABV of 8% it is not overly boozy and you will be three-quarters through the glass before you start to feel it.

In all, when it comes to this beer, this case, and the New York City Brewer’s Guild Beer Week I go with an old standby quote: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

Cooking With Beer: Allagash Jerk Chicken

North meets south in this is a recipe I have been working on for some time. Tinkering with it to get something truly special and while I will continue to play with it, mostly because that is just how I cook, I feel that this is something truly special and is absolutely delicious.

When it comes to the beer, I used Allagash ‘White.’ Not only because it is my favorite Wit but in my humble opinion it is one of the best Belgian Wits on the market. While you can use another Wit, I do not see why you would do so as ‘White’ is just fantastic. However, if you must, just make sure it has coriander and citrus in it as they help bring out those ingredients in the brine and marinate.

Brine:

6 cups water

1 habanero pepper

1 bay leaf

1 knob ginger

½ lemon (plus its juice)

1 clove of garlic

¼ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup kosher salt

1 tablespoon Black Peppercorns

1 tablespoon Allspice berries

1 teaspoon Coriander seeds

24 oz Allagash White

1 tray of ice cubes

 

Marinate:

1 knob ginger

4 cloves of garlic

2 fresh bay leaves

¼ of a medium size onion

3 scallions

½ cup cilantro

2 habanero peppers (3 if you like it spicy)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoon allspice

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon clove

½ cup low sodium soy sauce

½ cup Allagash White

¼ cup Worchester sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

 

Method:

Bring the water up to boil and then add all of the ingredients for the brine except the Allagash and Ice. Let boil for five minutes before taking off the heat and then add to your brining bucket and then add ice and Allagash. Once the brine is cold then place your chicken into the brine and let sit for 24-48 hours.

Next, take the chicken out of the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on a tray and put back into the refrigerator for 12 hours to allow the skin to tack up.

For the marinate, combine all of the solid ingredients and spices into a high-powered blender (rough chop the ginger, scallion, and onion) and pulse five times. Next, add the liquid ingredients and blitz until it is chunky-smooth. Once the chicken is ready, place into a plastic bag with the marinate and let sit for 24-36 hours.

When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes. Bring your smoker up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, I used a combination of hickory and cherry pellets, and then place the chicken skin side up for 30 minutes and then flip so it is skin side down. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees and then let sit for at least 15 minutes (the carryover heat will cook to completion).* and then enjoy.

*NOTE: my smoker has a very high deflector plate that acts almost like a broiler. If your smoker doesn’t have one, then you may want to put it under a broiler to crisp up the skin. If you are using a grill, you will definitely want to introduce some smoke through wood chips.

While this recipe is very time consuming it is most assuredly worth it. Proper Jerk Chicken is a labor of love using the brine, marinate, and smoke to make something that is warm, spicy, and smokey all at once. Even if you cannot brine the chicken and just want a nice chicken marinate for the grill this is perfect for you.

"New" Brew Thursday: 'Dusk Trill Dawn' from Trillium and Evil Twin

The year is 2016, after months of studying and three days in hell I finally finished taking the bar exam. I have about one more month living in Boston and now with ample free time, I do not know what to do with it. While going for Pokemon Go walks, hitting the gym, sleeping, and just generally relaxing were my day-to-day musts, it was hitting up some of my favorite spots that really made me happy. One of those spots was Trillium. In their old space there was no room for on-site pours, so it was a strict to-go operation. It was there, in the dead of the August heat, I visited to pick up two imperial stouts. A bottle of ‘Outside The Lines’ and a howler of ‘Dusk Trill Dawn’ because that was the only way it was being offered. I remember it being one of the best stouts I had ever had and always wanted to try it again. Nearly five years later… I got my wish.

‘Dusk Trill Dawn’ pours into the glass a dark, almost obsidian black with a brown head. It has extraordinarily strong notes of coffee, chocolate, and malt that all blend and play off one another as well. The taste is just how I remembered, amazing. A thick and luxurious mouthfeel that coats the entire palate with an initial hit of chocolate that then gives way to an overpowering coffee flavor that lingers on the tongue well after it is gone. Despite being 12.6% ABV it is not overly boozy and hits just right.

In all, ‘Dusk Trill Dawn’ was just the thing I needed to satisfy my Boston nostalgia. Reminding me of one of my favorite stouts from one of my favorite breweries.