Our second edition of Brew News!
New Breweries
New Beers
Drinkin’ in the Great Outdoors
Brewer’s Co-Op Update
This Month’s Sampling
Food Pairings/Cooking Ideas
New Breweries:
Rounding out our wonderful selection of local and regional beers, a couple more breweries are represented at our store:
-Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL
-Sprecher Brewing Company, Glendale, WI
New Beers:
We’ve got an ever-growing selection of beer at Just Local Food! Since beer is a highly seasonal item, particular beers go exceptionally well with each one. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. We’ve got some great new brews to lead the way for warmer weather:
-Goose Island Honker’s Ale, India Pale Ale, 312 Wheat
-Sprecher Special Amber, Black Bavarian, Abbey Triple (16 oz. bottles)
-Central Waters Glacial India Pale Ale, Satin Solstice Imperial Stout
-Bell's Oberon
Drinkin’ in the Great Outdoors:
For your outdoor enjoyment, we offer some beers in “recreation-friendly” containers. This means aluminum cans! Sometimes glass bottles just aren’t a good idea when camping, at the park, or out on the water.
We’ll soon be stocking Northwood’s Floppin’ Crappie in 6pk cans! We also currently offer Leinenkugel’s Original and Light in 12pk and 24pk cans.
Brewer’s Co-Op Update:
With the addition of a few more breweries to our impressive line-up, we now offer selections from 7 of the 9 breweries involved in the Midwest Hops and Barley Cooperative. When we say “Just Local” in reference to our beer, we mean it! Here’s a list of the breweries:
Central Waters Brewing, Goose Island Brewery, Lake Front Brewery, Sand Creek Brewing, South Shore Brewery, Sprecher Brewing, Tyranena Brewing
(take a look at this article from the Leader-Telegram for the full story)
5. This Month’s Sampling:
On Thursday May 21st, stop by our store to try out the most local beer we can find! From right here in Eau Claire, Northwoods Brew Pub will bring down a selection of their handcrafted ales. With award-winning beers in their line-up, you will surely find one that suits you. Time still-to-be-announced (sometime in the mid-late afternoon).
6. Food Pairings/Cooking Ideas:
A lot of us don’t drink beer alone. We’re often surrounded by family, friends, and more often than not, food. Beyond the old standbys of Pizza & Beer and the ceremonial Bratwurst Beer Bath before grilling, here are some other ideas of what to do with your favorite beverage:
-India Pale Ale with Dates. Yes, fruit and beer! One night, I just happened to be drinking a nice an’ hoppy IPA and saw some Medjool Dates in my fridge. Lo and behold, they tasted GREAT together! Try this duo for an interesting snack or dessert.
-Stout with Whiskey and Chocolate. I tested this out with New Glarus’ Coffee Stout topped off with some Irish whiskey. Pair it with Equal Exchange’s Dark Chocolate (the darker the better!) to pull out the rich undertones in the beer. Try it with Castle Rock’s Organic Vanilla Ice Cream for a more sophisticated take on the classic Root Beer Float.
-When matching beer with food, the general rule of thumb is to match light beers with light foods and dark beers with hearty foods. When making chili or stew infused with beer, keep in mind that dark beers like Stouts and Porters can become bitter when heated up. Try a nice “standard” Ale to give your favorite recipe the wonderful essence of beer that you’re looking for.
If you have some favorite recipes and/or methods of cooking with beer, please let us know so we can all benefit from your culinary knowledge!
-- The Beer Dudes (Drew and Jordan)
