Philly Food and Whisky News for May 18, 2013

Third Annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards Announce the Judges and a New Category

“Messy Yet Tasty” Category Sponsored by The Tide Stain Eraser®

Philadelphia, PA – May 16, 2013 – A diverse panel of judges have been chosen to determine the winners of the coveted 2013 Vendy Cup. Along side the esteemed judging panel, attendees will pick the winners of the Best Dessert, Messy Yet Tasty and People’s Choice awards at the Third Annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards. Taking place Saturday, June 8th at Penn Treaty Park, the competition begins at 2:00 p.m. and runs through 6:00 p.m. where the new, winning Vendy Cup truck will take its place as rightful owner of ‘The Cup’ and take their place in Philadelphia street food history. Tickets are available here. Ticket price includes day-of judging rights, all you can eat from each participating truck (inclusive of beer lovingly provided by Brooklyn Brewery) and an unforgettable day in Philadelphia food history.

This year, the new “Messy Yet Tasty Award,” category is appropriately being supported by the Tide Stain Eraser® – a product that has been expertly removing splats, splatters and soils for years. Tide® is asking Philadelphia’s passionate street vendor patrons for help in finding the best messy food truck fare. Nominations for “Messy Yet Tasty” and best sidewalk chef can be made here.

Meet the Judges:

• Paul Kimport – chef/co-owner of Johnny Brenda’s and co-owner of Standard Tap
• Emilio Mignucci – third generation owner of Philadelphia’s iconic Di Bruno Bros
• Lauren Purcell – Editor-in-Chief, Every Day with Rachael Ray
• Andrew Gerson – Philly native and Executive Chef for Brooklyn Brewery

Meet the Emcee:

Beth Beverly, both a champion and leader of a new breed of preservers called “rogue taxidermists,” is a wildly popular rogue taxidermist with her shop, Diamond Tooth Taxidermy based in Philadelphia. Upon winning several national contests and being featured in press ranging from Philadelphia Weekly to The New York Times, she was also one of the stars of Immortalized, AMC’s new taxidermy competition reality show, making her a sought-after talent throughout the country.

The Vendy Awards are an annual event organized by The Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, a membership-based organization of more than 1,300 vendors. SVP’s famed Vendy Awards have determined New York City’s top street chef for eight years, becoming one of the most beloved and widely anticipated food events in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, the Vendy Awards will serve as a fundraiser for The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that strives to make healthy food available to all.

Follow the Vendy Awards on Twitter for the latest news and announcements @vendysphilly and like them on Facebook at Vendy Awards.

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Click the pic to visit the World Whisky Day Facebook page.

Celebrate #WorldWhiskyDay!

According to the interwebz, today is World Whisky Day. In my mind, every day is World Whisky Day, and I don’t need a website to tell me that today is a good day to drink whisky. Then again, if World Whisky Day is the excuse that everyone needs to get together and share some drams, then all I can say is “Slainte! Slainte! SLAINTE!”.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the internet phenomenon that is World Whisky Day, here is a bit of information that I found on the organizer’s website:

The inaugural World Whisky Day was held in 2012 and saw over 20,000 people attend over 200 events all over the world.

In 2012 #WorldWhiskyDay was a global trending topic on Twitter and WWD was also on the front page of the BBC News Website.

World Whisky Day has been welcomed by the Scottish Parliament and is endorsed by VisitScotland, Scotch Whisky Experience and Heritage Centre and Scotland Food & Drink.

World Whisky Day was created by Blair Bowman a Senior Honours student at the University of Aberdeen. Blair’s passion for whisky started when he co-founded a whisky society in 2008. Since then he has built up a strong network within the whisky industry and gained industry qualifications.

Now that you know a bit more about this event, just one question remains. How will you be celebrating #WorldWhiskyDay? Let us know in the comments below!

Booze Research – The Best Way To Enjoy Branca Menta

Way back in mid February, I received an email from a NYC PR firm asking if I’d be interested in trying Branca Menta, a mint version of the potent Italian digestif known as Fernet Branca (click here to read this excellent article about Fernet Branca from The Atlantic ). Since I am a fan of the bold, bracing, and ultimately polarizing Fernet Branca, I took them up on their offer, and a bottle arrived on my doorstep shortly thereafter.

I immediately tried the Branca Menta when it arrived, but found it to be way too sweet to drink on its own (Fernet Branca is bottled at 39% ABV while the Branca Menta is bottled at 29% ABV, so I’m guessing the 10% ABV drop off is due to the addition of mint syrup), and decided that I needed to figure out the best way to enjoy this liqueur. In order to narrow down my options, I sent an email to the PR firm for some advice. Before I get to their serving suggestions, let’s talk a bit about the actual tasting session.

Two Saturdays ago, Mrs. G-LO was asked by a friend if she would be available for drinks. Since that friend just happened to be Mrs. Alemonger, it was decided that Mrs. G-LO would go to their house while The Alemonger would come to our house in order to assist with the Branca Menta “research”.

The Alemonger showed up at around 9PM, and we immediately got down to business, i.e. I mixed up the drinks, took some photos, and grabbed a pen and paper for my tasting notes. Since it didn’t take very long to evaluate these drinks, we quickly moved on to a Whisky tasting which included the Chivas Regal 18, Hakushu 12, Bunnahabhain 12, and the Balcones True Blue.

Here are just a few of the topics that came up during this 4+ hour “research” session:

• The glory days of late 70s / early 80s grand slam tennis. In particular, we discussed the excellent HBO documentary about the legendary Borg and McEnroe rivalry.
• Proper management of conversational tangents.
• Giada DeLaurentis
• The Ferrari 458 Italia and other lust worthy modes of transportation.
• My inappropriate use of Christmas lights for booze and beertography.

Before we get to the tasting notes, below are the Branca Menta serving suggestions that I received from the PR firm…

Branca Menta and Sprite

• 1/5 Branca Menta
• 4/5 Sprite Ice

Fill a Collins glass with ice. Pour in the Branca Menta. Top off with Sprite. I used Mexican Sprite which is made with Cane Sugar instead of Corn Syrup.

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Branca Menta the Italian Way

Branca Menta poured over ice and served in an Old Fashioned glass. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

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The Mintonic

• 1/5 Branca Menta
• 4/5 Tonic Water
• Juice from half a Lime
• Smashed Ice
• 1/2 teaspoon of Brown Sugar
• Mint Leaves
• Smashed Ice

In the bottom of a Collins glass, add the Branca Menta, Brown Sugar, Mint, and Brown Sugar. Muddle until the Brown Sugar dissolves. Add ice, then fill with Tonic. Give it a brief stir to mix the ingredients.

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And now for my tasting notes and final ranking…

#3 – Branca Menta and Sprite

This was my least favorite way to enjoy the Branca Menta. I took something that is quite syrupy sweet when sampled on its own, and made it taste even more syrupy sweet with the addition of the Mexican Sprite. Since this drink became flat fairly rapidly, there could have been something wrong with the Mexican Sprite since I have no clue when it was bottled or how long it was sitting on the shelf at the supermarket.

#2 – Branca Menta the Italian Way

Straight up, Branca Menta is way too syrupy sweet for my taste, but pour this over some massive ice cubes and I could really see myself drinking this more often. This is very cool and refreshing, but with that slightly bitter and herbal aftertaste that I enjoy from the standard issue Fernet Branca.

#1 – Mintonic

The Mintonic reminds me of a mellow, yet lightly bitter Mojito. I like how the mint, tonic, and lime play together. Even though it was diluted quite a bit, you still get the astringency of the Fernet coming through in the finish, but with a bit of lime tartness thrown into the mix. I will definitely be making this again!

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So there you have it! Three different ways to enjoy Branca Menta. Stay tuned for The Alemonger’s impressions which I’m sure he will add in the comments below. And while we’re on the subject of comments, if you know of a better way to enjoy this liqueur, feel free to tell us about it. Cheers!

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Many thanks to The Baddish Group for this very generous sample!

Beer Review – Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale

A while ago, I had stopped at Roger Wilco to pick up a mixed six and grabbed a Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale as one of the six. Sadly, over the ensuing months, the beer fridge has seen its fair share of Gogurts and yogurts and half pint water bottles tossed about , so the Old Man Winter much like the old man in the house had been cast aside and neglected. During a restock, I found the Old Man and rescued it. I had initially bought the Old Man as I enjoy winter ales and we have enjoyed the Harvest Ale, the Imperial Pumking and the 2XIPA. Now, that it is mid-Spring it may be a bit out of season but I find myself with a few minutes to myself and right now I don’t care.

Here is what Southern Tier has to say about their Old Man Winter Ale:

Our winter offering is here to quell your shivers and get you through the coldest of nights. A rich marriage of hops and barley to cast light upon the evening and melt your mind out of the snowdrifts. Old Man Winter’s earthy hue and thickness lace around the glass, inviting you to linger in its warmth and share the spirits of the season with your friends and family. A deceptively strong brew, its best to sit and ponder with this old man, sip by sip.

I found the Old Man to be…

• Appearance: A copper color with a nice tan foam.
• Aroma: A big blast of sweet malt followed with a fragrant hoppy and somewhat piney scent.
• Taste: Fizzy, a little chewy and somewhat doughy with a spicy middle and nice hit of hoppy finish.
• ABV: 7%

There is a lot going on with this one. Not bad but maybe a little out of balance. I found the flavors to follow one another rather than blend with one another. Malty upfront and then spicy (allspice, nutmeg) and then a hoppy finish. It was good but not great.

Beer Review – Flying Dog Wildeman Farmhouse IPA

I first heard about Flying Dog’s Wildeman Farmhouse IPA last May when reviews of it started popping up all over the blogosphere (click here to read one such review). Since I love Farmhouse Ales and IPAs, I figured this beer would totally be “in my wheelhouse”. While pulling together a mixed six pack a couple weeks ago, I saw this beer on the shelf and just had to pick up a bottle for a proper review.

Here is what Flying Dog Brewery has to say about their Wildeman Farmhouse Ale:

His axe is stained with the blood of a thousand adversaries. We fall in behind him as he leads up into darkness. He turns his gaze on us. “Tentanda via est!” The way must be tried. Wildeman has arrived. Legions of followers marched across Europe in his wake. But was most soon realized is that Wildeman is already inside of them, ready to be awakened. Will you fall in line or find the edge?

That didn’t tell us anything about this beer! Let’s see if this video from Flying Dog Brewery helps at all:

Hmm. That wasn’t very helpful either!

Let’s just jump to the review so that we can find out how wild this Wildeman really is…

• Appearance: Slightly cloudy, yellow orange color. About half an inch of thick, off-white foam that dissipates slowly. A bit of lacing too.
• Aroma: Smells like a lightly hopped Farmhouse Ale. Getting some clove, honey, orange and lemon zest, and some piney hops too.
• Taste: Lightly carbonated with a creamy texture. Citrus and a touch of honey to start things off. A bit of that piney hop bitterness kicks in towards the middle with a definite lemon zest kick in the background. All of the flavors come together at the finish, i.e. lemon zest, a touch of bitterness, and finally, some of those clove notes kick in as well.
• ABV: 7.5%

Flying Dog’s Wildeman Farmhouse IPA is a beer that became much more interesting as it came up to room temperature. While the IPA aspects of this beer weren’t very obvious when I took my first few sips, as it warmed up, the hops definitely let you know they were there and added a really tasty twist to the usual Farmhouse Ale flavor profile. I still get that mouth coating astringency in the finish, but this time with a mildly bitter kick that I really enjoyed. Well done Flying Dog!

Craft Beer News Flash: The Launch of Beerporium!

Click the pic to visit Beerporium.com!

Yesterday morning, we received an email from our Craft Beer blogging buddy Will Carlson of the Brew Trek blog. In his email, Will asked if we could share some information about his latest Craft Beer-centric business opportunity: the launch of his Beerporium website.

Will is incredibly passionate about his beer, and his Brew Trek blog is all about his Craft Beer journey, i.e. “ever since his first visit to Wynkoop Brewing back in 1988, he has been hooked on craft beer and it’s culture, seeking out breweries and brew pubs wherever he travels”. Beerporium is Will’s way of helping others maximize THEIR Craft Beer journey.

Without further ado, below is Will’s press release which does a fantastic job of explaining what Beerporium is all about. Many thanks to Will for taking the time to share this information with us. Cheers!

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Beer Blogger Creates Products for Craft Beer Lovers

Denver, CO – May 10, 2013 – William (Will) Carlson II, writer/creator of the craft brewery travel blog Brew Trek, is proud to announce the launch of Beerporium, a company specializing in products for craft beer lovers and travelers.

Beerporium’s  flagship product, the Brewery Passport and Journal, provides the perfect way for craft beer drinkers to document their visits to breweries. The Passport was developed through insights gained in nearly 25 years of visiting craft breweries. Will noticed that, just like him, many craft beer fans were documenting their visits and beers using blank, off-the-shelf pocket notebooks, filling in the details as the mood struck them. With preprinted spaces for all of the relevant information about a brewery, including thoughts on beers savored there, the Passport gives craft beer lovers a way to take home a memento from their visit, and at some locations, to enjoy free beer!

A number of participating Colorado breweries will stamp the Passports, and at select breweries, offer the Passport bearer a free flight of three beer tasters. 12 Colorado craft breweries have already signed on to offer free flights or just stamp the Passports; they include Asher Brewing, Black Bottle Brewery, Bootstrap Brewing, Brewery Rickoli, Equinox Brewing, Grand Lake Brewing, Lone Tree Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Odell Brewing, Pateros Creek Brewing, Very Nice Brewing, and Wit’s End Brewing. Brewers from across the nation are welcome to participate, details can be found at Beerporium.com.

The Brewery Passport and Journal retails for $15.00 and can be purchased online at the Beerporium website, through breweries that carry them, or retail outlets like Hugo’s Beer in Denver. Special events where the Passport can be purchased are being planned also. With most breweries charging $1.00 to $3.00 per beer taster, the value of the Passport can be appreciated in just two or three brewery visits.

A second product, the Colorado Craft Breweries poster, has just been released, showcasing all of the current craft breweries in the ‘Napa Valley of Beer.’ Artfully integrated into perhaps the coolest state flag in the nation, the names of the state’s breweries comprise the graphical elements of the Colorado state flag. Since the brewing landscape in the state is changing on a monthly, and almost weekly basis, different editions will be issued with the newest breweries worked into the design. The posters retail for $13.00, with $1.00 of each poster sold donated to the Colorado Brewers Guild as a way to show our support for craft brewing in Colorado.

Additional products are currently in the planning stages, including craft brewery posters for all of the major brewing states in the nation. T-shirts derived from the poster designs are also being considered.

For more information contact
William Carlson II: 720.323.1556, admin@beerporium.com, @beerporium, facebook.com/beerporium, Beerporium on Google+

About William Carlson II

William Carlson II is an avid craft beer fan, homebrewer, blogger, and traveler. Since 2010 he has written the craft brewery travel blog, Brew Trek (brew-trek.com), documenting the sights, sounds, and experiences of a life obsessed with craft beer. He has visited close to 100 breweries in the past 25 years since his first visit to Wynkoop Brewing in 1988. With nearly 30 years of graphic design, advertising, marketing, and creative direction experience, he applies that knowledge to the development of new products for Beerporium.

Beer Review – Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin Ale

It was a crisp, clear Saturday afternoon. The wife was away at a conference in San Francisco, the kids were playing in the back yard, and I was attempting to read Stephen King’s 11/22/63 on my Nexus 7 tablet as I sat on my patio. I was about two pages into a new chapter when I heard someone whistling off to my left. When I turned my head, I was greeted by a grinning Wookie that was poking his head out of his sliding patio door and waving a bottle of Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye in my general direction. He asked if I wanted one, but since it was only 2PM, I summoned up some willpower and resisted his generous offer.

About 30 or 40 minutes later, Limpd steps out his back door and starts walking across his lawn with three bottles of Lithuanian swill beer and two bottles of the fantastic Great Lakes Alchemy Hour Double IPA in his hands. As Limpd was making his way to my patio, The Wookie let out a wicked laugh and immediately walked back to his house to get some tasting glasses. It was at this point that I knew my willpower had been shattered (truth be told, I never had much willpower to begin with).

During this mini tasting session, I pretty much avoided the Lithuanian swill (just a wee sip of each) and limited myself to a couple small pours of the Alchemy Hour Double IPA (I was on duty afterall!). Once the first bottle of Alchemy Hour was finished, I decided to take advantage of the situation, i.e. a relatively quiet Saturday afternoon with no more errands to run, and ran into my kitchen to grab the can of Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin Ale that you see in the above photo. We then proceeded to give this beer a try.

I have seen this beer on the shelf at WineWorks in Marlton, NJ on several occasions, but never bothered to pick up a can until two weeks ago. I purchased this beer because I was intrigued by the exotic ingredients and because I liked the look of the art work on the shiny silver can.

Before we get to the review, here is what Uncommon Brewers has to say about their Siamese Twin Ale:

There’s a long tradition in Belgian brewing of using exotic spices to enhance a beer’s flavor. Although many have been tried, coriander is undoubtedly the king. In tribute to this heritage we present to you our Siamese Twin Ale.

It is a traditional Belgian-style Double seasoned with coriander and entirely uncommon Thai spices. At first surprising, the floral notes of lemongrass and sharper bite of kaffir lime blend with the deep malt of this double to produce a dangerously drinkable beer.

Served alongside a fiery curry or enjoyed on its own, the Twin brings a taste of the tropics to every occasion. And who doesn’t need a taste of the tropics every now and then?

Let’s find out if this beer is any good…

• Appearance: Murky, burnished copper color. Zero head or lacing.
• Aroma: Caramel flavored malt with perhaps a hint of lime off in the distance. Given that this beer is brewed with kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and coriander, I was expecting so much more from the nose.
• Taste: Very lightly carbonated. Though it tasted better than I expected given what little I got from the nose, it was far from great. Lots of caramel malt and a touch of lime. Also quite boozy! And I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I did get a bit of an Indian Curry note in the aftertaste. Or maybe I didn’t taste that at all and it was simply the power of suggestion after reading what was written on the side of the can. I’m not really sure.
• ABV: 8.5%

When I read all of the exotic ingredients that were used in the brewing of this beer, my first thought was Ballast Point’s Indra Kunindra, which is a beer that I really enjoyed. There is nothing subtle about that Ballast Point beer! The flavors are huge, and you can pick out each and every ingredient that went into the making of that beer.

Unfortunately, the Siamese Twin Ale is no match for the Indra Kunindra. While this beer was far from dreadful (that’s how The Wookie described it), it wasn’t anything special either. Basically, it was just ok, which is a pity given all of the interesting stuff that went into the making of this beer.

Whisky Review – Chivas Regal 18

Way back in August of 2011, I took part in the very first WhiskyCast Virtual Tasting. During the recording session, the four panelists that took part in this tasting were given the following three whiskies to sample and score: the AnCnoc 12, the Powers Gold Label 12, and the Chivas Regal 18. While we knew the names of the first two whiskies, the third whisky (the Chivas Regal 18) was essentially tasted blind. This blind tasting proved to be a very important lesson in my whisky education.

Prior to this tasting, I tended to view blended whisky as an inferior product, but after trying the Chivas Regal 18, and preferring it to the other two whiskies that I tried during this Virtual Tasting, I quickly realized that I still had plenty to learn about whisky. I was so humbled by this experience that I soon started digging deeper into the world of blended whiskies via reviews of the Chivas Regal 12, the Johnnie Walker Red and Black, and several different Compass Box expressions.

Since I finally received a full bottle of the Chivas Regal 18 this past Christmas, I thought that I would revisit this whisky to see if I enjoyed it as much the second time around. But before I get into my review of this whisky, here is what Chivas Brothers has to say about their Chivas Regal 18:

Chivas 18 is a uniquely rich and multi-layered blend that includes over twenty of Scotland’s rarest single malt Scotch whiskies. With 85 flavour notes in every drop, each sip is a new discovery.

Let’s find out if my feelings about this whisky have changed…

• Appearance: Molten bronze.
• Aroma: Fruit and spice and everything nice! Brown sugar, dried ginger, ripe bananas, vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruit, and a hint of sweet pipe tobacco.
• Taste: A bit on the watery side with regards to mouthfeel. All of the flavors are on the front half of my tongue. From the beginning to mid-palate, I’m getting brown sugar and cinnamon. Definitely has some spice to it, but not overly so. As we approach the finish, that pipe tobacco sweetness makes an appearance. Medium finish with vanilla, brown sugar, and the slightest hint of sweet smokiness.
• ABV: 40%

As I said at the beginning of this review, the Chivas Regal 18 is the whisky that changed my mind about blended Scotch whisky. While I am definitely enjoying this whisky the second time around, I can’t say that this is my favorite blended Scotch whisky (that honor goes to the Compass Box Spice Tree which I absolutely adore). As is, the Chivas Regal 18 is beautifully balanced and infinitely drinkable, but as I have said in reviews of other whiskies, I am wishing that it was bottled at a slightly higher ABV.