TongoRad

If it's the creme-de-la-creme that you want just wait a few months for the Black Chocolate Stout, a winter seasonal and an all-around killer beer. Maybe even gild the lilly and use it to make a float with vanilla ice cream. As to what I said regarding the Brooklyn Ale/East India Pale Ale- the long and the short of it is that with the Brooklyn Ale (formerly Pennant Ale, an English Pale Ale) it comes across to me that they are pulling their punches, particularly in terms of a yeast signature (almost like a bland half-hearted version of Bass Ale). You can easily get better but similar beers at the same price, so that one really doesn't do it for me. The East India Pale Ale (a different style, BTW, an English IPA) is geared to let the hops and malt shine through and it does so with style. Again- it is big, has a lot of alcohol, and a ton of those floral Kent Golding hops. It also drinks pretty easily for all that. If you thought that the Sierra Nevada was too bitter, though, then this may not be the beer for you, but if you do try some I'd advise against drinking it straight from the fridge. This is one of those beers that should be served at 45F at the coldest, maybe even closer to 50F, or it will seem unbalanced. The chart on the side of the label should have a cut notch in one of the months- that is the 'best by' date. I'm pretty sure that they date their bottles a year out. Sam Adams does the same thing. A 'produced on' date is definitely more desirable- some of the German producers mentioned earlier (Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr) have recently begun using that system. They are stamped on the bottom of the label (and the case as well). SN only stamps the case, unless I have missed something (but that is something I usually buy by the case, anyway). Victory also stamps the labels with an 'enjoy by' date on the left hand side (if you ever run into the Lager or the Prima Pils), although I think their seasonals get the 'bottled on' date. I've even seen dates on the bottom of the sixpack holders, which is better than nothing I guess...sometimes you just gotta look harder than other times. Anyway- I hope you find, and enjoy, the Brooklyn Pils after all this. Sorry, but I can't help with the San Miguel- though I have seen it around the area. It's gotta be in Manhattan somewhere...

If you're looking for something akin to the Kronenbourg or Heineken then the Brooklyn Pils is definitely what you should be after. It is a pale beer with a crisp slightly bitter finish and a hop (herbal, grassy) accented nose. Stylistically it is in the same ballpark as those beers, and a better beer IMO. The Brooklyn Lager is an amber beer that pulls back on the hops a bit and has more of a rounded malt quality- similar to Samuel Adams or Saranac Amber. For accompaniment to pizza, Chinese food, etc., and a ballgame those are all enjoyable beers at a good price point, but aren't in the same style as the Pilsener. No comparisson. Sierra Nevada is far superior. In fact, the Pale Ale(blue label) is probably the only Brooklyn beer that I flat out just don't like- muddy flavors, overly dry finish, no complexity to speak of...Their East India Pale Ale, otoh, really nails it (big floral hops and malt, fruity overtones of pineapple and mango) but at 7% AbV is getting pretty far afield of what you are looking for.

It's a good beer, I hope you enjoy it. FWIW- the Brooklyn Lager is a different beer than the Brooklyn Pilsener. It is an amber lager broadly in the Vienna style and will have more caramel character and roundness on the palate than the pils. It should still suit your purposes quite well and if you do like it you will probably be able to find it easier than the Pilsener, so there's a plus. Cheers.

I'm all for opening up that particular can of worms ( it'll probably smell better than some of the beers that I have had), but I'll just hit the bullet points for now. Avoid beer on display in green bottles. It will be 'light struck', the dreaded skunk factor- green glass does a pretty poor job of blocking UV light, which will in turn react with the isomerized hop oils in the beer to produce the offending aroma. On the positive side- a lot of brewers these days are reacting to the consumers' demand for date stamping of their beer. If there is no date stamp you have no other way to tell how old the beer is. You generally want something under 12 months old (a lot under if you can get it). Extreme temperatures are also bad for beer. If that Heineken you mention has been stored in a cargo container in the sweltering sun somewhere along its journey to the shop it won't matter much if it is then stored in the fridge or out on the floor. The damage has already been done. Among other things, the excess heat will exaggerate the impact of any normally barely perceptable DMS (DiMethylSulfide) in the beer, which will give it a cabbagey/sulfury characteristic. Nasty stuff. Now imagine what that is like when skunk is thrown into the mix as well. Unfortunately you have no way of knowing this without opening the bottle, but you can avoid beers that have exhibited handling problems in the past. And odds are that locally brewed beer has been handled reasonably responsibly. "So where does that leave me?", you are asking. I think I have a better handle on what is easily obtainable for you, and if you are shopping in a supermarket I would still keep an eye out for the Brooklyn Pilsener as a best bet- it is definitely in your price range. The Pilsener Urquell you mentioned is still a hell of a beer but due to the green bottles you should either get it in a sealed case or twelve pack. If your store carries any German beers look out for the Paulaner Munich Lager or the Hacker-Pschorr Edelhell. They are not uncommon in this area and are reliable in terms of quality (amber bottles, too.) . The Yuengling and Victory lagers are also worth investigating. If you still prefer the Kronenbourg at the end of the day just try to get a sealed case the next time and keep it away from any light (like in a closet) if it takes you a while to go through it.

I'd be happy to offer suggestions but it would help if I knew where you buy your beer. With these types of beer in particular freshness and handling make a world of difference. As an example, I have a great fondness for Hacker-Pschorr Edelhell but I still wouldn't recommend buying it if it were more than six months old. It is something I tend to seize upon if I find a good case, but it is not the sort of thing that I go out with the intention of purchasing. Your best bet may be to go local. There are quite a few very good domestic Pilseners available, and most certainly in your price range. EDIT: I see that you're in New York. Have you tried Brooklyn Pilsener lately? Check the label notch- there are still some old ones floating about- but the reformulated batch is quite good and should definitely fit the bill.

A no-brainer chipotle cream sauce is always good with grilled meats, pork in particular. Just reduce some heavy cream, add pureed chipotle/adobo to taste, salt and just a touch of cinnamon. Serve on the side or drizzled on top, your preference.

Here's how I used to do it- I would clean my bottles overnight in a B-Brite solution (1 TBSP per gallon, if I remember correctly)- this gets rid of all of the gunk and even removes labels. Then I would rinse them thoroughly and set them to dry upside down. When it was bottling time I would make up a large container of iodophor solution and submerge the bottles in that. B-Brite cleans and iodophor sanitizes, and the iodophor requires no rinsing so I always felt safest with that method. Here is an old favorite that has been in my repertoire since 1993- Assumptions: 5 ½ Gallon boil, Mash yield of 1.030/lb/gal, 30% utilization, filtered water Celebration-type ale: 10.5 lb. 2 row malt ( Klages or other fully modified malt) 14 oz. Crystal malt 40L 6 oz. Crystal Malt 120L Mash for 90 min at 153F Hop additions- 13 AAU Chinook at 60 min. (53 IBU) ½ oz. Cascade at 10 min. 1 ½ oz. Cascade at 2 min. Dry hops (in fermenter)- 1 oz. Cascade 1 oz. Centennial Ferment with Wyeast # 1056 or #1007 at 66-68F o.g. 1.064/ f.g. 1.014-1.016 FWIW- if you are going to be boiling on a stovetop please resist the temptation to cover the kettle, it could give you DMS problems. Just let the wort come to boil in its own good time.

I picked up a sixer or two last year- it was the promise of Crystal hops, in conjunction with the Centennial, that hooked me. Overall I also thought there should have been more of a malt presence, but I really enjoyed the hop quality that was there. I remember that there definitely was the suggestion of lime peel (and maybe lemon) from the Crystals, and I really do like the whole Centennial pine/resin thing. There was an appealing 'freshness' about it, but ultimately the lack of malt didn't keep me coming back for more. I did try a couple more of their beers- I seem to recall the Planet Porter in particular- and found that to my taste there was an overattenuated thinness in all that I tried. I don't think I've had the Mojo, though.

Yeah, it's unfortunate that quite a few Continental Pilseners are packaged in green bottles. A more positive development, however, is how you can get a number of these beers in sealed (and date stamped) 12-packs. I tend to think of these beers as bulk purchases anyway, but being able to divide a case into two different brews is even more enticement. In particular I'm thinking of Dinkel Acker and Pilsener Urquell; I stopped buying these guys for a verrry long time but the new packaging has brought me back into the fold. On the other hand the only time I've seen Jever it has been in a refrigerated display case exposed to light- needless to say I haven't yet had the pleasure of trying that one. Bittburger has long been my standby and still delivers. I'm with you, Brent, on the Prima Pils- it is a heck of a beer. From my experience it seems to lose something when it crosses state lines but what I've had down Bethlehem-way opened my eyes as to how good it can be. Being in the NY Metro area I can get the reformulated Brooklyn Pilsener more readily and that one is as solid a version as you're going to find. In reference to the Steve Beaumont article- I would offer quite a bit more praise for the Hacker-Pschorr Edelhell than he does, though it is good to see the rec. I have been finding this beer in very good condition lately and I've really come to appreciate just how wonderfully balanced and elegant it can be. ( The phrase 'transition beer' tends to raise my hackles, though,... and while we're at it can we please remove the terms 'top fermented' and 'bottom fermented' from the lexicon as well? Or is this just me?) Anyway, it is a good article and it contains some solid advice.

I'd be much more concerned about the freshness, myself. Beer exposed to extreme temperatures, either hot or cold, will suffer but beer stored at room temp is generally A-OK. Just make sure you have a favorable date stamp and experiment away.

I do like to make this dish a couple of times a year and it is generally with the 'kitchen sink' approach. Pigeon peas are a must, but I like to add chorizo as well, and tomatoes more often than not.

OK- this is the last bump, I swear, but I thought that this thread could use a photo and I think I finally figured out how to do it (horray for me!). Here is my lunch from yesterday: From 12:00 clockwise there is- Rice Pudding flavored with saffron and white raisins Sambar Shredded carrot and chilly pepper salad Yogurt Dal tadka Sauteed Cabbage (with curry leaves, mustard seeds, etc.) Okra (in a tomato based curry) Rassam Pickles (not a good shot, but they're in there) Freshly made roti The center has a papad with the deep fried chillys on top, and the rice is underneath.

Doggone it! I meant to go this year but it totally slipped my mind. Last year when I got the Pani Puri there wasn't much of a line and I was fortunate enough to have them served one at a time in all of their crispy/liquidy glory. This is a great food fair and one definitely worth planning towards for next year. I'll just go bonk my head against the wall now...

That place sounds like a real hoot, EMcD, definitely up my alley. Along those lines I'll suggest Chan's Dragon Inn in Ridgefield- an honest to goodness tiki bar that hasn't really changed since the 60's. Great atmosphere (I just love the blowfish light fixtures), waiters in Hawaiian shirts, rum drinks, PuPu Platters- the works.

Bumping again!- I have been back a few times since my last post and I have let my feelings be known about the deep fried chilly. Today I got a chance to speak with the manager about how they are prepared, and it is more complicated than I had first imagined- they use a two-day process involving first soaking the chillys in salted water and then in yogurt before frying them. Much more to appreciate, I suppose...Anyway, you can get more than one if you ask. They just put one on the thali at first because a lot of people don't eat it and it would be a waste. Silly people...I have a friend who is a regular customer as well, and he can get there on weekends- he is going to find out if they have the chillys on request when there is no thali being served. It's definitely worth asking for if they do.

I always have a bean salad (usually a takeoff on Turkish Piyaz) and Babaghanous on hand, and they're always popular no matter the crowd. For the bean salad I have used cannelini, navy, pink, kidney beans, etc.- whatever I have on hand-along with onion, lots of parsley, seasonings (salt, cumin and sometimes sumac) and a lemon and olive oil dressing. It's simple, but it really does the trick. You can also add some crumbled feta or goat cheese on top if you think your crowd will go for it. I prefer using dried beans myself, but if I were cooking for this large of a crowd I would go with canned and save myself some work. In something like this I find canned beans to be quite acceptable.

FWIW- there is an entry in the Weird NJ book that concludes with this quote: "So which came first? It's not really important. Both are originals, and share a unique place in New Jersey's rich diner tradition."

I finally made it to the AYCE Ribs yesterday (Tuesdays). My previous visits have all been for lunch. We've been meaning to do it for a while but what with the logistics of getting over the GWB at a reasonable hour and getting a sitter and all that, it has been on my radar for far too long. I must say that I enjoyed myself and left quite satisfied, but my future self should have found a way to tell my past self to "forget about AYCE, just go!" I got the beef ribs while my wife stuck with the pork. We both loved the beef- like others have mentioned they are huge, subtly smoky, nicely charred, pink and tender- and would go back for those alone. I had a few of the pork as well and they're still not doing it for me, though my wife enjoyed them enough to get an additional half rack. I still think they're too smoky, and kind of tough and lean as well. In all we each got 1 1/2 racks, and went home absolutely stuffed, but the full rack is a large enough portion that it would not leave me wanting more (the AYCE special is about $1 more than just ordering a full rack on any other night.) The place was about half-full when we were there and I didn't notice anybody else ordering the AYCE, for what it's worth. Ironically I can remember at least four occasions in the past few months when my wife and I considered going to Stickey's for dinner but put it off until we could make a Tuesday work for us (isn't the point of having a special like this to get people in the door? ). Anyway- just go. And get the beef ribs.

My wife and I went a couple of years ago and have been meaning to go back with a larger group. You really do have to be in the mood to overdo it and get boisterous, it seems, but the quality of the food was certainly good. ...And from the looks of it, it sounds like you're going with the right group. Something about the concept definitely puts you in a 'medieval feast' frame of mind. The only advice I could give would be the obvious- pace yourself. When we went it took a while for the interesting stuff (chicken livers, rabbit, ostrich- if I remember correctly) to start coming our way. Scrabble definitely sounds better than Twister, btw. You've got veterans planning this thing

I'm bumping the thread to add a few things- Two new items have been added to the weekday Thali lunch special. I was there for lunch this afternoon and confirmed with the Assistant Manager that these additions were not just for today. First- a simple salad ( cubes of tomato, onion, cucumber, shredded carrot- lightly dressed). It was definitely welcome on a muggy, hot day like today, but I can also see it being a great counterpoint to the rest of the dishes on a year-round basis. Second (and this really tickled my fancy)- a deep fried dried red chilly pepper (1/2" wide x 3" long +/-). I am a bit of a chilehead and I have never experienced anything quite like this, and I'm sort of craving another one right now. The texture is unique- it is crispy at first blush but then turns almost powdery on the palate and kind of vanishes as you swallow it. The flavor is concentrated and caramelized yet mellow at the same time, and not nearly as spicy as you would expect. Amazing! jaynesb: I've been going with a friend lately so we've taken to starting with an order of the Bhel Puri. I love this as well- it's extremely fresh and well balanced, crispy, sweet, savory, spicy- all of those things at once. You do have to get it spicy, though, imo- the tamarind tends to take over without all of those nice green chillys in there. Another regular menu item to keep in mind is their heavenly Channa Masala. The chickpeas are served in a pink creamy elegant sauce spotted with diced raw sweet white onion. The contrasts in flavor and texture are the stuff of poetry. OK- I've gushed enough, maybe I'm still riding an endorphine rush...

I'm with you- it's all about those Martin's potato rolls! It's amazing to hear that JC has something against them. I distinctly recall my first White Manna experience (Hackensack), and my feeling then was that I had certainly tasted burgers like that with the same flavor profile before, but at White Manna all of the elements (beef, onions, roll) had a distinct presence and texture. I think the sliced onions make a difference as well.

beergirl posted a link for the Association of Brewers Style Guidelines in the High Alcohol Beers thread that should be helpful. Also - check out this site: Beer 101. That should give you a really good handle on things. And that Pete's Strawberry Blonde issue you had is most directly related to the brand rather than a style. I'm sure there are other fruit beers out there that you will enjoy better. Happy drinking!

Rippers are dogs that rip open by themselves in a deep fryer, and are most likely a different type of dog (of the pork/veal variety). What NulloModo is describing is different, and is most likely an all beef dog. I haven't been to Deer Head, but I've had the preparation before in coffee shops and diners in NYC. The dog is vertically split prior to cooking, but not all the way through, and then butterflied. It is put on the griddle flat side down and a weight is put on top while it cooks. The formerly inside part of the dog then gets nice and crispy. Sometimes I've had them served atop a pile of baked beans (no bun), and like NulloModo suggested- they don't need much more than that. I'm sure that chili sauce would be equally good.

I think you'll enjoy that. I've done the very same thing before (well...we use a yogurt and dill sauce, but pretty darn close) and think it's an excellent use of leftover leg of lamb. I guess the key, whether with lamb or beef, is to not expect to get the same experience the second time around. Enjoy your roast as is on the first night, and do something more 'creative' with it on the second. Another take-off on something mentioned upthread is that if you have leftover gravy as well you can heat that up in a saucepan. Turn off the heat before adding your sliced cold meat- I find that it comes up to temperature more gently that way. It makes a nice sandwich on a roll.

nan- Welcome- I think you're taking a positive approach and I'm sure we can steer you towards something you can enjoy. I'll offer a few suggestions, but I am not so familiar with what is available in your area. Another thing you may want to consider is to find a reputable shop with knowledgable staff and to open up a dialogue with them. I'll keep this list to German imports but remember- there are usually American brewed counterparts to these beers that may be fresher and more desirable. At this point you may just want to start exploring beers by Style rather than by brewer (your shopkeeper should be able to help you with that aspect) : Hefeweizen- no fruit or spices are added but they are reminiscent of bananas and cloves, and are light and refreshing. The hefe prefix means that there is yeast suspended in the beer. Look for Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten Franziskaner. Dunkelweizen- similar the the hefeweizen but a bit more mellow with an added caramel component. If you can find the Hacker-Pschorr then that is the place for you to start. Munich Dunkel Lager- malty and bready with a pronounced residual sugar content. It's difficult to find a quality example in the States but if you see Dinkel Acker Dark it may be worth giving it a shot. There are also Bock beers that are pronouncedly sweet, but they are also higher in alcohol that you may be used to. It's still worth a shot, but be careful- Traditional Bock (dark)- Einbecker Maibock (pale)- Ayinger, Einbecker Doppel Bock (heavier, stronger)- Spaten Optimator, Paulaner Salvator In terms of your trip, you should just find the style that appeals to you most and then order whatever they have that is local- you may even like these beers better on their home soil. Unfortunately, it looks like you are headed into Pilsener territory. The German Pilseners are dryer and more bitter than what I have suggested and are probably what your FIL likes (just a guess), but I'm sure there will be options for you. And he may be even more impressed if you tell him what you like and ask for a little local guidance. Best of luck and enjoy the trip!