While their 60 and 90 Minute IPAs have been hugely popular at Pixel and apparently everywhere else, Dogfish Head manages to keep putting out some interesting and unconventional brews. Hopefully you’ve tried the Festina Peche we highlighted last week, but in case you haven’t, we’ve stocked up to keep it flowing though the Summer. The Peche is great, but why have only one geeky beer when you can have four? In limited quantity on draft and in big bottles, we also have their Black & Blue. Described as a Belgian-style strong ale brewed with blackberries and blueberries, it is smooth and extremely sneaky at 10%abv. In the other corner is one of my favorites: the Red & White. Pinot Noir juice is added to the fermentation of this creamy Belgian-style wit and then a portion is aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels. So good. The fourth offering is the academic Chateau Jiahu. This is a complex recreation of a 9000 year old beer style made in Henan province in Northern China. Rice flakes, wildflower honey, Muscat grapes, barley malt, hawthorn fruit and Chrysanthemum flowers are brewed up to make an unmistakably unique beer.
Monthly Archive for June, 2008
From the folks who brought us Buffalo Trace Bourbon last week, we now have Sazerac Rye Whiskey 6 year old. While the Buffalo Trace gives a nod to its rye component, the Sazerac Rye has a nice and spicy (yet mellow) rye burn. There’s a bit of sweet molasses on the front and a hint of mint in the finish. While good on its own, the name calls for mixing. The Sazerac. The New Orleans original cocktail. Put a splash of Absinthe (St. George!) in a empty glass, swirl to coat and drain the excess. Rub the colored side of a lemon peel around the rim and set aside. Pour some rye over rocks, add some dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters, a bit of simple syrup, stir and strain into the first glass. Voila! Tasty.
So US craft beer is all about the hops eh? Well, while I’m sure it will be for some time to come, many of us have become a bit bored with one hop bomb after another. So what’s next? We’ve seen some great US made Belgian triples and Saisons. Some with an intentional bit of Brettanomyces induced funk. But why stop there? We’re surrounded by all kinds of microflora just waiting to turn sugars into alcohol and aromatic esters. Enter sour beer. On one extreme, a Geuze (Cantillon for example) can be so acidic and so funky that it’s almost unpalatable. On the other extreme, you have Fruit Lambics such as Lindemans Framboise that’ll put you in a diabetic coma. So, somewhere in the middle is the Berliner Weisse, which draws its sourness from fermentation with lactic acid bacteria. While tart, it is not a palate stripping Geuze and is typically served with a bit of fruit syrup to balance it out. On draft at the moment we have Dogfish Head’s Festina Peche. The peach is not overwhelming and adds just enough flavor and sweetness to make this beer very refreshing. We’re also popping a bottle of a 2003 Festina Lente tonight. It promises to be very very sour.
We’ve ordered Buffalo Trace Bourbon for almost a year to no avail but after some wheeling and dealing we were finally able to get our hands on a case. This bourbon is exceptionally smooth but full of complexity. While the grain bill is a trade secret, you can almost certainly thank a healthy amount of rye for the character. Caramel, vanilla, oak, grassy mineral leather… Is that a Gimme Coffee description? That’s probably why I dig it. In any case, it makes a mighty fine Mint Julep and a mighty interesting Manhattan. These drinks take some time to do right, so come in early for some tasty traditional and not so traditional preparations.
Three days, a dozen writers and about three kegs of beer later (it was hot!), we have a new Pixel. The team did a sweet job reinventing our look once again. Come on up and check it out.
It’s that time again. Our NYC graffiti crew returns to Ithaca to give Pixel a new look. We have no idea what they’re going to do (other than try to drink all our beer), so join us Saturday afternoon though dusk to find out. They’re good kids.
