the session

Crank it up: Session #9 Friday

The SessionOK, you don’t have to crank it up. You can put a little Mozart on the stereo, haul out your collection of Oktoberfest drinking songs, or grab a guitar with one hand and a beer with another.

Consider this your official reminder to be there Friday for Sesson #9, when the theme is Beer and Music.

This month’s host, Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, seems to be giving us cart blanche when it comes to deciding what to write. He’s planning a couple himself: “One will be about a particular memory and the other will be about musical stylings and my beers.”

After you finish your post drop by his Brewer’s Log and leave him a note, because he’ll be blending all the posts into one delicious roundup.

Session #9 announced: Beer and Music

The SessionPut a quarter in the jukebox and have a beer with Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey Brewing.

The reigning Small Brewing Company Brewmaster of the Year will host The Session #9 and he’s calling it “Beer and Music – The Message in a Bottle.”

(Pardon me for a moment – there’s a ringing in my ear. “Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number…”)

This is what Sir Arthur has in mind for Nov. 2:

“For this session, I am looking towards my fellow bloggers to share a music and beer moment with. It could be that Pearl Jam show I attended 7 years ago where I was forced to drink 5 Coronas to stay warm. But more likely, it could be an album or song that you’re always listening to. I, for my part, will be writing two blogs. One will be about a particular memory and the other will be about musical stylings and my beers.”

Session #8 Wrapup: Best of Beer & Food

The Best of American Beer & FoodCaptain Hops wraps up Session #8 with a haiku of course:

Another Session
Connects, satisfies, and builds
Beer community

He reports: “By my (non-scientific) count there were 28 participants, 16 recipes, descriptions of 4 formal beer dinners, and at least 60 beer and food pairing recommendations. In addition, I counted 7 first time Session participants.”

Session #9 will be hosted by Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey Brewing. Expect an announcement soon, but pardon him if it takes a few days. Yesterday was his birthday and tomorrow he travels to Denver. There’s a little beer festival going on there later this week.

Back to Beer & Food: Lucy Saunders rolled out her new blog in time for the Session, supporting her book The best of American Beer & Food: Pairing & Cooking with Craft Beer.

She’s going to be very busy at the Great American Beer Festival, but I plan to grab a minute here and there and post an interview as well as a review of her book (sneak preview: thumbs up).

Loosening the belt for The Session #8

The SessionI think I put on five pounds this week just reading or thinking about food and beer together.

Lucy Saunders’ new book arrived in the mail this week, I received a press release about a beer cookbook out in January and I chatted with a chef who has a different, and I think excellent, idea on how to approach a beer cookbook.

So I couldn’t help thinking that in just two weeks we’ll be loosening our belts for The Session #8, since Beer Haiku Daily has made the theme Beer & Food.

I’m already warming to the task.

Today a bit about Tuesdays at one of my local brewpubs, Chama River Brewing in Albuquerque. Each Tuesday the restaurant offers a three-course dinner, with the selections changing once a month. Customers can order just the meal ($25), the meal with wine ($45), or the meal with beer ($35).

Most often the beers come from Chama’s six-beer regular lineup. I’ve copied the August menu here because it included a seasonal.

1st Course
Chorizo and Wild Mushroom Strudel
Spinach Salad and Port Wine Syrup
Beer Flight: Paired with – Demolition Dubbel
Wine Flight: Paired with – Vivac “V” Reserve Merlot

2nd Course
Seared Sea Scallops
Apple and Belgian Endive, Fingerling Potatoes and Brown Butter
Beer Flight: Paired with – Copper John Pale Ale
Wine Flight: Paired with – Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

3rd Course
Chocolate Banana Wontons
Coconut Dipping Sauce
Beer Flight: Paired with – Sleeping Dog Stout
Wine Flight: Paired with – Rocha White Port

Part of a family of restaurants, with siblings that earn Wine Spectator awards, Chama offers a well chosen and reasonably (but not cheaply) priced wine list.

But I always drink the beer.

Session #8: Beer and Food

The SessionCaptain Hops of Beer Haiku Daily has made the call for Session #8 and it’s “Beer and Food.”

No, you don’t have to include a haiku.

And, yes, just yesterday I commented this beer and food thing was gaining traction.

I am looking for posts about pairing beer with food or using beer as an ingredient in food. I hope to see recipes, pictures, tasting notes, stories, menus, reviews or anything else that fits the bill of fare. Whether you write about which beer goes best with chili dogs or give your family’s secret recipe for vegan stout stew or post pictures of those ale braised lamb shanks you had last week, I want to know every mouth watering detail.

He’s got all the details you need to participate (attention all hosts, this is a good template for us to use in the future).

Personally, I’m looking forward to immersing myself in research the next few weeks. Let’s see, what goes with waffles? Duvel, of course.