September Beer Can Chicken and West Coast Lager

This was a new experience for sure!  I found some recipes that worked the same as cooking it upright but it just didn't seem right.  So I bought a holder on Amazon and went in search of how to do this.

Matt chose Anchor Steam Beer for our west coast lager.  It was one of my favorite beers!

 

I used this recipe I found online.  The comments were good so it seemed trustworthy.  The best part is drinking the half beer before you get started.  It removed the high pressure of worrying if this would work out.

The first step on the instructions said to pour half of the beer (I used Sam Adams Octoberfest for the chicken) into a glass and enjoy it.  Good thing because this was a project!  I washed the chicken, put it on the rack, applied the rub and put it on the grill.

Five minutes later it caught fire and had to be put out with the garden hose.

We continued cooking and it actually came out okay.

We enjoyed it with the last fresh corn on the cob of the season.

Here are our social media posts:

Twitter:
September #beerfoodpairing Beer Can Chicken and West Coast Lager with @AnchorBrewing Steam Beer. @WCPO @Mike_Canan

Instagram:
September food/beer pairing was Beer Can Chicken and West Coast Lager featuring Anchor Steam Beer. @Mike_Canan

Facebook:
September food/beer pairing last night was Beer Can Chicken and West Coast Lager featuring Anchor Steam Beer.

August Watermelon and Wheat

What beer could be more perfect than 21st Amendment Brewery Hell or High Watermelon?

I rode my bike to Oxford Spirits Liquor Store to pick up the beer.  (It was the furthest from our home that we have ridden them.)

And we bought little round watermelons to make Watermelon/Feta/Mint and Watermelon/Feta/Basil skewers.  Basil and mint are both courtesy of our gardens. (I always wanted to cut a watermelon like this.)

This pairing was dessert after Thai Moo Kra Ta dinner.

Here are our social media posts:

Twitter:
August #beerfoodpairing Watermelon feta skewers with mint and basil with @21stAmendment Hell or High Watermelon. @WCPO @Mike_Canan

Instagram:
August food/beer pairing was watermelon and wheat featuring 21st Amendment Brewery "Hell or High Watermelon" beer with Watermelon/Feta/Mint and Watermelon/Feta/Basil skewers served as dessert after Thai Moo Kra Ta dinner.

Facebook:
August food/beer pairing was watermelon and wheat featuring 21st Amendment Brewery "Hell or High Watermelon" beer with Watermelon/Feta/Mint and Watermelon/Feta/Basil skewers served as dessert after Thai Moo Kra Ta dinner.

July pairing - Kölsch and Potato Salad

Our beer was Goose Island Summertime.  This was one of my favorite beers.  It was nice and summery.  The label reads:

• The color of sunshine, with a light fruity aroma and a hint of fruity acidity, Goose Island Summertime is the perfect summer session ale. A Kölsch beer brewed in the traditional German fashion, you’ll find yourself enjoying and savoring each sip of summertime as much as you do those hot summer days and cool summer nights.

The best potato salad recipe to me is an old standby from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.  My cookbook is one that my dad gave me for Christmas in the early 1980's and I will use it all the time.  I also made deviled eggs with a recipe from that cookbook.

I made ribs using a recipe Paul gave me several years ago and I put in the family cookbook.  I changed it a bit so I could use the crockpot and not heat up the house.  We grilled them at the end to crisp them up.

Here is our finished dinner which also included fresh cantelope and strawberries.

Here was our Twitter and Instagram post:
July #foodbeerpairing "Kölsch and Potato Salad" featured @gooseisland Summertime. @WCPO @Mike_Canan

Facebook post was:
July food/beer pairing was "Kölsch and Potato Salad" featuring Goose Island Summertime.


Next month is Kolsch & Potato Salad and Matt already knows the beer he wants to use Wheat Ale and Watermelon.  I have seen some cool ways to cut a watermelon so stay tuned!

I get these recipes from a calendar!

People ask me all the time how we decide what to pair.  I have a calendar from Red Cruiser.

I talked about a little bit in this post, but only regarding this year's calendar.  I did not have last year's calendar but now wish I could get a copy of it.

2015

2016

I'm also intrigued by the 2013 calendar.  Especially the S'mores and Porter.  May have to try that the next time we have a bonfire.  Maybe on a Friday call it #flashbackfridaybeerfoodpairing

June Picnic and Saison

This pairing took some time to figure out.  When I visited the farmer's market in Chicago last month I picked up some Underground Meats Finnochiona  and Brunkow's Baked Cheese.  Both items were incredible!  The following week the free Friday download at Kroger was Nabisco Good Thins crackers.  These were used for our "starters" tray.

Our Saison beer was Love Buzz by Anchorage Brewing.  The website describe it as:

A feeling overcomes, deriving of a most curious perplexity. A rich desire awakens to explore the contents of such delicate loveliness. Upon a deep connection with rounded lips, a bitter sweet complexity enters the soul…and so begins an amorous affair.
Heightened awareness envelopes the senses as the grandeur of such bold character develops. Caramel beauty exhibits itself, sprawling its full body widely upward, bubbling with excitement. Tantalizing effects of peppery bitterness grasps the tongue. Enchantment takes hold as a blanket of citrus slowly unfolds. As in any noteworthy love story, a subtle fruity sweetness of a rose emerges to the finish. A warm contentment grazes over, signifying a united marriage of balance and pleasure.
Fortitude has revealed itself to those who have encountered such an enriching experience. An experience so delectable, so defining, so unequivocal. An experience that is Love's Buzz.

Then we served fried chicken and cole slaw.

Dinner was followed with my favorite homemade peach pie with ice cream.  (This recipe is similar but mine has a lot more butter.

Here is the actual peach pie recipe card (in my teenage handwriting):

Here was our Twitter and Instagram post:
June #foodbeerpairing "Picnic & Saison" featured @anchoragebrew Love Buzz. @WCPO @Mike_Canan

Facebook post was:
June food/beer pairing was "Picnic & Saison" featuring Anchorage Brewing Love Buzz beer.


Next month is Kolsch & Potato Salad and Matt already knows the beer he wants to use!

May Carnitas and Black IPA

The beer Matt chose was Dubhe Imperial Black IPA by Uinta Brewing.  It did not disappoint and was as described:

Toasted, chocolaty dark malts align with an astronomical amount of hops

Carnitas are like burritos but with pork.  I used a recipe I found online, doubling the spices and using a pork loin since I had one in the freezer.  I looked for pictures online to decide which toppings to use and settled on lettuce, onions, fresh cilantro, lime, salsa and cheddar.  They worked out well.

We served them with broccoli slaw and chips with guacamole (favorite recipe here).

Here was our social media post:
May #foodbeerpairing "Carnitas & Black IPA" featured @UintaBrewing Dubhe Imperial Black IPA. @WCPO @Mike_Canan

And snapchat for the day:

Next month is Saison & Picnic and we already have ideas!

April IPA and Spicy Crab Cakes

After a busy day of spring yardwork, cleaning and projects, we grilled steaks and served them with crab cakes and salad.  We paired it with Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA.

Since IPAs are my favorite, it really hit the spot!

 

Here was our social media post:
April #foodbeerpairing "IPA and Spicy Crab Cakes" featured @GLBC_Cleveland Commodore Perry® IPA. @WCPO @Mike_Canan