Posted in Beer, Beverages, Cheese, Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge, Ireland, Pairings, St. Patrick's Day, tagged Ardrahan, Cashel Blue, Cheese, Coolea, Crozier Blue, Dick Willems, Dicky Willems, food, Helene Willems, Jane Grubb, Louis Grubb, Mary Burns, Sinead Willems, St. Patrick's Day on March 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Ardrahan
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with an Irish cheese plate? Our team at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge have put together a selection of some of our favorites and Eric, our Cambridge beer buyer, has given us a list of fantastic beers to pair with them. Best wishes for a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day. Éirinn go Brách! (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Producer Profile, United States, tagged Belgian beer, German Magnum hops, Golden Strong ale, Inferno Ale, Lost Abbey, Port Brewing Company, Saaz hops, Tomme Arthur on March 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Founded in 2006, Port Brewing is a young company. However, in the few years since opening business, they have established an impressive reputation.
Founder, Tomme Arthur, is from San Diego and is particularly known for his Belgian-style beers. Arthur got hooked on beer in college – and not just in the usual kind of way. His roommate and his roommate’s father had traveled in Europe (including Belgium) and, in turn, they introduced him to a whole world of different beer styles and traditions. Subsequently, he became so enamored with the beverage and the world of brewing that in 1996, at the age of 23, he took a job at a start-up San Diego brewery. That brewery quickly folded due to poor management but, by his own account, Arthur was exposed to some pretty tasty beer-making in the process. It was only several years later that he opened up a brewery of his own and, eventually, he took over a brewing facility from Stone Brewing Company in San Marcos, CA. This is the company’s current base of operations and where Arthur began making both American ales and the Belgian-inspired Lost Abbey beers. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Cheese, Pairings, tagged Beer, Bink, Brouwerij Kerkom, Cheese, Dorset, food, Kerkom Bink Bruin, Magdalena Captein, Stilton on November 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The first Saturday I had off after BBQ season finished, I finally got around to trying Brouwerij Kerkom’s beer Bink Bruin. It is phenomenal. I had it with dinner, a grilled salad sort of thing: grilled steak tips (medium rare) on my own garden arugula with grilled tomato and apple slices, Stilton chunks and a blue cheese mustard vinaigrette. And the beer was a perfect match. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Germany, Pairings, Producer Profile, tagged Bamberg, Bamberger, Bavaria, Germany, Ingmar Michel, Johann Michel Jr., lager, Lager Hefetrüb, Mahr's Bräu, Mahr's Bräu Ungespundet Lager Hefetrüb, Ungespundet on October 13, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Mahr’s Bräu is a German brewery in the suburbs of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage City. Bamberg is almost directly east of Frankfurt and is one of the region’s historical beer-brewing centers. Today, the Franconian Brewery Museum which is located there offers visitors a view into that long history. Situated in a former monastic brewery, with a history dating back to 1122, it seems fitting this museum was established in a town with a population of just over 70,000 people and nine breweries. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Food History, Germany, Producer Profile, tagged Beer, Minim Order, Molasse basin, Munich, Oktoberfest, Paulaner, Paulaner Brauerei, St. Francis of Paola on September 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Paulaner Brauerei (Brewery) first opened its doors in 1634, the same year that the citizens of Boston purchased (for 30 pounds!) the land that became Boston Common, the country’s first public park. Like many breweries in Europe, this one was founded by monks – in this case, the Minim friars of the Cloister Neudeck ob der Au. The brewery was named after St. Francis of Paola, the founder of the Minim Order. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Producer Profile, United States, tagged Beer, bottle conditioned, Daniel Kleban, David Kleban, hoppy, Maine beer, Maine Beer Co., Peeper Ale, summer beer on August 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »
The Maine Beer Co. is based out of Portland and is a very young company. It was started by two brothers, David and Daniel Kleban, who began their brewing career experimenting in a garage. Their goal: to make something they would be happy drinking themselves. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Germany, Pairings, Producer Profile, tagged 1809, Beer, Berliner Weisse, bottle conditioned, Chällerhocker, Doemens, Dr. Fritz Briem, German beer, Germany, Grut Bier, historical beer, Napoleon, top fermented, Twig Farm Old Goat, Weihenstephan & Doemens on May 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
1809 Berliner Weisse
At the moment, we have in stock two unusual beers crafted by Dr. Fritz Briem of Doemens. Doemens is a food academy and learning center based in Gräfelfing, Germany, just west of Munich. They offer a wide variety of in-depth courses for food professionals, including ones about brewing beer. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Producer Profile, United States, tagged ale, Beer, hops, Maine, Peak Organic, Portland, Simcoe on April 2, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Peak Organic, based on Portland, ME is a relatively young brewery, having started operations in the ’90s. Jon Cadoux, the brewer behind the company, began with the goal of developing something tasty while striving at the same time for sustainability. Even in the early days, he tried to source as many of his ingredients from local, organic farmers as possible. Today, the company’s commitment to producing organic beers remains the same. In 2009, they helped Maine farmers grow the first harvest of commercial hops in that state since the 1860s. This harvest was organic.
Peak Organic focuses on doing “contemporary takes on traditional styles of beer.” Right now, I can’t get enough of their Simcoe Spring Ale. The Simcoe hop is a particular strain grown by the Maine farmers mentioned above. Simcoe hops are amazingly piney and have a dark sweetness like sap honey. Peak Organic has captured the essence of this hop perfectly. Their Simcoe Spring Ale is deep enough and dark enough to be a belly warmer for the first chilly days of early Spring but it really shines on those optimistic 50 degree days when you might think about sitting out on the back porch in the afternoon with a beer and a book.
Among the many hats he wears, Eric Meyer is the Beer Buyer, Grill Master and a cheesemonger at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge.
Posted in Beer, Beverages, St. Patrick's Day, United States, tagged American Revolution, Bar Harbor Brewing Company, Beer, Cadillac Mountain Stout, Element Brewing Company, George Washington, Grand Cru, Great Divide, Henry Knox, Port Brewing Company, Red Giant, St. Patrick's Day, WipeOut IPA on March 15, 2011 | 2 Comments »
These days, St. Patrick’s Day is mostly a secular celebration of Irish culture and a day of mindless consumption of way too much Guinness or green beer. As a Boston native, and history buff, March 17 is as much about Evacuation Day as it is about the shamrock-toting saint (read more about Evacuation Day). As the beer buyer at our fancy little food store, I prefer to celebrate both events with a couple of bottles of exemplary craft brew.
Although the craft brewing revolution in Ireland is alive and well, there’s none to be had on this side of the pond and until I find a source, I’m recommending a few domestic ales for your celebrations. (more…)
Posted in Beer, Beverages, Pairings, tagged ale, Ayinger, Beer, beer pairings, Berkshire Brewing, cheese pairings, October Fest, Octoberfest, Oktober Fest, Oktoberfest, Wiehenstephaner on September 24, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Before the advent of modern brewing, the traditional German brewing season would finish in March just as the temperatures got high enough to create uncertainty in the brewing process. Because these beers (known as Märzenbier) would be cellared through the summer, they needed to be heartier brews that could hold up until the next brewing season began in September. These malty, robust lagers with their deep copper color and higher alcohol content are traditionally enjoyed during Oktoberfest in the final month before the new brews arrive.
Today, Oktoberfest is a massive party with 6 million people enjoying 7 million liters of beer over the span of 16 days. Despite the lure of such a gathering, we prefer to stay States-side and enjoy our beer buyer Eric’s selection of special seasonal beers available in our stores from September through October.
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