Cigar City City/ Midnight Sun

Cigar City is coming to the Tiger on Wednesday, February 1^st at 3PM, along with some of their most exciting beer. I, personally, can’t wait to try all three variations of Dos Costas Oeste, their latest collaboration with The Bruery. With The Bruery’s commitment to Barrel Aging along side Cigar City’s commitment to expanding the types of wood traditionally used in the Barrel Aging process helps explain why these two breweries collaborate seamlessly. Dos Costas Oeste means two west costs as both of the breweries are on their state’s respective west coasts.  The base beer is the same (a 9% Saison) for the three beers, but then they are aged on three different types of wood: Spanish Cedar, Grapefruit Wood, and Lemon Wood.

And after drinking a few of those nine percenters, I’m sure going to be ready to cool my heels with the low gravity Table Saison, if I can keep my hands off of that Cucumber Saison. Cucumber Saison…maybe I should start with that.

Wait a minute, I’m already five beers deep, and I haven’t even gotten to the Dirac/Bohr (both Imperial Stouts) Blend Aged in Palm Ridge Whiskey barrels or the Marshal Zhukov's. These are must-have’s.

Oh, and my quest for truly delicious low ABV beer will require trying the El Lector a 4% English Dark Mild Ale, the Minaret an English-style Extra Special Bitter, and the Hotter Than Helles both at 5% ABV.

It is clear to me by now that this event will require cunning and strategy. Let’s hope we’re all up for it.

Special Bulletin…

Midnight Sun Brewing Company from Anchorage, Alaska is sending beer to NYC. First Stop? The Blind Tiger!

We are anxiously awaiting the shipment which we are hoping arrives sometime this weekend, and we absolutely can not wait, so we are going to have the kick-off event at the earliest possible moment.

So, with Ozzy’s permission we are having a Monday Midnight Sun Event. We will be tapping the kegs at 5PM.

The highly regarded Midnight Sun Brewing Company fired up its brew kettle in 1995, and has become a serious yet creative force on the American brewing front. From concept to glass, Midnight Sun relies on an "art marries science" approach, mixing tradition with innovation, to design and craft bold, distinctive beers.

You can take a look at them here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OC8YXQYc1M

As I said, we are hoping to have this event on Monday the 30^th, but there’s a chance the beer won’t arrive on time, so we may have to push it to Tuesday. I guess that’s how it is when you get beer from Alaska. So, set your calendar for Monday the 30^th, but check Facebook or just check in with us directly for any changes. This should be a fun one too!

The Lists:

Cigar City

Cigar City Jai Alai IPA   

Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale

Cigar City Table Saison        

Cigar City Cucumber Saison                                                                                

Cigar City Dos Costas Oeste aged on Spanish Cedar

Cigar City Dos Costas Oeste aged on Grapefruit Wood                                                                                                                   

Cigar City Dos Costas Oeste aged on Lemon Wood

Cigar City Jose Marti

Cigar City Dirac/Bohr Blend aged in a Palm Ridge Whiskey Barrel

Cigar City Hotter Than Helles

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's

Cigar City El Lector    

Cigar City Minaret

Cigar City Improv Oatmeal Rye

Cigar City E & J's Smokeout Stout                                          

Cigar City Church on a Hill          

Midnight Sun  

Sockeye Red – 5.7% Red IPA with Centennial, Cascade & Simcoe

Panty Peeler - 8.5% Belgian Triple with coriander & Curacao

Mammoth Extra Stout -7.8%  

Treat Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter -7.8%

Cohoho Imperial IPA -8% IMP IPA with Centennial, Cascade & Simcoe

Bottles: Monk’s Mistress Belgian Dark Ale -11.5% Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Vermont Farm To Bar & Allagash

Vermont Farm to Bar
11/6/11 4pm
&
Allagash “Thanks-Giving” and Homecoming Classic
11/9/11 3pm
 
 
You probably noticed we didn’t schedule an event last Weds, and for good reason -  we’re heading into the heart of the 2011 season, and you just had your bye week. I hope you took advantage of the time off to nurse any nagging injuries (Jessica), and spend a moment with the family. That’s probably the last you’ll see of them until after New Year’s, as we head into a wicked stretch. On the plus side, all our games are home, unless you’re dumb enough to live in Vermont.
 
 
Speaking of which, this Sunday, Nov 6th, beginning at 4pm, we’ve got our annual Vermont Farm to Bar Event, starring the Piana brothers, Christopher and Jonnie, who run a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) up in Barnard, where my farm happens to be. I’ll be bringing down about a hundred pounds of their vegetables, as well as some pork, lamb, and cheese, all of which Chef Tommy will turn into a large buffet for your eating pleasure. The buffet will begin at 5pm and be replenished at 7.
 
 
Normally the buffet is free, but this year we’re asking for a $15 per person donation to help Vermonters hurt by Hurricane Irene. We’ll also be selling 16 oz cans of the Alchemist Heady Topper (they lost their brewpub in the flood, but recently opened a cannery) for $9, with $3 going to the Alchemist and the rest into our fund.
 
The money we raise will be divided between Barnard Helping Hands, a volunteer group who have set up a relief fund, and Tom “Geo” Honigford, who’s farm, Hurricane Flats (now known as Hurricane Flattened), was wiped out by the storm. At first Geo said no to our idea, but eventually relented (his wife Sharon overruled him), as long as we let him work the event. So he’ll be bussing your tables, which will make Jona happy. Shaun Hill, of Hill Farmstead, was nice enough to send us a keg of his latest single hop adventure, Nelson Sauvin, which will go on draught at 4pm. The Heady Topper will be available all day until it sells out(we’ve got 20 cases). To help with your fall frame of mine, Elizabeth Ryan donated a keg of Thomas Hooker’s barrel-aged Octoberfest, the proceeds from which will also go into the pot.
 
 
On Weds, Nov 9th, beginning at 3pm, Rob Tod will be in the house for our annual Allagash “Thanks-Giving” Festival. The premise of this event is simple: Rob gives and we thank him. He’s also agreed to be our honorary Homecoming King this year, as long as we find him a Queen. We’ll be looking for volunteers. To celebrate this royal pairing, he’s bringing a great dowery, including Thing 1 and Thing 2, two brand new brews made with the Allstrom brothers of Beer Advocate fame. We’ll also have an extremely rare keg of the Ghoulschip, his just released spontaneously fermented pumpkin beer. And of course we’ll be fielding some special additions from our own stash.
 
So we’ve got plenty to play for this week. As you may or may not know, we’re still undefeated this season, having crushed every brewery we’ve faced so far. I expect some big hits out there this week, so even if you’re not starting you better be ready to play...
 
 
The Menus:
 
 
Vermont Farm to Bar (Sunday Nov 6th starting at 4pm)
 
Alchemist Heady Topper (16oz cans)
 
Hill Farmstead Nelson Sauvin
 
Thomas Hooker Barrel-Aged Octoberfest
 
Stillwater Autumnal
 
Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale
 
 
 
 
Tommy’s Vermont Buffet ($15 Suggested Donation)
 
Beet and Potato salad with Blue Cheese Arugula and Balsamic Drizzle
 
Braised Lamb and Root Vegetable Stew
 
Pork Loin Encroute with Braised Kale
 
Root Vegetable Gratin
 
Bacon Braised Brussel Sprouts with Sunchokes and Kohlrabi
 
Shelburne Farms Cheddar Cheese Plate
 
Mixed Greens Salad
 
 
 
 
Allagash “Thanks-Giving” & Homecoming Classic (Weds Nov 9th starting at 3pm)
 
Confluence
 
Thing 1
 
Thing 2
 
Fluxus 11'
 
Bourbon Barrel Black
 
Victoria
 
Vrienden
 
Ghoulschip
 

Dogfish Head w/ Sam Calagione

    I didn’t know I was an off-centered person until Sam Calagione told me back in 1996. I didn’t believe him at first. I explained how I’d traveled the world trying to find my navel, spending time in India (where most of my practice involved avoiding the water, only to be foiled by an ice cube), the Golden Triangle (the path to enlightenment there was illegal but didn’t give me dysentery), and the Far East (it’s almost impossible not to be present on five dollars a day, and yet somehow I managed it). Eventually, I had to admit he was probably right.
    “So what does being off-centered mean exactly?” I asked him.
    Sam smiled and said, “It means you never have to be embarrassed about anything you do. You’re out of whack and that’s okay.” To celebrate he proceeded to show me how extreme beers were actually quite sessionable for people like us. And it’s true, they are, for a while. I remember waking up in the fetal position staring at my navel. I had found it. Or as an Off-Centered Person would say, it had found me.
    Once I was part of Sam’s tribe, he began calling with suggestions. “I think we should carve out the insides of a hundred gourds and serve Punkin’ Beer in them at the Tiger.” Some of you older Tigerites might remember ducking during that event, which turned into the biggest, drunkest, food fight since Animal House. And it’s been like that ever since, for going on 15 years now.
    I bring this up because the Dalai Lama of Off-Centered People will be joining us  next Weds, Oct 19th, at 6:10 pm (I’m guessing a centered person would arrive at 6) and he won’t be coming alone. What guru would travel without an entourage? There are four guests in particular that I’m looking forward to meeting: the just released Faithful, his tribute to Pearl Jam (2011 is the twentieth anniversary of their debut album “Ten”), a golden liquid that’s a cross between two of the band’s favorite things: pinot noir and beer. No wonder they’ve lasted so long. He’ll also have Reporterroir, his collaboration with Sierra, Avery, Allagash, and Port Brewing, blending ingredients from all 5 breweries. As well as his Wet Hop American Summer, made with 50 lbs of cascade hops flown in from Washington State. And Tweason’ale, his very off-center gluten-free beer made with strawberries, sorghum, and honey.
    Those four beers, along with the 120 Minute IPA, will be tapped at 6:30 so Sam can taste test them first. Also, he’ll be bringing some key chains that are also prison shivs - I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do with those after a bunch of ten percent beer - and the first 50 people who buy any of the 6:30 beers get them. The rest have to defend themselves with broken bottles...

The rest of the list:

60 Min
90 Min
120 Min
Indian Brown Ale
Sah’tea
My Antonia
Bitches Brew
Black & Red
Burton Baton ‘09
Raison D’extra ‘05
Reporterroir
Tweason’ale
Faithfull Ale
Wet Hop American Summer
75 Minute IPA Firkin
Hell Hound on my Ale (Bottles)

Also, on Tues Oct 18th, at 6pm, we’ll be celebrating/commiserating and fundraising for record store Bob! We’ll be running a 50/50 raffle, which means the winner splits the pot with Bob! You can buy 1 ticket for $2 or 3 for $5. We’ll also be featuring some of Bob’s! favorite beers. Think big and malty. In honor of NYC Cider Week, which begins Monday, I’ll also be tapping a gravity cask of the hard cider I made on my farm in Vermont.

And the day before that, which would be Mon Oct 17th, beginning at 6:00 pm, we’re doing a collaboration beer dinner with our good friends at Perilla, just down the street. They’ve put together an 5 course menu priced at $95 per person. I chose the beers and will be there to talk you through your meal. Here’s the updated pairings:

Cheddar Beer Soup with toasted pumpernickel & sunflower seed praline paired with Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, Wheat Pale Ale, Petaluma, CA (7.5% ABV) 

Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad with chicken liver mousse, speck ham, mizuna, piquillo peppers & violet mustard paired with Hill Farmstead Edward, American Pale Ale, Greensboro Bend, Vermont (5.2% ABV)

Roasted Cod with pomegranate, brussels sprouts, almonds & kabocha squash sauce paired with Allagash Victor, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Portland, Maine (9% ABV)
 
Ginger-Sassafras Braised Short Ribs with celery root, honey crisp apples & braised lacinato kale paired with Stone Sublimely Self Righteous, Black IPA, Escondido, California (8.7% ABV)

Malted Carrot Cake with raisin coulis, “snap” caramel & walnut ice cream paired with North Coast Old Stock Ale ’11, Old Ale, Fort Bragg, California (11.7% ABV)

Perrilla / Blind Tiger Collaboration Dinner

Perilla Restaurant and Blind Tiger Ale House  Present:

A Collaborative Dinner
October 17th, 2011

5 courses, paired with beer.  $95 per person, call Perilla for reservations - 212 929 6868


Cheddar Beer Soup with toasted pumpernickel & sunflower seed praline

Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, Wheat Pale Ale, Petaluma, CA (7.5% ABV)

Chef de Cuisine Garrett McMahon used an IPA in this dish, along with some aged cheddar, which brings a sharp acidity balanced by both fruit and nut flavors. So we need a beer that has some bitterness to go with the IPA and the sharpness of the cheese, some fruit character, and some biscuity malt to go with the nuttiness. Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ has all three. The wheat malt provides a dry crispness to help balance the richness of the soup, the hops provide some sharpness, while also bringing a burst of citrus flavors, and the barley malt delivers a nutty undertone. I think this beer, one of my personal favorites because it’s so well balanced, makes this soup even more enjoyable than it would be on its own. 

Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad with chicken liver mousse, speck ham, mizuna, piquillo peppers & violet mustard

Hill Farmstead Edward, American Pale Ale, Greensboro Bend, Vermont (5.2% ABV)

Normally shrimp would go with something lighter, like a Saison, but with the chicken liver mouse, speck ham, and particularly the spicy peppers and mustard, we need a beer with brighter flavors. The Edward, a hoppy American Pale Ale from a tiny farmhouse brewery in northern Vermont, is a good choice. Shaun Hill is known for producing bright, citrusy beers (the citrus flavors come from the hops, not actual fruit) that work well when layering complex flavors on top of delicate foods like seafood.

Roasted Cod with pomegranate, brussels sprouts, almonds & kabocha squash sauce

Allagash Victor, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Portland, Maine (9% ABV)
 
The obvious choice would be Germany’s Schneider Weisse, probably the best wheat beer in the world. Instead, we decided to go with something very different: the Victor from Allagash. The brewer's at Allagash, a Belgian-style brewery, wanted to fuse the worlds of beer and wine in honor of Bacchus, so they crushed a hundred pounds of Cabernet Franc grapes and added them directly to the mash. The result is a beer that’s slightly tart with hints of wine, flavors that go well with the dark fruit of the pomegranate and the earthy quality of the brussels sprouts and squash sauce.

Ginger-Sassafras Braised Short Ribs with celery root, honey crisp apples & braised lacinato kale

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous, Black IPA, Escondido, California (8.7% ABV)

Again, the usual choice with braised short ribs would be the dark fruit flavors of a Belgian Dubbel, but we think that can sometimes be too complimentary, and that the richness of this dish needs some contrast. Our choice, the Sublimely Self-Righteous, brings the dark malt to compliment the heavy roasted flavors of the meat, but with a nice hop finish that cuts through the ribs, while at the same time standing up to the spicy flavors of the ginger and sassafras. 

Malted Carrot Cake with raisin coulis, “snap” caramel & walnut ice cream

North Coast Old Stock Ale ’11, Old Ale, Fort Bragg, California (11.7% ABV)

Beer with dessert? Most definitely. There are plenty of beers that are perfect for people who like to finish their meal with something sweet. The North Coast Old Stock is a perfect example: on the palate you get lots of molasses, hazelnut, and toffee, along with burnt sugar, dark raisin, and caramel, all of which compliment the flavors of Garrett’s carrot cake. And the hops in the finish help cut some of the sweetness of the cake, while the sweetness of the cake helps balance the hops.


The Great Pumpkinfest

Great Pumpkinfest!
Wednesday, October 5th @ 3pm

“Often released as a fall seasonal, Pumpkin Ales are quite varied. Some brewers opt to add hand-cut pumpkins and drop them in the mash, while others use puree or pumpkin flavoring. These beers also tend to be spiced with pumpkin pie spices, like: ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Pumpkin Ales are typically mild, with little to no bitterness, a malty backbone, with some spice often taking the lead. Many will contain a starchy, slightly thick-ish, mouthfeel too. In our opinion, best versions use real pumpkin, while roasting the pumpkin can also add tremendous depth of character for even better results, though both methods are time-consuming and tend to drive brewmasters insane.” - Beer Advocate

The list of Pumpkins we have is likely to drive us all insane. It includes a hoppy Pumpkin (Smuttynose Pumpkin) and a wet-hopped Pumpkin (Sixpoint Autumnation) in direct contrast to the style as described above. It also includes a Mexican themed Pumpkin with cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, chilies, and roasted pumpkin seeds (The Elysian Coche de Medianoche).

Speaking of Elysian, how can you think of Pumpkin beer without thinking of Elysian? The fine folks at Elysian always bring their A game. First they bowl us over with the perennial favorites (Dark of the Moon, Great Pumpkin) and then they compel us to stretch our limits of acceptance…Pumpkin Malt Liquor?!? (PK-47)

Don’t worry, we have the classics too: Brooklyn Post Road, Dogfish Head Punkin, a rare gravity keg of Southern Tier PumpKing, and the Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin.

The following list is the sort that can make Pumpkin lovers swoon with joy, and even win over the skeptics. It’s the perfect welcome for the crisp fall weather. Give ‘em a try. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll have plenty to talk about.

Elysian Dark of the Moon
Elysian Great Pumpkin
Elysian Kurbitinas Pumpkin Hefe
Elysian Coche de Medianoche
Elysian Hansel and Gretel Pumpkin Pils
Elysian PK-47 Pumpkin Malt Liquor
Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin
Dogfish Head Punkin
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela
Smuttynose Pumpkin
Sixpoint Autumnation
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin
 
River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern - Cask
Southern Tier PumpKing - Pin
 
Katherine