Drink This: Night Shift Brewing Viva Habanera

Two things I love about living in Somerville/the Boston area: Night Shift beer and The Painted Burro.

Z and I have become regulars at Night Shift's tap room in Everett, and we've more recently discovered the beauty that is The Painted Burro. This Davis Square gem serves up some delicious Mexican food, with reasonable prices and friendly service to boot.

Last weekend, I got to combine both of my local loves at The Painted Burro's 2nd Annual Guac Off, where I was one of three judges (along with Jen Che of Tiny Urban Kitchen and Jay McKenzie, Somerville firefighter and winner of The Painted Burro’s Burro Churro Challenge). I'm the dorky one in the glasses in the picture below.

Source: Marlo Marketing/Communications

During the Guac Off, we had to sample 12 different types of guacamole - the competitors really made some interesting guac creations. Some had booze in them, others had fruit, and one had ghost peppers - grown right in the competitor's backyard. They were all really interesting and creative, but the winning guac went to Somerville local Issac Hendrickson (pictured above, with the giant check). Isaac walked away with a $150 gift card to The Painted Burro, as well as the honor of having his recipe for Granada Guacamole with pomegranate seeds featured on the restaurant’s menu.

While I was eating my body weight in guac, I enjoyed one of my favorite brews to order when I'm at The Painted Burro (and Night Shift's brewery): Viva Habanera.

Night Shift's Viva Habanera is just the right combination of sweet and spicy. This rye ale is brewed with agave nectar, which helps to tame down the spice from the habanero peppers that this beer's aged on. The habanero peppers are present in the back of your throat, but not overwhelmingly fiery, which makes this beer easily drinkable and friendly with food. Especially Mexican food - I love ordering a glass of this and sipping it alongside nachos, tacos, and/or guacamole (clearly).

Viva Habanera is available year-round (and at many local liquor stores), but if you go to the brewery, ask to get it combined with Night Shift's Taza Stout. It's like a rich and delicious chocolate-pepper party in your mouth. 

Have you tried any great beers lately? 

Drink This: Jack's Abby Framinghammer

Before I met my craft beer-obsessed husband, my favorite beers were super light ales with an ABV of 5 percent or less. But once I discovered dark, stronger beers that taste like dessert, I quickly changed gears (or, beers! Sorry...).

Jack’s Abby Brewing – located in Framingham, Mass. – is one local, family-owned brewery that fulfills my current beer cravings. Jack’s Abby’s beers are made with locally sourced ingredients when possible, and are preservative-free and unfiltered – all characteristics of a beer I wholeheartedly support.

One of Jack’s Abby’s beers inparticular – the appropriately named Framinghammer – is one of my go-to cold weather brews. This Baltic porter clocks in at 10 percent ABV, and boasts rich flavors like chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and coffee. The smooth, sultry mouthfeel is a result of a long conditioning period, and the brewers at Jack’s Abby add oats and brown sugar to the mix to enhance the beer’s silky texture.

The aroma of the Framinghammer is deceiving, as it’s roasted coffee notes don’t do the bold flavors of the brew much justice. However, every sip is convincing that this is one solid porter, which only gets better as it warms to room temperature.

The Framinghammer was released in December, and unfortunately isn’t on store shelves year-round. So, in other words, hurry and grab a bottle today! Jack’s Abby also releases several different versions of their original Framinghammer, including barrel-aged, coffee, and vanilla varieties (to name a few).

And, if you can't make it to Framingham anytime soon to try Jack's Abby's other great brews, Volante Farms in Needham gets many of the beers that are usually exclusive to the Jack's Abby tap room. (Volante's beer guy is friends with the brewers at Jack's Abby).

What’s your favorite cold weather beer? Would you like to see more beer reviews like this on The EE?

Drink This: Fallen Angel at Trina's Starlite Lounge

Happy Friday! Who's ready for a cocktail?

I recently returned to Trina's Starlite Lounge in Inman Square, and had a much better experience than the first time around - probably due to the fact that I only drank on my second visit. And my drink was good. Trina's offers a slew of "fancy drinks" for $10 each, and while all of them sounded creative and delicious, I was glad I ended up going with the Fallen Angel...twice.

The Fallen Angel is a spicy mango margarita with a BBQ dusted rim. Since it was served with a straw, I didn't enjoy the BBQ spices as much as I should have, but the libation itself was fantastic. Slightly sweet and slightly spicy, this drink had the dangerous combination of being easily drinkable yet probably very strong (the sweet mango flavor masked any taste of booze). Hence why I had two...

Side note: The folks behind Trina's also own Parlor Sports next door, and every Tuesday night the small sports bar has Words with Real Friends. Basically, you can go, drink, enjoy some food specials, and play board games. We went this past Tuesday and it was a lot of fun.

Fun at Parlor Sports!

What cocktail/beverage are you looking forward to drinking tonight?

Drink This: Dogfish Head Noble Rot

My body is radiating heat this morning. Like…a lot of heat. Z and I spent the weekend in Gloucester with his family, which included lots of time on a boat and in the ocean – which, for someone Irish/Scottish/English like me, means I spent a lot of time getting burned by the sun. Needless to say, today my skin is red and very, very warm. But it was worth it.

This past weekend also included a lot of good food and beer. Too much beer, perhaps, but we were on a mini vacation. It’s allowed. We didn’t imbibe too many fancy beers on the boat, but in the spirit of summer, I am writing to tell you about one of my favorite “fancy” beers this season – one that I fell in love with, despite how difficult it is to find in stores near me.

Dogfish Head’s Noble Rot is a beer that wine lovers will enjoy. It’s brewed with two unique wine grapes from Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, Washington. Just take a gander at this thirst-quenching description, straight from Dogfish’s website:

“The first addition is unfermented juice, known as must, from viognier grapes that have been infected with a benevolent fungus called botrytis. This noble rot reduces the water content in the grapes while magnifying their sweetness and complexity. The second is pinot gris must intensified by a process called dropping fruit, where large clusters of grapes are clipped to amplify the quality of those left behind.”

Yeah. Let’s just say this 9% beer is refreshing, crisp, and ideal for sipping on a hot summer day. Just sip carefully: this brew goes down a little too easily, despite its high abv.

To see where you can pick up a bottle near you, click here. 

What did you do this weekend?

Drink This: Habanero (?) Margarita at Redbones

This might end up being my worst post ever.

Mainly because I can't, for the life of me, remember what the above margarita from Redbones is called. Let's just say I had it at the start of the Annual Pineapple Pub Crawl last Saturday - a pub crawl where a bunch of fun people decorate pineapples, and then carry their embellished fruit from bar to bar around Cambridge and Somerville. Hence the memory lapse.

My decorated pineapple.

Redbones has a variety of margaritas, but this one, on this particular day, was a special. I can't recall if it was made with jalapeno- or habanero-infused tequila (I'm 95% sure it was habanero), but I can tell you that it was delicious. It had the perfect kick from the peppers without being overly fiery, and the margarita was wonderfully strong while still maintaining an enjoyable, smooth flavor. A few other people in my group also got margaritas, including Redbones' house concoction, and all were spot-on. 

Sorry for the lack of information in this post, but the bottom line is: get to Redbones and get yourself a margarita. It is Friday, after all! 

What are you up to this weekend?

Drink This: Cherry-Lime Martini

July 4th is not only a celebration of our nation’s independence...it also happens to be Z’s birthday. I am reminded every year that the fireworks are actually in his honor – who knew?

Tomorrow, in celebration of the U.S. and Z, we’re having a barbecue in our backyard with a bunch of our friends, complete with lots of food, lawn games and plenty of beverages. And since tomorrow is all about the red, white and blue (and Z), why not sip on a drink that’s the color red? It’s only festive.

Cherry-Lime Martini
Yields: 1 cocktail
-1 oz. vodka
-Splash of simple syrup
-2 oz. cherry juice
-Splash of lime juice
-Club soda

Directions:
1.) Pour all ingredients, except for the club soda, in a cocktail shaker. Shake lightly, then pour into a chilled martini glass.
2.) Top off your glass with a generous splash of club soda. Serve with a lime wedge (preferred).

The end result is a tart and sweet libation that's dangerously easy to gulp down. The sweetness from the cherry juice and the citrus from the lime juice are the main flavors of this drink, although the simple syrup and club soda help to smooth out the entire beverage. I highly recommend sipping this cocktail in your backyard in the sunshine tomorrow...while someone else cooks for you on the grill. ;)

Have a great 4th of July! How are you celebrating the holiday?

Drink These: Horchata and Jamaica at Anna's Taqueria

A few weeks ago, I was invited to have dinner at Anna’s Taqueria in Porter Square to enjoy some of their food and get some information on what the restaurant chain has planned for the summer. Their PR rep was kind enough to invite me, and we enjoyed a good meal together. However, the drinks we washed the meal down with were the highlights of the evening for me. 

Here are two of the drinks we sipped on (we also had the Mexican coke ($1.85), which is made with real cane sugar instead of corn syrup):

Horchata ($1.75): A refreshing drink made fresh daily from ground almonds, rice milk and cinnamon.

Source: www.tastedmenu.com

Jamaica ($1.75): Often called a “Mexican fruit punch,” this beverage is made fresh daily from brewed hibiscus petals.

Source: www.tastedmenu.com

   

All three drinks tasted great and quenched my thirst, but the Horchata was my favorite. Not only did this creamy drink help to cut the spice from my food, but it was also wonderfully sweet and not too thick. On a hot day, however, I’m not sure how thirst-quenching it would be, but the Jamaica would be absolutely lovely.

I highly recommend ordering any of these drinks the next time you go to Anna’s.

Side note, for the parents: Anna’s is launching a kids’ menu in the next few weeks!

What's your favorite non-alcoholic beverage to sip during the summertime?


Disclaimer: Although I was treated to dinner and drinks by Anna's PR agency, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own.

 

Drink This: Ithaca Apricot Wheat Ale (From Your Own Kegerator)

A few months ago, Z and I invested in a kegerator.

If you're a craft beer fan like us, I highly suggest purchasing a kegerator. Although it's a hefty cost upfront, it's definitely an investment...that should pay off big time in the end. We're currently keeping track of how many beers we get out of each keg, and dividing that by the cost of the keg itself - so as we get some more data, I will be sure to share that with you guys. Plus, you can come home from a long day at work and fill a pint glass with ice cold beer, straight from the tap. Have I sold you on this yet?

The latest keg we bought was Ithaca Apricot Wheat Ale. This crisp, refreshing brew is perfect for sipping in the warmer weather. With a 4.90% abv. and subtle hints of fresh apricot flavor, this has become one of my favorite spring/summer-time beers.

If you're not a big fan of fruity beer, I still recommend trying this - the apricot flavor is obvious, yet not overpowering.

Cheers! Have a great weekend!

Drink This: Citron and Tonic

Happy Friday!! Is anyone else as happy as I am for this week to be almost over??

Let's just say...this week calls for a cocktail (or 10). If you're in the mood for one, too, then I highly suggest trying this refreshing, slightly sweet beverage...that's dangerously missing any taste of alcohol.

Citron and Tonic
Yields: 2 cocktails
-4 oz. Svedka Citron vodka
-Tonic water
-Orange juice
-Two lime wedges

Directions:
1.) Fill two pint glasses with ice cubes. Add vodka, and fill each glass with tonic water, leaving several inches at the top of the glass. Top each glass with a generous splash of orange juice, and squeeze a wedge of lime into each glass. Serve with a straw.

Who else plans to drink a cocktail tonight?

Drink This: Blueberry-Pomegranate Fizz

Last week, it was surprisingly warm here in Boston. I wanted to do nothing more but sit outside on our back stairs in the sunshine...preferably drinking a cocktail. On Friday evening, when the weather was just starting to turn a little colder, I made myself said cocktail and enjoyed it outside - which helped tremendously in washing away a long week of work. 

Even though the weather's back to normal March temperatures, I highly suggest you give this drink a try, too (even if you do enjoy it inside with the heat on).

Blueberry-Pomegranate Fizz

Yields: 1 cocktail

Adapted from About.com 
-1 1/2 oz. gin
-3/4 oz. simple syrup
-1/2 oz. lemon juice
-8 frozen blueberries, defrosted

-Ice cubes
-Polar Pomegranate Seltzer

Directions:

1.) In a tall glass, muddle blueberries in the simple syrup and lemon juice.

2.) Add gin and ice; stir.

3.) Top with seltzer, stir slightly, and serve.

This was one dangerously delicious cocktail. Without being too sugary, it had the perfect blend of tangy and sweet. The carbonation from the seltzer also added a welcome, refreshing taste to the mix. This cocktail will definitely be something I make on a regular basis come spring and summer.

Have you tried any new cocktail recipes lately? Please share!

Drink This: Night Shift Brewing, Inc.

Over the last few weeks, I've attended two Pintley events at The Crimson Lounge and Sunset Grill and Tap. The events were both celebrating the launch of Night Shift Brewing's beers, which are brewed by three guys (Robert Burns, Michael O’Mara and Michael Oxton) in Everett, Mass. (You can read the full story behind the brewers and their beers here). 

Between the two events, I was fortunate enough to try all three of Night Shift Brewing's beers: the Taza Stout,  Bee Tea, and Trifecta. The Bee Tea was delicious - but this post will only be focusing on the stout and the Trifecta.

First up is the Taza Stout (7.0% abv.). The beer is aged on organic roasted cacao nibs from Taza Chocolate, which is based in Somerville. Roasted chicory root and ginger also add a smooth coffee flavor to the mix. This definitely isn't one of the best stouts I've ever had, but I can always appreciate a stout that has a great balance of chocolate and coffee flavors - with local ingredients to boot.

 

The third beer Night Shift makes is their Trifecta (7.0% abv.), which is a Belgian-style pale ale. I can definitely see myself drinking this outside on a hot summer day - it was refreshing, crisp and wonderfully hoppy, with lively hints of citrus throughout. 

Night Shift Brewing's beers are available on tap at several bars and restaurants in the Boston area, and they're also available in bottles at several liquor stores. For a full list of where to find their beer, click here. 

Have you tried Night Shift Brewing's beers yet? If so, what's your review?

Drink This: Left Hand Sawtooth Ale, Nitro

Z and I usually do our grocery shopping on Sundays...when everyone else in the world also does their grocery shopping. This past Sunday, we decided to make our grocery shopping experience a little more fun - and had a few beers and nachos at The Asgard in Central Square before trekking over to Trader Joe's.

The first brew I ordered was what I thought was Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro. I only read the words "Left" "Hand" and "Nitro," so I was surprised when a copper-colored ale was placed in front of me. With a thick, creamy head, I was immediately intrigued - and upon first sip, pleasantly surprised.

Left Hand's Sawtooth Ale is a full-bodied, refreshing brew. As a nitro-tap, this ale - with solid flavors of toasted malt and caramel - takes on a creamy, smooth character that's perfect for sipping on a cold winter day. For those of you whole like the texture of a porter but not the typical coffee and chocolate flavors, this beer's for you.

What day of the week do you normally go grocery shopping? Or do you do several small shops throughout the week?