Hello, Salty Goodness!

Sour beers...you love 'em or hate 'em. There does not seem to be any middle ground. I love them on a hot summer day.  Now melon brewed beers... again love 'em or leave 'em. I’m a leaving type.

By accident about a month ago I had an Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose. I asked for a gose at a local BBQ joint not realizing I would get a melon one. Right off you could taste the watermelon, but not in an offensive way. I find other melon flavored beers have a floral/soapy aftertaste to me. This one did not. It was very refreshing and the briney saltiness reminded me of a good margarita. After doing some digging, I was able to find it in a can at a local beverage mart. 

I had it again at home, and it was just as good as I remember. I think it would work well in a summer beer pairing menu. Match it up in an appetizer course with a hearty cracker and hummus or stinky cheese. Or pair it with a fish course of salmon, either grilled or roasted with fennel. 

3 Funky Summer Reds Under $20

Telling me I can't drink red wine during the summer is like telling me what time I have to go to bed.  If you enjoy some depth in your glass from a red sipper on a warm summer day, just drink one!  And often a medium to light bodied red is the perfect compliment to nearly any food that comes off a grill.  That is certainly true for the three wines I'd like to introduce to you today. All of them are medium to light bodied and would be great choices for relaxing on a summer day, with or without a nosh.

1.  LOVELY LILLY, 2014, Pinot Noir, Shelter Winery, Germany, $19
This was a delicious find. It is a lighter, easy sipper which offers strawberry tones on the nose, a bit darker berry in the taste, and lovely slightly earthy finish.  I tried this with a variety of substantial cheese, and it complimented everything from hearty aged gouda to a simple local goat cheese.  A wonderful wine with food, and certainly a pleasant sipper with nothing but you and a sunset.

2. THE UPRISING-RED WINE, Red Blend aged in Rum Barrels, 19 Crimes Winery, Australia, $10
This is an immediate fix.  Often criticized by the snoots for its....wide appeal.   The wine is juicy and cherry flavored, but the funk comes in the 30-day rum barrel aging it accepts nicely.  The nose is firstly rum.  Definitively rum.  Every sip offers cherry and raspberry flavors with a distinct rummy finish. I wanted to be less accepting, but we drank the bottle in record time.  As a summer party red wine, this is an obvious and easy choice. And the company's app for your smartphone will offer a fun twist. Its even more fun after the second glass....

3. SHOOTING STAR BLUE FRANC, 2013, Blaufränkisch, Steele, Washington State, $14
You don't have to pronounce it, just drink it!  An excellent example of the diverse offerings of Washington state grapes, and the creativity of Steele vineyards. This grape may be new to you, but it has been around awhile, even in the Pacific Northwest.  It is lighter-bodied, and nicely balanced with cranberry tartness, mint and wild blueberries and raspberries.  It brings a vanilla, woodsy and slight smokey finish.  Its a unique wine, but why not try something that might be new to you?  The food pairings are endless.  I'd recommend it with anything grilled- lamb, pork, chicken, veggies, especially.

Have you tried any of these wines?  Are there other 'summery reds' you could pass to our peeps?

Seeking beer's Holy Grail...

Found the holy grail. Bought the glass. Heady Topper floating in its signature tulip glass.

It's spoken of as "THE" craft beer from the northeast, and has developed it's own mythos:  they say you can only get it on days it is delivered to a local store in the Stowe, VT area... with long wait lines and purchase limits.  While this was once true when they only had a location in Waterbury, VT, but with the opening of the second brewing location in Stowe in 2016, it has become more readily available. On a recent trip (while staying at great dog-friendly cabins 20 min north, btw... www.muddymoosevt.com) I finally got to try it.

When poured in the brewery's own tulip glass if formed a beautiful head, and you can see its rich unfiltered goodness.  I know they say you can drink directly from the can...but I felt the glass gave the best experience. You can smell the citrus and pine notes as you tilt the glass to your nose.  It did not disappoint as I drank it down.  It has everything an IPA lover is looking for:  bitterness, malt and citrus flavors.  It does this without having the strong alcohol taste that some DIPAs have.  It has a nice smooth finish that makes you want to open another can.  

Here's the company's website so you can begin your own search- www.alchemistbeer.com.

Top 4 cocktails for the 4th!

Damn, this was tough! There are so many great options for toasting America's birthday!
Here are the top four cocktails we'll be serving at our BBQ on the 4th...

4.  RED, WHITE and BLUEBERRY SANGRIA!

If we don't serve at least one Sangria each party, we have family members who don't show up.  The folks at Pint Sized Baker do a lot of things right, and we loved adding this mix to our list.  It comes together easily and goes down even easier!  And you know once the fruit is infused with the alcohol it becomes buried treasure. Make an alchohol-free one for the kids using sparkling apple cider, or even soda pop.

3. A classic AMERICANO!

If you haven't accepted the new love hipsters are giving to old school cocktails, you should.  A beautifully balanced bitter edge makes this recipe very refreshing on a hot summer day.  Hats off to The Spruce Eats, one of our favorite spots for delicious ideas. Tasteful recipe and great photo!

2. The FIRECRACKER- Watermelon, Lime and Cucumber Cocktail!

Tell us you would not love to hand a guest this labor of love and call it a FIRECRACKER...!  If you take on the slice and dice of the watermelon its a bit of work which pays off in a big way.  The combination of watermelon and cucumber vodka is pretty much heaven, smartened up by the fresh lime.  Barb at Creative Culinary looks like such a nice person, who clearly cooks thoughtfully.  We immediately subscribed to her posts so we don't miss one.

1. BLUEBERRY AND STRAWBERRY MOJITO!

And our number one suggestion..... We can't think of a better way to celebrate our national melting pot than toasting the country with a banner-colored mojito in our hand.  A hearty muddling of the fruit will give you this beautiful color and tasty sip.  Slap (literally) a large sprig of mint with your hands and float it at the top of your glass.  Happy Birthday, to our great nation, and hats off to Well Plated for this inspiration!