Come to the South Shore Brewery and Deep Water Grille in beautiful downtown Ashland, WI, on Thursday, July 14 – 4-6pm and I’ll sign a cookbook for you – Grilling with Beer and the Best of American Beer & Food! We’ll be cooking up some samples to taste, and more details will be posted very soon, cheers!

In its second year, the Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival hits its stride

Wisconsin Brewer's Guild organized the festival, with Visit Glendale tourism

More beer, more food, more space

As the name implies, the Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival showcases craft beer exclusively from the members of the Wisconsin Brewer’s Guild (WBG), including fest-only special releases. Held around the Fountain Square of Bayshore Town Center (a mall and residential complex in Glendale, WI), the Festival fills four hours with fresh food from area restaurants, matched with craft brews from participating breweries.

Each of the pairings was detailed in a handy guide book with room for tasting notes, prepared by the fest organizers: Welcome to Glendale tourism and the Mueller Communications company, in addition to the WBG.  The festival drew close to 2,000 craft beer fans from around Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota.

Deb Carey, president of the New Glarus Brewing Co., pouring at the festival

One of the biggest draws for this festival is the chance to meet the participating brewers and chefs. Each of the 46 booths features a brewer, a chef, or an owner, serving samples – including Deb Carey of New Glarus Brewing Co., winner of the The White House Champions of Change award (http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions/small-business/deborah-carey) and Ernst and Young’s Upper Midwest Entrepreneur of the Year.

Many chefs worked very hard to customize their food creations to highlight the specific flavors of the beer being served – including the Deepwater Grille of Ashland, WI, whose blackened whitefish paired with South Shore Brewery’s Northern Lights Ale. Ovation Restaurant prepared shrimp cakes with a crispy Panko-crust that made the Fixed Gear ale from Lakefront Brewery taste even more rich and malty. Other participating restaurants served their usual menu, such as Panda Express (Spicy Chicken) and Dr. Dawg (Chicago-style hot dogs).  The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board supported the festival with cheeses from many of the state’s finest cheesemakers, including Carr Valley and Sartori Foods.

Thanks to greater space along two sides of the Fountain Square, and additional tables for enjoyment of food and beer, the festival unfolded at a pleasant pace. Lines moved quickly and everyone appeared to be relaxed and enjoying the savoring of wonderful Wisconsin beer and food.

Priced at $35 pre-sale, this fest a fantastic way to explore the flavors of Wisconsin’s top craft breweries, including some not distributed in Milwaukee, such as Lake Louie Brewing Co.

Solly's sliders with grilled onions

It’s a worthy summer destination for a Father’s Day weekend celebration, with many hotels within walking distance of the fest. Consider it a coup for the city of Glendale – I’m already looking forward to next year’s fest.  Cheers to Wisconsin beer!

Participating restaurants included:

Anchorage, Bar Louie, BD’s Mongolian Grill, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, California Pizza Kitchen, COA – The Heart of Mexican Street Food, Devon Seafood + Steaks, Dr. Dawg, Milwaukee Ale House, Ovation Restaurant, Panda Express, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Solly’s Grill, South Shore/Deep Water Grille, Zamboni’s and cheeses from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Participating breweries included: Ale Asylum, Angry Minnow Restaurant & Brewery, Bull Falls Brewery, Capital Brewery, Central Waters Brewing, Chameleon Brewing, Delafield Brewhaus, Fox River Brewing Company, Great Dane Pub & Brewery – Madison, Grumpy Troll Restaurant & Brewery, Hinterland Brewing, Lake Louie Brewing LLC, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee Ale House, Minocqua Brewing Company, New Glarus Brewing Co., Northwoods Brewpub & Grill, O’so Brewing, Pearl Street Brewing, Potosi Brewery, Rock Bottom Brewery, Rowland’s Calumet Brewing Co., Sand Creek Brewing Co., Silver Creek Brewing, South Shore Brewery, Sprecher Brewing Company, Stevens Point Brewery, Stone Cellar Brewpub, Titletown Brewing Co., Tyranena Brewing Company, Vintage Brewing Co., and the Woodman Brewery.

If you’d rather Do Good while you Eat Cheese, then consider a fund-raising Gala organized by Jeanne Carpenter to be held on Saturday, April 16.

Wisconsin Cheese Originals is celebrating the rise of farmstead, artisan and specialty cheeses in America’s Dairyland by hosting a gala tasting and art event at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.

Each attendee of the 25 Best Cheeses of Wisconsin Gala Tasting will take home an exclusive 2-x3-foot original art print, designed specifically for the event and suitable for framing. The print showcases a professional glamour shot of 25 full wheels and wedges of cheese from 25 different Wisconsin artisan cheesemakers

Held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Evjue Commons inside Olbrich Botanical Gardens, tickets are $35, with all tickets sold in advance at www.wisconsincheeseoriginals.com. Attendees will taste an array of artisan cow, sheep and goat’s milk cheeses, with appetizers and beverages. Attendees are welcome to walk the outdoor gardens before, during or after the event for free.

The event aims to celebrate the growing number of farmstead, artisan and specialty cheeses made in Wisconsin. A portion of all proceeds go toward annual beginning cheesemaker scholarships. Past scholarship recipients include Katie Hedrich, now a U.S. Champion Cheesemaker at LaClare Farm, and Rose Boero, a future goat’s milk cheesemaker in Custer, Wis.

Join me on the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day at Metcalfe’s Market, in the Hilldale Mall on Madison’s west side. I’ll be at the store from 11-3 pm both days, for a festive tasting of Wisconsin craft beer and samples of recipes from my cookbooks and websites.

For starters, enjoy the Carrot Ginger Curry Soup made with Point Horizon Wheat or a St. Patrick’s Chicken Stew with Whiskey and Brown Ale prepared with Nami Moon Chicken and New Glarus Fat Squirrel

Marinated Pork Tenderloin made with the Great Dane Emerald Isle Stout and served over Kerrygold Blarney Castle Irish cheese mashed potatoes

Metcalfe’s house-made Corned Beef and Cabbage Brats with Grilled Beer Onions made with Ale Asylum Madtown Nutbrown

Slow Roasted Wild Salmon with Caramelized Belgian Endive and Almond Piccata paired with Lake Louie Arena Premium American Pale Ale

Bock-Braised Pork Shoulder made with Capital Brewery Maibock

A variation of “ Twice-Baked Lady Apples with Wisconsin Camembert, Raisins and Dates” made with Aeppeltreow Wisconsin Apple Brandy

And to top it off, a riff on Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton’s Chocolate Stout Pudding made with Tyranena Down-N-Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

I’ll bring cookbooks with me, and there will be seasonal craft beers to sample, too – hope to see you there!

Thanks to CraftBeer.com for posting a collection of my recipes for summer grilling, along with musings on Memorial Day beers – the Imperial pilsner, big and bold flavors for BBQ.
Features Imperial brews by Rogue, Sam Adams, Flossmoor Brewing Co., Point Brewing and more. Here’s a photo of the Grilled Chicken Salad with a link to the recipe online. Cheers!

Recipe online at www.craftbeer.com

2 tablespoons butter
1/ 2 cup white onion, peeled and minced
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small jalapeño chili, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Pinch of ground cumin seed
Dash hot sauce or to taste
4-5 oz ale of your choice
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) finely grated aged Cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Melt butter in large skillet, and add onion, shallot, garlic, chili spices, and cumin. Cook over low heat until onion is translucent. Add hot sauce and ale, whisk well and add cream cheese in large chunks, stirring constantly. When cream cheese is melted, stir in Cheddar cheese and remove from heat. The cheese will melt slowly, but texture is rough. You can scrape mixture into a food processor and pulse on HIGH if you want a smooth-textured dip. Taste and add salt if needed. Scrape mixture into a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours for flavors to meld. Garnish: top with chopped toasted pecans or chopped green onions.

I came up with this recipe in response to a query from the Brewing Network – always good to have some *real* cheese spread available for snacks….

Aged Gouda Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Paprika
part of a series of Mac’n'Cheese brought to you by the
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
(WMMB consulting chefs contributed recipes to the BABF cookbook, second printing due soon!)

This is a plush version of macaroni and cheese, full of intense flavors such as smoked paprika and shallots. Aged Gouda is an excellent cheese for grating and baking, with a rich, nutty taste.

Aged Gouda Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Paprika
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pennette or elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and finely minced
1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk
1 cup ready-to-serve organic roasted red pepper and tomato soup
1 3/4 cup (7 ounces) Wisconsin Aged Gouda, rind removed, grated
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
Black pepper, freshly ground, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat, and add flour. Whisk until smooth and bubbly – the flour will start to turn golden brown and smell like popcorn. Stir in paprika, dry mustard, turmeric, garlic salt and shallots. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk, stirring to remove lumps; add the prepared roasted red pepper and tomato soup. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and cook until slightly thickened, stirring often, set aside.

Place 1 heaping cup of cooked pasta into a buttered 9×12-inch baking dish; pasta should cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle about one-third cup grated Aged Gouda over pasta, repeat pasta and cheese layers three additional times or until all the pasta is in the dish, ending with cheese. Pour sauce evenly over the pasta and cheese mixture.

In a small bowl combine Panko bread crumbs with melted butter and ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is golden, about 45 minutes.

Pair with a brown ale or golden bock.

Photo by amypowersphotography.com

Sandy Ploy, Milwaukee’s Cupcake Queen, is organizing a wonderful benefit for the Wisconsin Brewers Guild – the Iron Cupcake Beer Edition! Find a way to add the flavors of beer to your batch of cupcakes, and you may be a winner!

Iron Cupcake Milwaukee

Note: bakers must pre-register with Sandy: ironcupcakemilwaukee@wi.rr.com – only 24 spots are available! For more information, check out Sandy’s blog: http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com

It’s becoming a tradition – craft connoisseur Christina Ward and Adrienne Pierluissi organize another “Bake ‘n Take” beer tasting & cookie exchange at the Sugar Maple.

Sugar Maple cookies by Christina Ward

This year’s party will be held at the Sugar Maple, 411 E. Lincoln, on Sunday, December 13, 2-4 pm, bring 3 dozen cookies and prepare to go home with a fantastic assortment – or just stay and sample!

Bakers relax with samples & winter ales

Join Jim Javenkoski, fan of all things beery, at the launch of Arcadia Ales at Sugar Maple, 411 Lincoln in Bayview, Milwaukee, WI. The tastings start this afternoon around 5 pm, with firkins tapped of Angler’s Ale and Hopmouth Double IPA – here are tasting notes courtesy of “Dr. Beer” –

Angler’s Ale (5.4% ABV, 34 IBUs) from the firkin
This strikingly authentic English-style Pale Ale is brewed with all-English malts and a pound-and-a-half of Pacific Northwest hops per barrel. It is medium-bodied, crisp and well-balanced with a flavor profile featuring subtle notes of caramel, toffee and toasted malt, counterbalanced by the ideal level of hop bitterness. The delicate herbal hop finish is produced by Goldings whole leaf hops.

Hopmouth Double IPA (8.1% ABV, 76 IBUs) from the firkin
This remarkably balanced brew has a deep amber hue with a generous white head. Hopmouth showcases a rich, toasty flavor and sweet caramel notes as a result of the high-quality Maris Otter malt, imported from England. The hops are right up front in the aroma, reminiscent of citrus and pine, while the resin-like flavors linger well after the last sip.

London Porter (7.2% ABV, 42 IBUs) 12 oz bottles
This 18th Century-style “smoked porter” has a subtle accent of peat-like, Bamberg smoked malt, which is apparent in both the aroma and flavor. It is brewed with seven varieties of premium European malted barley, resulting in notes of bittersweet chocolate and coffee that are counter-balanced by a long-sustaining finish of Goldings hops.

Jim was one of the key contributors to the Best of American Beer & Food cookbook, and his PhD in food science truly earns him the title, “Dr. Beer.” Cheers!