At 6pm on Wednesday, September 16th, Triskele’s Restaurant will offer a special 5-course Sprecher beer dinner featuring local produce from the South Shore Farmer’s Market. Designed by Chef JoLinda Klopp, this menu reflects the transition from summer into autumn. Founder and brewmaster Randy Sprecher  will discuss the beers and pairings:

Crabcake with Grilled Sweet Corn Aioli and Fresh Basil Chiffonade (Special Amber);
Curry Cauliflower Soup with Fried Brussel Sprout Leaves  (Extra Pale Ale);
Field Greens with Sweet Green Apple Vinaigrette, Blue Cheese and Spiced Pecans  (Shakparo Ale);
Chicken Braised in Pipers Scotch Ale with Chorizo Bread Pudding, Haricot Verts and Pickled Carrots (Pipers Scotch Ale);
Cream Soda Creme Brulee with Cherry Cola Chocolate Truffle and Fresh Mint (Black Bavarian).

Triskele’s is an intimate and friendly restaurant located in Walker’s Point, 1801 S. 3rd Street.   Known for its fresh and innovative cuisine, Triskele’s was opened in October 2007 by Chef Klopp who previously worked as the Executive Chef at the River Lane Inn.  Milwaukee Magazine recognized Triskele’s as one of “Top New Restaurants” of 2008.

Cost for the Sprecher beer dinner is $35 per person plus tax and gratuity. Hurry, because the dinner is almost *sold out* with just a few tables left. Reservations can be made by calling Triskele’s at: 414.837.5950.

Here’s a frightening forecast from Jeanne Carpenter at www.cheeseunderground -

The state of Wisconsin stands to lose almost 1,000 more farms by spring 2010 – this after quarterly reports in which the major corporations in the dairy industry – Dean, Kraft – posted double-digit profits.

Read the story online here and support dairy farm families in Wisconsin – buy local dairy milk when you can, and write your state representative now – just as craft brewers deserve a fair price for their work, so do farmers.

Spring in Virginia – the mountains are hazed with blue fog in the morning as snow melt fills the creeks and rivers. It’s the perfect time to get out and hike along the Rockfish or drive through the little villages that dot both Nelson and Albemarle counties. Now, a new collaboration between the two counties’ offices of tourism, spurred by the spurt in craft brewing and distilling, makes pub crawls easy along the Brew Ridge Trail.   Last week I visited the new Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co., for a tasting organized by executive chef Shawn Goodwin and brewer Jason Oliver, with a little help from my friend (thanks, Russ!) – Russell Otis of Wintergreen.  What a fantastic dinner we enjoyed – I had the pollo borracho enchilada, which was perfect with the smoked chile red sauce and a sampling of Oliver’s amazing ales and lagers. One of my favorites was the Vienna lager – which many people dismiss as a middle-of-the-road brew. In Oliver’s interpretation, the balanced flavors of malt and hops became perfectly smooth and quaffable. The dry Irish stout was another terrific seasonal, creamy on nitro with just the right level of astringency. It’s rare to find such drinkability in brewpub brews, especially those pub operations that are less than one year old. Look for an interview with Jason and others involved in the tourism launch on beercook.com later this month.

Browsing through the latest catalog, I saw a half-profile image of Abita amber, and on the flip page, a beautiful shiny kegerator to bring beer to the party. Just $600 to pour fresh pints for your guests (monogrammed glassware extra).

Read this analysis posted by Alan McLeod of a good beer blog, juxtaposing the cover design for The Best of American Beer & Food next to another tome on the same topic.

Do you see what I see?

Here’s a thought-provoking story from New Scientist, about the contributions that humble beer fridges make to global warming. Hmmmm, there’s a cool spot in the basement under the stairs that might make a good location for a beer cellar. Has anyone converted a cellar space for storing beer?