Food and Things » Beer

Boozy Ice Cream Treats for the Holiday

Laura Weiss — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:43:26 +0000

Butter Pecan with Brandy Ice Cream. Photo: Ice Cream Happy Hour.

Want to get a buzz on for the holidays? You could stick to plain old cocktails. Or you could jazz them up a bit by adding ice cream. Better yet, why not churn some ice cream that’s flavored by vodka, rum or some other liquor? Click here to read my HuffPo post with recipes you can use for the holidays or all year round.

Chocolate Sauce: Grown Up Kids Stuff Hits the Mark

Laura Weiss — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:38:30 +0000

Chocolate Sauce. Photo: Grown Up Kids Stuff.

Yes, it still feels like November out there, but ice cream season will soon be upon us. If you’re a chocolate sauce fanatic like I am, you may want to enrobe your ice cream with chocolate topping from Grown Up Kids Stuff. Why? Like so many other chocolate sauces, it’s not cloyingly sweet. And it boasts a rich, fudgy consistency.

There are two varieties. Luscious straight-on chocolate sauce and a second variety laced with Grand Marnier. I found the latter too sweet, but it may be appealing if you’re looking for a chocolate experience with an orangy flavor twist.

Right now, this sauce is sold primarily in stores in the Midwest. But you can buy it online.

Enjoy!

Upper West Side: Riverside Park Marks 400 Year Hudson Celebration

Laura Weiss — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:16:49 +0000

: Photo by Juanfrans via flickr.

Everybody’s celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s sail up the river that now bears the Dutch explorer’s name. What better place to mark the the event than….Hudson Beach Cafe in Riverside Park at 105th Street?

On Sunday, you can drop into the cafe, down some oysters and take a peak at the river. There’s beer to drink and things for the kids to do too. And if you want your dog to join in the festivities, there’s a dog park right across the way.

Here are the details. For other Hudson-related events in the park this weekend, click here.

Riverside Park Oyster Festival 2009

Saturday, September 12; 3 – 9 pm
Hudson Beach Cafe (105th Street in the Park)

Celebrating 400 years along the Hudson River. Enjoy freshly shucked oysters, beer, great food, activities for children, and live music all day at the Hudson Beach Cafe. Admission is free; food and drink can be purchased.

North Fork, LI: Greenport Brewery Opens

Laura Weiss — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:36:21 +0000

Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.

Long Island beer lovers and visitors to the North Fork, take note: Greenport Harbor Brewing Company has opened for business.

Photo: Greenport Harbor Brewing Co.

These are not suds for whimps; Greenport Harbor’s beer is very hoppy. But I especially loved the Summer Ale, which is light and fruity. Head Brewer DJ Swanson told me he injects honey into the summer brew after its filtered. That probably accounts for the slightly sweet taste. Other offerings include Harbor Ale, which is like an English pale ale, and a deep, rich IPA, with faint caramel notes.

You can bring your own growler or buy one at the brewery.

Prices:

Free tastes

Growler plus beer–$17

Growler refill–$12

Glases, 4 oz ($3.75) and pint ($6.00).

Hours: Friday-Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. While the Brewery isn’t officially open during the week, Swanson will fill up your growler if you stop by.

For more on Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, click here.

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company
234 Carpenter Street
631-477-6681
Related

New Beer Garden to Open in LI City

First Annual Beer Month Kicks Off With Grill-Off at Water Taxi Beach

Laura Weiss — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:00:29 +0000

There had to be a month devoted to local beer making and imbibing, right? And what better month than July? That’s assuming the sun comes out, it gets hot and steamy like a normal NY summer–and it stops raining. A tall order, I know, given that, weather-wise, we’ve turned into Portland, OR,

Slow Food is using the occasion of Good Beer Month to drum up support for some worthy food causes. Water Taxi Beach in Queens will be the site July 21 of the great “Local Grill-Off,” the Good Beer Month kickoff featuring featuring hot dogs and such, not to mention suds from Red Hook’s Six Point Brewery.

Here’s the info:

When: July 21 (Tuesday), from 4pm-8pm (rain or shine).

What: The signature event of the first annual Good Beer Month will be the “Local Grill-Off” at Queen’s Water Taxi Beach benefiting the Slow Food NYC Harvest Time program. Harvest Time supports edible Victory Gardens, Student Farm Stands, and Good Food and Nutrition Education at schools in East Harlem, on the Lower East Side, and in Williamsburg.

Cooks will battle it out for the title of Good Beer Month Grill-off Champion, preparing their creative takes on traditional, and not so traditional, grill fare.. burgers, sausages, hot dogs.. produced from animals raised sustainably and humanely on regional farms. Six Point Brewery will serve up brews.

Good Beer Month will showcase great, neighborhood good beer bars and outstanding local breweries. Events will benefit non-profit organizations, including Slow Food NYC.

Where: Water Taxi Beach, Queens

How Much: Buy tickets at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71753
$30 Slow Food Members/$35 Non-members
Ticket cost does not include beverages.

Father’s Day: NY Beer and Chocolate Class

Laura Weiss — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:40:12 +0000

Father’s Day chocolate cupcakes. Photo by Sugar Daze (f/k/a LittleMissCupcakeParis) via Flickr.

What Dad doesn’t love beer and chocolate? You can pair the two in a special Father’s Day class. Or if your Dad is a cocktail maven, sign him up for a class on how to mix classics like the Grasshopper and the Pink Lady.

Take a look at these Father’s Day ideas:

Is that Chocolate in My Beer?

What: An afternoon of chocolate and beer. You’ll learn about the many varieties of cocoa beans and chocolate, how the Aztec and Maya discovered chocolate, and how to make your own chocolate bars from the bean. Learn all of this with Nat Bletter, who has studied and made chocolate for over 5 years.

In the class everyone will participate in making chocolate bars from scratch after a short talk on the history of chocolate with some tastings, and you’ll go home with recipes and a bar of chocolate.

Where: Jimmy’s No. 43 – 43 East 7th street (downstairs), Manhattan

When: Sunday, June 21, 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Who: Jimmy Carbone, owner of Jimmy’s 43, fine beer aficionado and originator of the Good Beer Seal of Approval will pair Nat’s homemade chocolate with a selection of artisanal beers.

How Much: Admission: Slow Food Members – $30
Non members – $35
Tickets: Available on-line only at BrownPaperTickets.com
Proceeds will go towards Slow Food NYC’s Harvest Time in Schools Program.

The Evolution of Cocktails Post Prohibition through Today

What: Prohibition was a boon to cocktail culture as we know it. But many of the era’s delicious concoctions have since fallen out of fashion. Rediscover iconic cocktails such as The Grasshopper, The Pink Lady, and others. In this hands-on workshop you’ll find out how to craft these historic libations while learning the fun, factual and mythical back-stories on the ghosts of cocktails past, and how their recipes have evolved over time.

Who: Mixologist Charles Hardwick of Blue Owl Cocktail Room

Where: Location: The Study, The Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St. at East 4th St. 212 674 7501

When: Sat, Jun 27th, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

How Much: $65.00. Click here for tickets.

Beer: New Brewery Set to Open in Greenport, LI

Laura Weiss — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:11:09 +0000

On the North Fork of Long Island, a new type of tasting experience is in the works—and it isn’t happening at the area’s vineyards.

Beer drinkers, welcome to wine country.

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company

Final touches are being added to the Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, set to open in mid-June in the Long Island seaport village. On tap will be free tastings of three different types of suds—a pale ale, an IPA, and a porter.

Co-founders John Liegey, 45, and Richard Vandenburgh, 46, emphasize that their operation is not a brewpub, but a working brewery. Suds fans can watch the process of beer making at the brewery, which is situated in a renovated Greenport fire house.

“We’re the antithesis of Budweiser,” says the ruggedly handsome Vanderburgh, who along with co-owner Liegey, brims with enthusiasm for the craft of artisan beer production.

“We’re not commercially driven but the story of what beer could be,” he adds.

Initially, the brewery will be open for tastings from Thursdays through Sundays. Along with free tastings, the brewery will fill you your growler, too, for around $10-$14 per refill.

So what’s a microbrewery doing in wine country? I always thought wine—not beer—was what the North Fork of Long Island is all about.

Beer is “a complement not a conflict” to the wines grown in the area, insists Liegey.

On this sunny May day, I watched as the two men, friends since college, worked feverishly to complete the transformation of the boxy fire station into a brewery. The sound of hammers and saws filled the air, which smelled of sawdust and plaster.

Upstairs on the second floor is where the grain will be milled. On the first floor, loom three huge stainless steel fermenting tanks, each one holding 930 gallons. A glass partition will divide the viewing room from the space with the beer making activities. Vintage touches, like the original tin ceiling, will remain. (One reasons for the do-it-yourself initiative is that the partners closed on the building on Sept. 17—two days after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. Money has been tighter than expected.)

The pair of beer makers, along with head brewer DJ Swanson, hope that local farmers will start growing hops for their operation. And, eventually, they want to sell Greenport Harbor Brewing Company beer to local restaurants and retailers.

But for now, it’s all about tasting the new beers.

It’s ” not a place that’s a drinking establishment,” Liegey emphasizes. It’s “not unlike a farm stand: you look at the produce and say I’ll take that that looks good.”

Greenport Harbor Brewing Company
234 Carpenter Street
631-477-6681
Related

New Beer Garden to Open in LI City

Laura Weiss — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:10:46 +0000

Just in time for summer, a new beer garden is about to open in Long Island City. The 18,000 square foot Studio Square will open in May with a cash-only self-serve menu featuring German bratwurst, Certified Black Angus
hamburgers, beef and chicken kebobs, and pulled pork sandwiches.

With both indoor and outdoor bars, the place will serve over 15 imported, domestic and craft beers on draft, including German favorites such as Spaten and Franziskaner. There will also be wines and spirits as well as housemade
Sangria on tap.

Yankees Roll Out Food Options at New Stadium

Laura Weiss — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:02:30 +0000

One thing I won’t miss about the old Yankee Stadium is the food. Here’s a rundown of what kinds of grub to expect at the new ballpark.

Feel like stadium standards? There are hot dogs and beer, of course. Feel like junk food? From Carvel to Dunkin’ Donuts, you won’t be disappointed. There are fine dining options too–though why you’d want a white table cloth experience at a ball game is beyond me.

The regular season opener is April 16.

Highlights:

There wil be 25 permanent concessions stands and 112 portable locations.
Butchers from Lobel’s will prepare prime, dry-aged steaks to be served in various locations in the Stadium. Steak sandwiches will be sold as well. (Left-field concourse, Field Level.)
There’s a food court on the third-base side of the Field Level, a Main Level beer garden and a Bleachers Café in center field.

Vendors:

o Bazzini nuts

o Carl’s Steaks

o Carvel Ice Cream

o Cracker Jack

o Famous Famiglia Pizza

o French’s Mustard

o Hebrew National

o Heinz Ketchup

o Mike’s Arthur Avenue Italian Deli, featuring zeppoli and antipasto

o Nathan’s Famous, serving hot dogs in natural casing

o New York Pretzel

o Premio Sausage, serving grilled coiled sausages

o Poland Spring Water

o Tyson chicken

o Utz Potato Chips

o Boar’s Head made-to-order deli sandwich stand, including soups and salads

o Brother Jimmy’s BBQ

o Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee

o Highlanders traditional ballpark food, including hot dogs with sauerkraut and “pushcart” onions

o Johnny Rockets

o Lobel’s of New York

o Moe’s Southwest Grill

o Otis Spunkmeyer

o Pepsi Cola Products, including Lipton Iced Tea, Tropicana Lemonade and Gatorade

o Tommy Bahama’s Bar serving mixed drinks

o Turkey Hill Ice Cream

o Garlic Fries stand

o Latin Corner, serving hot-pressed Cuban sandwiches, nachos and burritos

o Noodle Bowls stand with other Asian-inspired items

o Soy Kitchen sushi and salads

o Triple Play Grill, offering beef and chicken sliders, and Lobel’s steak sandwiches

o Melissa’s, a traditional farmers market, carrying fresh fruits and vegetables

o Various Glatt Kosher options

o The Big Apple stand, offering candy, caramel and chocolate-dipped apples

o Dale and Thomas popcorn stand

o Kids Cart with items, such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk, small hot dogs and Kozy Shack Pudding

Full Service Dining:

o The Hard Rock Cafe

o NYY Steak

Some Local Food Events for the Weekend

Laura Weiss — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 19:59:00 +0000

For those of you looking for something to do this weekend, try the pig roast at Paumanok Vineyards in Aquebogue on the North Fork. And in October, don’t miss Brian Halweil, publisher of Edible Brooklyn and Publisher/Editor of Edible East End, who will expound with other local foodies about….local food.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16th
PIG ROAST
(rain or shine)
6:30 pm
PAUMANOK VINEYARDS
1074 Main Road
Aquebogue
North Fork, Long Island
PIG@PAUMANOK.2

The second annual Slow Food NYC/East End pig roast is here.

RAW BAR, Two, Yes, Count ‘em, Two Locally Raised PIGS Roasted Low and Slow. BBQ FIXIN’S, SIDES, and DESSERT. LIVE JAZZ

Paumanok Vineyard wines.

Tickets:
$75 – Slow Food Members
$85 – Non-members
Available ONLY in advance online

************************

SAVE THE DATE:

October 10th

Beer Table
427B 7th Ave
Park Slope,
Brooklyn

Slow U:
Eating Local in Brooklyn

Brian Halweil, of “Edible Brooklyn”, and some local food stars will talk about the challenges and opportunities of producing and eating local food. Local foods, of course, will be tasted.