Pumpkin Smasher

First of the year for me!

Beer : Pumpkin Smasher

Brewery : Big Muddy Brewing

Brewed In : Illinois, USA

Style : Pumpkin ale

ABV : 6%

Price : Not a clue, thanks Kevin!

Notes : Fall availability, but August isn't fall is it....

Story : Kevin shared this bottle with me one evening.  He brought this back from our trip to Chicago.  Which was in late August so it was a bit surprising to see some pumpkin beers already being released.

Appearance : Pumpkin Smasher poured a cloudy amber with a white head.  It left decent lacing.

Smell: Well this beer smells like pumpkin with a bit of spices.  Kind of surprising how well I could pick out the pumpkin over my cigar.

Taste : It starts off with a bit of a watery mouthfeel but then you get hit with pumpkin spice, nutmeg, and a bit of cinnamon before straight up pumpkin.  Pretty damn tasty.

Mouthfeel : Medium bodied with a bit of a watery start.

Drinkability : Let's be honest.  It is a pumpkin beer.  I pretty much like them all.

Pub Chat: Episode 42 - Summit Brewing

A few beers and comics

In this episode we Skype in Chris Rohling from Minneapolis to discuss two of my favourite things. Comics and beer. He is definitely an expert and lover of the medium and brings great knowledge to the discussion about Hawkeye, Private Eye, and one of my favourite books of all time - Pride of Baghdad.

Download here . Or subscribe in iTunes here .

No show notes this week.

Clapping for the Wrong Reasons (Directors Cut)

Is AMAZING

I don't share many things like this on here.  So I'm hoping because I do share this you will check it out.  Donald Glover is an amazing talent.  And he makes something great here with this short film.

War & Peace

I want more

Beer : War & Peace

Brewery : Fulton Beer

Brewed In : Minneapolis, USA

Style : Russian Imperial Stout

ABV : 9.5%

Price : I paid $9.99 at Bridgeview Liquor in Moorhead for the last bottle!

Notes : Winter availability.

Story : Last summer I had never heard of Fulton.  Now they are honestly one of my favourite breweries.  Sweet Child of Vine and Worthy Adversary are absolutely delicious and I drank a lot of them last summer in Minneapolis.  Sadly Fulton was closed when I was there this past week and our hotel, which had Sweet Child of Vine, hadn't cleaned their lines in forever so it was gross.

Appearance : War & Peace poured out super dark.  As dark as war?  Maybe.  It had a small head that left some good lacing.

Smell : Maybe because it was 9AM when I cracked this bottle and needed coffee but all I got from the aroma was espresso and coffee, with more espresso than anything.  To be fair it is aged with Peace Coffee's Guatemalan Organic Dark Roast, so the nose wasn't that much of surprise.  Also why it made a perfect morning beer.

Taste : The beer is sweet, filled with coffee and espresso notes.  At 9.5% the booze is noticeable as well as come baker's chocolate and oat notes as well.  As it warmed a tinge of dark fruits started to come out.

Mouthfeel : Full bodied for sure.

Drinkability : I would have bought this again in a second if I saw another bottle while I was down there.

The Great Burger Hunt - Market Burger

Rooftop patio. Nuff Said.

Beer. Burgers. Rooftop patio. Market Burger was made for me.

I also just handed in a university paper advocating for eating local food last month. Yeah. This place is pure local.

Local beef. Local pork. Local chicken. Local buns. Local cheese (tons of Bothwell Cheese ). Local beer. Local vegetables. And just for good measure a local bakery ( Lilac Bakery ). Oh. And local ice cream ( CornellCreme ). Yeah. Pure local.

All the burgers sound amazing. I don't think I'd ever build my own until I try them all. Seriously. They all sound delicious.

Also. Poutine! Again they all sound delicious.

And beer.

And rooftop patio.

I was thinking of a more classic style burger for the first time. Maybe even a create your own burger, although I really wanted to try the Prairie PO’ Boys. The menu has a vast selection of burgers, plus they have vegetarian and gluten free options.  I ended up with the Mac N’ Cheese Burger. I just couldn’t say no, it sounded so simple.

A burger - topped with Mac N’ Cheese.

Sometimes simplistic is great; this is one of those times. The patty and the Mac N’ Cheese perfectly contrasted each other giving different flavours. The burger had a nice spice to it and was cooked really nice.

Also. Burger joints in Winnipeg should take note. They have more than basic buns here. Different kinds too. Nothing beats fresh.

The fries I ordered weren't just typical fries. I couldn't just order plain fries when the poutines offered sounded so amazing. Jacob and I shared the Menno poutine, which was onion, mushroom, bacon (thicker cut), and cream gravy. It was heart attack in a bowl. It was great.

Jacob seemed to like it as well, who created his own burger.  "Everything about this burger screams wholesome, fresh and local, from the presentation on butcher's paper to the homemade taste and delicious Manitoba ingredients.  Everything you could ever want a burger to be,"he said.

I'm definitely going to be a return customer, as I’ll have to make my way through the rest of the menu, as all the burgers sound good. Plus. Rooftop patio!

Also keep in mind I wrote this review on eating at Market Burger the day they opened, so I can only imagine it has improved as they fine tuned things.

What I got : Mac N' Cheese Burger and Menno poutine - $17.50 (before taxes)

Burger Taste : 4/5

Fries Taste : 5/5 (poutine technically)

Menu Selection : 5/5

Price Value : 3/5

Overall : 4.25/5

Market Burger

645 Corydon Ave

Winnipeg, MB R3M 0W3

Pub Chat: Episode 41 - Samuel Adams Utopias

The most expensive beer I've bought

In this episode Adrian and I are joined by Pub Chat alum Kevin Lawrence and first time guest Colin Koop as we drink a bottle of Samuel Adams Utopias that we all pitched in to buy.  We also talk about other expensive beers we have tried or want to try.

Download here . Or subscribe in iTunes here .

Show Notes

00:00 – Welcome!
00:30 – Beer intro
01:20 – It’s pricey
01:49 – I literally stopped talking mid-sentence
03:20 – Kevin is being a douche
04:30 – Tasting time!
07:30 – It’s beer, but it doesn’t taste like it
09:55 – Beer history
15:00 – Kevin explains why Colin is the better Colin
20:00 – An interesting revelation about Saskatchewan
20:50 – Other rare & expensive beers that we want or have had
22:55 – What is a triple IPA?
29:50 – Apparently Utopias is illegal in several states. Weird.
36:40 – Beer holy grails
41:40 – Wrap-up. Find better Colin (aka Colin Koop) on twitter . Kevin is on twitter too.
43:35 – Thanks for listening

Bourbon County Brand Stout (2012)

Get some

Beer : Bourbon County Brand Stout (2012)

Brewery : Goose Island Beer Co

Brewed In : Illinois, USA

Style : Imperial Stout

ABV : 15%

Price : expensive-ish

Notes : Winter availability in bottles, growlers, or on tap

Story : Stumbled into Happy Harry’s in Grand Forks one day and found a couple 4-packs of this bad boy sitting there. Lucky me!

Appearance : Bourbon County Brand Stout is as black as it can be. The head is even dark brown.

Smell : You get the boozy 15% ABV coming across in the nose right away. Hints of toffee and dark fruits as well.

Taste : The beer is complex, toffee, caramel, dark fruits, and a bit of chocolate. Of course you get the boozy bourbon notes as well.

Mouthfeel : Full bodied beauty, at 15%, it is surprising when you think about it as you can tell it is boozy but you don’t expect it to be that high. It is a bit creamy up front before it gives way to being cloying.

Drinkability : I love this beer.