Beer

   It may have been a little ambitious for a couple of amateur foodies, but last Saturday we decided to develop our own pork chop recipe. After thumbing through tons of online recipes, I couldn’t find a one that seemed just right. I was frustrated that there were really only two options for pork – marinated or breaded. I was frustrated because I wanted both in one chop! So I took some of the best things from all the recipes I read, evaluated what was already in the fridge, experimented a little and ended up with the recipe below for Beer-Marinated, Pretzel Encrusted Pork Chops.

    I don't consider myself an adventurous beer drinker, and I'm certainly not an authority on the subject. I've only been drinking beer for about five or six years but I do know what I like, and I can be a little particular about the styles of beer I drink. I don't think I'm a snob when it comes to beer but I suppose I can see why one might think that... After all, I do tend to write about the beers I like and I don't drink multiples of the same beer at home very often. I try not to be picky when it comes to beer, I just enjoy drinking what I appreciate and think is good beer. Here is the first draft of my top ten most enjoyable beers. It's not just a 'top ten' list of beer, it's more about the experiences I had with each beer.

   If it weren't for Boulevard I probably wouldn't be drinking craft beers today. I can't credit Boulevard for making me a beer drinker, but they've helped shape my opinion of what craft beers should be. I can't say that Boulevard beers are my favorite in any one genre but they always rank pretty high. Maybe it's the home field advantage of being from Kansas City that makes Boulevard constantly good, or maybe they're just really good beers...

   I first had a pint of Schlafly's No. 15 at the Bottleworks in Saint Louis in early December. I remember being quite surprised with this beer at first, because it didn't taste anything like what I was expecting. Before having a full pint of the No. 15, I'd gotten a small sampling glass in the brewery's tasting room. The No. 15 has an orangish-brown color, somewhere between an amber and a wheat beer. It's much close to an amber in color and clarity though, think of an orange tinted amber... The taste of the No. 15 was nothing like an amber however.

It was hard enough to try 25 different beers in 25 days, blogging about each one certainly did not happen. However, let it be known that Jingle Beers 2008 was conquered in good form. We tasted 25 Christmas or Winter Brews in the first 25 days of December. Below is a complete list of the beers we sampled.

Full details after the break.

    I HATE pale ales. I hate IPAs, I hate APAs, I hate all of the extremely hoppy beers. I like hops as a compliment to other flavors and textures. I don't like hops as the only flavor in a beer. I can understand when people don't like fruit beers or specialty beers that have a strong alternative flavor, and that's how I about IPAs. Don't get me wrong, I like a good hoppy beer, Oktoberfests and Ambers are among my favorite types of beers, because they have that hoppy bite. I don't see the point of drinking a beer that is all bite, where's the flavor... So, enough anti-Pale Ale rant. What does all of this have to do with Jingle Beers? Aren't Christmas ales supposed to be warm, dark and a little sweet? Well, I think so... This is where Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale come in. Celebration ale is the 4th beer on our Jingle Beer list.

For our third selection, we ventured to the world of Colorado craft beers which are best known for their quality and distinct flavors. I have heard of Breckenridge but never sampled this Denver-area brewery. I was expecting a crisp beer with full aroma and flavor and was not disappointed. This ale was balanced, spiced with subtle winter flavors and a nutty aroma. However, despite its quality, it didn’t strike me as anything unique as far as Christmas Beers go. It lacked the “Christmas spice” I crave in holiday brews. Breckenridge did deliver an excellent beer full of flavor, just not my favorite. (Though probably my favorite label.)

   Our second Jingle Beer is Samuel Adams' Winter Lager. Boulevard's Nutcracker Ale was a great way to start the holiday ale season but how will Sam Adams' offering stack up? I'll preface this by saying that I'm not a big fan of Sam Adams most of the time... That's not to say I hate their beer, they make a fine product. It's just not my favorite beer... that being said, I do enjoy their Oktoberfest seasonal quite a bit. The Sam Adams Oktoberfest has a warm and mild flavor, just like this Winter Lager. Sounds like we're off to a good start, but I expect a little more out of a good christmas beer...