Meaghan O’Brien-the brains behind the banter

A huge thanks to everyone that came out to show their support at my official Meg’s Beer Banter Launch party on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at Big Rock Brewery.  The evening was a success with the celebratory release of a new Big Rock beer, Rosmarinus.  Paul Gautreau, Big Rock Brewmaster, continues to brew unique and proven fan favourites that stand out from the gigantic craft beer crowd.  Big Rock isn’t kidding when they say their beer is deliberately different!

Brewmaster, Paul Gautreau introducing the beer of the evening

The evening began with beer, of course, and a delicious spread of food provided by Sorrenti’s Catering including; roasted tomato & pesto hummus, antipasti misto, assorted cheese board, roasted vegetable bruschetta and roasted wild mushroom & sun dried cranberry dumplings.  Paul Gautreau announced the official release of Rosmarinus and how meticulous and careful the process of this creation was to produce perfection!  He shared the story behind each of the three beers and shared some extremely gracious words about Meg’s Beer Banter.  The evening continued with a beer and food pairing which was a huge hit!  Sorrenti’s did a fantastic job with the food items to accompany each beer sample.  Thanks to Big Rock, guests were presented with a tasting of SAAZ Pilz, Paradox Dark Light Ale and Rosmarinus.  SAAZ was paired with a Mediterranean Lamb Skewer that had some nice spice, Rosmarinus Aromatic Ale was served up with bacon jam and herbed cream cheese atop a brioche crostini, and lastly the Paradox Ale was accompanied with steak sandwich flat bread.

Clockwise L to R; Shellie Crittenden & Katrina Harland (Winsport), Chad Armstrong, Carly Meyers, Fraser Tuff & Rob Learmonth (X929)

Some lucky guests went home with Calgary International Beer Fest tickets, National Beer Hall beer dinner tickets, and a beer flight set, care of Street Leaf Designs.  A big thanks for the generous donations!  Thanks to Big Rock for sending every guest home with a beer koozie filled with a beer and food pairing tip sheet.  Courtesy of Culinaire magazine, some guests took home the May issue featuring an article on IPAs and suggested meat pairings.  Congrats to the Twitter Follower winner, Julie Phillips who won two passes to the launch event!

Provided by Streetleaf Design

Many thanks to the entire Big Rock team for their support in sponsoring the event and for providing all the fantastic beer.  The Big Rock team took time out of their evening to serve up the beer and provided overwhelming assistance in making the entire evening possible.  Thanks to Sorrenti’s for providing the food to pair with each of the beers.  A big thank you as well to Big Rock Brewery Brewmaster, Paul Gautreau for taking the time to attend the event and introduce each beer.  The evening was a success with outstanding X92.9 representation; Thanks to Carly Meyers, Fraser Tuff, Rob Learmonth & Chad Armstrong for coming out to celebrate the wonderful world of craft beer!  There was overwhelming attendance by food writers Dan Clapson of Dan’s Good Side, Stephanie Arsenault of Global Dish, local brewer Andrea Bess Christianson from Wild Rose, and many more local supporters just in time for the Calgary International Beer Fest!

-Cheers and heres to beer!!

Stephanie Arsenault (Global Dish), Chris Thompson, Dan Clapson (Dan’s Good Side), Catharine Smart, Delaney Darragh & Cydney Hope

Sarah Jackson, Wilma Tolentino-Gomez & Neil Gilbert

L to R: Lindsay Crickard, Mike Crickard, Ashley Jackson & Richard Simoneau

Clockwise L to R: Julie MacLeod (Meg’s Beer Banter brand creator/graphic designer), Maegan Clark, Jeanine, Kim BIchner, Kara Lee, Erica Bliss, Mallory Love, Whitney Merrill

I’m a true Ontarioanite…though my taste buds for local brews would tell you otherwise! I’m a sucker for supporting local Calgary breweries because well…they are just TOO good! Just one brewery to name a few is Big Rock Brewery. These guys started in 1985 in the city and have since expanded to eight other provinces and two territories in Canada. The quality that this brewery offers is why Big Rock fans remain trusted and dedicated to their beer. Ed McNally, founder of Big Rock declared “To create a masterpiece, no compromise may be tolerated”, and this still stands now 30 years later while developing and evolving their craft.

The past year has already proved to be an exciting one for Big Rock and its fans, with new beers popping up on a regular basis. Just this past week Big Rock launched two new brews that will be sure popular items for the spring/summer season. The two newbies have been incorporated into The Swinger Pack (15 cans) with three other familiar players; SAAZ Republic Pilz, IPA and Grasshopper. Paradox Dark Light Ale is dark in colour, though tender in flavour with just ever so subtle malt notes. Paradox finishes with a gentle bitterness from Fuggles hops. This light bodied easy-drinking ale is a sure thirst quencher. And you thought the mix of dark and light was simply not possible in beer…Big Rock Brewery, thanks to brewmaster, Paul Gautreau has just proved us all wrong!

The unthinkably, and impossibly delicious and unique brews don’t stop just yet. The next one is a fruit wheat ale (filtered) with hints of Saskatoon berries and agave nectar from all natural ingredients. Purple Gas is an impeccably balanced and refreshing fruity and tart beer that will be sure to satisfy in the summer months on a patio.

For availability and location of the Swinger Pack, including these two new brews, visit Big Rock Brewery Beer Goggles. Stay tuned for more BIG surprises from Big Rock in the coming months!

It’s that time of year again, St. Patrick’s Day, in which many people celebrate their love of beer with friends!  Though St. Patrick’s Day is only a public holiday in few places around the world (Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador & Montserrat) there’s no stopping most fun-loving Canadians from celebrating this festive day with flowing beer and mountains of green treats and pub food!  In celebration of this day, and to soak up the copious amount of beer you may consume this weekend, here’s a chocolate stout cupcake recipe with irish cream frosting, care of Dave Lieberman from the Food Network with renditions made by moi!  Cheers and enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cocoa  2 cups sugar   2 cups all-purpose flour  1 teaspoon baking soda  Pinch fine salt  1 bottle (350ml) of stout beer (I used Phillips Brewing Co. Black Jackal Imperial Coffee Stout)  1 stick butter (melted)  1 tbsp vanilla extract  3 large eggs  3/4 cup sour cream  1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened  3/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup Irish Cream (Bailey’s) 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt

In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth.  Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Line 24 muffin tins with paper green cupcake holders.  Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans.  Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender.  Cool before removing.

To make the icing:

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the heavy cream and irish cream.  Add several drops of green food colouring (optional).  On low-speed, slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.  Icing can be made several hours ahead and kept covered and chilled.

Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and sprinkle with green sprinkles or dust with cocoa.

In an effort to provide exciting information about beer that you want to read, complete the poll below.  I look forward to hearing your responses so that I am able to continue providing you with recipes, tips, trivia, etc. about the wonderful world of beer!

Bottlescrew Bill’s in Calgary, AB has been renowned by beer lovers since 1985, and truly ignited the craft beer revolution in the city.  With a large selection of craft beer from all around the world (26 draught beer and over 275 bottled beer from more than 35 countries), they continue to hit the mark with beer fanatics by hosting beer dinners and an annual Beerfest.  

This spring, Bottlescrew Bill’s is welcoming their guests to three exclusive beer pairing dinners as part of their Beer Dinner Series.  Guests will be presented with a five course meal from Executive Chef Aaron Scherr, perfectly paired with a craft beer for each course.  These dinners will display the endless opportunities when pairing beer with food; yes, beer does pair very well with dessert!

• Tuesday, March 5-Grizzly Paw Brewing Company
• Tuesday, April 9-Wild Rose Brewery
• Tuesday, May 7-Artisan Ales

Bottlescrew Bill’s definitely knows beer, and it is celebrated at their yearly Beerfest, held on the first Saturday of March.  This year the 19th annual Beerfest is on Saturday, March 2 and will feature 75+ beer from over 25 breweries.  The event is of the most quaint of the beer festivals in Calgary and if you’re looking for more than beer to make you feel good, well…all proceeds are donated to the Mustard Seed Street Ministry.

For more on Bottlescew Bill’s events, beer, food, and their Around the World in 80 Beers program visit their website here.

I’m probably not the only one in Calgary that is happy to currently reside right here and not out east. While eastern Canada is getting hit hard with a snow storm and trying to stay warm, us Calgarians are nice and toasty with unseasonably mild weather.  As support for our chilly and snow buried eastern Canadians, I’m sipping on a Winter Beeracle from Dead Frog Brewery out of B.C.  I have tried many winter brews, with spice and toffee characteristics, but this is the first i’ve enjoyed with lots of warm maple notes.  My Friday selection is topped beautifully with vanilla and a hint of orange.  To my eastern family members, friends, and fans, I hope you’re staying warm and enjoying a winter warmer on this cold and snowy day!

-Cheers!

Since I’m a huge fan of nearly every Phillips Brewing Company beer I have had in the bottle, I was indescribably pumped for the launch of their beer on draught in Alberta.  The launch of this Victoria, BC brewery’s draught compilation took place at a local favourite of mine, National Beer Hall on Thursday, January 31, 2013.  The brewery founder himself, Matt Phillips, graced the venue and the awaiting Phillips beer lovers with his presence.  Local beer writers, connoisseurs, bloggers and industry folk lined up to pick his brain about the brews that are each unique in character.

The evening kicked off just after 5:00 pm with passed canapés while guests chose from 7 of their delicious beers on tap to try.  I of course had to try them all!  I started my tasting off with a pint of the Analogue 78, a crisp and clean German style kolsch, suggested by National Beer Hall General Manager, Chris Joyce.  The kolsch was a nice fresh palate cleanser to start, and was refreshing with just a pinch of hop bite.  I moved onto the National Beer hall flight with 6 of the remaining beers to try; Blue Buck Amber, Hop Circle IPA, Amnesiac Double IPA, Hoperation, Longboat Chocolate Porter, and Hammer (bourbon barrel aged) Imperial Stout.  I’m a strong beer girl with a love for nice rich, dark and somewhat sweet brews; the Hammer was hands down my favourite of the selection!  It was very well rounded, 8.3% abv, with touches of toffee, vanilla and oak from the bourbon barrels.  This beauty was not as fierce as many imperial stouts I have tried so I enjoyed the depth of flavour without the heavy body.

I sunk my teeth into a tender and tasty turkey burger, aside balsamic vinaigrette greens while sipping on the Blue Buck.  Each of the Phillips beers have something different to offer, and National has the perfect menu item to pair!

Thanks to Matt Phillips of Phillips Brewing Company and Chris Joyce from National Beer Hall, the evening was a delicious success!

-Cheers!

In light of the minus thirty degree weather here in Calgary, warm up with this delicious potato bacon and ale soup recipe by Wellington Gastropub chef and part owner, Christopher Deraiche.

1 cup double-smoked bacon, 1/2 medium onion, peeled and medium diced, 1/2 leek (white part only) washed and sliced, 1/2 bulb of garlic peeled and chopped, 4 potatoes peeled and diced (large), 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 2 cups ale,    2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, pinch of grated nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste

In a large soup pot over medium heat, render bacon about 5 minutes. Add onion, leek and garlic, and sweat them 3 to 4 minutes.

Add potatoes, stock, ale, thyme and nutmeg. There should be enough liquid to cover vegetables by about 2 inches (5 cm). If not, add more stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender and pass through a sieve.

- Note: For thinner soup, add more stock or beer. Serves 6.

I enjoyed this one with a glass of Beau’s ‘Farm Table’ Belgian Pale Ale.  Check out Wellington Gastropub craft beer menu here.  Whip this one up at home or stop into the Wellington Gastropub the next time you’re in Ottawa.

-Cheers!

Hello everyone, and a very special hello to all of my followers!  I am excited about the first post of my Beer Gear, Gadgets & Glassware series.  

To finish off the end of another weekend, I’d like to share with you beer gear that I received as a recent gift.  Check out the Skuuzi beer mitt!  It is a knitted mitt and beer holder in one; great for sipping on a beer in the great outdoors, and is sure to keep your mitts warm and your beer cold.

Check out Skuuzi online to order yours today!

-Cheers!

The small fishing village of Erieau, Ontario, known for its boating and vacationing has made a name for itself in the world of micro brewing.  Erieau’s livelihood is fishing and tourism, and until July 2012 it was missing just one thing; a local brewery right smack dab on the bay.  Bayside Brewing Co. has the locals singing its praises and has contributed a great deal to this scenic and laid back village.

The brewery is housed in the historical former locale, Tilt ‘N’ Hilt ‘N’ Hotel, which was known to villagers as a place to gather with friends for a cold beer.  This legendary venue was stripped of its many layers of paint and fully renovated to its current state which is a modern and cozy cabin- like brew pub on the bay.  With the birth of Bayside Brewing Co. has come the creation of Long Pond Lager and their delicious fire wood pizza to pair.  I popped into Bayside when I went back home to Ontario before the holidays and had my first sip of this refreshing lager.  The brew has a hint of crisp apple notes and with one sip I could tell that it’s the ideal thirst quencher for the hot summer heat.

If you find yourself in the Erieau area, be sure to drop in for a visit and try their brew while getting lost in conversation with the very friendly locals .

-Cheers!