More Beer and Cheese!

Haven't had enough beer and cheese yet?

Well we sampled many cheeses and a few beers so we put together a small list of what we thought would work together.  Try it and comment if they worked together.

Cheese suggestions:

Wilton Extra Old Cheddar with a good english bitter.
Mapledale Smoked with a pilsner.
Fifth Town Operetta paired with a saison.
Fromagerie Nouvelle France..any of their cheeses, really. Try them with a Belgian!
Any big blue cheese? Match it with a big hopped beer.
Riopelle with a berliner style beer.

Pied de Vent with a farmhouse saison. Big hay notes in the cheese lend itself to a farmhouse style beer.

Beer Suggestions:

Barley Days Wind and Sail with a smoked gouda.

Mackinnon Brothers Pale paired with a soft brie or mild goat cheese
Beau's Kissmeyer Nordic Pale Ale with raclette

 
Have a good beer and cheese pairing? Share it with us! 

Beer vs Wine - Which goes better with cheese?

This is a big question.

Ask any die hard wine lover and they will tell you that the pairing of wine and cheese is classic, that nothing is better.  They will tell you that the tannins in wine balance out with the high fat, high protein of cheese.

Ask a die hard beer fan and they will tell you that beer and cheese are the perfect pair because the carbonation helps break down and coat your mouth with the cheese, allowing you to taste it more fully.  They will say a good beer will balance out the flavour of a good cheese.

Personally I think the key to this lies in the balance and complimenting tastes.  Both wine and beer have their place when it comes to cheese but is there an ultimate pairing? Is one really better than the other?

With this question at the forefront of our minds we headed to Prince Edward County to The Great Canadian Cheese Festival.

 Lots of cheese

Yes, a festival for all things cheese and cheese related. We arrived at the Crystal Palace on the fairgrounds and were greeted by booths and booths of cheese, wine, artisan chocolates, soda and meat.

 More cheese

Ottawa's own Harvey and Vern's

What better place to decide the best pairing for cheese than at a cheese festival where the products are at your fingertips?

So much cheese to try!

We also attended a tutored talk about Wine vs Beer. Savvy Debbie put together a great tasting where we tried seven cheeses with four wines and four craft beers.

We tried the following wines:
Casa-Dea Sparkling Rose (PEC)
Sandbanks Rose (PEC)
Huff South Bay Chardonnay  (PEC)
Palatine Hills Cab-Merlot (Niagara on the Lake)

We tried the following beers:
Highlander - Lion Grass (South River, ON)
Mackinnon Brothers (new brewery, not yet open to the public out of Bath, ON)
Publican House - House Ale (Peterborough)
County Cider (PEC)

Our wines and beers

Each cheese was tasted on its own and then again with each of the wines and beers/cider.  Debbie encouraged us to find flavours that balance. We then voted on which paired better. Unsurprising the group overall was split with no big winner between wine or beer. It seemed to come down to every one's individual taste and how they found the pairings met to their taste buds.

Not shocking as most foodies, beer lovers or wine lovers will tell you that you have to find what you like, what works for you.

How did we rate them? Well... in a not shocking twist we found overall that the beer paired better than the wines (we are wine drinkers too though so it wasn't a bias)

Ready to compare

Here is how it broke down:

 #1 at the top by the red dot and then move clockwise

#1 - Laliberte Triple Cream Cheese

Paired best with the County Cider. Also went well with Publican House or Highlander Lion Grass. For wine it seemed to go best with Huff Chardonnay or Sandbanks Rose. The cider however lent the best combination of flavours and balance.

#2 - Cross Wind Farm Chevre

This soft goat cheese paired best with the Mackinnon Brothers beer. It really help mellow out the cheese and was best for complimentary flavours.  The Sandbanks Rose also went well for the wines.

A favourite for pairing with cheese

#3 - 14 Aprent Washed Rind

This cheese needed a saison beer. None of the beers offered really did enough for this cheese in terms of balance. The Huff Chardonnay was a good match however.  This was the only one where wine won over beer for us.

#4 - Gunns Hill Five Brothers Washed Rind

This cows milk cheese had similar qualities to a gouda. It was fantastic on its own but the Publican House House Ale cut through the cheese wonderfully.

Publican House

#5 - Chemin Hatley Road

This cheese was slightly fruity on its own.  It went well enough with the Huff Chardonnay and the Palatine Cab-Merlot but the winner for us was the Mackinnon Brothers. The beer really enhanced the flavours of the cheese and vice versa.

#6 - Zacharie Cloutier Washed Rind

Again this cheese on its own was very tasty and it was hard not to eat it all at once. It did pair well with the Palatine Cab-Merlot but once again the better balance came from Mackinnon Brothers.

#7 - Lindsay Goat Bandaged Cheddar

This goat milk cheddar was firm and crumbly.  The Palantine Cab-Merlot was a great match but the moment we tried it with the Mackinnon Brothers and then the County Cider we knew we had a winner. The firm cheese was broken down so wonderfully and the beer helped to enhance the cheese.

So the final verdict for us was 6 for beer and 1 for wine. The carbonation really does help cut through the fat of the cheese and just like any good pairing the right flavours work together.

Did we answer the question definitively? No.  Do we think there is a right and wrong in beer vs wine? No.

Yes, beer does break down the cheese better but in the end it comes to individual tastes. The key to a good pairing? Balance of flavours. For some that might be wine and cheese, for some beer and cheese. Others it might just be the cheese.

For us, we will continue to look for great cheese and beer pairings.

Thank you to The Great Canadian Cheese Festival for allowing us the chance to do such important and tasty research.

Seacoast Winter Brew Festival

It was American Craft Beer Week last week and it got me thinking about my favourite American festival. To be honest it is probably my top beer festival. Maybe it is because I have a thing for the east coast of the United States, maybe it is the chowder or maybe, just maybe it is because the festival is so well put together and kicks off Portsmouth Craft Beer Week.

I am referring to the Seacoast Winter Brew Festival.

It is organized by 2 Beer Guys.com and hosted by Portsmouth Gas Light Co.

This year thirty three breweries and one cidery took over the upper floor and outdoor patio to welcome beer lovers both new and old to the best that the east coast has to offer.

So what makes the festival so good? Well there are two sessions plus an hour for VIP ticket holders only. This keeps the crowd manageable and means room to move and talk to people. Speaking of talking to people the breweries send people who know the beers. There is nothing better at a festival than talking to reps, brewers and those in the know about the beer they are serving.
 
Portsmouth Gas Light Co. has a great layout for the event which makes moving around and finding things like the bathroom easy.

Food is included and we aren't talking pretzels or chips. This year there was pasta, veggies and other things I am sure I am forgetting but what is important is that the food was good, made in house and helps to soak up the beer samples.

The people at the door, those checking tickets and handing out bracelets were very friendly, courteous and even started the line up a little bit early so that we were ready when doors opened. The crowd itself was also friendly and courteous. Maybe it was the venue, maybe that it is held in February but it lacked the 'pound 'em back' push that some summer beer festivals have.  All in all it is one crowd I do not mind being a part of.

The weather held up beautifully making the patio and the beer selection out there enjoyable. The selection of cigars was nice too.

Getting the V.I.P. ticket is highly recommended. The extra hour as well as the selection of whiskey, scotch and bourbon make the slight increase in cost worth it. It also includes your admission to the first session so budget wise it is the most bang for your buck. This year there was also a large selection of V.I.P. only beers.

As for the selection of beer overall, well you can't go wrong with thirty three craft breweries offering you beer samples. I enjoyed trying everything from Sam Adams, Harpoon to Portsmouth's own Earth Eagle and Smuttynose. Add to that, brand new brewery Stoneface was there with their first beer.

Highlights for festival:

Founders KBS 2013 - Big coffee, chocolate and bourbon notes.

Harpoon Pumpkin Stout - Wonderful pumpkin notes. One of the best pumpkin beers I have had in recent memory. Molasses, lovely spices.

Smuttynose Baltic Porter 2013 - Lighter bodied than last years but still great as an after dinner beer. More coffee than chocolate this time around.

Lagunitas Lil Sumpin' Sumpin' - Very smooth and easy drinking. Nice malt profile.

Founders Backwards Bastard - Tobacco notes, bourbon and a wonderful smoothness.

Earth EagleWormhole Verte - A collab with 2 Beer Guys. Loads of wormwood and licorce/anise flavours. A building bitterness.

Allagash Hugh Malone - Nice Belgian IPA with great depth to the malts and nice dry finish.

******
For me, the event is everything I look for in a beer festival. Location, ease of movement, friendly people, well organized and great beer selection.

Thinking of checking out New Hampshire? Why not plan for a February trip and enjoy this festival as well as the Portsmouth Craft Beer week that follows.

Spring Craft Beer Meet Up

Spring is in the air and once again we are teaming up with Stoneface Dolly's to bring you a meet up of craft beer lovers and breweries. On Monday, May 5th we will once again take over the restaurant to talk and celebrate all things beer.

New to craft beer? Not so new to craft beer? Want to talk to the brewery reps and find out what beers they have now and maybe in the near future?

This is the perfect event for you! Come hang out with other like-minded people.

No charge to reserve your space all you pay for is what you eat and drink. 

Attendees can arrive anytime after 5:30 pm. We will be having a discussion between 5:30 and 6:30 pm about our favourite springtime beers. After 6:30 pm everyone is encouraged to mingle, talk, eat and try the great craft beer that Stoneface Dolly's has on tap.

Just like last time we will have a raffle of some great prizes but we are also adding beer trivia this time! Come see how well you know beer.

Now for the best part. Come hungry as Stoneface Dolly's has put together this menu just for us for that night. Not sure you want to eat? Trust me, their food is fantastic and if that isn't enough to convince you check out your options:

Appetizers: 

Beef tartare:chive-truffle oil-crostini

                   

Salad: House ranch dressing-pickled jalapeno-blue cheese-apple-crispy chicken skin.

                  

Foccacia: Basil pesto-bruschetta & roasted eggplant, goat cheese spread with caramalized onions and peppers.

Mains:  

 

Burger: House made pretzel bun/ Beau's beer mustard/ smoked cheddar/ bacon/ tomato jam/ house dressed chips

Kichesippi 1855 Brined pork rack: soft polenta/veg/apple mortada

Barley Risotto: Turtle Island Irish Red/spinach/roasted tomato/herbs/grilled mushrooms

Sausage stuffed Cornish game hen: pomme puree/St. Ambroise apricot glazed veg/natural jus

 Ling Cod: veg/"dill pickle" potatoes/dill beurre blanc

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All you have to do to be a part of the fun is click the link and reserve your spot!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-craft-beer-meet-up-tickets-11174967629

Hope to see you on Monday, May 5th!

It's been a while!

Hello all!

Things have been busy for us here at For Barley or For Wort. With so much to do, places to go and beer to drink we have had so little time to sit down and tell you all about it.

We had an exciting month of February where we went to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for their craft beer week. Upcoming, we will have four (yes four) posts about our nine days away. 

We will have a follow up to our interview with J.P. Fournier about Ottawa's Winterbrewed as well as our take on how this year's festival went.

We have an event in the works to talk Spring beers and what's happening in Ottawa in the coming months in the beer community so stay tuned for those details.

As you can see there are lots of things coming down the pipe from us!

Cheers!