Spokane Food Blog

The Nathan Sports Steel 700 ml Flip Straw Bottle is my favorite BPA-Free bottle on the market.

1. The straw makes it easy to drink when out and about
2. It is a spill proof bottle, when the straw is flipped down
3. The quick clip comes in handy when you least expect it
4. Wide mouth that makes it easy to clean and fill with ice
5. BPA-Free and comes in 9 different designs

Pick one up at REI or Mountain Gear in Spokane, WA.

Wouldn’t it be a great world if Raison D’Etre had almost 19% ABV and came with a deeper, more complex flavor? Apparently Dogfish Head thought so, as Raison D’Extra is just that.

We’re talking a true flavor kick here. Hints of sweet raisin, without being sickeningly sweet, and nice smooth flavors of malt. What truly is impressive is the high alcohol content, which, while you certainly taste it, never overpowers the beer. In other words, this is not as crazy tasting as the Fort.

The D’Extra might not be a cheap date at $10 for a regular sized bottle, but it’s definitely a fun one. I’ve seen this around town, and picked one up at Huckleberry’s, and it’s definitely one beerheads should check out.

Flavor kick!

No. Really! Our friends from 97bottles posted a link which suggests that drinking a pint of beer is better for post-workout rehydration than water is. This is all kinds of awesome, and you should read the article right now.

Oh, and the research was done in Granada, Spain. SFB apparently stands for Spain Food Blog now.

We don’t discriminate here at the ol’ Spokane Food Blog. Why does a beer need to be alcoholic? Of course it doesn’t! And if you want a non (or “low”) alcoholic beer, you don’t go much better than with a Kaliber.

Kaliber is manufactured by Harp, of Guinness fame, and really, this isn’t a horrible tasting beer. Very malty, and pours with a good head. Now if you haven’t had a non-alcoholic beer before, you might be surprised, or, as it is, your body will be surprised. Even those with a fairly high tolerance will expect some sort of effect after one beer, but with the Kaliber that effect just doesn’t come. And your body doesn’t quite understand why not.

Granted, that effect might be something you want from a beer, and fair enough. But the Kaliber is refreshing, and can easily be enjoyed on a warm summer’s day.

All things considered… Not bad.

The issue with many artisan beers is that drinking them is more about the experience than actually having a beer experience. In other words, the balance between trying to figure out the complexities of the beer overtake the actual enjoyment of drinking a beer. I, like many, prefer somewhat of a balance between the two.

Fort, from Dogfish Head, is one of those sought after rarities that you’re supposed to pick up, even though it runs $16 a bottle. I stumbled over one on Yoke’s on Argonne — hurry over and they might have some left — which was bottled in 2007.

And while the beer is superbly complex and well brewed… Well, if you read the first paragraph you know where this is going. I strongly admire Dogfish Head for what they’ve put together with Fort. The cloudy orange looks beautiful after pouring, and the raspberry aroma hits you like a fist in the face. Flavorwise the 18% ABV really dominates with a mix of raspberry and a mouthfeel that isn’t miles away from mead. It is a complex beer, definitely made for sipping, and again, if you find a bottle, buy it. It’s an experience worth having.

Now had the price been $10 cheaper, would I make this a regular in my rotation? Most likely not. This isn’t an everyday beer, and I felt like I owed it a certain level of concentration that took away from some of the actual enjoyment. Nothing wrong with some complex tasting now and again, of course, but Fort might just take it all a bit too far for any form of casual enjoyment.

I think I respect it more than I like it.

Looking for an excuse to go out (or stay at home) and drink some quality beer? If so, look no further than the American Craft Beer Week which is happening right now!

Now apparently there aren’t many… any… events happening in our fair city, but don’t let that stop you from giving local breweries some love. Northern Lights, for example, has a nitro stout going right now, and that can’t be bad. C.I. Shenanigans, meanwhile, just launched their seasonal, and those might be worth checking out. I’m sure Coeur d’Alene Brewing Company might have something going too.

The grand question is: When will we see something from Budge Brothers, the new Spokane brewery we’re anxiously anticipating?

I started drinking this apple cider drink with my mom and grandma when my grandma was having issues with leg cramps. My mom read that vinegar could really help with the cramping, so we thought we would give it a try. My grandma’s cramps got better two nights after starting a nightly ritual of drinking this drink. The health benefits of drinking organic apple cider vinegar are fairly obvious and include vitamins and other antioxidants, fiber and minerals. Who hasn’t heard the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? The list of folk remedies for drinking apple cider seems endless. The list includes helping leg cramps, aiding in weight loss, helping menstrual cramps, and helping UTIs among other things. And that is just a short list of the benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar. Regardless, I think the drink is pretty tasty and has been a great addition to my pre-bedtime ritual.

Recipe

• 2 TBSP Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 TBSP honey
• large coffee mug

Mix Bragg’s and honey in large coffee mug. Fill with boiled water and stir. Enjoy!

Did you know that the Laughing Buddha — or Hotei as, apparently, his real name was — is considered the deity of contentment and abundance? I kid you not. This is why his image often can be seen in restaurants, as he is somewhat of a “patron saint” of food and drinks. And that’s kinda cool.

The Seattle based brewery Laughing Buddha, meanwhile, lives up to its namesake while producing some strange but often wonderful brews. The Mango Weizen is a great example of that. I always approach fruit-based beers with a bit of uncertainty; nobody wants to feel like they’re drinking Wine Coolers when they’re expecting a beer. And this Weizen certainly smells like mango, which is why it comes as a surprise when the flavor is very mild. Think of it as a very subtle sweetener to the weizen.

I like this beer quite a bit. It feels very refreshing, and has a nice deep flavor to it. It’s definitely a sipping beer, and I can imagine it winning some fans as the season gets warmer.

This is definitely my favorite Laughing Buddha so far. I mean other than the one in the picture.

97bottle profile for Laughing Buddha Mango Weizen.

I like it!

One of the more interesting “social networks” there is 97 Bottles, a network that does not ask you what Disney character you are, but all about reviewing beer. This is a good thing.

The cool thing about 97 Bottles is that it’s not an overly snobby site (nice as Beer Advocate is, it’s a bit much at time), but rather consists of short reviews with a 1-97 score, and tags to describe the brew. In other words, it’s very web 2.0, and quick and easy to use. And while the reviews aren’t as scientific as Beer Advocate (for the most part they’re not scientific at all actually) it’s a quick and easy way to find new beers to try. Current leader, for those interested, is Westvleteren Abt 12 from Brouwerij Westvleteren, a Belgian brewery.

As for the social section, it’s all pretty vanilla. You can add friends, and see people with similar tastes to you. Add favorite beers and “nasty” beers, and you can also create a “to drink” list. Simple, but that is all that is needed.

Check out 97 Bottles, it’s a great site. And you can friend me too!

COSTCO has a beer. In fact, it has four beers. They’re not particularly good beers, but they’re beers none the less.

I can’t say I’m too familiar with “Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Company,” the brewers credited with developing the beers, though a quick Google search will reveal that the name is a pseudonym for Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. One can only suspect that Gordon Biersch is a bit embarrassed to be associated with COSTCO.

And I can see why.

The 24 pack — on sale for mere $18! — comes with four different types of beers; hefeweizen, pale, amber, and a German lager. (Pronounce the last one with a bad Hollywood-German accent for full effect.) I would have reviewed each of them separately, but, really, they taste pretty much the same. Neither are offensively bad, but they all pretty much come with a baseline beer flavor (hey, better than Bud, I suppose) and just a hint of… something… to differentiate them.

I don’t want to be all negative though. Kirkland beer — or COSTCO beer as I like to call it — has its uses. This is a cheap way to get bottles if you’re a homebrewer, for example. The only downside is that you have to actually drink the beer first.

No, it’s not quite that bad. If you have a summer BBQ, then the beer will be just fine, and will serve as a less costly alternative to Kokanee. In fact, why not have a COSTCO party? Put on a COSTCO shirt, and enjoy a COSTCO beer, while watching your COSTCO TV, and talk about the great new COSTCO coupons you just received. It’ll be a blast.

It’s still beer…