Cooking with charcoal: Slowing Down and Paying Attention

After years of wandering the newfangled futurescape of natural gas, I've unhooked and gone back in time. I bought a charcoal BBQ. (Did any of that even make sense: probably not. Did it sound cool in my head: definitely yes.)

This "back to a simpler time" theme has been playing a larger and larger part in my life the past year or two.

First, the Buddhism phase helped me to unplug, and to think in simpler terms. Value what is truly important. Forget the rest. Or at least not get sucked into it.

My cooking phase, where I became a pretty decent home cook, taught me to value quality ingredients, and to eat as naturally and simply as possible.

This craft beer phase I'm going through now (I call them phases but they're all integrated into my life - they never go away) is a similar thing. I want my beer to be made by someone who loves beer. I want it to be made with fresh ingredients. I want to taste the love, and I want to taste the sweat. (not literally, please).


Most importantly to all of these: I learned to enjoy the process. I learned to take it easy, and enjoy life as it passes by, much too quickly.

This brings me to the charcoal BBQ. It has revolutionized my cooking experience. Each meal is an adventure. Each meal is different. The gas machine I had before would be heated up in no time. The food would be flamethrowered in no time. I hardly had to pay attention. BANG! Charred and on the plate in seconds!

With my charcoal BBQ, the smell fills the backyard. Mindfulness is of the essence. You don't pay attention and your heat is down to 250 degrees and your chicken will be ready in six and a half hours. Or your heat is up to 600 degrees and your goose is cooked.

You're forced to slow down and wait. And enjoy the process. And enjoy the beer you're drinking while cooking. And watch the birds in the trees and really hear the crickets in the grass. And you're learning how to be a better cook all the while.

It takes a longer time, but it's worth every minute. It's more fun. It's more peaceful. And, there's absolutely no doubt about it: It tastes much, much, much better. No contest. The smell of charcoal changes everything. The outside is crispier, the inside is softer.

Not sure why I'm drawn to this. Maybe, to refer back to my first post on this blog, it's because I've become a dad. My dad's beer drinking led me to beer, and maybe his old time charcoal grilling led me here-Even though even he has switched over to gas grilling :(

I want to give my daughter the best life possible. And that includes having a chilled out and loving dad. And teaching her how to unplug every once in a while. And pay attention and enjoy the ride, whether it's washing the dishes or riding a roller coaster.

Not let her buy into speed over quality.

Or efficiency over love.

Speaking of great autumn beer: I found some Dead Guy Ale! Woot!

I've been writing a lot lately about the changing seasons, and about how different beers are now appropriate. Spicy and warming is now a little bit more appropriate to drink, and the more thirst quenching beers are losing a bit of their sheen.

As the days get shorter, so the beers get darker.

(by the way, I'm still intrigued by the Saison style of beer, and am looking for some to be able to drink at home. Ideally it would be craft brewed in Ontario, but I'm open. I know that black oak makes one, which I've tried on tap at the beer bistro and really liked, but I can't find it bottled.)

I recently took a trip to the Summerhill Liquor store, and found a legendary beer I've been reading about for awhile: Rogue Brewery's Dead Guy Ale (from Oregon). I would have been a fool not to buy it.

Turns out, it's a nice spicy beer. Very good, and very appropriate for this time of year. A little pricy though, at over $15 for a six pack...

Tasting Notes: Rogue Dead Guy Ale

VERY large head, slightly murky pale amber, lots of action in the glass. Smell of hops (green apple? grassiness?) Taste: Tang settles nicely on entire tongue. Grassiness with a nice, warrm spiciness. Bitterness lingers a bit. This is very nice. 6.6% alcohol + spiciness give a nice, warming fall feeling to beer. Very well balanced and full of personality. Mellows a bit as it warms up. Flavour nestles in your mouth and stays well after your sip.

There are chocolate people and there are vanilla people - plus, a new "chocolate" beer style: Black IPA

There are two types of people in this world: Chocolate people and vanilla people.

Let me give you an example: me. Let's say it's my birthday, and you surprise me with a chocolate cake. And this cake looks delicious. And you all sing, and there are candles and everyone is happy. And every, including me, is smiling. There's one problem, though. I am personally offended on the the inside. You see, I'm a staunch vanilla person. I am NOT happy. You d not know me well enough to get me cake. You don't deserve to be the one to get me cake.

Another example: A guy I work with. He LOVES chocolate cake. He lives for it. I turned to him the other day and asked him if he was a chocolate cake or vanilla cake person and, before the question was out of my mouth, he drooled "CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE!" all zombie like.

Now, this is where it gets interesting: Each time I've gone out with this guy, he orders a dark beer. He's personally offended if a brewery or pub DOESN'T offer a dark beer. In fact, his first question to the bartender is always "what do you have in dark beer?"

I, on the other hand, tend to avoid darker beers. I love a good, hoppy IPA, or a well done lager or a balanced APA.

You see, darker malts make darker beers, they also give beer that chocolatey flavour. And I'm a vanilla man. I also like lemon cake. These are my flavours. My coworker lives for the chocolate flavours of the darker malts.

The point? Not quite sure. Maybe "to each his/her own?" Maybe that, if you're a chocolate person who isn't crazy about beer, you should try something darker, you might like it more? (and same for vanilla people?)

Either way, there are chocolate cake people and there are vanilla cake people. And there are dark beer and pale beer people.

All this said, as the seasons are changing, so too are darker beers more appropriate to drink. As a result, I've been trying some new ones out with an open mind. Here's one I really like:

Tasting Notes: Flying Monkeys Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale.

This is a great dark beer for a hop head like me. The style is also known as an American Dark Ale or, even more appropriately, a Black IPA. I've mentioned earlier that an IPA is a really hoppy beer. Hoppy, that is, with American hops, which give it a grapefruity, resiny taste. Dark beer, made with dark malts, gives a kind of roasty chocolatey kind of taste. That's exactly what this beer is: A dark beer loaded with North American hops (Cascade hops are a type of North American hops, hence the name Cascadian Dark Ale). I like this beer very much.

The beer comes in typical, horrifying Flying Monkey packaging/Small cream coloured head.VERY dark, can't see through it/Smells of dark malts/Taste: Nice dark tang. Roasted coffee, dark chocolate and a burst of west coast, grapefruity hops. Very interesting combination of flavours/ I'm still a vanilla man, but this is a good and lively brew!

It's Seasonal Season (or: I refuse to title this post "'Tis the Seasonal")

Autumn has fallen.

A new season of beer has arrived on its coattails.

This is what I've been waiting for.

The craft beer sections in stores have morphed, shrunk in some cases. Store messaging has changed, nudging most beer drinkers gently towards wine.

For the first time, I'm not.

I won't. I'm holding on to beer. I'm holding on tight. Things are just starting to get interesting.

Breweries are brewing darker, stronger beers. The staples are still there, lagers, APAs, IPAs - and that'a great - but more interestingly, we're starting to see some seasonals.

I included tasting notes last post for Muskoka Brewery's Autumn Ale, an on-the-mark seasonal with grassy undertones.

I'm on a quest for some Pumpkin Ale, an odd sounding beer I'll write about when I can find it.

And I found a nice big bottle of Beau's Dunkel Buck this week at the lcbo (Tasting notes to follow).

If you look beyond the lager, you'll find these beauties, usually in larger bottles. Buy them, store them, and pull them out when there's a crowd. They'll keep you warm as the seasons change.

And I haven't even delved into the strong, warming belgian beers yet.

Tasting notes:

Beau's Dunkel Buck
A Dunkel Weizenbock

Dark and strong/nice autumn wheat beer/good change of pace/unfiltered and cloudy/label says it better than I can: clove and banada. chocolate and mocha./This beer is no wallflower. "Weird" is how one described it. "delicious" is how is described it./very interesting and different/both rresfreshing AND warming at same time/Great for a fall nighttime BBQ.

Manlove for the Muskoka Brewery, tasting notes for Harvest Ale

I love everything about the Muskoka Brewery. It all started awhile ago...

Pitcure this: Six years ago. A fancy resort in the Muskokas.

A young man, ignorant to the bliss of beer, sits by the dock and want to order a beer. "We have Muskoka or we have this generic pilsner that you've had a million times in your life already," says the man/woman I can't remember.

Well, he thinks to himself, I am ignorant to the bliss of beer, and I AM in Muskoka. Generic pilsner I have had a million times in my life already.

"I'll have a Muskoka please," says the young man.

It was delicious. I don't remember the beer, and I don't remember the taste, but I do remember the rest of the week was spent drinking this delicious brew. (sorry - slipped out of character there, that young man was me. SURPRISE!)

At the time, I didn't much care about beer, so to like one so much was noteworthy.

The name "Muskoka" stayed with me.

Fast forward to this summer. My beer quest was in high gear when I came across Muskoka again. This time, it was their Mad Tom IPA, and our hot and heavy love affair was rekindled.

Muskoka, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

-You are a craft brewery that cares about making good beer with personality, and you take risks.
-You are delicious in my mouth.
-You're local, so you're fresher
-You're available widely, I have access to you here, and I had access to you up in cottage country this summer
-You have a wide and delicious variety of beers, so far I've had your Mad Tom, Craft Lager, Harvest Ale, Cream Ale, and probably more before I started writing these things down.
-You have seasonals that I can find in Toronto! i.e. Harvest Ale (see below).
-It may sound stupid, but I love your packaging and branding. It's not too garish, and not too staid. It's just perfect.

And now, tasting notes for Muskoka Harvest Ale, a seasonal

I came across this beer at the lcbo. Pretty sweet find.
6.4% 750 mL bottle
large head, amber/grassy smell/a little bite, some bitterness/Tastes lingers underground for a little while/lemony,grassy (lemongrassy?) taste/Malt in there when you pay attention, holding it up/A good changeup from Muskoka: You can't throw it every pitch, but it's a great option to have in your arsenal to keep you on your toes.

About Anchor Steam with tasting notes

I mentioned a few days ago some beers that I buy when I see. Last Friday, my local liquor store had some Anchor Steam Beer. I'd only seen it once before, so I jumped on it. It comes around every once in awhile.

Anchor Steam is widely regarded as the grandfather of the modern craft beer movement. The Anchor Brewing Company was slated to be closed in 1965 when it was bought by Frederick Maytag III. The brewery was suffering because tastes were shifting towards those light, fizzy pilsners that are everywhere now (and that the craft movement is railing against).

The brewery was making what was called "steam beer," now widely called California Common (because Maytag trademarked the steam beer name and he's the only one allowed to use it).

Maytag stubbornly kept brewing Steam beer, rather than succombing to the pilsnerification of American beer-and good for him.

note: Maytag sold Anchor Brewing in 2010, so I'm not sure how that has affected quality. Anyone have an opinion on that?

Steam Beer is made with lager yeast, but is fermented at warm temperatures (like an ale). It's almost like a reverse Kolsch I guess. It's very fizzy, which is where some think the "steam name comes from.

Anyway, it's a good beer, with a good story, so I drink it when I find it. It's not one of my favourites, though. The guys a beeradvocate.com give it an A-, which I don't really get, but you can't argue with taste, I guess.


Anchor Steam Beer by the Anchor Brewing Company
Very fizzy, good head. Amber coloured/bitterness,slight tang I'm not crazy about/bready malts/some unknown flavour that I recognize from many danish beers, not sure what it is/dry finish/fruity, berry flavour. raspberry?

Beer & Insanity (by Shaun T)

Last year, I had a great year, fitness-wise. Alas, this past summer - the "summer of fat" - was a summer of beer, and I lost many of my hard won gains.

So now: it's on.

Spurred on by a co-worker, I've decided to get back to awesome and have started Shaun T.'s Insanity workout. 6 days a week, 45-60 minutes a day. (Edit note: If you've just stumbled on this site, it is not one of those fake sites you find when you google insanity where the fake bloggers heap fake praise.)

This will be intense - I finished day 3 (out of 60!) today and it feels awesome.

Anyway, how can someone have a beer blog and do insanity? Also: who cares? I'm here to read about beer?

Point is, despite the fact that the nutrition plan is very specific about no alcohol, I've decided to tweak the calories in the plan to allow me one beer a day. I'm eating a bit less each day to accomodate those calories.

Let's see how this goes. I'm curious to see if I can be super fit, and have my daily beer, all at the same time.

I'll keep you posted, too, as to how insanity is going, you may find it worthwhile too (but we'll see).

Beers I (you) Buy When I (you) See

I hit the beer store or lcbo pretty often, even just to browse and see what they have, just in case something new has come in that I haven't tasted before, or they have something that I HAVE tasted before but that's hard to find. In which case, I'll buy it, regardless of whether my fridge is full of beer or not (and I get a disapproving look from my wife).

What beers do you buy when you see it, no matter what?

I've been buying Flying Monkey's Smashbomb Atomic when I see it, mainly because i) It's wonderful, and ii) the shelf labelled "Smashbomb Atomic" is usually empty at the store. So it's a rare treat when I see it.

If I ever see Red Racer in the store, I'll for sure buy, but I don't think I wake up early enough in the morning to get my hands on it.

What beer do you buy when you see it?

The Zen of Drinking Beer

My current quest is beer.

My last quest was buddhism, and it lasted quite awhile. (Previous quests included: fitness, Jack Kerouac, taoism, hockey, journalism, jazz, wine, crime novels...) I drank up as much of it as I could.

At first, as with all my quests, I thought I was headed to an endpoint. I would become a Buddhist! After awhile (as always), it dawned on me. The destination was irrelevant. By the end, I realized there WAS no end. I was in possession of knowledge, and my life was irreversibly changed. I'd carry what I learned with me forever. It's now a part of me and who I am.

I know what you're saying: "brother, you're so deep. But, where does beer fit into this?"

It's true, most of my quests are meant to some way improve me and my life. Reduced anxiety, better health, beautiful muscles. But beer = beer belly, right?

Beer fits into it by forcing me to sit down for at least 15 minutes after work, and after the baby has gone to bed, and paying attention to what I'm doing. It forces me to be mindful, to sit in my backyard and to watch the birds, and to connect with my wife, and to just be. It forces me to savour the moment. That beer is golden.

I pour it, watch the head form. Hold the glass up to the light and note the colour. I smell it, then taste it.

I also imagine, some day in the future, that I may tackle brewing my own beer. And that seems like a very fun, and relaxing, thing to do.

A Few Good Beers from Toronto: Tasting Notes

I've had quite a few good beers from Toronto so far in my journey - and am welcome to more suggestions of what to try. Any ideas?

One of my favourites is from the Granite Brewery, near Mount Pleasant and Eglinton. It's called Hoppin Mad, and it's an American IPA (which we've established that I like very much). They also have a nice wheat beer on tap right now called Hazy Days, and it's delicious too. Granite Brewery is also a pub, with a great patio at the back. I haven't done official tasting notes there yet, because I'm usually in a group when I go, and am too embarrassed to take out my notebook.

I was alone when I drank these, so I did take out my notebook:

Duggan's #9 IPA, Duggan's Brewery, Toronto

Very good, very interesting/Not your typical IPA/very dark amber/Aroma of soapy lemon, but it works/Some orange marmalade/Strong but not overwhelming bitterness/Good punch/Some caramel malts/good balanced, smooth drinking IPA/Nothing TOO dramatic, but a lot going on/I find the soapiness (for lack of a better word) delicious! note: It's smaller than a regular beer bottle.

Black Creek Historic Brewery Pale Ale, Toronto

Nice amber colour, nice large head/Nutty flavour with lingering bitterness/Chocolate and caramel malts?/Spicy bitterness?/Not an American Pale Ale - more in the british style? It is decent, think it's better in this colder weather we're having/Tastes darker than it is.

Old Credit Brewing Co. Pale Pilsner, Mississauga (ok, technically not Toronto but close enough)

Was not expecting to like this very much because:
a) It's a pilsner
b) ok, I cheated and read the beeradvocate.com reviews, which weren't very flattering.
But: beeradvocate be damned, this was surprisingly decent and refreshing (in hot weather). Not too fizzy. Bready malts, fruity flavour. Brought back memories of eating apricot jam on wonderbread (which a) I'm not sure I've ever done and b) is the most pretentious thing I've ever written down on paper)/Simple pleasure/Did however, get a little less enjoyable by the end of the bottle.