Damon’s Top 5 Beers Not to Miss

Tuesday, 09 August 2011 09:27 Written by beersomm 0 Comments

Gianni had the pleasure to spend time with the legendary critic Alan Richman and together they picked a great top-ten list of beers not to miss. As I (Damon) am the second half of Beersomm, Gianni and others have asked for my “5 Beers Not to Miss.”

While this list will certainly change if you ask me 6 months from now, the beers below are beers I keep coming back to:

Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal, “Hof Ten Dormaal – Blonde”

Tildonk, Belgium

The story of this brewery is enough for you to want to at least try their beers. The brewery grows all their own grain, grows all their own hops, cultivates their own yeast strain, and even powers the brewery with rapeseed oil that they themselves produce. Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal brews a Blonde and an Amber ale. The blonde is definitely my favorite – an amazing Belgian farmhouse saison beautifully balanced and very carbonated. Like a fine champagne, the cork should be opened with care. Pair with salads, lemony fish dishes, or ceviche.

Stone Brewing Co., “Sublimely Self Righteous Ale “

Escondido, California

I first had this beer at NY Brewfest on Governors Island in June 2010 and it blew me away. I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was an imperial porter but it was hoppy – really hoppy. It was right when black IPAs were starting to take off and it was the first I had and easily the best since trying many examples of this style. With this beer you get a nice roasty taste with tons of hops with a warming alcohol finish. Pair with lamb sliders or venison sliders.

Cigar City Brewing Co., “Jai Alai India Pale Ale”

Tampa, Florida

This beer has been my go-to IPA this year whenever I see it on tap or in the supermarket. Close to a DIPA at 7.5% ABV, it’s a hoppy, strong amber colored with a ton of fruit flavor, malts and hops. Apricot, caramel and heavy hops in a glass – got to love it. Pair with cured meats, blue cheese and pear salad.

Brouwerij Rodenbach, “Grand Cru”

Roeselare, Belgium

This beer is arguably the best version of a Flanders red ale out there. More tart than sour this beer also consists of complex fruit flavors and vanilla from the oak barrel aging process. It’s aged in huge oak casks for 2 years and then blended with other aged beers before bottling. If you like good wine, you’ll love this beer. Pair with duck terrine and pates.

Oskar Blues Brewery, “G’Knight”

Longmont, Colorado

Formerly called Gordon, G’Knight is somewhere between a double IPA and an imperial red ale. Loaded with hops and malty sweetness this is probably one of my favorite strong, hoppy beers. Oskar blues, who cans all their beers, makes exceptional ales and none have disappointed me. At 8.7% ABV, this beer is very drinkable and smooth. Pair it with beef and pork but probably best with any spicy foods including Indian or Mexican dishes.

Follow Damon’s beer drinking experiences @NYCBeerologist.

Hop Wars #IPAday August 4th

Thursday, 04 August 2011 11:43 Written by beersomm 0 Comments

Rattle N Hum & Cafe D’Alsace

To celebrate international IPA Day, two of Manhattan’s top craft beer joints are teaming up for a global showdown of Old World Vs New World IPAs. Patrick Donagher of Rattle ‘N Hum and Gianni Cavicchi from Café D’Alsace are collaborating by offering New Yorkers some of the best IPAs from around the world! French brasserie Café D’Alsace will naturally showcase the Old World brews and will have on hand 20 special IPAs such as Meantime IPA, Thornbridge Jaipur, Nogne-O IPA, Evil Twin Before, During and after Xmas and Mikkeller Willamette Single Hop. The restaurant will even offer menu items prepared with IPAs and the showstopper will be Beer Sommerlier Gianni pouring table-side fresh hop infusions. Oh and all brews will be available for just $5!

Rattle ‘N Hum will be showcasing 25+ lines of American

hoppy deliciousness on tap plus a Cask Ale Festival featuring some really rare IPAs! Patrick – who is known for always having his hands on the good stuff – once again is bringing out all the stops! Some examples of IPA’s he will offer are Barrier Ruthless Rye, Undarum, Dunegrass, Oil City & Medula, Smuttynose Big A, Two Brothers Hop Juice and Stone Ruination just to name a few.

Heidi’s House by the Side of 78th Street

Friday, 24 June 2011 16:27 Written by beersomm 0 Comments

One of the best hidden destinations on the Upper East Side is Heidi’s House – By the Side of the Road located on 78^th Street between 1^st and 2^nd. A very small destination around the corner from Bocca on 2^nd Ave is a great mix of well selected craft beer, French wine, and thoughtfully created comfort food. Oh and Heidi actually does run the place and you can’t miss her vibrant energy and personable charm. The place is small, I mean really small, but extremely cozy with only a few tables seating no more than three and a large bar which is even more inviting.

The 25+ beer selection is very good and well selected with a good mix of IPA’s, Belgian ales, lagers, and even a sour ale. I had a Two Brothers Long Haul and a Flying Dog Raging Bitch. Other beers on the list included Allagash White, Lagunitas IPA, Ommegang BPA, Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, and Troubadour Obscura.

It’s not the beer that makes this place. The food is incredible with dishes like shrimp tacos with cilantro, tuna tartar that melts in your mouth, macaroni and cheese with your choice of bacon or lobster added, and a homemade pasta entrée which changes daily.

Definitely try the wine. Heidi knows her wine and clearly selects them herself and she will let you try them all until you find one you like.

Heidi’s House is located at 308 East 78^th Street.

Check out the menu on their website: http://www.heidishouse.net.

Earl’s Beer and Cheese – A Small Gem on the Upper East Side

Friday, 15 April 2011 12:38 Written by beersomm 0 Comments

I finally got to visit Earl’s Beer and Cheese the other night on Park Ave. between 97^th and 98^th Street. This place is awesome – I kept repeating this the entire time we were there. I bellied up to the bar with Gianni and Chris and we sampled some beers from the menu – Victory HopDevil Ale, Shipyard Blue Fin Stout, Smuttynose Winter Ale, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, and Oskar Blues Pale Ale – to name a few. For a small cheese-focused boutique-like restaurant they had some great craft beers and a nice wine selection.

The scene was very cool and casual with long bench-style tables and chairs and probably only seats around 20 or 30 patrons so get here early and get a seat if you can. The large chalkboard menu and the hunting motif makes this place different than anything you would see in the neighborhood.

As for food, well, bring your appetite and be prepared to be rolled out onto Park when you leave. It’s heavy, cheesy, comfort food. I had the chicken mac and cheese and Gianni had the NY State cheddar grilled cheese sandwich with pork belly, kimchi, fried egg on sourdough. Chris had the Calabro mozzarella cheese sandwich with miso mayo, potato, dill pickles on English muffin. They were all very good and very filling. We had our fill of good beer and good food that evening and we even came in second in trivia night, which is every Tuesday.

If you’re not in the neighborhood, this place is well worth the trip.

Visit their website (www.earlsny.com) and checkout their beer list on beermenus.com (www.beermenus.com/earl-s-beer-cheese).

Get Real NY – Taking NYC by Storm!

Wednesday, 23 March 2011 18:40 Written by beersomm 0 Comments

Get Real NY Craft Beer and Food Festival took place last weekend. I was definitely excited to see how this would compare to last September’s first Get Real. The Get Real Gang displayed over 100 casks from breweries all over the US and internationally. Also available for the tasting was a wide selection of home brew beers. Tons more food this time around including Sunswick 35-35 beer brisket, Fatty Crab’s pork belly tea sandwiches, Brother Jimmy’s famous pulled pork sliders, Murray’s Cheese selections, and much more. Gianni and I worked Café D’Alsace’s table serving pate with duck, pork, fois gras and green pepper corns. The pate was a hit and paired well with some of the hoppier and stronger beers. The event was incredible. I tasted at least 20 different cask ales and some notable cask included:

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA

Greenport Harbor Disorient IPA Dry-hopped with Citra

Greenport Harbor Triton Barleywine Dry-hopped with Fuggle

Greenport Harbor Belgian IPA Dry-hopped with Tettnanger

Kelso Quad Bock Aged in Jack Daniels Barrels

Sixpoint Diesel

Two Brothers Resistance IPA

Congratulations to Patrick, Andy, Mary and Chris for throwing an amazing event showcasing great food and incredible beer. I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next.

Here are some photos of the event: