This Weeks Music and Beer Pairing: Bloody Good
I used to very much enjoy myself weekend Bloody Marys when living in Brooklyn - despite never having any money I could some how manage to cough up enough $ to buy myself a spiked glass of tomato juice that cost as much as a dinner entree (but hey, it came with a great view of McCarren Park). But Canadians take note, these drinks were made with house bloody Mary mix that was made from scratch, including Worcestershire and horse radish - and the thickness of the drink allows all of these spiced to float. Also, there are enough garnishes to fill a tapas menu. And these garnishes will vary from each establishment, however they are strictly to be ordered between the hours of 12-4 on Satrudays and Sundays.
Caesars are the Canadian counterpart to the stateside BM. Let me be very clear, that though these drinks may be seen as “equivalent” they are very different and have entirely different rituals placed around them. Caesars are much thinner, and are straight up vodka and some “clamato” juice that comes out of a big bottle bought at a store. The drink is also rimmed with celery salt and may include a piece of lime or lemon and maybe even a pickled item, like a string bean. important to note: you can drink this at any hour. It is not unusual to drink a caesar late on a Tuesday night before dinner. This I can appreciate.
Then there the Michelada - the poor mans bloody Mary. I wish these had caught on more as a brunch trend, since the lower abv wont put you into a after brunch coma. And the thinner nature of them really makes them more akin to the Caesar or the north - at least in flavor.
Then there’s the the rich man’s poor man’s Bloody Mary - The Bloody Beer. No, I am not talking about the weird things Albertans do to their beer - I am discussing Bloody Beer by short’s Brewing Company. This is a beer brewed with tomatoes, horseradish, celery seeds, dill and peppercorns.
If I had some $, I would by myself a few of these.
(Source: Spotify)
HAPPY NORTH AMERICAN WEEKEND
Today, Canadians will celebrate the day the Queen quietly acquiesced them of the Union Jack, their conversion to the metric system, and the addition of the word “Chimo” to the colloquial verbiage.
On Monday, Americans will get drunk and eat grilled meats. Actually, we will probably do that all weekend. My holiday beer suggestion is Pretty Things American Darling, because DUH it has the world American in the title, and it tastes good.
What are you drinking this weekend?
Border-Love: The Eagle Soars Over The Maple Leaf (Forever)
It appears that the wingnuts in Arizona could learn a thing or two from the neighborly love happening up north. There’s no walls being built up there! There are a bunch of Quebequois crossing the border by bicycle, and pleasant homes flying Maple Leaf flags alongside the stars and stripes, and restaurant signs reading “Bienvenue Canadiens!” (Really, signs in another language, welcoming border crossers, take that Taco Bell.)
But…what about the beer? Well, it goes something like this. Upstate New York: I struck out. 3 breweries attempted in the Plattsburg area – and they are all gone/out of business/burned down. In Glens Falls, Davidson Brothers Brewing Company has tasty beers…that oddly all taste alike. Hmm…but their T shirts are cool!
The real beer heaven seems to be in Burlington Vermont, a magical town where hemp necklaces and Birkenstocks still make the cut, and the beer establishments (Magic Hat, The Alchemist, Otter Creek) sound more like titles of children’s story books than breweries. So put in your dread locks, jump in your VW Bug, drive over to the Vermont Pub & Brewery,(warning: They will NOT let you refill your growler here, they will try to get you to buy one pre-filled…I guess eco friendly only goes so far in VT) order yourself a Vermont cheese sampler and Franco-friendly Forbidden Fruit. After exclaiming, “Moi, je l’aime bien! Mais, c’est super genial quoi!” you can make your way to the Vermont Homebrew Supply and do some experimenting yourself.
