Local-on-the-Go: Florida Beer Rundown Part 1

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late! I've been most busy getting ready for vacation/being on vacation/recovering from vacation that I recently had in St. Augustine, FL. I've got a backlog of beers and recipes that I hope to upload before school starts up again next week. More busy coming up! I'm caught in a busy sandwich.

This week I'm breaking my own rules a bit and reviewing non-Michigan beers. Scandal! How is this justifiable? Well, this raises an interesting question about how you define "local." To me, your locality is entirely based on wherever you happen to physically be; i.e. wherever you go, there you are!

Ergo, when in Florida, I should drink beer made in Florida! Today I've got four selections that you may (or may not!) want to check out on your next visit to the Sunshine State.

Name: Beachside Porter
Brewery: Florida Beer Company
Location: Melbourne, FL
Variety: Porter
ABV: N/A
Price: <$10 six pack

Dark beers are starting to grow on me. Traditionally I've had a changeable relationship with drinks on the Dark Side of the Beer Force, but some of my most favored recent tastings have been exactly that. I'm talking midnight black beers here. Oil in a glass. And I loved them! So I guess I'm starting to come around, which can only be a good thing. More beers to try!



Beachside Porter is one of the few Florida-brewed dark beers that I found while on vacation. I guess the 95 degree heat doesn't lend itself to really thick drinks, which is probably why this particular porter is so watery and thin bodied. Normally this is a criticism, but you know what? It works! This is a very refreshing dark beer, especially when enjoyed on a hot Florida beach.

Of course, refreshment doesn't mean much if the flavor isn't there. Thankfully, it has a nice roasted, malty flavor with a scent to match. I bought this beer the first day I arrived in Florida and when I left I wish I had bought more to bring back to Michigan.

Granted, it doesn't get as hot in Michigan, but good beer is good anywhere!

Rating: 7/10 - A tasty porter that's well suited for summer.



Name: Orange Blossom Pilsner
Brewery: Unique Beers
Location: Orlando, FL
Variety: Pilsener
ABV: 5.5%
Price: <$10 six pack

I like this bottle because it has a bee on it. That's more or less the reason why I picked up this beer.



Do you like my new mug? It's very big. "Go big or go home," as Thomas Jefferson once said. Or maybe it was a No Fear T-shirt.

The beer is an attractive golden color, not too dissimilar to honey itself. The head is white, foamy and lingering. The scene is slightly sweet but mostly malty. Unfortunately, I don't pick up very much on either orange OR honey flavoring. I was expecting something fruity and sweet and instead got a fairly straightforward pilsener.

At least the bee on the bottle is nice.

Rating: 3/10 - An average beer that fails to deliver on its name.

E-mail me at mibeerguy@yahoo.com if you have any questions, comments, or requests!

Recipe Review: Lamb with Artichokes and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Lamb with Artichokes and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Recipe Link: Epicurious

2 lamb shanks from Lamb Dairy Farm in Grant Township, MI
6 large garlic cloves, chopped, grown in Homer, MI
8 large, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes with 1 tablespoon reserved oil
1 cup canned ready-cut Italian-style tomatoes, with juices
1 cup canned unsalted beef broth
1 7 1/2-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts

Preparation
Lamb is one of those meats that I love, but I almost never eat. Whenever I go to a restaurant and I see it on the menu, I pause and say "Hmm!" before I get distracted by something like fried scallops and say "Oh!" and end up ordering those instead. Now I've decided to make up for all those times I eschewed lamb by making some of my own!



Today's star of the show are two handsome lamb shanks, grown and butchered right here in Michigan. These shanks apparently are near organic, according to the assistant manager in the store where they were purchased. Exactly what that means is a mystery to me, but they look delicious enough for me!



I'm also using some Michigan grown garlic. I'm a total garlic fiend, and nothing beats fresh cloves (though I would probably eat a jar of the minced stuff all by my lonesome). This little guy's gotta get chopped up, so let's do that first.



Fresh garlic, of course, has peels. However, these are easy to get rid of if you know the trick. Take your knife and lay the flat side against the garlic. Give it a good smack with the heel of your hand and...



Voila, the peels come right off. You can see a better, moving picture, demonstration by clicking here!



Then just chop them on up until you're happy with their chopped-ness. Transfer them to a bowl or, if you're lucky enough to have a cutting board that's larger than a Reader's Digest, clear some more cutting room, because it's tomato time!



The recipe calls for 8 LARGE sun-dried tomatoes. I don't know who wrote this, but they clearly have never seen sun-dried tomatoes before. Large, they ain't. I'd suggest pulling out 8 to 10, depending on how much you fancy tomatoes.



Give the tomatoes a little of the ol' chop-chop, and that's it! Our prep work is done and we can start with the fun cooking part!



After you pull out the sun-dried tomatoes, take a tablespoon of the oil from the jar and spread it on the bottom of a stainless steel pot. The "stainless steal" part is crucial! The whole mess will be going in the oven shortly - so plastic parts and non-stick surfaces are a no-go. A dutch oven would work as well, it just has to be oven-safe!

Anyways, drizzle the oil into the pot and set it on MEDIUM TO MEDIUM-HIGH to heat it up. The Epicurious recipe says to set the burner on HIGH, but I did this and the oil began to burn quite quickly. Slower heating would be a better idea.



While the oil heats, season the lamb shanks with pepper and salt. Don't go overboard - we'll be adding more seasoning to the mix later.



When the oil is nice and hot, toss the shanks in. This is the beginning of something beautiful, people! Cook the shanks for about six minutes, turning regularly so it gets cooked nice and evenly.



Then, toss in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, cup of beef broth, and cup of diced tomatoes but NOT the artichokes. This is looking quite stewy and delicious, if say so myself!



Cover the pot and toss it in the over at 325 degrees. And now you wait! The Epicurious recipe calls to cook the lamb for 1 hour, but if you READ THE COMMENTS as you should always do, then you know we'll be cooking it for 2 hours. Hey! That's just enough time to watch Silence of the Lambs! Or, you know, whatever you want to do.



After an hour, pull out the pot and flip the lamb again. Hey, it got smaller! Who stole my lamb?! Throw it back in the oven, and go back to whatever lame thing you were doing.



After 35 minutes, NOW it's time to add the artichokes. Dump the whole jar in, and add salt and pepper if you feel like it. Now would also be a good time to put on any rice or side dishes that you want to make with the dish - we've got about 25 minutes to go.

When two hours are up, remove the pot from the oven. Pull the lamb shanks out (careful! the bones get hot!) and place them on a plate. Then, heat the sauce on a burner over high heat. Bring it to a boil for about five minutes to let it thicken, and then you're good to go!



And are you ever good to go! I was in such a hurry to start eating I forgot to snap an unscarfed picture. Whoops! But when you taste it, you'll understand my impatience. It's REALLY good. I was worried about it being too ketchuppy with the prevalence of tomatoes, but it is nicely flavorful without being too acidic. The lamb is fall-off-the-bone tender and very meaty. It's also very fatty, so if that's an issue for you, be warned. I don't care for lean meat, however, so this lamb is just perfect for me!

The dish is also surprisingly easy and affordable, clocking in at around $12-$15 for all the ingredients, assuming you have none to start with. Toss in some rice (I used jasmine, but saffroned would also be delicious) and you've got a nice, hearty meal that will win over anyone.

Rating: 8/10 - Cheap and delicious, this is a great dinner for two.

Beer Review: Bell's Lager of the Lakes

Name: Lager of the Lakes
Brewery: Bell's Brewing, Inc.
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Variety: Pilsener
ABV: 4.5%
Price: <$10 for a six pack

Ah, the good ol' lager. The preferred alcoholic drink of most Americans, but seemingly something of a rarity for most craft brewing operations. Why this is the case is anyone's guess, though I suspect it has something to do with the lager market already cornered by the big brewing boys. I mean, why sell a product that virtually every other competitor on the market offers, knowwutimsayin?

And I enjoy a good lager every now and then, as I'm sure most beer fans do. However, there are a lot of dreadful lagers out there, and a lot of lazy breweries that make lots of money of them. Is Bell's Lager of the Lakes one of them?

Well, it's Bell's, so hopefully not! (Sorry I don't have a second picture here; my camera decided to throw a big ol' fit.) Anyhoo, the beer pours a clear, golden-yellow hue with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. The scent is crisp and a little spicy. The beer has a fairly thick body for a lager, and the flavor is malty and creamy with a crisp, refreshing finish.

Bell's certainly has more interesting and complex offerings than this, but I don't think that's a good reason to look down on Lager of the Lakes. It's ideal for a hot summer day or a spicy, salty plate of cheap food. Incidentally, it went great with the nachos I made last week. It's a good introductory beer for people unfamiliar with their local brewery offerings. Bring a cooler full of this and Oberon to a summer cookout and you'll be the hit of the party.

Rating: 7/10 - A simple but enjoyable lager custom-built for those 85-degree plus days.