We’re back this week with four more big beers plus a recipe for some beef short ribs that turned out too good not to share. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Toppling Goliath- DDH King Sue (7.8% Double New England IPA)
King Sue is one of my all time favorite IPAs. A few years back, the DDH version made its way to the Chicago suburbs in bottles and now it’s back in cans. I’m always sure to grab a few of this one anytime I see it. I get big flavors of orange and mango on the nose that carries through to the palate. The finish dries out some, but is not overly bitter. An incredibly well-made beer that paired well with my 60% chuck/40% brisket Juicy Lucy burger blend.
Brothership Brewing- Hazy Dream State (7.5% Double New England IPA)
As we’ve mentioned many, many times in the Friday Four Pack, Brothership is one of our absolute favorite breweries and we were very excited to see their return to distribution with Hazy Dream and Sauced in Space. Naturally, we decided to pair one of our favorite breweries with one of our favorite pizza joints- Big Pauly’s.
The beer is your classic Citra Mosaic Double IPA. Big berry notes with traces of jammy orange, the palate is soft, ripe with fruit which transitions nicely into a soft, juicy finish. The absence of any bitterness or astringency reminds me a ton of the big East Coast beers like Trillium and Treehouse. Don’t sleep on this one- it could be a future GABF winner.
More Brewing- Barrel-Aged Henna: Birthday (15% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout)
As part of admission to More’s 5th anniversary, we received a bottle of their Barrel Aged Henna Birthday Stout. At 15%, this is huge for a stout adjuncted with coconut, pecans, vanilla, and cocoa nibs. Monday was my daughter’s 4th birthday, so I figured it’d be a great time to crack it open. I got a whiskey soaked pecan nose with a lighter, easier drinking palate awash with dark chocolate. The finish was all the barrel flavors- vanillin, rye spice, leather, tobacco, and green coffee. It paired great with the chocolate birthday cake.
More Brewing- Barrel-Aged Henna: Double Rainbow (15% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout)
The second bottle we received at More’s 5th anniversary fest was BA Henna Double Rainbow. I decided to pair it with a strawberry Oreo concrete from Andy’s custard. This may be my top food/beer pairing of all time! Chocolate covered strawberry nose that stays long after the first sip. The palate dances with vanilla and fudge. Paired with the strawberry Oreo concrete, it’s like drinking chocolate covered strawberry Oreo cream. Absolutely fantastic.
Bonus: BBQ Beef Rib Recipe
As part of the birthday festivities, I did my take on what I consider the greatest wedding food of all time-beef short rib. Instead of browning them off in heavy pan on the oven, I decided to smoke them before braising and they turned out incredible! Here’s what I did:
- Heat Kamado cooker to about 275 F. I use a Kamado Joe w/ spring assist lid which I feel is superior to the Green Egg.
- Season beef short ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Place ribs bone down on the cooker for 3.5 hours
- After about 2 hours, prepare the braising fluid. I sliced up some carrots, celery, an onion, added in some beef broth and a half a bottle of red wine. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven for an hour or so at 300F
- After about 3.5 hours and you see a lot of that bone, pull the ribs off the cover and place into the braising fluid. Cover with tin foil and braise at 300 F for another hour and a half.
- After an hour and a half, check the ribs with an instant read thermometer. Don’t worry about temperature, feel for resistance. You want the probe to slide in and out with almost not resistance. You’ll know it when you feel it. Once you’re there, remove the ribs from the braising fluid.
- Take the braising fluid and transfer to a pot. Reduce by half and use as a sauce for the ribs. Garnish with parsley.
And just like that, another week in the books. We hope you get to check out a few of these rad brews and don’t sleep on the beef ribs. Until next time, cheers!
