Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.170
This time of year it seems like a lot of us in the beer industry not only have beer on our minds but also bacon. A month ago, was the Beer and Bacon Festival in Grand Forks, and coming up this next weekend is the Bacon and Beer festival in Fargo.
I wanted to showcase the Breweries along with a style from each brewery that we’ll be representing at the festival in Fargo. I paired a style of beer from each Brewery with a type of bacon, so if you cannot make it the festival, you can try a few pairings on your own at home. Lastly, check out the Beer-Glazed Bacon recipe – Trust me its delicious!!
ACE Pineapple Cider – 5% ABV, Gluten Free
First pineapple cider developed in the world, Instant sweet taste with tart finish, Mixes well and Refreshing. Inspired by the House Family’s annual visit to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands our Pineapple cider is an ideal drink for tropical hot and humid climates. Our signature drink the Hawaii 5-0 is a mix of Ace Pineapple cider, coconut rum, ice and a garnish of fresh pineapple. This original cider is perfect for a backyard BBQ, or Bacon dishes.
Paired with Classic Canadian Bacon
Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted IPA – 60 IBUs, 7% ABV
Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle & again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit & pine resin aromas. A significant malt body balances this hop presence; together with the signature fruity aromas of Bell’s house ale yeast, this leads to a remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale.
Paired with Jalapeno Bacon
B.Nektar Zombie Killer Tart Cherry Honey Cider – 5.5% ABV
Experience – Tart cherry sweetness up front with full, yet crisp fermented cider. Heavy apple skin compliments the cherry. Sweet, creamy honey rounds the flavor and balances the tartness of the cherry. Light carbonation lifts the flavor while the honey smooths the overall mouthfeel. Finishes crisp and clean.
Paired with Cherry Wood Smoked Bacon
Drumconrath Brewing Co. Ribbonman Irish Red Ale – IBUs 19, ABV 4.2%
A malt forward beer with a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. The deep red color is sometimes confused for a porter or a stout. Dark malts and 20lbs of honey per batch lend to aromatic notes of plums and currents.
Paired with Elk Bacon
Empyrean Brewing Company Long Route Peanut Butter Porter – 20 IBUs, 5% ABV
With the delightful aroma of a peanut butter cup, this porter maintains a porter-like backbone with notes of chocolate, peanut butter and toast. Pairs perfectly with caramelized meats, curry, Thai, baked apples and chocolate desserts.
Paired with Chocolate Covered Bacon
Fair State Brewing Cooperative Roselle Hibiscus Sour – 19 IBUs, 5.7% ABV
Roselle is soured with our house lactobacillus strain and infused with hibiscus flowers, which lends the beer floral & citrus aromas, flavors, and its red hue. Tart, fruity, & floral. Kettle sour saison with hibiscus. Floral & tart.
Paired with Duck Bacon
Fargo Brewing Company Fargo Original Helles Lager – 17 IBUs, 5.1% ABV
This traditional un-filtered German style helles lager pours a brilliantly clear light gold color and is capped with a head of white foam. The aroma is led by clean pilsner malt paired with subtle spicy hop notes and a clean lager yeast character. The flavor is well balanced between the pils malt sweetness, the restrained bittering, and the crisp finish from the extended lagering. This is the perfect beer for when you want something light, crisp, and uncomplicated. Prost!
Paired with American Bacon
Fulton Brewing Co. Lonely Blonde Ale – IBUs 29, 4.8% ABV
The Lonely Blonde wears a delicate fragrance of German noble hops, and slips a touch of white wheat between American pale and crystal malts for a smooth, sensuous body, fair complexion, and a pleasantly lacy white head. Crisp carbonation slinks the Lonely Blonde quickly away, and you’re left with nothing but a slight lingering sweetness as you contemplate how The Lonely Blonde can be so beautiful on so many levels.
Paired with Turkey Bacon
August Schell Brewing Company Firebrick Vienna Style Lager – 20 IBUs, 5.0% ABV
Award winning, Schell’s Firebrick, a refreshing Vienna-style amber lager, is named after the bricks that line the old boilers. It has a hint of hops combined with a subtly maltiness that creates a mild, pleasantly drinkable beer.
Paired with Pork Belly Bacon
Schilling Hard Cider London Dry English Style Cider – 6.5% ABV Gluten Free
Inspired by the traditional London pub-style cider, London Dry is light, bright, crisp, and dry as a bone!
Paired with Apple Cinnamon Bacon
Lagunitas Brewing Company Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale – 65 IBUs, 7.5% ABV
Way smooth and silky with a nice wheatly-esque-ishness. A truly unique style featuring a strong hop finish on a silky body. A hoppy pale wheat ale that is great for IPA fans but so smooth that the hefeweizen fans dig it too.
Paired with Peppered Bacon
Lakefront Brewery Riverwest Stein – 25 IBUs, 5.6% ABV
Our flagship beer, named after the hard-working neighborhood where Lakefront Brewery was founded. Lands a brilliant amber in the glass and settles with a bubbly, off-white head, releasing mild peppery and floral hop aromas. A hint of caramel malt sweetness up front is checked by a pleasant hop bite and crisp, lager finish. Riverwest Stein: an honest day’s beer
Paired with Hickory Smoked Bacon
Laughing Sun Brewing Co. Red Dwarf Raspberry Sour Ale – 15 IBUs, 5.0% ABV
This kettle-soured ale is brewed with 100% Two Track malt and fermented with an exorbitant amount of raspberries for a pleasantly dry finish and dazzling reddish hue.
Paired with Raspberry Chipotle Bacon
Odell Brewing Company 90 Shilling Ale – 32 IBUs, 5.3% ABV
90 Shilling is our smooth and complex flagship beer. A medium-bodied amber ale with a distinct burnished copper color and a deeply pleasant aroma. The name 90 Shilling comes from the Scottish method of taxing beer. Only the highest quality beers were taxed 90 Shillings. We think you’ll find this original ale brilliantly refreshing, and worth every Shilling
Paired with Candied Bacon
Rhombus Guys Brewing Company Into The Darkness Porter – 22 IBUs, 5.0% ABV
Dark and mysterious, Into the Darkness Porter is a smooth blend of dark malts that bring out chocolate and coffee notes to your fancy. It is brewed with North Dakota-grown, 2-row malted barley, Crystal malt, German Chocolate Malt, a touch of flaked barley, and a liberal helping of American-grown hops to round it off. Drink a few of these and slip into the night…
Paired with Maple Bacon
Sam ‘76 – 11 IBUs, 4.7% ABV
Sam ’76 is a revolutionary new beer from Samuel Adams that is an unmatched combination of refreshment, craft flavor and aroma. By experimenting with both lager and ale yeast strains, our brewers developed a unique brewing process that takes two active fermentations and blends them together to create a deliciously harmonious result. This process delivers a distinct flavor that showcases the slight fruitiness of an ale with the balanced drinkability and smoothness of a lager, and at just 4.7% ABV this brew is perfect for sessionable occasions.
Paired with Pancetta Bacon
Summit Brewing Company Get Smoked Porter – 40 IBUs, 6.1% ABV
Featuring smoked malts and spicy British hops, Summit Get Smoked Porter offers balanced notes of bittersweet chocolate and ingredients from around the world — including Chilean malt and chipotle peppers from the U.S. UK Golden Promise pale malt combines with beech smoked malt from Germany and mesquite smoked malt from the U.S. to provide a complex foundation for aromas of dark fruit, roasted grain, figs and black pepper. With a couple extra knuckles in its punch, a bold smoky flavor leads to a slightly bittersweet, spicy finish
Paired with Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon
Beer-Glazed Bacon
POPSUGAR Food
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
YIELD: 8 SLICES
This beer-glazed bacon made with Samuel Adams’ Boston Lager from POPSUGAR Food will make any beer-lover’s breakfast a little more sweet.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dark lager, such as Samuel Adams Boston Lager
- 1/2 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard, such as Colman’s
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the honey and maple syrup to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add beer and simmer until the volume has reduced by half. Take off the heat and whisk in both mustards.
- Meanwhile, arrange the bacon on the prepped half-sheet pan. Cover with one more sheet of parchment paper and bake for 14-15 minutes.
- Using a paper towel, blot the rendered fat from the bacon. Brush the glaze onto the top side of each strip.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F, and cook the bacon until crisp-chewy, about 40-45 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, keeping the bacon glazed-side up. Serve immediately.
- *Adapted from Samuel Adams.
CHEERS!
