Ten Fidy in the morning

with birthday boy and co-owner of La Fine Mousse at Cafe Lomi!



Brunch of huevos rancheros, saulom tartine, fruit salad and TEN FIDY in a can.



Nothing like a nice imperial stout in the morning with coffee cold press, which might be a reason to new best thing to put in your home keg!

The beer, tacos and Parisian cafes move sideways

Cafe Chilango

Paris's newest cafe is the place for tacos and post work cafe people to mingle with other industry types. Chilango is open when it wants to be at the moment but you'll find the 'who's who' of hip Paris Spanish/English speaking expat community there most later week/end evenings rubbing elbows and fanning their mouths after spoon fulls of hot sauce.

Like Cafe Chilango on Facebook so they can feel internet love.

[mappress mapid="4"]



Cheap beer rules at the moment, which is understandable for a place the specializes in fantastic €7 cocktails and high end Mexican street food. (Oxymoron you say? Prove me wrong then.)

Aside Corona competitor Sol is Triple Cauwe's newest beer, a Pils. None of which are things to jump up and down about. So I spirited in a home brew from my friend (and #LPBW photographer BroDog for life) Clément.

The Beer Moves Sideways

Is a breath taking first batch! And I don't just say that because I adore the brewer. Label design is spot on, including an inspired quote :

In the dream dusk
We walked beside the lake
We watched the sky move sideways
And heard the evening break

The beer is a crisp, slightly hazed indian pale ale balanced with citrus and fruit hops that zing across the palate without turning your tongue sideways. Very well done brother BroDog! I can't wait for the next batch.

And if you are free on Friday the 27th come check out mine and my buddy's CROSSING THE BORDER taco take over at Cafe Chilango.

There will be local beer.

There will be Tex mex.

There will be great music.

And of course, there will be Nitch - in ample amounts.

XOXO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=590BYwVuC_E

Beer birthday gifts

For the Admiral of the Pineapple Army, a man who has everything a tiki King could wish for (in pineapple print), the only logical gift an ambassador of beer could provide would be :

Koko Brown and Coconut topped Chocolate Fondant!

I talk about coconuts on TastingNitch (vlog), a heck of a lot. So, it's only natural that when an equally coco-nutty person has a birthday that I should turn it into a beer birthday!

I know what you are thinking, "Kona Brewing is owned by Ab inbev, icky." And I totally agree, but it's hard to get Hawaiian beer in France. It's hard to get Hawaiian beer in most places though, so I don't feel so bad. Unless, of course, you live in Cali and are graced by the powers of Stone Brewing who might be soon importing Mau'i Brewing. I don't think I need to mention Mau'i Coconut Porter again because my comrades are tired of hearing my drool over it.

But I will mention that I respect the underside of Kona's caps with their Hawaiian word translations. I respect fun education.

Birthday beer wouldn't be special if it wasn't paired with an equally special caaaaake!

Or rather, a fondant.

Here is the recipe I use (more or less- I eyeball it a lot) :

1000g Dark chocolate

510g Unsalted butter

1155g Eggs

660g Brown sugar

255g Almond flower

Melt chocolate and butter together, whisk.

Beat eggs until frothy then beat and add sugar. Add half chocolate mix and beat well then add other half and mix with spoon, adding almond flower. Put into lined spring form or greased cake mold. Bake 50 minutes in 170C or until knife can be inserted in center and comes out (mostly) clean. It tends to be a gooey-ish cake which is why it's a 'fondant' and not a cake per se.

Add coconut flakes on top. CONSUME WITH COCONUT BIRTHDAY BEER.

Other birthday beer, coconut and tiki related things:

• Customizable beer labels- for that special beer drinker in your life


• A beer graph of The Best Coconut Beers that doesn't have Mau'i Brewing's Coconut Porter so I don't really care, but you might


• For all things Tiki (if you're into that sorta thing) follow this Tiki Chick! I do


• Home brewers out there feel free to use this Coconut Porter clone recipe to make me a beer- My birthday is in February.

Happy Birthday to a very special English man and his pineapple army collection!

XOXO

The the Eff happened to the hops?!

I'm out at one of my local favorite spots, scooping up their wifi signal and swaying to the sweet jams like a single geeky lady does on a weekday evening when I came across this beast:



I admit that I come to this place more because I like the people, decor and extremely fresh cocktail line up than because of the beer selection. So, for the time being, I will leave the location un named. I'm chocking down the beer as we speak and wishing I had stuck to a commercial grade Guinness.

YardBird Pale Ale

has possibly crossed many seas to be chilled in the cooler of my local favorite bar. I make this assumption because the "hoppy finish" it smirks about on the label finishes like a regrettable morning after mouthfeel. Greene King has a closer relationship with Corona than Cascade.

It makes me wish I had one of these candies in my pocket! Too bad I can't get these beauties in France just yet. JustAnotherBeerBlog.com recently took matter's into the kitchen and gathered up ingredients for a do it yourself : Play with your beer.



Any of you other crafty beer people got hop candy recipes? Lets compare notes!

But then you may be wondering : what the hell are hops, anyway?

And if you have to ask that question then you aren't ready for the BJCP's 2014 style guideline update- like me.

Get on my skunked beer hating, home making, beer geeking level yo.

XOXO

Paris's First Ever Craft Beer Week!

La Paris Beer Week #1

May 24th through June 1st
Craft beer events held at beer locations around the French capitol in support of #MakeItCraft

Twist & Stout @ Supercoin

Is it just me or is being a beer geek sometimes feel like being an extreme sports junkie?

Not only do I have friends gearing up for the first annual Paris Beer Week by taking days or weeks off work, but some have been preparing their livers by going sober for the month prior. Likewise I also have friends who've been drinking more heavily to prepare themselves for the elevation change.

Menilmontant, Paris, France is 354 ft above sea level while Telluride, Colorado is 9,500 ft. Altitude effects how drunk you get- watch out!

I get a total rush when I get to a bottle shop and see beery people milling around outside. It's so packed in there that people are outside!

Mad props to Gregoire for his tart and Eva for her beeramisu (real recipe supplied by Jax not this site, but you get the idea of what you missed out on)

Brewdog Abstrakt tasting and homemade dessert contest @ La cave à bulles

A lot of the same people start showing themselves. Elite beer geeks. We acknowledge our friendship through simple eye contacts and nods. No names are needed as we are here to talk about beer and there isn't likely much room on our minds for more than brewery, brewer and beer names.

I can't tell you have many times I've said, "what are you drinking?" in the past few days.

Beers are ordered and then swapped around like ice cream cones. There are even times when beers switch owners after the sample swap. But more often, when one brew is found to be superior, we all down our current glass and rush over for the newest shiny toy.

Beer-o-matic : brew with your laundry machine! (with Bière à la main) @ L'express de Lyon

My week started with a couch nap at my friend's apartment and waking up to a packed (and I mean full house!) beer bottle shop with beer geeks on day one of La Paris Beer Week. 

Paris Beer Week photo highlights

Tasting The Kernel @ Biérocratie 

Day #1 of the amateur brewer contest judging

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="aligncenter" width="1020"] Photo by Jean-Marie[/caption]

Appearance is important! 

Amateur brewer contest judging day #2

Amateur brewer contest judging day #3

Birthday beer and music @ A la bière comme à la bière

 Apéro @ La Fine Mousse restaurant

Nøgne Ø Tasting @ Bierissime

What is a beer week without a final day celebration? Nothing without a conga line! All I have to say is that we were shmammered, the owner of Cantillon was drunk - we all were drunk - there were people on tables, new couples were formed and head banging happened along side tango skills. Mickey from Chop'in, Cicile from Brewberry, Julien from Trois 8, Yann from Outland, Jacklyn from Bierocracie and all the elite beer geeks who signed my shirt that night: Cheers to a great year and cheers again to the next!

Thank you comrades - we will only grow stronger (and more drunk) as time goes on

Paris International Beer Celebration @ Café A 

Final day celebrations are like Vegas- some people find romance, some people salsa and others need to watch this video:

http://youtu.be/14JsWeVomGw

• All photo credits (except for one) to La Paris Beer Week semi official photographer Clément Leriche. Find more pictures on his Facebook or check out his photography page for more outstanding shots of the world around the man.

Not enough head?

Or not enough in your head?

There are all sorts of videos (even for the meek), inventions, high profile interviews and (for some God awful reason) competitions on how to best pour a beer to achieve the most desirable frothy top coat.

There are some beers that have all the outter layers of beauty and allure:



Surrealistic label, temptingly sweet aroma, full bubbly top and tawny tanned body cannot make up for the fact that MULA (tested at A la bière comme à la bière) is all beauty and no brain.

While Rogue Farm's Hopyard Honey comes from a family of beers with less than desirable company history and a pour reminiscent of fresh piss :



 

there is a smart sense about the ZERO hopped mead style brew. Soft and subtle with notes of floral jasmine and delicate sweetness, Rogue has done things with their farm stead that are worth a look. I have a friend allergic to hops (I know, crazy sad existence for her!) which opens us up to interesting drinking selections while in beer geek world.

Expanding one's horizons is part of educating one's mind.

Try some of these on size to keep beering and learning:

• The Flavor Bible for palate sense


• Free MOOC University grade beer course


• Beer geek podcast in French from local Parisian dudes


• Go on a beer and old growth forest walk in Oregon

Don't be a dummy, be smart with what you fill your tummy!

XOXO

 

Drink before the death of all (hops)

Sitting back with De Molen's Pale Ale Citra while brushing up on the who's who and which are alive or dead in Westeros and I noticed this:

A bottled on date vs a drink before date

Trend in American (from what I've seen) is to put drink before dates on things that have higher hops so the brewer can advise the consumer as to how much time they have left to enjoy their hops to the fullest before their beauty begins to fade. Aka killed by time.

Personally, I like the drink before initiative.

Mostly because I like to get all panicky and say things like, "oh no! Oh my dear! We are just going to have to drink this one here, right away! Near the expiration date, it is." In an English accent - because I've been watching too much tv.

• Check out the Ginger Ale Trail for an ever entertaining review of Pale Ale Citra


• Game of Thrones has it's own (Ommegang made) beer


• Aussies are into pairing hops with food, botanical gardens ... and medieval costumes? Game of Cones

 

Brew free! or die IPA

21st Amendment Brew free! or die Ipa

If you are anything like me (and who wouldn't want to be like me?) then after a long day/night of work the best thing is getting home, taking your shoes off and cracking open a cold one.

I brew free! or die IPA! I live free or IPA! Here in Paris, my main beer preaching goal is to spread the word of crafting through understanding that beer can be made by all! Not just IPAs though. Because, apart from death and taxes, the one thing that's certain in my life is that I'll never be a hop addict.

 

Porters and stouts are just as good in warm weather as a lager or hoppy ale. The debate continues on about this topic! But for me, when people ask what my favorite beer is I say that it depends entirely options available and my current mood.

If you are in Southern California pick your self up a Mexican Logger from Durango, CO for a post work brew. Rejoice all you So-Cal-ians at the newest addition to the already outstanding craft beer line up with Ska brewing. Distributed through Stone Brewing who has ties with Maui Brewing, Ska might soon be in the hands of hard working Hawaiians as well!

'The perfect Mexican Lager. Light and refreshing, it really hits the spot after a long day of brutal chainsaw work.'

I work hard so I can drink good beer.

XOXO

• Check out my After Work Beer review of Red Satan!


• Drinking beer after working out is better than water- or so 'they' say.


• (Translate button) and check out this comical review of what industrial French breweries want you to spend your hard earned cash on


• Brew Free! Or die IPA is also New Hampshire's oldest home brewing club <fact>


• Take decadent after hours treats to anther level with The Beeroness's Beer and Candy pairing!

Particle SMaSH on a boat, mother fuckers

Friends, beautiful weather and Particle SMaSH picnic on a lightly rocking boat

After a rainy few days, sunshine in Paris demands outdoor dinner and great craft beer. ON A BOAT!

The cinema by the canal is split in two, so the business offers a free boat taxi to take people from one side of the water to the other. Pointless, seeing as how the bridge walk likely takes about the same amount of time. But, who cares, I'm friends with one of the boat drivers so lets joy ride and soak up the sun rays on the water.

Sunshine on my beer bubbles! A big cheers to Tony Yates, American expat in Norway and high level nano brewer, for sending over this hoppy, citrus laced IPA. Particle SMaSH is a bomb between Vienna malt and Citra hops that is extremely well balanced and refreshing as all hell. Perfect beer for boat dinner and bag salad.

When needed, take all salad ingredients and put in bag- shake. BAM! bag salad. I opted for some blue cheese, olive oil, green apples and walnuts for my iceberg lettuce salad on the go.

Nano Brewery Northern Rock's Citra SMaSH Particle paired great with my impromptu salad and my friend's fresh gnocchi dish.

It might just be me, but anything on a boat is better.

XOXO

Matching beer tattoos!

BroDogs

#LPBW Photographer Mr. Clément Leriche and Mm. American Craft Beer in Paris (aka Nitch aka ME) unveil our matchy match brodog tattoos while at Le Supercoin.

Just add beer and we are fully BrewDog branded. We should get paid to represent this shit!



 

Do you have a beer tattoo - matching tattoo - or - desire to be branded - ?

Send pictures.

XOXO