Hops and Chops

Local breweries are popping up in almost every city these days. This is a perfect time to look for hand-crafted beers and give them a try.

They are delicious, refreshing, great with food, party drinks, creatively made, have unusual names and designed for today's discriminating tastes.

Pardon my overly-descriptive sentence. I was inspired by an article I just read listing all the local breweries in my city. I had no idea there were so many.

Specialty or hand-crafted beers are made with a purpose and contain the best quality ingredients. Each brew-master has a method to his/her madness. The preparation and use of unusual ingredients make the most unique flavored beers.

One brewery makes a potato stout beer which is brewed using only local organically grown potatoes that are boiled, mashed and then added to the malt, wheat and hops, and is lovingly named Potato Stout -- perfect with steak and potatoes.

Celtic Ale is brewed the same way it was hundreds of years ago. This brew is said to have sweet yet smooth flavor that everyone is enjoying.

There is a stout brewed with the unusual brewing ingredients of cinnamon, roasted chocolate malt, flaked oats, licorice root and locally-grown apples. Unusual flavors are the hallmark of this brewery for four generations.

This is just a tidbit of information on some of the hand-crafted brews being served in my area. Check your local listings for breweries and venture out to try them. Many have tasting rooms and/or offer their hand-crafted beer at local pubs or restaurants.

It's all about the taste - and yes, goes well with food.


Salute!
Winelady Cooks