OKTOBERFEST!

This is the time of the year all young men dream of. When the air turns crisp, the leaves change color, and BEER FLOWS LIKE WINE. Yes, that's right, it's time for a fest. Oktoberfest!

To welcome this wonderful time into being, most breweries release seasonal beers that capture the spirit and aroma of the greatest beer festival in the world. You may have just thought to yourself: sweaty men in lederhosen... who wants to capture that aroma? Well, I assure you, Oktoberfest is amazing. So many fuzzy and vague memories are born those wonderful days.

From wikipedia:

"The original "Oktoberfest" occurred in Munich, on October 12, 1810 for the commemoration of their marriage, Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (namesake of the Theresienwiese festival grounds)organized a great horse race."

Since then, it's turned into the world's largest booze-fest (citation needed?). The beers that Americans get to enjoy in honor of the happy couple are generally malty lager affairs, often a deep red or brown, opposed to the German versions that are lightly colored lagers.

Today's Beer
Paulaner Oktoberfest


Paulaner is considered one of the "big six" breweries represented at Oktoberfest in Munich. In fact, if I can understand their website (es ist deutsch) they are selling liter size cans of it in Germany! The perfect fit for my liter stein I got for free from the best Richmond Oktoberfest party. So jealous...

This is one of my all time favorite Oktoberfest beers. It's a nice malty beer, with a fragrant aroma. I would liken it to a red ale, not too heavy but highly malted. I recommend it highly! Get ready for the fest next weekend!

A Real American Hero (Beer)

Hey there, you. It's been a long time. Too long. I think a break did us good. I hope you didn't see any other sandwich or beer related blogs while I was away!

So I have been thinking a lot of beer lately. I was put onto a very interesting article by a friend. In the article, Edward McClelland explains what the purchase of Budweiser by InBev means to American brewing. Specifically, he investigates what beers remain truly American today. He notes that a beer I have always considered to be quintessentially American, PBR, contracts it's brewing out to Miller, who is now owned by a South African conglomerate. In fact, PBR closed their Milwaukee brewery in 1996, and now only holds office space in Chicago. It is technically the same PBR recipe that won the Blue Ribbon in 1893, but it is disheartening to think of this classically American brew not really being brewed by Americans.

McClelland goes on to discuss what breweries remain true blue, and stumbles upon Yuengling (colloquially referred to as "Glingers"). I am lucky enough to live in the few states that Yuengling distributes it's tasty lager, so I have been happily consuming Glingers for years now. McClelland is not lucky enough to live in a "Green state", so he has never had the pleasure of an ice cold Glinger at a backyard bar-b-que with friends. Well Edward, this one's for you!

Today's Beer
Yungling Porter

Taste the sweet taste of America! Brewed since 1829 "expressly for tavern and family trade", the porter has some great label art. Look at that majestic eagle getting his drink on!
The masters of D.G. Yuengling and Son have had time to perfect this beer, and I assure you, they have. The strong scent of malt fills my office as I write, and it's dark color gets me excited for Fall. After drinking three quarters of it, the taste lingers on the back of your tongue, reminding you of what a deliberately crafted beer can give you. When crafted well, a beer should taste great before, during, and after drinking it. Porters such as this are heavy and sweet, with a bitterness obtained from roasting malted barley to a deep brown hue. This beer reminds me of dark chocolate; sweetness and bitterness intertwine creating something that tastes great and is good for your heart. At least, that's what I tell myself...

A Fantastic Beer to Try

This beer comes highly recommended to me from my cousin's husband Eric in Michigan. As I understand it, Eric keeps a full keg on tap in the basement all summer long. I am definitely very jealous of having a keg in the house. Once I have a house of my own, I would like to make a kegerator an integral part if it. Maybe I can make a full service sandwich shop in my basement!? A man can dream...


Today's Beer
Bell's Oberon

Made in Kalamazoo, MI; Bell's Brewery has impressed me before. I previously wrote about their IPA named Two Hearted Ale and still think of it as a good IPA. Previously known as Solsun, Oberon is a seasonal wheat ale (similar to Blue Moon) possibly named after the Fairy King Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
It has a light taste with a hint of orange and coriander. It was a bit heavier than Blue Moon, but in a great way. I can see why Eric gets a keg as soon as it comes out each year, I think I would too! I will definitely add this as a stop on my dream tour of US breweries.

Also, as a side note, I need to work on the photography I do for this site. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a good shot of a glass of beer and bottle? What lighting should I use? I only have a Canon Powershot SD600, and I don't think the wife would appreciate buying a new camera to take pictures of my sandwiches.

I know, she just doesn't get it.

My New Favorite Sandwich is 700 Miles Away!

So, on my recent honeymoon to Portland, I took it upon myself to try the fruits of the land up North. Great seafood abounds in Portland, and I wanted to try a bit of everything. Let me elaborate...

Today's Sandwich
Old Port Sandwich Shop's Crab Wrap
Crab Meat
Mayo
Sprouts
Tomato
Lettuce
Spinach Wrap

This sandwich was a dream. I love crab steamed and in cake form, so it was not surprising that I liked this sandwich so much. Old Port Sandwich Shop is located near the coast of Portland, in the "Old Port" section of town. We had been out on the town all day, and I was starving when I got there. Under advisement of the sandwich artist on staff, I tried the crab with mayo, and I think it was a great move. It was a nice compliment to the sweetness of the crab meat, and this particular meat was VERY fresh. It tasted like they pulled it out of the water right before I walked in the door. Fantastic. I've tried to recreate the sandwich here at home, but it just hasn't been the same. Blue crab from the Bay may be a good substitute, I will let you know when I have the extra money to buy some. Anyway, mark this as a strong contender for "sandwich of the year". Oh man, does that exist? If not, I am totally inventing that award. I'll be back tomorrow to write about Portland's microbrew scene!

Update I found a link to the shop I was talking about. You know, in case someone in Portland reads this. Probably not going to get a lot of traffic from me...

I'm Back... and I'm Doing PRIME

Hello blagoblag! I'm back from a three week hiatus. It turns out gettin' hitched will take a lot out of a guy. There are plenty of beers, and even more sandwiches to be talked about, so here we go!

Today's beer was a gift from a friend. While I generally do not trust Jonathan when he tells me to drink things (especially after I won a dollar drinking the beer we brewed ourselves... WORST DOLLAR EVER) I decided to give it a chance. Also, it helped that someone other than he and I made it.

Today's Beer
Legacy Brewing Co.'s Hoptimus Prime

If any of you know me, you know that Optimus Prime is probably the most important person of my childhood (he's real if I think he's real!!). So when Jonny saw the cartoon version of a giant hop monster serving up Legacy Brewing Co's Double IPA, he thought of me. How kind!

It's a good beer. IPA beers are all about the hops, and fans of them can't get enough hops. Dogfish Head has a fantastic 120 minute double IPA; and while Hoptimus is not as good as that, it is quite good. Plus, marketing it alongside Optimus made it so I had to like it. I am compelled to like it, like a long hidden hypnotic suggestion, I have to love all things Transformers. It worked, it's good!

Dark Starr For Dark Skies

With tonight's inclement weather, tonight's beer is fitting. A tempest rages outside! Beware! Another tree branch fell in our yard, luckily it missed our sweet new firebowl! Amid this ominous setting I poured out a nice cold beverage to hunker down and cry weather the storm.

Today's Beer
Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout

Today's beer comes to us from the distant land of upturned collars and quality education (whatevz!). You might know it as Charlottesville, but I delete it from all maps I buy so I cannot talk about it. Starr Hill brewery in Charlottesville, VA is the maker of Dark Starr Stout. Their Jomo Lager is the best I have had from Starr Hill so far, so I decided to give their stout a try. Honestly, I'm not impressed. It lacks the coffee flavor of Guiness that comes from roasting the barley just right. I consider Guiness to be the type species of stouts. It has a long history that has allowed the makers of Guiness to perfect their recipe; whereas Starr Hill has some work ahead. It definitely is not terrible, but it just isn't great. Alright, I just heard a scary wussy lightning bolt outside, I have to go.

The Tale of The Great Chain Sandwich!

C'mon kiddies! Gather 'round! Let me tell you a wonderful tale about sandwiches! And if you're very good, perhaps a beer too!

Yesterday was a grand day! The lady and I had tickets to see Regina Spektor at Toad's Place, so I had to get my sandwich on in a hurry. Since we had just finished bowling (yeah, I got a 48, beat that, internet!) at Short Pump we decided to stop at Arby's. Usually, I have very little faith in fast food restaurant sandwiches, but I thought I would give it a shot. As for today's beer, I had it earlier last week after work from the Strawberry Street Market.

Today's Beer
Otter Head

Otter Head is a traditional English bitter brewed by the Otter Brewery in the UK. I don't know where in the UK, and I won't bother looking because it isn't AMURICA. And if it ain't AMURICAN then I'm not interested! Oh, sorry about that.
Anyway, Otter Head ale has a fruity taste, with a subtle hoppiness. I thought it was a good bitter, which is a bit like an IPA on less intense. I drank it a while ago, so I don't have too much to say about it. The sandwich, on the other hand, I could out write Joyce.

Today's Sandwich
Arby's Toasted Club
Ciabbata bread
Old Tyme Ham (what is that!?)
Rotisserie Turkey
Cheddar
Swiss
Applewood Smoked Bacon
Tomato soaked in redwine vinegar
lettuce
onions
herb mayo

Holy crap, what an amazing sandwich. If you can see the photo, the halo that surrounded the sandwich didn't come out so well. This was probably the most delicious sandwich I've ever had at a chain restaurant. And that means something, because I eat a LOT of sandwiches. The turkey was rotisserie cooked so it was juicy and thick (that one's for you, Dave). I thought at first the combination of cheddar and swiss would be too much cheese, but because of the ham and applewood smoked bacon it was a nice counterpoint to the salted meats.
The attention to detail was immaculate. The tomatoes had been soaked in red wine vinegar. The ciabatta bread was lightly covered in garlic butter on one side, and herb mayo on the other. Oh, it was wonderful, let me tell you! Why are you still reading this? GO GET THIS SANDWICH!

Hopalicious

After a long day, I had a surprise waiting for me on my doorstep. My early "wedding" present finally arrived, and let me tell you, it is AMAZING. To celebrate, I indulged in a new beer. Purchased from Total Wine a few weeks ago, this tasty brew hit the spot.

Today's Beer
Two Hearted Ale

Two Hearted Ale is one of Bell Brewing Company's IPAs. For about three months last year I went hopcrazy and had a hopattack, resulting in a constant stream of IPAs being purchased. After that, I have been pretty sick of IPAs; however this one brought me back. Two Hearted Ale is not overly hoppy and has a delicious and slightly fruity taste. I think this one will be added to my list of vices next time I go on a hop rampage.

My Time As A Sandwich Supervisor

Today's sandwich is a passport to a land where my wedding is final and done. A taste vacation, if you will, that lets me escape the all encompassing vortex that is planning a wedding. Not even really planning a wedding, just listening to someone complain about planning a wedding. Good thing this sandwich ripped me away for a second. As for today's beer, I will likely be drinking them too fast to write about it.

Today's Sandwich
Joe's Market MTO
Sun Dried Tomato Wrap
Turkey
Honey Mustard
Horseradish Spread
Avocado
Tomatoes
Banana Peppers
Lettuce
Provolone Cheese

Sometimes it is nice to have someone do your dirty work for you! For those of you who don't know, MTO is the single greatest combination of letters in the English lexicon. Go to Sheetz if you don't believe me. I oversaw a small woman construct this delicious turkey monstrosity. I say monstrosity not because of it's taste, but because of it's epic proportions. It filled me up right, and I like that. Joe's Market has a fantastic horseradish cream sauce that perks up an ordinary sandwich; and of course I couldn't resist some honey mustard to accompany. Anyway, back to getting yelled at for seating arrangements.

Viva Cuba!

Today's sandwich is in honor of Castro stepping down. As for today's beer... well it is in honor of Cuba's reputation of human rights violations. I certainly feel like I spent a lifetime in hell when I was drinking it...


Today's Sandwich
Grilled Cuban Sandwich
Sliced ham
Roast pork
Swiss cheese
Pickle
Mustard sauce
Coleslaw
Hoagie roll

The sandwich featured today is the Grilled Cuban Sandwich. I was invited to eat lunch in honor of a coworker/jerk leaving his job, and we made our way over to the Tobacco Company Restaurant. This sandwich was great; however I felt that if I am eating something from Cuba, it should be spicy. Unfortunately, it was not very spicy. In fact, it was more like a BBQ sandwich than anything else, and it was accented well by the coleslaw. Good though! Now I don't have to see stupid Jonny at work anymore...

Today's Beer
Bud Light Chelada

OK, so I know what you are thinking. Who on Earth would willingly drink that!? Well, your instincts are right; only a fool drinks this. I was foolish enough to start writing about sandwiches. Now I am foolish enough to drink new beers even though they do not sound appealing at all.
I'd like to draw your attention to a certain part of the can. As you can see it contains "Salt and Lime - The Perfect Combination". Clearly, that is a lie. Skittles and beer, now that's the perfect combination. I don't know how to describe this, other than to say it is like drinking rancid tomato juice. Neither Clamato or Bud Light are particularly good, and combining them do not help any!

Taste of the Far East

In honor of Spring's unexpected arrival, I tried a new beer today. It was a delicious hay-colored Asahi Super Dry lager. Man, I needed it too; today I spent an hour and a half with our fabulous wedding event coordinator. Men: beware. If you ever get asked to go along with your fiancée to help with the table arrangements and final wedding preparations, get out of it! Seriously. Like, cut off your arm if you have to. An hour and a half passed in what seemed like a week. Ugh, sweet beer...

Today's Beer
Asahi Super Dry

Asahi Super Dry is brought to us by a Japanese brewing company called Asahi Breweries, Ltd. According to their website, Asahi Breweries started a beer revolution in Japan with the release of their Super Dry. They moved from being the third largest brewery to the second largest brewery in Japan. Progress! The term "dry beer" is a marketing (stupid marketing people...) term for a fully attenuated pale lager; which comes from a long fermentation period. During which, nearly all the sugar is converted to alcohol resulting in a clean, lean flavor.
Asahi Super Dry definitely lives up to it's title; and I think it is a very good beer. The "dry" taste is interesting, because I do feel a dryness akin to being thirsty in the back of my throat when I stop drinking it. It makes me think "hmm, another beer would really help quench my thirst." This is likely how many bad nights begin for people in Japan, as the search in vein to quench a thirst caused by the very beer they're drinking. Hangover, I know you well.
Maybe I am a n00b for never having had the beer, but it was a very good beer. Not as good as an Amurican lager, but a nice change of pace. Anyway, I need another four to forget how long I talked about place settings today...

My First Beer (Today)

Here is the first installment of the "beer" portion of this blog. If you notice spelling errors, it's because I had many more after this one. This was found at Total Wine on Broad St here in Richmond. For those that don't know, I freaking love beer. I have tried brewing it several times; however it has never really worked out. In fact, the first beer I made was probably poisonous; I drank it on a dare, and have never been the same since. This particular beer came just in time, as I was dangerously close from sobering up from this weekend (today is Wednesday... thank you, Las Vegas!)

Today's Beer
Heineken Dark Lager
Maybe I'm behind the times, but I have never seen this particular beer before. I am usually not a Heineken fan, but I wanted to try something new to write about. Heineken normally sucks because a) it is shipped in a light sensitive glass bottle and usually is left in the sun too long by stores/distributors/restaurants b) it's just not great. But let me tell you, this was definitely drinkable. It doesn't come in a clear bottle, so the light sensitivity is reduced big time. And while it's not a great beer, but it was definitely good. Think of Shiner Bock if you've ever had it. I liked it, but it did not blow me away. Respectable though! Anyway, I could see it paired well with a pastrami sandwich or something on the heavy side.

Double Feature

Today we have a wonderful surprise for my blogulating audience! It's a Friday miracle, you get to hear about both a SANDWICH and a BEER. Finally I'm living up to the title of this thing!

Originally I was going to write a post about a sandwich I got from Coppola's deli here in Richmond; however I ate it without taking a picture. Oops! It's better that I don't write about that one though, because it was a let down.

Today's beer looked like it was going to be good. I have become quite a fan of Belgian wheat ales as of late; Blue Moon is one of my favorite beers and I hoped this one would be similar.

Today's Beer
Shock Top Belgian Wheat

This beer was good. The lable claimed to have won some awards the past two years, so I was confident it would at least be drinkable. Shock Top turned out to be made with lemon, lime, and orange peels along with coriander. The inclusion of coriander helped spice this up quite a bit, but I wonder if it wasn't a bit too spicy for what I think of and enjoy in a wheat ale. The hints of fruits and the sweet taste are what make wheat ales so drinkable and refreshing, and I think the coriander might have detracted from that slightly. Overall, a good beer though!



Today's Sandwich
Turkey-liscious
Turkey Breast
Wheat Bread
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Red Onions
Banana Peppers
Honey Mustard


Mmmm buddy. The classic. This was a plain turkey sandwich but it was so good! Sometimes I forget about classics like this and get caught up in the world of exotic pickles, sun dried tomatoes, and pungent cheeses. It's good to return home though. This was the sandwich I made as a kid (maybe not with onions or banana peppers then). Changing up and returning to old standards does wonders for me, as I can appreciate the rare and exotic treats that are more complex sandwiches.

Be Warned: Cabbage Attack Coming

Ugh, today’s sandwich was a tough one. It is very rare that I detest a sandwich, but I have totally found my worst sandwich enemy. Remember how a few days ago I said “I have run the gamut as far as sandwiches at work go”. Yeah, I found the nadir today. This monstrosity was 90% cabbage and 10% everything else (Margin = 9%). I don’t even really like cabbage! Anyway, here is a picture of my worst mistake yet. You guys should feel lucky I took this hit for you. Already this sandwich experiment has gone horribly awry...

Today’s Sandwich
Shanghai Chicken Noodle Wrap
Chicken
Cabbage
Carrots
Asian Dressing (barely!)
Noodles
Tortilla

It is a terrible, awful, frightening sandwich. I should not even call it a sandwich. I should call it a mistake. The chicken had no flavor and was crazy dry. That made me want the Asian dressing really bad, but it was barely even there. To top it all off, it came on a plain flour tortilla. I mean, come on!? At least make it an herb or spinach wrap or something! Ugh, I wanted to jump over the counter and show these rookies how it is done.

Travelog: A Surprising Find

Today’s sandwich comes to you from far away land in the New World. I had a two hour layover in Hotlanta, which gave me just enough time to reward myself for not going crazy in the large crowd of roaming travelers. I needed something quick, because I had to catch my next flight to Las Vegas. Of course, a sandwich was the first thing I thought of.
Something funny happened while I was waiting to get this bad boy. My traveling companion and I had sat down and ordered two tall refreshing beverages without the waiter questioning our age. Afterwards, a man and woman, clearly in their forties or more, sat down next to us and the waiter decided that he needed to see their ID’s. Not unusual I suppose, but I found it odd that he asked for their ID’s but not ours. After all, I am still a spry 23 years old. But apparently, I look fifty. Who knew? Maybe I have more gray hairs than I realize…

Today’s Sandwich
Boston BBQ Sandwich, Samuel Adams Restaurant
Kaiser Roll
Pulled Pork BBQ
Coleslaw

An amazingly good combination of Sam Adam’s Boston Lager and the Boston BBQ sandwich from their restaurant in Atlanta’s airport. Generally, I would stay away from a southern delicacy served in the style of the North; however this blog is about experimenting. And it is a good thing I took this gamble. The heavy, spicy, and flavorful combination of pulled pork BBQ matched perfectly with Sam Adam’s flagship lager. Not too sweet or heavy, the lager was a great match. If I do this long enough, I should publish a guide to my favorite sandwich and beer combinations. This would definitely be at the top of the list.

Cafeteria Sandwiches: A Windfall

Hello again everyone, today's sandwich is an ingenious adaptation of an old favorite from my employer’s cafeteria. I have run the gamut as far as sandwiches at work go. Some of them are decent (like today’s gem), while some of them are lackluster at best. The first time I decided to order this one was after watching the sandwich artisan behind the counter craft a meticulous and delicious buffalo chicken wrap for the two gentlemen in front of me.

I said to myself, “Self… that looks good. Only I don’t want the hot sauce. Or the ranch dressing. What to do!?” That’s when it hit me. “The mustard you love so well!” and thus was born the BK Chicken Wrap (Burger King will probably take that name from me, if they haven’t already). A healthy dose of my favorite alternative dressing, honey mustard, compliments this sandwich perfectly.

Today’s Sandwich
BK Chicken Wrap
Spinach Tortilla
Chicken Tenders
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Honey Mustard

A superb sandwich; however the dryness of the chicken tenders requires additional application of honey mustard. Once the mustard was applied in earnest, this sandwich was truly a delight. I recommend it highly (for those who don’t care if they die young).

Greetings from the Fifth Earl of Sandwich

Greetings Blog-o-verse!

Welcome to the new home of everything I know, feel, and think about sandwiches and beers. Initially this site would be solely dedicated to sandwiches; however I was despondent to learn that the URL sandwiches.blogspot.com was taken. So I decided that I needed to add something more to my new venture. That’s right, beer!

So to start things off, let me tell you about sandwiches. Sandwiches can take many different forms, but generally, they consist of bread, meat, cheese, and toppings. But, of course, myriad computations and combinations of ingredients are possible, and that’s what I hope to explore.

Not only will I be telling you about sandwiches I like, but also ones I dislike. Same goes for beer. So check back often, because I love sandwiches and beer!

Today’s Sandwich:
Number 36, Padow’s Deli
Kaiser Roll
Chicken Patty
Bacon
Cheddar
Honey Mustard
Lettuce, Tomato

Mediocre… not your finest work, Padow’s. The chicken patty was rubbery, which detracted from my overall enjoyment. Otherwise, the cheddar was sharp (always good) and the honey mustard was not overly sweet. If the chicken had not been over cooked, this would be a much better sandwich. Hopefully the next person won’t suffer the same fate as me.