Beer Buzz host Ben Stange discusses good regional beers to pair with popular Super Bowl party foods on the Jan. 29 episode. Tune in live each Sunday during the Bud Light TAG Radio Block from 4-10 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM), or watch live on TAGsgf.com.

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What’s On Tap: O’Fallon Brewing Company

Brew’s Clues: Mother’s Brewing Company, 215 S Grant in SGF 

Deschutes will be in SGF next month.

Thought I would make this week’s write-up about a specific brewery because, well, I’m pretty geeked about them coming to Springfield in February. The brewery is Deschutes Brewery, and they are out of Bend, Oregon. They are quickly becoming known as one of the better craft breweries in the states, which is saying something now that the number of craft breweries in the states is approaching two thousand.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of their beers and what to expect. I think you’ll agree that it’s something to look forward to.

• Black Butte Porter – 5.2% ABV, 30 IBU – There are several reasons you should be excited about this brewery, but my favorite reason is the Black Butte Porter. It’s a 5.2% ABV 30 IBU Porter, and it’s their flagship brand. There aren’t a lot of breweries who can get away with a beer this dark as their flagship, but this beer is a very exceptional porter. It has all the rich chocolate and roasted flavors you’d expect in a porter, but has a bit of hop bitterness up front that sets it apart. What makes it truly great, however, is how the creamy mouthfeel works with the flavors of the beer. It’s a complex, delicious porter that will make you remember why you love dark beer so much.
• Mirror Pond Pale Ale – 5% ABV, 40 IBU – It’s not what you’d expect from a west coast brewery, but I like that about it. It’s an English-style pale ale, which means the hop profile will be a bit earthier and spicier, and it won’t have all the crazy citrus. Also, the malt will be more on the cracker and bread-flavored side rather than being sweet. Expect a well-balanced, sharply carbonated pale ale with a clean finish.
• Inversion IPA – 6.8% ABV, 80 IBU – Big. Hops. I’m not kidding. Expect to think you’ve done what these guys did in a hop warehouse. It’s not out-of-balance, though, thanks to judicious use of Crystal and Carastan hops. Overall, you can expect that if you like IPA’s, you love this beer.
• Obsidian Stout – 6.4% ABV, 55 IBU – An excellent stout. It has notes of espresso, chocolate, roasted malt, and the less bitter black barley. It’s not a sweet stout, but what sweetness there is is cut with just enough hops to do the job. Overall, the beer is very robust and delicious.
• Red Chair NWPA – 6.2% ABV, 60 IBU – An interesting hybrid, this will have the aroma of an IPA without all the big body and bitterness. It has seven different malts in there to balance out the big hop aroma. This is their January through May seasonal, so you’ll only have a little while to pick it up and try it or you’ll be waiting until next year.

That sounds like a pretty exciting roundup, and those are just the basics. If you want a more in-depth look including some homebrew recipes to clone them or some recipes in which the beers can be used, check out the Deschutes homepage. They have a ton of great info for fans of their beer. If nothing else, their website will show you how geared they are towards making beer geeks like us happy.

Topic: Beer Forecast
Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

What to pair with a dish of Springfield-style Cashew Chicken? Try a malty porter.

Earlier this week, I posted a call on our Facebook wall and our Twitter feed to find out what foods you felt were unique or special to Springfield. We got a lot of great responses, from the always-included Springfield Cashew Chicken to the wheat crust of McSalty’s Pizza. So, I thought I would take a little time and do some pairing ideas for you to try the next time you got to sample some Springfield Cuisine.

Here’s the rundown:

Springfield Cashew Chicken – This unique flavor is as varied within the city as it is misunderstood outside of SGF. So, in order to make a pairing, the hardest part will be to find a harmony in the flavors. My first inclination was to go for an American Pale Ale, but I think that, for the best match, you’d have to dial back the hops a bit. So, a good malty Pale Ale such as Boulevard’s would be about as hoppy as I’d like to go. Mother’s Brewing’s Three Blind Mice would be a great match, too. If you’re less into hops, you might try a nice malty Porter or Stout, too. A classic Guinness would go well. My favorite match for this, though, would probably be Boulevard’s Bully! Porter.

McSalty’s Pizza – The richness of the cheese and the sweetness of the wheat crust lends itself very well to pairing with an IPA, such as Mother’s Brewing Company’s Li’l Helper or O’Fallon Brewing Company’s Five Day IPA. If you like jalapenos on your pizza, though, I recommend going with a brown ale or porter to help cut some of the spiciness.

Crosstown Barbecue – I was amazed that this one didn’t cross my mind right away. It was submitted via twitter by @bgrafft, and he was dead on. While BBQ is not “unique” to SGF, Crosstown most certainly is. My favorite out there is the brisket. For this, I highly recommend a porter, especially a smoked one. The O’Fallon “Smoke” porter is perfect for the job. Too much smoke for you? Try a Double IPA, and Altbier, or a Belgian Dubbel. They will all work well with the strong, rich flavors of this slow-roasted masterpiece. You can also go with an Aventinus weizenbock if you’re up to it. For the hot links (a personal favorite of mine), you should avoid anything too hoppy or acidic unless you want the food to seem even spicier (and those links don’t need it). You can play it safe with a Trippel or Maibock or you can take a big risk and see what a double IPA will do with them, but watch out for those hops.

Hot & Spicy chicken from Chinese Chef – I was hesitant at first to include this, but @jbags5 on twitter seemed insistent. For this, I recommend anything good for the Cashew Chicken, but advise you to be very cautious about how hoppy and carbonated your beer is. If this chicken’s hot, these traits will only make it hotter, and that will drown out all the other flavors of the food and the beer. No one wants that.

That pretty much sums up those mentioned to me. Do you have a different food which should be included on this list? Know a beer that goes perfectly with any of the foods mentioned? Let us know. We’re listening.

Most things in restaurants are measurable as a consumer. It’s easy to compare and evaluate the quality of food and service, the menu, cleanliness, etc. The one thing impossible to quantify is atmosphere.

Atmosphere is what separates restaurants with good food from good restaurants, and the difference is effort. A lot of restaurant owners decide what they want your dining experience to be like and try to push an experience in your face, forcefully mashing the menu’s genre with associated stereotypes. It never works, because it’s not authentic.

Grad School sits in a cozy downtown SGF spot with ambiance pouring onto South Jefferson from its front door on 434 S Jefferson, all without trying to fit any sort of mold. The cozy diner has bar seating and several two-tops right when you walk in. Immediately to the right of the front door is the bar separating guests from the grill. Greeted by sounds and smells of a sizzling grill, and music, handpicked by the staff which you probably won’t hear on a top-40 mix. Your server likely has tattoos and/or a beard. You might even recognize staffers from performing on SGF stages.

While the atmosphere is the first thing you notice, the food is what will bring you back. The menu features a strong rotation of burgers, salads, pastas, specialty pressed sandwiches, appetizers and more. The “starters” include Ali Baba, fresh in-house hummus, and Stuff Mush, sauteéd mushrooms stuffed with mashed potatoes and facon, It’s just one-and-a high chair on this trip, so I go for solo go-to … Cezna’s Wangs. The Cezna’s sauce is a mix of their tradiitonal wing sauce and a sweet & spicy sauce. I’m generally not a fan of sweet wings, but the spice balances it perfectly. Orders of 6 and 12 available.

I used to exclusively order the Rasta Pasta for my entreé until one time I challenged the chef to make it so hot I would cry. To this day I don’t know why I did that. I didn’t cry, though, at least not for a day or so. All dishes are served with no stars, but can be made as hot as you want on request. Since that fateful dinner I have tried a couple of different menus, from The Full Ride burger (double patty, bacon, dress, soft sharp cheddar) to the Mushroom “Steak”, a portabello steak pressed in French bread with bell peppers, onions, avocado, sprouts and provolone. On this trip, however, I go for The Cuban — a glorious pressed sandwich to be sure.

The French Bread is freshly baked and houses an insanely thick slice of house-baked ham, chorizo, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and soft sharp cheddar. It’s a sandwich so large that it should be at least two meals. Toss in a big side of fries and the Cezna’s and I would feel a lot better about myself if I had the self discipline to ask for a to-go box. The total came to $17.50 for the Wangs and The Cuban, which is well North of what I typically spend on lunch, but 1) it was meant to be two meals; 2) I over-ordered for the sake of this review; and 3) the atmosphere makes it worth it every time: Good people, good food, good vibes.

Topics: New Beers Resolutions, Beer Cocktails
Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

In case you’ve missed it this week, our friends at Mother’s Brewing Company — proud sponsors of Beer Buzz with Ben Stange, SGF’s only talk show that focuses on beer – released a promotional video spoofing Laverne and Shirley.

Local media members were quick to call it a viral sensation, but it may have received its largest boost to date, getting picked up by the Wall Street Journal. Enjoy.

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz, hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Home brew talk as Todd Frye of The Home Brewery joined Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

The cool thing about downtown SGF is the nice blend of established restaurants and new places that fly under the radar. When trying to go out and celebrate my wife’s birthday with another couple, we were looking for something new. My wife had a business lunch at Aviary Cafe and Creperie, 400 E. Walnut, a while ago, but decided it was time to investigate the cocktail/wine/dinner menu.

The end result? Let’s just say when you mix twice-fried french fries, soup, wine and shrimp-and-cheese crepes, it was the best meal I’ve had at an SGF restaurant in months, and instantly became a new favorite.

The first impression about The Aviary, which is known as the only creperie in SGF, was the decor. It is a perfect fit for any artwalk, or the downtown artwalk mindset. It’s not perfectly painted, but it’s part of the charm. Add in a nicely dressed wait staff, framed inspirational sayings and stuffed birds (yes, there was a stuffed bird that at certain angles, looked like it was resting on my friend’s shoulder), it had a comfortable feel.

Pommes Frites

And then there was the food. Our group started out with some wine, and I had the Camelot Cabernet Sauvignon (for only $5). I’m not a wine expert, but it was better than an expensive bottle of wine we recently split at a local place known for its great wine selection. It was extra spicy, which I like. Four of us then split a plate of Pommes Frites, described by their menu as “fresh cut and crispy, double fried potatoes drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Served with garlic aioli.” After we all took our first horn from the plate, we all looked at each other, trying to figure out how many bites were left. They were that good, especially with the aioli dip.

While sweet potatoes aren’t normally my favorite choice, I went with the sweet potato chipotle soup, a part of the Chef’s Call, an opportunity for a seasonal soup ($3.99). It was the best part of the meal, and I would eat it for the main course the next time. Unlike most potato soups, it didn’t have chunks of sweet potato in it. But rather, whether it was puree or cream of SP, it was a thick broth. And like the Cab earlier, it was spicy without an overpowering sweet potato flavor. It was outstanding.

Shrimp and Cheddar Grits crepe

Finally, the main course came — Shrimp & Cheddar Grits ($9.49): “Southern style grits, Tillamook cheddar, shallots and tender shimp.” While it was good, it ranked third behind the double-barrelled first course. Honestly, if I had room to eat it all, I would have. The cheese was great, but masked the shrimp taste, which is what I was hoping for. And maybe that’s the point. I was, however, thankful for the thin crepe and not a doughy tortilla or even sandwich bread/bun. To be honest, the meal was still above average, but it didn’t live up to the A-plus-plus of the appetizer and soup.

The service was tremendous, even with our questions about their extensive cocktail and wine menu, and our ignorance to some of the french-titled menu items. Overall, with tip, my wife and I spent just more than $50, which is ridiculous for the amount of food, drink and fun we had.

(And, I hate to ruin the surprise, but the stuffed taxidermy in the men’s room was weird. I’m not sayin’, just sayin’. You’ll have to see for yourself, because the food is worth a nice scare.)

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Best in Beer Survey

Taste of Springfield 2011

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Among the motivations for TAG Media is to eradicate the general disdain for SGF. Even the townies seem to talk down on their city. You’ve heard the complaints of how there’s “nothing to do,” but if you’re reading this magazine you already know that is untrue. Even for a group of firm believers in SGF, sometimes it’s just nice to see the potential of SGFers. The 2011 Taste of Springfield proved just that. In years past, the event has drawn crowds, but … whoa. The first idea of how well-attended the streets would be was the packed parking garage. Even on a busy First Friday Art Walk night, parking is still available. It says something when the only spots we could track down were on the roof of the College Station parking garage.

Taste of Springfield is a personal favorite when it comes to local events because of the copious amount of food to sample and variety therein. Dozens of the best local restaurants featuring portions of menu favorites. Besides, it’s good to get out and see people. It’s also good to eat. Previous events have seen participating restaurants run out of samples early, but if you showed late to this edition, the supply was seriously in jeopardy. Chefs and owners were shrugging off lines of people and apologizing early in the day. Danny Schlink, owner of J.O.B. Public House, said he served more than 1,200 sandwiches in the first two hours. Sure I was disappointed to miss out on tacos from Tortilleria Perches and fried lasagna from Nonna’s (a couple 2010 faves), it was still encouraging.

That said, there were some incredible bites that we were able to taste. Gem of India’s Chicken Tikka Marsala was among my favorite non-typical entreés. The chicken was tender and the red sauce looked far more intimidating than it actually was. I tried a handful of burgers, but the mini slider from PriceCutter Bistro Market was the top offering. Mille’s slayed the appetizer game, with an incredibly fresh lettuce wrap, and a huge buzz (and line) for its Sweet Potato Soup — very unexpected. Of course, the official winners were voted on by the masses.

Of course, beer doesn’t hurt either. It’s hard to say if the elbow-to-elbow crowd stretching from South Ave. and McDaniel to Park Central East and Jefferson was entirely boosted by Oktoberfest Village. Open containers were allowed on the streets for the first time in recent (ever?!?) memory. City officials showed the open mind to clear the red tape it has previously resisted. It seems antiquated considering how common events like this are in other cities, but no less exciting. Security was substantial, but there were no incidents to speak of. Adults behaved as adults and treated the liberties responsibly.

The celebration atmosphere reminded me of larger cities’ versions of Mardi Gras or St. Patrick’s Day festivals. The only real difference being the number of city blocks it covered. Lederhosen, live music, giant beer stein hats, costumes and world-class boxing contenders (BJ Flores) mingling with fans. It was good to see and hopefully it’s a sign of more to come.

You came, you ate (and drank, thanks to Oktoberfest Village), you conquered this year’s Taste of Springfield downtown last Saturday to the tune of 26 locally owned and operated restaurants putting their best in your belly. Sweet, sweet victory. So which ones did you, the discerning foodies of SGF, say were the best? Event attendees were asked to cast their votes in four categories to decide which eateries brought their “A” game for the day. Here’s how the results panned out:

Best Appetizer: The Peppadews from Fedora Social House

Best Entrée: The Cottage Pie from Dublin’s Pass Irish Pub

Best Dessert: The Pumpkin Cakewich from The Cup

Best Booth: Dublin’s Pass Irish Pub

Congrats to all the winners, and way to go Dublin’s Pass for locking down two of the four categories in its first year. You have moved the 2012 betting line in your favor.

Beer Buzz hosted by Ben Stange, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

How’s this for cryptic: Late last night, staffers for downtown-area burger, bar and music joint Harlow’s (637 S. Kimbrough Ave.) posted the following message to its Facebook page:

“Harlow’s is closed due to circumstances beyond our control – until further notice.”

The mind reels at the possibilities there. It would be more than 12 hours before an explanation was posted, but in the meantime I drove straight to the bar this morning to find a Tom’s Electric Service truck parked in front and a sign on the door saying the bar had suffered “technical difficulties” and would reopen today. Indeed, the bar’s now-explained electrical problems that fried equipment behind the bar has been fixed and Harlow’s is now open again with any scheduled music shows resuming as listed, too. Crisis averted. We barely had time to panic!

Beer Buzz, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, is live each Sunday at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Host Ben Stange got distracted by the history of American beer (fascinating stuff, really) and Beer Buzz finished taking nominations for best craft beer venues in SGF (bar/restaurant/store), the polls will open soon. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

One of the best annual local food events is back. Taste of Springfield, a chance to sample foods from around 30 SGF restaurants (and dessert specialists) around town. As always it will be in the heart of downtown on the square and feature live music (Gas Pump Talent, 65 South, and The Airwalks will be on hand). The 2011 edition will also include OktoberFest Village, a beer sampling “village” with more than 60 beers from around the world to sample. There will also be cooking demonstrations.

Admission is free, food tickets are $10 for a sheet of 10 and beer sampling tickets are $1/each.

New restaurants for 2011: Dublin’s Pass Irish Pub, The Flying Tomato, Elle’s Patisserie, The J.O.B. Public House, and Boca Mocha

Last year’s event:

• 2010 Restaurants
• 2010 winners (and losers) **Not the technical winners/losers … TAG’s winners/losers

On the By Ben Stange
Host of Beer Buzz, Sundays at 4 p.m. on TAG Radio — KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM)

Sept. 11 episode of Beer Buzz, Brett and I got a little sidetracked on glassware. I’m sure we had more than a few listeners wonder why this was important. The truth is that it’s not important unless it’s important to you. In my mind, matching the glass to the beer is a way of showing respect to that beer. You probably spent your hard-earned money on that beer, and want to really appreciate it. The right glass should complement the beer in a way that brings out the best of the beer. Does it make a difference? Maybe not, but I still like to know it. Plus, it’s a good way to make your guests feel fancy.To illustrate how the right glass can affect the experience of drinking a beer, here’s a brief rundown of different glass types and what they are designed to do.

The small tulip or “snifter” glass: This glass is the familiar brandy snifter. It’s not so much a bowl-shape as a tulip-shaped glass, and it usually only holds a few ounces. It’s designed for the brandies and bourbons of the world, but they are also commonly used for ales. The large, round bottom is designed to be cradled in your hand to warm the beer up, bringing out the complex flavors, while the tapered top traps aromas for your sniffing pleasure. This glass is ideally suited for stronger beers such as barley wines, imperial stouts, and pretty much anything bourbon barrel-aged. Also, I recommend this glass for strong Belgian ales.

The large tulip glass: This glass is just like the little guy above, except he holds a bit more beer. The design is still very effective for capturing the aroma in the top and for warming the beer when needed. Also, this shape helps with head retention. These designs work well with strongly flavored, malty beers because they capture the sweet aromatics along with the hop aromas and hold them. Try this shape with your favorite Belgian Abbey ale, a Saison, or a lambic. Pretty much anything Belgian will be fine in this glass, but you can also use this for a good doppelbock.

The Imperial “Nonick” pint: Ah, the glass of British pubs. The Imperial part is the pint’s size. An imperial pint is a little over 19 US ounces (our pints are 16). This glass is the glass you see with the odd bowed-out ridge about a quarter of the way down the glass. This bump has purpose, though. It adds strength to the glass, prevents them from creating a vacuum when stacked (like the shaker pints do), and helps prevent the dropping of the glass. Some say the bump also helps trap aromas, but I’m not convinced. This is good for British and American ales including pale ales, porters, stouts, and bitters.

Irish Imperial pint: The official glass of Guinness, this is a sort of cousin to the Nonick pint. These have a bump with a gentler slope near the top of the glass, but it serves the same functions. It’s got a wide mouth tapering down to a narrow base. The narrow portion below the curve is designed to reduce the heat transfer from your hand, while a wide mouth is good for sipping (or gulping). This glass is designed for stouts and porters.

The shaker pint: This is the American pint glass, named because it is designed to hook up to that stainless shaker behind the bar for cocktail hour. We all know this is the general-purpose beer glass here in the states, and most beer fans have a slew of them in their cabinet at home. It’s mostly used because it’s inexpensive, stackable, and easy to clean. It’s great for gulping, and goes well with American lagers, since you’re not too worried that your glass doesn’t show off the aromas of your beer. This isn’t a bad glass for beer, mind you. It’s just not a good glass for beer, either.

The “Jelly” glass: As you might think, this glass was originally used to package jelly. These have sloped sides similar to an American pint, but they tend to be larger. They have a wide round mouth tapering to a narrow octagonal or hexagonal bottom. This is the classic Witbier glass from all of the Hoegaarden ads. As you can imagine, it’s good for witbier. It’s also a good glass for light farmhouse ales, if you don’t mind losing a bit of aroma.

The Pilsner flute: Shaped somewhat like a champagne flute, this is usually a bit larger. The glass is tall and slender. The wide bottom tapers down directly into the foot of the glass without a stem. The conical shape of the glass helps with head retention and shows off the high carbonation of pilsners and American lagers. The narrow shape also shows off the light color of these beers and will make a red ale really show its color. This shape is also good for bringing the aroma of the beer out as you sip.

The weissbier vase: The classic German wheat beer is known for its yeast character and the citrus notes of the wheat. The gently curved sides create a wide glass at the top but curve down to a narrow waist before sloping back out at the foot of the glass. The wide mouth makes for great sipping and helps with head retention. The glass is also extremely good at capturing the clove and banana aroma from the traditional weissbier yeasts. Perfect for Hefeweisse and Dunkelweiss (Aventinus, anyone?)

The handled glass stein: Distinctly dimpled, this is the quintessential German drinking glass. The thick walls and handle prevent the beer from getting warm quickly, and the thick walls double as reinforcements for hearty clinking while yelling “Prost!” Ideally suited for German lagers, including Oktoberfest and Marzen styles, as well as Munich Dunkels and Vienna lagers.

Stemmed “pokal”: The pokal is sort of a short pilsner glass with a stem. It’s used mostly for serving Bock beers (Helles Bock, not Shiner Bock). These beers tend to be malty and the beer is designed to enhance the sweet aromas from these lagers. They also perform the same function of a pilsner in enhancing head retention.

Stemmed abbey goblet: The glass of Orval, Westvleteran, Westmalle, and other Belgian dream beers, this beer is different depending on the beer. In Belgium, it’s common for every brewery to have their own specific glass for their beer. The idea is that the glass is designed to bring out the things that beer is known for, but let’s be honest: Some of it is just marketing. The goblet is perfect for abbey beers, however, because they are basically glass art, which goes well with the type of beer they are designed for. They usually have long stems and a bowl-shaped cup with a wite mouth at the top. Some have etchings in the bottom which help the bubbles form in your beer (nerds call these “nucleation sites”). These etchings help the carbon dioxide escape from the beer and helps to maintain a frothy head. These are ideally suited for Belgian abbey-style ales.

“Other”: In addition to these general types of glasses, there are also a lot of other beer glass types in the world, usually designed by brewers to market their beer. Slight alterations on an existing design, or completely silly shapes (a boot, anyone?) may not actually enhance the beer’s flavor, but they can make drinking more fun.

Choosing the right glass for your beer is really a matter of taste, but these categories might help you make a choice if you’re inclined to go with tradition. If you’re a server at a local craft beer bar, being able to talk about why the shape of the glass suits a beer might get you some tips, though. Plus, it’s just kind of fun to know, if you’re a geek like me.

Beer

If you have a favorite spot to have some suds with your friends, post it in the comments below or email us at sgfbeerbuzz [at] gmail.com and we’ll add it to our candidates. Then, remember to cast your vote during the month of October so we can declare a winner in each category.

We would love as much participation as possible for this, so get your nominations in before Sunday, September 25th at 5 p.m. (the end of the Beer Buzz radio show on KBFL 99.9 FM 1060 AM).

So get to nominatin’. Then, tell your favorite place you nominated them. They’ll appreciate it.

Beer Buzz, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, wants to know your favorite places in SGF for craft beer. Send your nominations for craft beer bar, restaurant and store to pick up bottles. Email sgfbeerbuzz@gmail.com or mention it in a tweet @sgfbeerbuzz.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Boca Mocha TBLT

My other reservation with lunch was the menu. For this, I am sorry. I was thrown off by the whole “Mocha” thing. The menu starts in coffee with a list of several signature drinks. There was a second take at the baked goods section, mostly because as I waited at the table for my better half, a girl came from the kitchen with a tray full of fresh cinnamon rolls. Of course, I couldn’t bring myself to order part of the very reason I questioned the restaurant choice, but I wished for a moment that somebody would create an app to record smells.

The lunch menu was small but substantial considering my expectations. Right off the bat I notice the Horsey Blue Steak Sandwich. The words horseradish and steak are hard to deny when in close proximity on a menu, but to avoid ordering the same thing as my wife, I went with the T.B.L.T. ($8 — Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato). I had also overheard a waiter offering cream of asparagus soup, and I thought it sounded just crazy enough to try at least once. Boca Mocha’s Cream of Asparagus ($4/cup) soup is incredible. (Yes, I’m wearing a straight face.) Our server said the chef has been known to make up some outside-the-box menu items and I’m sure somebody has made the dish before, but I had never seen it. The other tables were quick to turn it down so this is your Public Servicement Announcement to not be scared.

My sandwich was OK, it was more loaded than I expected. Slices of avocado joined the thick stack of turkey and the bacon was perfectly crisp. It was a good sandwich, but it doesn’t stand out from others. The pasta salad on the other hand was notably good. The small ramekin was packed with flavor which for the first time in my life created a scenario in which I purposely ingested an olive. The spiral noodles were surrounded by a blend of chopped vegetables (red onion, asparagus, green pepper) with a nice vinegar-based sauce. My wife saved me a couple bites of her Horsey Blue sandwich extravaganza ($5.50 half). The beef was thinly cut and tender with caramelized onions, bleu cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. The horseradish was mild, but stood up to the bleu cheese. She got a side of fresh fruit with her sandwich. But that’s not all. Boca Mocha has beer (and a wine list … and alcoholic whip cream). It was a late lunch, so we felt like beer was OK, so we each ordered a Mother’s Towhead and were shocked when the bill came just $2/pint and $2.75 for a 23-oz. glass). Our total came to $25.61, which is on the higher end of sandwich fare, but the open-mind reminder was worth it. We’ll be back.

The September 11 episode of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange featured a conversation about pet peeves at craft beer bars and things which could be improved in SGF (but mostly tangential thoughts).

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

The September 4 episode featured of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange featured an interview with Chad Frederick, owner of Little Yeoman Brewery.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Ben Stange, host of TAG Radio's Beer Buzz

On our most recent episode of Beer Buzz, we spoke extensively about how to introduce your friends to craft beer. We had an excellent conversation, but I thought I’d make a few recommendations both based on our conversation and based on my own personal experience.

First of all, it should require no investment on the part of your friend. Offer to buy them a beer, or, if you’re willing, do what @nopurpleshelves suggested to us via Twitter and make a bit of a wager. Make it a beer you think they’ll like. Let them know that if they don’t like it, you’ll buy them whatever beer they were going to order in the first place. This way, they have nothing to lose. Either way, they’re going to get a free beer and they’ll have tried something new. Meanwhile, you’ll have a prime opportunity to induct your friend into the craft beer fan club.

When you convince them to try the craft beer, be sure to talk with them about what they taste. Tell them what you taste when you drink it, and tell them what you like about that beer. Don’t act like the beer you gave them is “for beginners” even if you think it is. Always respect that they are only learning. Be patient. Besides, sipping that “beginner beer” and talking about the subtle flavors you taste in it may remind you of some of the things you love about craft beer. It couldn’t hurt, right?

Given a chance, I believe most people will love craft beer. Probably not as much as I do (that’s a lot), but they’ll still love it if they give it a chance. There are a lot of reasons people give for why they don’t like beer, “bitter beer,” or “those dark beers,” but most of them come from generalizations made from limited experience. So, in order to effectively convince your friend to try, your strategy should depend on their past experience and what they give as a reason for disliking craft beer.

For instance, if you have a friend who says they don’t like “those dark beers,” you have two very good strategic options. The first would be to find a dark beer they would like. For some ideas, consider the beers in my list of dark beers that will surprise you. Each of those beers is included in the list to break the stereotype that dark beer haters have in their minds when they think of dark beers. The second method would be to offer them a craft beer that is not a dark beer. If they dislike dark beers so much and are unwilling to try any, you can always offer them a craft brewed kolsch, wheat beer, or amber ale, and then work them into the darker side of the spectrum later by slipping them an Aventinus.

Another type of person who commonly avoids craft beer is the wine lover. Wine lovers who dislike craft beer typically base their opinion on the idea that wine is more complex, sophisticated, and subtle than beer. For these folks, it is generally appropriate to simply demonstrate that they are incorrect. I’ve heard quite a few people remark that they convinced their wine-loving friends using a sour ale. Sour ales tend to have tons of complexity, subtlety, and sophistication. Of course, it’s hard to carry the sophistication part too far when you describe one of the flavors they are tasting as “horse blanket,” but most wine fans will understand what you mean. Honestly, for this mission, I highly recommend a Cantillon Gueuze. If they’re into sweeter wines, you might try a kriek or framboise instead, but try to stay away from the ultra-sweet varieties that are often passed as genuine sour ales. For domestic options, you can always go with Jolly Pumpkin’s slightly tart offerings, or delve into some of the many top-notch sour beers made by American craft brewers.

Finally, you’ll face the person who only drinks their favorite light American lager, and never tries new things in beer. Sure, they might try a Coors Light instead of their usual Miller Lite, or might give the Bud Light with Lime a shot instead of their usual Bud Light, but in order to really break out, they need to be convinced to try something completely new. First though, you have to convince them that craft beer does not need to be feared. Start by having them try a craft-brewed lager. Stay away from the hoppier lagers and stay in safe territory for their first outing or two. Buy them a Mother’s Oktoberfest or a Munich Lager from Springfield Brew Co. Need a commercial example? Fat Tire makes a decent gateway to craft beer. Once they try it, you might get them into some amber ales or witbier, then branch into bigger offerings as they gain courage.

There is another option for the lagerheads out there. I call it the witbier method. First, introduce them to Blue Moon. Explain to them that it’s made by Coors. It’s a safe beer to bet on, and they’ll probably find it light and refreshing. Once they agree that they like it, look for another opportunity to have them try another witbier. Once they realize they are witbier fans, it should be relatively easy to branch them out into other light beers.

Remember, it will take patience to get someone to break their own walls down. It might take several hours of drinking and talking about beer with this person in order to sway them. It will seem like tough, thankless work for a long time. Then, one day, they will thank you for it by ordering their very own Li’l Helper at the bar. Oh, to be so proud.

The August 28 episode of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange was a live show with open phone lines. Ben and guests discussed the first introduction to beer that wasn’t an American light (err, lite) beer.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

The August 14 episode of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, and hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange, featured Mike Sweeney, of STL Hops to talk about the booming St. Louis craft beer scene.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

The August 14 episode of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, and hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange, featured Joe Stange, a beer journalist and author of Around Brussels in 80 Beers.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

The August 7 episode of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, and hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange, featured Todd Frye of The Home Brewery in Ozark. They talked about home brewing and their worst batch ever.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

By Ben Stange
SGFBeerBuzz@gmail.com

We have a great show coming up this weekend on Beer Buzz Radio, presented by Mother’s Brewing Company. We’ll have a live Q&A with Todd Frye, owner of The Home Brewery. He’ll be available to answer any and all home brewing questions you have. Email them in early to sgfbeerbuzz@gmail.com or call in live on Sunday to ask your question. We’ll also announce the winner of this week’s Haiku Beer Review contest and review the newest beer in Mother’s Brewing Company’s tasting room, PG-13.

Want to win the Haiku Beer Review contest? Send your haiku review of any beer to sgfbeerbuzz@gmail.com or tweet it to @sgfbeerbuzz on twitter.com, and you will be entered to win a growler from our sponsor, Mother’s Brewing Company.

Tune in to KBFL 99.9 FM 1060 AM on Sunday, August 7th at 4 PM or listen streaming right here on TAGsgf.com.

The July 31 episode of Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, and hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange, debuted on Sunday featured Jeremy Wicks of Mother’s. They talked beer and food pairings, the progress of the SGF brewery and beer haiku.

Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

Beer Buzz presented by Mother’s Brewing Company, hosted by TAG beer columnist Ben Stange, debuted on Sunday. Stange talked to beer author Stan Hieronymus, shed a little light on hops and more! Listen to Beer Buzz live Sundays at 4 p.m. on KBFL 99.9 FM (1060 AM) or stream it on TAGsgf.com. Podcasts available on iTunes (and below).

I love sushi. Love it. Love, love, love it. So when my wife became pregnant with our second child, the abstinence kicked in again. No, not that type of abstinence. A full-fledged commitment to not consuming raw fish type — that type of abstinence. It’s not healthy for the baby, we agreed. Still, that’s not good for my psyche, let alone my sushi-craving palette.

Recently, my wife gave birth and we’ve been counting down the days before we could go visit Haruno, our go-to sushi indulgence spot. But I had a better idea. What if we could have sushi in the hospital? Is that even possible? And I’m not talking sushi from the cafeteria (blech. horrible idea), but I’m talking from a legitimate sushi chef.

That’s where Sushi Smith saved the day. Sushi Smith, owned and operated by Donovan Ault, is a unique concept that brings fresh, delectable sushi to you. Having heard of Sushi Smith, but never trying it, I called Ault and asked for his 50 pieces for $50 deal — and yes, that includes delivery.

Let me repeat that. We got 6 rolls delivered to the hospital on a day’s notice for $50 including delivery. I included a $20 tip, just because I was so excited. The sushi honor roll included:

• Philly roll
• Futomaki
• Shrimp roll
• Super salmon roll
• Shrimp nigiri
• Jalapeno sweet n spicy

I know what you’re thinking. Delivery? How did he keep the sushi cool? By the time he showed up to the hospital and we were diving in, the delivery time was less than 30 minutes. It showed up in a monster cake tray, which was actually perfect. He provided chop stocks, wasabi and soy sauce, although I’d recommend you bring more soy sauce, just to be safe. You’ll need your own plates and sauce dishes.

While the Sushi Smith doesn’t have an Oh My God roll like Haruno, he does have convenience and quality in spades. If you would have plated his creations at any sushi restaurant, you wouldn’t have known it came from a local kitchen and was delivered to a hospital.

I will definitely have Sushi Smith deliver to my house in the future. And not only will deliver to your house, he also does home parties and sushi rolling classes. The sushi was that good, I’ll have Sushi Smith come to my house and give me more than 100 pieces of sushi for a dinner party. Or maybe I’ll keep it all to my self.

To get your Sushi Smith on, contact Ault at donovan@sushismith.com or call 417.300.4569

When you find specific restaurants for specific types of food it can be hard to break from your usual. I had heard good things about the sushi at Fuji, but despite its convenient location (at Campbell & Battlefield) I didn’t think it would be able to touch our favorites. Because it was too late to get the kids ready for a restaurant, and because Sushi Smith requires some notice, we had to go with carry out. The closest sushi joint in proximity is Fuji. I’ve seen it there for years, but it was time to make the leap.
Every restaurant has its specialties and specific items that keep customers coming back. Sushi, of course, is no different: Such as the Lobster Crunch at Izumi Hatake; the Geisha at Umi; Haruno and Kai have the Sex & the City and Oh My Gosh rolls. The first item on Fuji’s sushi menu online is the Mighty Crab, described as a “fast-moving favorite.” Despite the initial skepticism of a sushi roll that includes asparagus we pulled the trigger. Good thing we did, but more on that later.

Twenty-five minutes later we were picking up our order of four rolls, rice and an appetizer. The appearance of the restaurant is stunning and, honestly, unexpected. An extravagant bridge crosses an indoor Koi fish pond. The atmosphere seems nice and would have not been ideal for the kids, so we made the right choice, but we’ll make our way for the full experience on a date night soon. Fuji’s online menu doesn’t include prices, and the lady who took our order didn’t give a total, which is fine, but I like to at least have an idea.
The Mighty Crab was certainly mighty. It’s a monster. Make two fists and put them next to each other like you’re holding a baseball bat. That’s roughly the circumference of the roll. Add giant slices of crab and the roll becomes a little cumbersome. It was too intimidating for my wife, so she didn’t brave the potential mess. Her loss. The asparagus is battered in tempura and reaches beyond each end of the roll. It’s joined by avocado and other goodies I can’t even name.

While the Mighty Crab was an incredible visual centerpiece it was the Ninja Roll which will draw us back: Eel, cream cheese, crab and avocado alldeep fried with tempura flakes. I’ve had other Ninja rolls, but none that would hold a flame to this version. Most fried rolls have a pretty thick layer of batter that dominates the flavor and texture. Fuji’s Ninja is lightly battered and flavorfully thrilling. We were also impressed with a couple of their standard house rolls — the Shrimp Tempura and the Shrimp Crunchy.

We got an order of Gyoza as a side, and the six small pork dumplings did not disappoint. Our total for four sushi rolls, the appetizer and three sides of steamed rice was $43.48. We may try the hibachi in the future, but experience has shown that few restaurants can offer great grub on the grill and in the sushi bar. Fuji offers lunch specials with a familiar hibachi menu. Fuji didn’t become a top sushi destination, but it hass certainly joined the rotation.

The Chicken Fajita Quesadilla at Cielito Lindo = my favorite SGF meal

This review is probably long overdue, but I’ve tried to avoid it because of a bias. I’ve been a customer of Cielito Lindo since high school and return trips are consistent to this day. There are three SGF locations (3530 South Campbell Ave, 2953 South National and 730 North Glenstone) each with its own festive atmosphere, and fútbol on every TV.

While the menus are identical at each location, boasting the standard Mexican-style fare, I’ve always been fascinated by the salsa. It’s never the same. It seems that from trip-to-trip and certainly store-to-store, the flavor is always a bit different. I’m a fan of chunky salsa, and Cielito’s is normally on the thin side, but the flavor is on point, while relying on thinly-sliced onion and herbs — mostly cilantro. Not the case on this trip, as the overriding flavor was that of garlic. The chips are fresh and homemade, not too much salt. The house hot sauce is Tapatió (which I didn’t know was an American product until just now), a distant second to Sriracha in my book, but great to add a touch of heat to your salsa.

My wife and I took the kids to the North Glenstone location (northeast corner at Chestnut Expressway) for lunch on this trip and my mission was to be different. Cielito is the home of my single favorite dish in town, the Chicken Fajita Quesadilla, and I’ve ordered it on every single trip. It checks in at $6.95 so for the purposes of making this a $5 lunch piece and reviewing it without leaving drool on my keyboard I peeped the lunch menu for the first time in decades. The lunch menu contains several combinations of enchiladas, tacos, burritos, chalupas and more, mostly ranging between $4-5. I went with the “Special Lunch No. 6″ an enchilada-chalupa combination with a side of rice for $4.85.

Lunch Special No. 6

I had never tried a non-Taco Bell Chalupa and was surprised when it arrived, though thinking back I shouldn’t have been as Taco Bell has never been too accurate with its Tex Mex interpretations. Failing to find a better way to describe it, if you haven’t ordered a chalupa think of an American open-faced sandwich, except substitute bread for a crispy flat yellow corn shell. Then layer refried beans, guacamole, shredded cheese and a healthy smattering of pico de gallo. The chalupa was quite good in its simplicity. The enchilada was beef, and actually pretty disappointing, consisting of tortilla, beef and red sauce, with a layer of melted cheese atop, thought I’m not sure what I was expecting. It was mostly a flavor thing — the beef and the sauce didn’t have any. The No. 6 isn’t for me, but with 15 lunch special options, it wouldn’t be too hard to find something in the $5 range that works, but I’ll probably just skate back to my regular.

Speaking of, my wife couldn’t resist the Chicken Fajita Quesadilla which is exactly what it sounds like: ingredients of a fajita (green pepper, onion, chicken, tomatoes, white cheddar (?) cheese, and an incredible mystery sauce) stuffed into a tortilla folded in half. It’s huge and covers the bulk of the plate with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. Sides of refried beans, rice, and a little lettuce salad make it a serious amount of food.

Our bill was $17 and change, which included a soft drink and a kid’s meal.

The service is prompt and friendly, despite large crowds most of the time, and the food is quick to leave the kitchen. The margaritas are standard, but most evenings you won’t have to pay much to have a taste (under four-bucks, check the board on your way in).

Slow Food Southwest Missouri announced Beer and Brats at Mother’s Brewing Company, a summer dinner featuring locally-sourced food and beer. Food at the limited seating event will be prepared by Farmers Gastropub. Beer and Brats will also have live music with Dallas Jones and Barak Hill. Tickets are $20 and available online.

Greater Springfield Farmers Market, photos by Alex Stocksdale

Alex@TAGsgf.com
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the parking lot of the Battlefield Mall (near Macy’s)

TAGsgf.com beer expert Ben Stange

So, my Dad and I recently built a kegerator for him in his expansive shop, which is also the home of my brewing equipment. We immediately loaded a keg of my dunkelweiss in it which had been kegged for about a year and a half. (It was originally bottled, but was poured into a keg and force-carbonated due to some carbonation issues I encountered).

Since this beer was so strong at over 8% ABV, it was safe to age for some time, but I had some misgivings about it before we connected it. I was wrong to doubt, though, as it seems to have become a very mellow, smooth, and malty treat over time. My dad, who is an avid fan of Aventinus, obviously loves this style of beer, and he enjoys that he has this version on tap. He calls it his “Quantity Beer.”

Since his kegerator has two taps, and this 8% monster is in one of them, Dad has commissioned the creation of another beer for the other tap. Knowing what I do about my Dad’s taste in beer, I was to design a beer which I felt he would be able to drink, and which would not be at a ridiculous level of ABV. In Dad’s words, he needed a “Quantity Beer.” Drinkability would be the key word for this design.

In 2007, I travelled to Europe with my parents. Ostensibly, the trip was to visit my brother and his wife while they lived in Brussels. In reality, the trip was beer tourism at its finest. We traveled in and around Brussels for several days before making a pilgrimage through Bavaria culminating in a day and a half in Munich during Oktoberfest. Along the way, my brother and I opened our parents’ minds about beer a little further and had a great time doing it. It was on this trip, actually, that Dad first discovered Aventinus.

Keeping this in mind, I decided to brew something along the lines of a Marzen or Oktoberfest beer, but without the added time and trouble of lagering. I used a hefty amount of Munich and Vienna malt along with some Pilsner malt, and hopped relatively lightly considering my usual habits. Instead of pitching lager yeast and trying to actually lager the beer (I don’t have a good way to keep the temperature low enough long enough to lager), I decided to pitch clean ale yeast and see how it goes. I settled on Fermentis US-05 dry ale yeast because of its clean profile.

I brewed a ten gallon batch, and split it into two fermenters. It made a beer which is very light in color and seemed to be extremely clear prior to fermentation. It will hopefully remain very clear in the keg.

In hindsight, I wish I would have pitched the US-05 in one fermenter and kolsch yeast in the second so Dad could decide which he preferred after they were kegged. Maybe next time, I will.

The original prediction was for a 4.5% ABV beer, but my brewhouse efficiency was a little higher than expected, resulting in what looks like a 5.1% beer (I haven’t taken actual final gravity readings. That will be done Sunday).

At any rate, I’ll hopefully be kegging Dad’s Quantity Beer on Father’s Day, which is fitting. We may even tap one of them (even though the carbonation won’t be equalized yet) and see how it tastes. If you want to brew some quantity beer for yourself, here’s the recipe:

Dad’s Quantity Beer (All-Grain version)

Recipe Type – All Grain
Batch Size – 5 gallons
Volume Boiled – 6.5 gallons
Original Gravity – 1.049
Final Gravity – 1.010
Color – 6.1 L
Bitterness – 25 IBUs
ABV – 5.1%

Ingredients:
8.5 lbs Pilsner malt
6 lbs Munich Malt
2.5 lbs Vienna Malt
10 HBU East Kent Golding hops (1.69 oz @ 5.9% AA) – boiled 60 minutes
1 oz. Hallertauer hops (3.6% AA) – boiled 15 minutes
1 tsp. Irish Moss – boiled 15 minutes

Procedure:

Mash at 152 F for about an hour, or until starches are converted. Mash out at 170 F. Sparge with 170 F water to make 6.5 gallons in the brew pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes before adding first hop addition. Boil 45 minutes more and add Irish Moss and second hop addition. Boil fifteen minutes and cool as rapidly as possible to 70 F. Rack to fermenters and pitch US-05 yeast. Ferment 14 days and keg or bottle to 2.5-2.8 volumes of CO2.

Dad’s Quantity Beer – Extract with Grains

This recipe is a little difficult to make into an extract version unless you can get your hands on some Munich or Vienna malt extract. If you can, you can substitute 5.1 lbs of light DME for the pilsner malt and 5.1 lbs of Munich or Vienna DME for the specialty malts and make a purely extract version. You could also sub any part of the Munich and Vienna with DME. Just remember to use .6 lbs of DME for every pound of grain you are substituting. It should get you pretty close.

If you can’t get your hands on Munich or Vienna DME, you can try and substitute 8.1 lbs of light DME and 2.5 lbs of Munich or Vienna (or both mixed) for the entire malt bill. It won’t be exactly the same, but will make a tasty lighter ale, anyway. If you do, steep the grains at 152 F for at least 20 minutes, then heat the water to 170 F. At 170 F, pull the specialty grains and bring the pot to a boil. From there, follow the instructions from above.

As always, let me know if you brew a batch of this and what you thought of it.

For most Americans, it’s white grapes or red grapes. Sweet wine or dry wine. In the orient, it’s rice wine (aka sake). Sake production dates back to the 3rd century, and despite its longevity in the orient, sake is popularized in the states only in sushi bars and Japanese steakhouses.

To help the … awareness (?) Kai Japanese Restaurant (306 S Campbell) in downtown SGF is hosting a sake tasting on Thursday (June 16). The college years (and slightly beyond) brought a number of personal sake tastings, though the products were nothing of quality. The Kai tasting will feature five premiere different types of sake all anticipated to be imported from Japan, according to bartender Pete Gioia. Besides awareness of sake, the $30 cover gets you sake knowledge, as well as a 3-course meal and “if you want more (sake), we pour more,” Gioia said.

The 3-course meal? Gioia said to expect a couple pieces of nigiri, a half roll of sushi and a salad — a decent cushion for the rice wine. The event is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.

We’re pretty sure this is a first for Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The venue has welcomed theatre, comedians, musicians, speakers and more, but celebrity chefs would be new territory. In today’s America, though, pop culture has embraced its (frequently unhealthy) love of food in all its forms, from organic micro-calorie meals to the most goo-dripping plates of the nation’s backroads dives, and it has elevated the men and women who make it into name-recognized (pun alert!) taste-makers, complete with TV programs and, indeed, entire networks devoted to showing what an intricate craft theirs can be. (If only Julia Child had lived to see it all…) One such leader in his profession is coming to SGF this November 9, and you can expect it to be big.

That leader is Buddy Valastro, head honcho at 101-year-old Carlo’s Bakery and best known to many as the star and head baker on Cake Boss, the reality baking program now in its fifth season on The Learning Channel. In addition to speaking about his experience on the show and an audience Q&A, Valastro will give a live demonstration of his cake-baking skills. You might even get to help, as audience participation is a part of his onstage cooking gigs. Tickets go on sale this Friday (June 10) for $45.75 or $75 with a special VIP package including backstage passes, a post-show meet-and-greet session, a discount voucher to Carlo’s Bakery (be prepared to drive to use it; Carlo’s is in New Jersey) and more. The show gets rolling at 7:30 p.m. Bring your sweet tooth.

By Ben Stange for St. Ange Brewing

So, Mother’s Brewing has just opened, and unless you’re living under a rock you’ve tried at least one of their beers. As a matter of fact, more people have tried their beers than expected, and Brewmaster Brian Allen has had to do some catching up on demand – but more on that in a minute.

I caught up with Jeremy Wicks to discuss the successful start of the brewery, talk about the First-Ever Mother’s Day Festival, and discuss surprises they’ve encountered in the Brewery’s first week of being officially open.

St. Ange Brewing: The Mother’s Day Festival seemed to be a wild success. Congratulations on throwing a great party. Now that the big coming out party is over, what is next for Mother’s Brewing?

Jeremy Wicks: The First Ever Mother’s Day Festival was so much more than any of us ever thought possible. In the end, we had a little over 2,100 people show up that day. It was a cold and gloomy day, but that didn’t seem to keep people from stopping by. As far as what is next for Mother’s, we have a few more events planned for the Backyard, but we’re keeping the details quiet right now until we confirm a few more details on our end. I can promise you this, though—there will be more events in Mother’s Backyard!

SAB: I’m sure you are starting to get some feedback from beer lovers, bar owners, and the like in Springfield. What kind of feedback are you getting, and what kinds of surprises have you had?

JW: The feedback has been really positive. People seem to really enjoy our beers, which makes us all happy. For our first run, we wanted to create beers that were well balanced yet complex while at the same time being very drinkable. As far as the bars, we have been very happy and humbled to see how popular our beers have been. We are only one week old, but it has been great to see such a high demand for the beer. I think our biggest surprise has been how popular Three Blind Mice has been. People have really embraced that beer and the demand has been much greater than any of us would have guessed.

SAB: What part of the experience so far are you most proud of? Why?

JW: I don’t know that I, personally, can pick one. Seeing our beer on tap in local bars and restaurants, watching people drink and enjoy our beer, seeing our tap handles for the first time, there have been so many things that have happened since we first moved into this building almost one year ago that have made me proud. I’m proud of the entire Mother’s family for working so hard and truly working as a family. This has been a humbling and amazing journey so far and we are just getting started!

SAB: I’ve heard some rumors lately that some bars are having problems getting Mother’s beer into their taps. Is there any truth to the rumor? If so, what happened?

JW: Unfortunately there is some truth to this rumor. In the beginning, we brewed what we believed to be a 30 – 45 day supply of beer. After 6 days, we were almost out Towhead and Three Blind Mice. We have since increased production and our brewmaster is brewing every day to get caught up, but there is a very good chance that Springfield might go without both Towhead and Three Blind Mice for a week or so in the not to distant future. We would like to apologize in advance and also say thank you to all of our fans. While we don’t ever want to run out of beer, it is nice to know that our beer has been so well received. Just know that we are brewing every day, we are new and we will continue to learn as we grow.

SAB: Where can local drinkers find your beers? Do you have a list of bars and which beers are available in them?

JW: Patton Alley Pub, Ebbets North and South, Farmers Gastropub, Finnegans Wake, Old Chicago (Springfield and Branson), Outland, Highlife, Bistro Market, Bugsy Malones (North and South), Galloway Station, J.O.B. Public House, Ophelias, Mud Lounge, Nakato, Quincy Magoo’s, Applebee’s (Primrose), Lindbergs, St. Michaels, Summers by the River, and Pizza by Stout (Joplin, MO), Blackthorn (Joplin, MO), Ocean Zen, Skinny Slims, Ernie Biggs, 5 Spice China Grill, Buffalo Wild Wings, Creekside, Milles Cafe, and Metropolitan Grill.

This is as of Friday, May 20th, but we really think the list will continue to grow. If you don’t see your favorite bar or restaurant on the list make sure you tell your bartender or server that you want Mother’s!

SAB: Anything else you’d like to say to local beer fans?

JW: Thank you. hank you for the support, thank you for drinking our beer, thank you for understanding that we are working hard to make sure you have all the Mother’s you want and we truly love you all! Cheers!

So, things are going well for the Mother’s Boys and their burgeoning brewery. If you’d like to try a pint, find a good spot or just stop by the brewery during their tasting hours. They’re open Wednesday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturday from noon-5 p.m. They’re not offering tours yet (coming to Saturdays in June), but the tasting room is open, and has the freshest Mother’s Love in town.

Mother’s Day Festival at Mother’s Brewing Company (5/14/11)

photos by Alex Stocksdale

Alex@TAGsgf.com

Here is the signature dish for Tamale King — the Tamale plate combo. Photo courtesy: R. Brannon Estis Photography

Before you consume this review, understand that I love Mexican food. But, I’m not a huge fan of the tamale. In fact, it’s my least favorite thing on most Mexican joint menus. But when I went to visit Tamale King (1342 W. Sunshine) for a lunch meeting earlier this week, you have to order a plate of tamales, right? If it was Chimichanga King, I’d have to crush chimichangas, right? Isn’t there some sort of rule about this?

First off, the Tamale Plate, which comes with two huge tamales, rice, refried beans and a drink was less than $7. You can see in the photo, that the high quality paper plate is full, with the moat of refried beans about to flood the quality tiled tabletops.

I’m not an expert on tamales, but these tamales seemed to be bursting with seasoned beef, and small bits of vegetables (carrots, etc.). By the end of the meal, I was stuffed. But, was I satisfied, tastewise? Yes and no.

The tamales didn’t change my way of looking at tamales. There’s just not enough cheese, and too much breading for my taste. It’s my same complaint about calzones. Too much breading takes away from the rest of the dish. (Yes, I understand that’s the point, but I’m not a fan.) But the rice and beans were spectacular, aided by the superstar of the day — the spicy salsa. It was bursting with pepper spice, but also good enough to drown everything in it. And at the end, heavy doses of the salsa made the tamales better with each bite. By the end, I had a victory plate. All gone.

You’ll also notice from the R. Brannon Estis photo, the sweet soda bottle. A treat at Tamale King is its assortment of authentic Mexican sodas. I copped a Sangria soda (non-alcohol, thank you). It was a heavy, thick grape soda. And it was fantastic.

Service isn’t a component of Tamale King, as you order at the register, then wait for your meal to come out. It’s a perfect lunch spot. You’ll notice it’s on West Sunshine, which isn’t a high traffic area, but it also mean that an 11 a.m. lunch was early enough that we had the restaurant to ourselves.

Would I go back to Tamale King? Absolutely. I just wouldn’t get the tamales. And that’s on me, not The King.

Tamale King
1342 W. Sunshine
Springfield, MO 65807
417.862.2202
Open 7 days a week

A local craft brewery is finally reality. With the space and ability to distribute at large volumes, Mother’s Brewing puts SGF officially on the beer map. I daydream about ordering an SGF brew on one of the coasts one day, but for now I’m excited that I can order an SGF brew at an SGF bar, which can happen, today. Several pubs and restaurants around town already have Mother’s brew available, and Mother’s taps, mostly the two flagship beers (Towhead American, a blonde; Three Blind Mice, a brown) will be in more than a dozen restaurants and pubs around town. You can try all four beers at the Mother’s Day Festival on Saturday with Big Smith, Speakeasy and Honky Suckle (entrance is only $5).

We’ll get an updated list of all the places you can find Mother’s, but for now listen to the podcast below from Sunday’s SGF Local Live with Schrag and marketing director Jeremy Wicks.

Email photos of your first pint of Mother’s to TAG (Brett@TAGsgf.com).

Mother’s confirmed at:

• Farmers Gastropub
• Patton Alley Pub
• Ebbets on Walnut
• Quincy Magoo’s
• J.O.B. Public House
• Ebbets Field South
• Old Chicago
• Bugsy Malone’s
• Finnegan’s Wake
• Bistro Market
• Outland