Doctor Please, Some More of These

Many people think that because we are big beer geeks that we only like "big" beers. Au contraire mons frères! Just because most of the bad beer that's out there in the world (you know who you are) are Pilsner style lagers, doesn't mean that it’s the Pilsner's fault. Today, several craft breweries are making delightful light-bodied, nuanced Pilsner style lagers that are made with great ingredients and traditional methods!

One of our favorites (and an amazing take on a Rolling Stones song) is a beer from Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyons, Colorado called Mama’s Little Yella Pils. This beer is a bit of an amalgam of both German and Czech styles of Pilsner, using very traditional Czech Saaz hops as well as Bavarian hops from southern Germany. This beer also differentiates itself by using 100% pale malts, instead of the cheaper corn and rice that is found in a lot of other – ahem – lower quality beers.

This beer is deliciously refreshing, bright, crisp and dry with a completely clean finish. Perfect for a lunch with the girls or when you want to take your football Sunday to another level.

A point of interest is that Oskar Blues is a brewery that puts its beers in cans. But once again, don’t assume that a beer in a can isn’t a high quality craft beer. Today’s cans are much different than the cans of yore. They are now lined with a coating that keeps the beer from tasting metallic. Cans are also virtually unbreakable, are lighter to ship and keep the beer protected from light – which is what causes beers to be skunked (not age)!

Wanna try some other great Pilsner style beers? Try these Beer Chicks picks:

• Reality Czech - Moonlight Brewing Co
• St. Charles Pilsner – Sly Fox Brewing Co.
• Goose Pils – Goose Island Brewery

Mmmmmm........

One thing a beer chick likes is chocolate. One thing a beer chick likes better than chocolate is whipped cream. One thing a beer chick likes better than whipped cream is whipped cream made with 12% abv Belgian-style dark ale brewed with cocoa nibs & toasted pecans! What?

So...it was MLK day and I was teaching a beer and food pairing cooking/drinking class at Sur la Table at The Grove in Los Angeles with my writing partner and fellow beer chick Hallie Beaune. Everything was going along swimmingly and according to expectations. There were potatoes marinated in Scottish ale and rosemary, fresh beer braised bratwurst on a bed of apples and sauerkraut, beer battered coconut shrimp, German chocolate oatmeal stout brownies - you know, the usual.

Well, turns out, somebody forgot to grease the pan for the brownies and suffice it to say, they didn't look so good. That's when genius Sur la Table staffer Autumn made the most amazing beer infused whipped cream to "distract the eye" from the ragged edges and bottom of the still very good tasting brownie. She used The Bruery's 2 Turtle Doves beer and she whipped it up in two seconds!

Wanna add beer to your desserts? (Or just eat a bunch or whipped cream straight from the bowl?) Aside from just pouring the beer on top, here's the fastest simplest way to do it. Simple, yet so effing good!

2 TURTLE DOVES INFUSED WHIPPED CREAM

Ingredients:
-2 Cups Heavy whipping cream, cold
-1/4 Cup powdered sugar, sifted
-1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
-1/8 Cup 2 Turtle Doves Belgian Ale
(or another Chocolate Stout or Russian Imperial Stout or Belgian Strong Dark Ale)

Directions:
Add the cream, sugar and vanilla and with a standing mixer with whisk attachment or electric hand mixer, beat ingredients (you can use a hand whisk; it just will take longer). Start slowly and then increase the speed so its as fast but not splashing out of the bowl. When the cream just starts to thicken, slow the speed of the mixer and slowly add the beer in a steady stream. Slowly increase the speed of the mixer again and continue whipping until the cream forms soft peaks. (Warning: Autumn did tell me that if you whip the cream for too long it could curdle...just sayin.)