Tag Archives: Stout

Heavy Seas Alehouse

Caroline: Before we left Baltimore, we went to Heavy Seas Alehouse for lunch with my dad. It’s in an awesome old industrial building that dates back to the civil war! They use seasonal food most of which is made with beer in some way. We felt right at home…

AAARRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!

Caroline: We got 2 tasting paddles to share between the 3 of us so we could taste as much as possible.

We had the Heavy seas classic lager, classic pale, golden ale, Märzen, their Peg Leg imperial stout, the Loose Cannon  American Hop3 IPA and a Belgian Tripel that was a recipe from a home brewer who had won a competition.

Kris: My 2 favourites were the Loose Cannon IPA and the Peg Leg Imperial Stout.

Caroline: DITTO. how boring of me, but those were my favorites as well. The stout had coffee and syrupy-ness and enough hops to balance it out. Yum.

Caroline: To start we had fresh oysters with a mignonette and cocktail sauce. They used their Heave Seas Lager in the Mignonette instead of the traditional cider vinegar. Delicious.

Kris: The Heavy seas lager was a great match with the oysters. They would also go really well with the Peg Leg stout. The oysters were super fresh and the mignonette made with beer was an interesting twist.

Kris: The Loose Cannon IPA battered onion rings with whole grain Dijon & old bay/saffron mayo were cooked perfectly and a great snack to enjoy with the tasting paddle.

Caroline: They marinated the onions in beer before they fried them. This made the onions nice and tender and prevented that annoying bite where the whole onion comes out of the batter when you eat it!

Caroline: The angus Beef burger was on a ‘spent grain’ roll, meaning they used grain from the beer mash to make the bread. How genius is that?? They also caramelized the onions in the Peg Leg Stout which gave them a more complex sweetness, it really added an extra something. We matched the burger with the Heavy Seas Marzen.

Kris: The Shrimp Salad Sandwich with thick cut smoked bacon and a side of organic greens was super tasty too. A great match for the sandwich was the Heavy Seas Golden Ale.

Caroline: To finish off the meal we got some complimentary spent grain choc chip cookies. Perfectly bite size.

Kris: Overall we had a great experience at Heavy Seas Ale House. Great Beer, Great Food and Great Service. If your still thirsty, I recommend checking out Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point which is a short walk from Heavy Seas. It has over 100 beers on tap and 350 by the bottle. Definitely one of my favourite Beer Bars in America!

Caroline:  Overall, lunch was extrARGHdinary!

 

 

Speedway Stout Review

Kris: It was a real treat recently to try for the first time a bottle of Speedway Stout from the AleSmith Brewery in San Diego, USA. Thanks again to Mike C for bringing it back safe and sound in his luggage. It was a perfect end to a meal of Buffalo Wings and a selection of new and exciting import beers from the USA.

Kris: This is a serious stout! It is a limited release Imperial Coffee Stout and is one of the best stouts I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. It has massive aroma’s of coffee and roasted malt. The flavours range from rich, sweet chocolate and caramel to roasty, coffee and cocoa, all in balance with a massive 12% alcohol. It is available in 750ml champagne bottles and if you get the chance, grab one, it is really worth tracking down. Another beer in this style to try is Dieu du Ciel’s Peche Mortel from Quebec, Canada.

Kris: This style of beer is a great dessert on it’s own. It is, of course, also a great beer to match with rich, chocolate desserts and strong, creamy cheese. We had some Dark Chocolate coated walnuts from Nutpatch in Kettering, Tasmania. If you are ever driving past it’s worth dropping in. It is a hidden gem if hand made chocolate is your thing.A rich self saucing chocolate pudding or chocolate mousse would be an ideal match with the beer. A ripe, creamy blue goat’s cheese or Italian talleggio would be ideal if you are in the mood for cheese.