The Beer Wench –- Beer w/ Breakfast

Ed Note: This post came across my desk today as I perused a Twitter dialogue of great import. Not only does this author have a great and expansive knowledge of great beers, she has an admirable grasp of all things Spamalot/Holy Grail.

Anyhoo, here's her introduction to a great essay on The Perfect Beer with Pancakes:

The Perfect Beer For Pancakes
January 14, 2009 by The Beer Wench
Whereas some people may frown upon consumption of alcoholic beverages before noon, I encourage it. (Some people may read that statement and tell me that it is an indicator of a problem. Those people are silly folks and prefer to ignore them.)

If you think like me, then you will agree that the consumption of alcohol is appropriate at any hour … day or night.

I am not opposed to drinking during breakfast. In fact, a great brunch is incomplete without some sort of hooch. Typically, The Bloody Mary (double vodka, extra spicy) is my poison of choice. It goes really well with savory breakfast foods such as eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, etc.

But as much as I love my extra spicy, double strong Bloody Marys … they are a horrible pair for pancakes, waffles, french toast, scones, danishes, blintzes, cobblers, muffins, fruit and all the other sweet breakfast goodies.

When it comes to the sweeter side of breakfast, one can always reach for a Mimosa or a Bellini (classic brunch cocktails). OR … why not try a fruit beer?

Normally, I would go straight for the fruit lambics of Belgium for this post. Although this blog is not about fruit lambics, they would make an excellent pairing with a number of breakfast items - particularly those made with fruit.

The other day I stumbled upon a bottle of Melbourn Bros. Strawberry Beer. The bottle said spontaneous fermentation … and we all know that The Wench is a sucker for wild yeast beers. So naturally, I purchased the beer and did some research on its origin.

To read the rest of her post click here

Kentucky Frakkin' Chicken

Being a Battlestar Galactica fan, I went to the SciFi Channel website to check and see when it would be on tonight and noticed that the Colonel had joined the Battlestar Galactica team. Never thought I'd ever see the word Frak and Colonel Sanders in close proximity to each other. It just struck me funny. Hope you get a laugh out of it too!! Here's the frakkin' link.

What food day is today?

Just in case you were wondering what day today is, in foodie terms, we have a Twitter buddy, Foodimentary, who calls out each day on a blog just what part of the pyramid we should be embracing.

All entries are posted by an anonymous author/critic who writes under the nom de plumeThe Life and Times in The World of Food, the blog reveals a vast research base and knowledge of good food and living. This blog is one of several in the group ( Foodimentary, Foodimentary Recipes, Foodimentary Cooking, from what I have seen, 11 Bonita Drive), all of which are revealed when looking at the profile.

Lots of work, and fun, reading the exploits of a "Southern Foodie." Yum.

I Say Old Boy, Where the Hell is Matt?

Sometimes you just have to take a few minutes out of your morning to visit hundreds of locations around the world, enticing natives and various other ne'r-do-wells to engage in public acts of unbridled silliness while you work out a few kinks with a little power dance.



Rock on Mattie.

John & Dorothy's Wine Things for 2009

The WSJ wine critics have compiled a delightful list of things to do wine-wise for the year ahead. Thoughtful and fun items here. Seems like a good start. If you have some others to consider, make up your list and comment here.



Here's the list. Go to the Journal article to read the explanations for each task.
1. Try a Wine From a Different Country
2. Go to a Wine Bar and Have a Flight of Wine
3. Order the Cheapest Wine on a Restaurant's Wine List
4. Open a Sparkler at Home for No Reason at All
5. Take Notes on a Fine Wine From Beginning to End
6. Have a Sauternes
7. Have a Blind Tasting
8. Organize Your Labels (for us it's corks)
9. Visit the Closest Winery to Your Home
10. Attend a Winemaker's Dinner at a Restaurant
11. Have Fun With Stemware
12. Find a New Wine Store
13. Try a Varietal You've Never Had From a U.S. Winery
14. Either: Have 12 Different Bottles in the House at Once
14a. Or: Drink Up
15. Go Crazy on a Wine Pairing for Dinner Some Night
16. Try an Older White
16. Try a Type of Wine You Think You Don't Like
18. Get a New Corkscrew
19. Serve a Dessert Wine to Guests
20. Shatter Your Price Limit

Extra Credit
If you have never dropped us a note to say hello or ask a question, don't be shy. Our email address is wine@wsj.com and while we can't respond to all notes, we do our best.