Friday, August 7th at 6pm we'll be serving Stone Smoked Porter with American Oak on cask. At first sip this brew's dark roasted malts are chocolaty and malty. Though the beer has sweet notes associated with most porters, bitterness, a smokey background and distinctive Stone hops make it complex, and perfect for cask serving. Pouring a dynamic beer like this one from the cask creates an entirely different consistency, allowing for more flavors to come through due to less carbonation. An already decadent beer, on cask it's creamier with a thick, rich head. If you haven't tried a beer on cask, this will be a bold (but smart) choice.
One look at our menu and you’ll see that we’re fans of recipes that use beer as an ingredient. As allied members of the San Diego Brewers Guild, supporting the local craft beer scene is an integral part of our mission to promote good beer. Naturally, we get really excited when local brewers take interest in San Diego’s culinary scene; and this Sunday, all the things we love will be celebrated rooftop at Stingaree at the event ‘Craft Beer: Grain to Glass, Farm to Table.’ Cooks Confab, a group consisting of SD’s most respected chefs, organize themed, collaborative dinners every few months. This summer, the culinary collective chose to team up with 6 San Diego brewers (all of which you can find at Neighborhood) for one buzz-worthy night of fine food prepared with local beer. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Urban San Diego, a group who advocates farmers, artisans and the overall celebration of ‘green’ foods.
Ok, back to the food and beer. Brewers and chefs have teamed up to create 2-3 dishes each for the multi-course extravaganza. Among the brewers/participating restaurants whose combined talents are sure to provide a memorable evening include the following.
Brewers:
Tomme Arthur, The Lost Abbey Peter Zien, Alesmith Brewing Company Colby Chandler, Ballast Point Brewing Company Chuck Silva, Green Flash Brewing Company Jim Crute, Lightning Brewery Greg Koch, Stone Brewing Company
Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California produces some of our favorite craft beers. 'Temptation' is a blond style ale that's aged for a minimum of 9 months in oak Chardonnay barrels. Complex and balanced with tart, sweet, and spicy notes, oak and Chardonnay flavors infiltrate the pale yellow, unclouded (7.25% ABV) brew; and its sticky, white lacing clings to the side of the glass long after sipping. Temptation is fermented again in its bottle, creating champagne size bubbles that emphasize the decadence of this yeasty, sour, and refreshing ale.
Unfortunately we only have 2 cases of this 750 ML craft. Visit us for a bottle while it's still available.
Several cities across the United States have a Beer Week, where brewers from around the country showcase feature their crafts. San Diego is renowned for its vibrant craft beer scene, and finally, we're having a Beer Week to call our own. November 6th-15th 2009 (that's right- 10 days!), a barrage of beer-centric events from brewery tours, to beer and food pairing dinners, day festivals and more will take place.
Venissimo is opening its fourth location (2nd of which is in greater SD) just across the street from us. Neighborhood is always excited when independent businesses open in the East Village. We've always been fans of Venissimo's artisan cheeses and products. Welcome to the neighborhood.
