Cooking With Beer: The Beeroness

It's cold. Like. Really cold. Having seen reports of friends and family along the East Coast that can't even get out their front doors, we figured it'd be a good time to head out to the store and scoop up some ingredients to make an amazing creation from one of our Cooking With Beer gurus, The Beeroness (and then rub it in said friends' faces as though it's our own little tropical vacation). If you've been following us for any amount of time, you know how much we adore Jackie Dodd. Amazing blog, great voice, creative recipes that aren't super-far-fetched, great photography. Yeah, check 'er out. You'll be addicted too!

Here's what's on the agenda today, and in lieu of sending you photos that won't look nearly as divine as hers, we're going to link directly from The Beeroness' magical blog land so you can get the story behind this insanely tasty recipe. We promise it'll make it taste even better.

So, without further ado...

📷: The Beeroness

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 3 cups (3 wt oz) mini pretzel twists

• 2 tbs (25g) brown sugar

• 6 tbs (85g) melted butter

Middle Layer:

• 10 wt oz dark chocolate (62% cocoa content)

• 1/3 cup (74g) chocolate stout

• ¼ cup (40mL) heavy cream

• 1 tbs (14g) unsalted butter

Top Layer:

• 1 cup (226g) heavy cream, chilled

• ¼ cup (26g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• ¾ cup(72g) powdered sugar

• pinch salt

• 1 tsp (6g)vanilla extract

• 2 tbs (34g) stout beer

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350.

• Add the pretzels and brown sugar to a food processor, process until the pretzels have turned to crumbs. While the processor is running add the butter in a slow stream. Allow to process until well combined.

• Spray an 8X8 pan with cooking spray, add the crust to the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Using your hands or a heavy bottomed mug press the crust until well compacted.

• Bake at 350 until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

• Remove from oven, allow to cool.

• Add the chocolate, 1/3 cup stout, heavy cream and butter to the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and is well combined, remove from heat, pour into an even layer on top of the crust.

• Allow to chill in the fridge while you prepare the next layer.

• Add the heavy cream, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high until soft to medium peaks form.

• Slowly add the vanilla and beer, mixing until peaks return.

• Add to the pan in an even layer, chill until set, at least two hours, and up to two days.

Be sure to check out more of The Beeroness' online fabulousness here:

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20 Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Beer Lover in Your Life

Well, here we are…just 9 short days until Christmas…and you still haven’t scored all of the gifts for the nice kids on your list. No beuno, man. We encourage you to procrastinate no further. Here are 20 items you can snag in time for the big day. 

1

Those of you familiar with Zane Lamprey and his television hits Three Sheets and Drinking Made Easy will love this one. I mean, so will any beer drinkin' buddy of yours. The Drinking Jacket combines beer glove sleeves, a neoprene beer koozie pocket, bottle opener zipper, hidden flask pocket and tons more. The true, "one for you, one for me" gift!

2

Sports fans, concertgoers, tailgaters, frat boys and party animals unite. It’s time to ditch the plastic tubs and bags of ice. This biodegradable keg cooling system is tops. Enter Kegooler. Coming in six sizes (homebrew, soda, 1/6 bbl, ¼ short, ¼ tall, and ½ bbl) this baby ships fully assembled to you and yours complete with reusable gel packs which will keep your keg cool for up to 5 days. Plus, the gang over at Hot Beer Sucks, Inc. just rolled out some new team colors so you can totally nerd out with your bros in the parking lot or backyard all matchy-matchy-style. 

3

If you’ve been following our page for any amount of time, you’ve probably seen some of our ‘Cooking with Beer’ posts. All of our recipes come from the award-winning Beeroness. Her recipes, photography, and voice are what set her apart from the rest. Scoop up her two acclaimed books, The Craft Beer Cookbook and Craft Beer Bites Cookbook here. 

4

Phone case meets bottle opener. And they all lived happily ever after. The end.

5

For the rugged, outdoorsy imbiber in your life, steel growlers are a great choice for a cost-effective, useful purchase. Check out this cool review of 2015’s top five outdoor beer growlers from Backpacker Magazine.

6

We’ve all been there. You go to pop that 12-pack into the fridge. You gently place the first five or six on their sides and go to delicately stack the remainder in a formation atop the initial layer…and crash…the bottles smush all over your fridge losing all sense of organization, knocking into condiments and the leftovers you have been too lazy to throw away because you don’t want to wash the Tupperware. Conundrum ceased thanks to the Fridge Monkey!

7

Today’s world demands convenience and ease. Folks are steadily trying to simplify processes that we take for granted. Like opening your beer. Crackin’ that brew with two hands is so yesterday thanks to the GrOpener.

8

We’ve got friends in high places that y’all need to know if you don’t already. Rockin’ a product line of one-size-fits all beverage insulators, these peeps know how to keep cool. Grab you a Freaker and take in the majesty as it fits your beer bottle, water bottle, baby bottle, wine bottle, bomber, growler, 2-liter… you get the point. Made in good ol’ ‘Murica – this is the way to go for stocking stuffers and grab bag gifts. Freak yo' self.

9

Mama always said, ‘you can tell a lot about somebody by the caps all up in their maps’… or something like that. Give your brewery tourin’ partner in crime a Beer Cap Map this year, and watch (read: help) ‘em fill ‘er up.

10

At least two or three times a month, I pull out of the jug shop smiling ear to ear salivating over my sweet finds. Making my way out of the parking lot in just enough time to turn onto the bypass sans traffic jam, I watch my growlers fall/roll/shift around my vehicle. We’ve all been there. Trying to strategically buckle our brews in for safety. If only there was a car seat for my growlers… Welp – thanks to KegWorks, here’s my next “me” purchase. Should be yours too.

11

You know that one dish that you adore that your Ma' makes? You know, the one that when you ask for the recipe it’s all “some of this, a dash of that, sometimes I add this, I think I use this much…” yeah. Don’t let your buddy be that guy. Take notes and allow he or she to replicate that awesomeness that they’re brewin’ up on the reg.

12

For the avid fan and craft beer professional in your life, often times the gift of brewducation trumps all. With a touring program, Cicerone’s BeerSavvy Bootcamp is makin’ stops in Chicago and Asheville this Winter.

13

Speaking of education and staying in the know. The best gifts are ones that don’t cost much, but are just something we wouldn’t ordinarily get for ourselves. Consider picking up the tab on an annual magazine subscription for your favorite drinker…’er, reader. Some pubs worth checking out include: All About Beer, Draft, and Craft Beer & Brewing. 

14

There are many ways to keep cool, but when you’re lookin’ for a quality, good ole’ fashion American-made chest cooler, Icon Coolers is our choice hands down. Designed with the outdoor recreation lover in mind, these babies are tough as nails. 

15

When you hit your next beer festival, you’ll be ready with these knee high beer socks. 

16

Those pesky size restrictions at your favorite venue can be a b$#@h. So is trying to ride your bike with a chest cooler attached to your handlebars. If you can get by with just a sixer,this cooler tube is kind of a win. With a design resembling a yoga mat bag, you can sling it over your shoulder and rollerblade, walk, sprint, or ride your way into quite the tasty situation…’er, your giftee can.

17

Get your hipster on while lookin’ fly and seein’ clearly with these killer hop shades from BrewHeads.

18

For the aspiring homebrewer in your life there are many options for starter kits. Here are some tips on how to select the right one for your human.

19

Move over yoga. I have a new addiction. The good news it’s the healthiest addiction that I’ve had the pleasure of owning…for now. It’s literally anything from RVA CapWorks. We hope that including these genius artisans in this blog will woo them into participating in our Spring events. I feel like I need them to build me a garden that I surely can’t kill. You will feel the same way when you see their gems. From full suits of beer cap armor to dainty floral arrangements…they're pretty, pretty, pretty awesome.

20

Speaking of yoga…BrewerShirts has some seriously wicked cool shirts on their site now. Here’s one…

Ok, we lied. There's one more MUST HAVE...

We couldn't leave ourselves out! Thru 1/1 (while supplies last), you can score your General Admission OBX Brewfest tickets for just $25! We've also got VIP early bird specials. Hit the website for details, but we promise you that you're not going to find a more fun/affordable event out there. Keep in mind, every ticket includes unlimited samples! Spend the day doin' what y'all do well...tasting that sweet nectar of the hops, soundside, on the Outer Banks, amidst great friends, wonderful music, and a heckuvalot more. Also - check out our sister event in the Northern VA/DC market happenin' the weekend after Brewfest - it's Americana Beer Fest... super similar with some added perks, and we're still servin' up that heady pre-sale on this one for a couple more weeks as well... Good beer. Great cause. You won't wanna' miss it. Beercation anyone?

There ya’ have it folks. Buy away. Overnight ship that ish. Score your faves some gifts that will blow their minds…and maybe livers. No need to go rushing around your house looking for things to re-gift.

Cheers, y’all!

We Survived Year One!

📷: Michael Beswick | Outer Banks Voice

HOLY MOLY. What a FUN event! This inaugural event was 100% created, produced and executed by Hype Promotions. 51 breweries from all around this great nation joined us with over 120 styles of beer at the dust bowl of the Outer Banks Event Site on Sunday, May 31, treating a crowd of 2,000 to some tasty libations, good food, great music and fun times. Proceeds benefitted the Dare County Arts Council. 

Guests were able to enjoy an array of eclectic and unique flavors ranging from Salted Cucumber Saison (G2B) to Liquid Bliss Peanut Butter Porter (Terrapin). Two tents showcased solely North Carolina breweries while two others housed the US/national breweries. Outer Banks Brewing Station, Weeping Radish Farm Brewery and Full Moon Brewery mounted up at Corolla Beer and Wine Garden's vintage tap truck and greeted folks with local brews!

Believe it or not, drinking wasn’t the only thing on the agenda. 20 artisan vendors showcased their wares with artwork, pottery, authentic bitters, hammocks, one-handed bottle openers and more. The BrewU Stage had a full schedule of panels, workshops and demos by industry professionals.  If you needed a break from the beer, you could visit the Soda Garden with handcrafted sodas such as Rosemary Grapefruit, Ginger Beer, Orange Cream, Root Beer and more! To work off that buzz we had Games for Grown Folks. The Hype crew, with the help of some good friends and heady brews, handbuilt most of the games which included Life-size Connect Four, Giant Jenga, Human Foosball, Keg Bowling and Cornhole. Guests had an absolute BLAST with these games; it was just like recess in elementary school – except with tasty beverages! When you got hungry, there was a killer assortment of local food vendors including Coastal Provisions, Mulligan’s, OBX Taco Bar, and High Cotton BBQ! For the background noise we had some killer LIVE MUSIC! Mark Schmick String Band opened up the day with some fun chill tunes followed by People’s Blues of Richmond (PBR), a blues-infused psychedelic rock-n-roll band. Finally, TAUK closed out the day with their transcendent heavy instrumental rock fusion.

We can't wait to do it again.

Bigger.

Badder.

See you in 2016! Until then... 

Take it or Leave it: Your Guide to the Grounds

Here are some ground rules we have to get outta' the way so we can just sit back and play all day when you arrive to the site...

WHAT TO BRING:

• Your ticket (We cannot guarantee that the wifi will keep up with us, so printing that puppy out is your best bet for a quick entry!)

• Friends and/or family

• Blanket to sit on, if you like (no chairs, please)

• Money for food and artisan vendors

• Good vibes

• Comfy shoes

• Sunscreen

• A DD (or the # to call your DD -- Taxis will be onsite at the end of the event to take you home safely)

• Your phone  (Be sure to download the awesome new OBX Brewfest mobile app!)

• A palate ready for some heady action

WHAT NOT TO BRING:

• Children (NO ONE under 21 will be admitted.)

• Pets (Sorry gang, we love 'em too, but for the safety of our friends, both furry and otherwise, we can't allow pets this go 'round.)

• Chairs (bring a blanket!)

• Fireworks

• Pop-up tents

• Illegal substances

• Coolers

• Outside food or beverage

SEE Y'ALL SOON!