Time with NoisyRagamuffin & New Belgium's Frambozen

I stole Scotty last night while his wife performed dreadedness on my wife's head. We traversed to Mockingbird Station for time under the Irish themery (not a real word) of Trinity Hall.

The night opened with Chips and Curry and the standard Franziskaner Hefeweisen. A great conversation opener.

I then went with the Samual Smith's Organic Ale while Scotty sipped their Oatmeal Stout. The thing I enjoy about the ORganic is knowing that all the ingredients have managed to make it through the brewing process and into the bottle without being touched by pesticides or additives. A true gem.

Amidst conversation of his son's passion for God and desire to know that he knows where he stands with the Creator, the two of us jumped out on a limb and ordered the Thames Welsh ESB. A delightful surprise indeed. We paired it up with the Hall's Pub Style Curry (Scotty's Vegetarian, mine with Lamb) and it made for a surprisingly strong and complimentary relationship. The sweet, smooth toffee and molasses of the Welsh ESB against the spice and punch of the Curry made for the "Who knew?" moment of the night.

Open theism, missiology and ecclesiology. Great converstaion deserves a great liquid. What better than Chimay White Label? In my mind, there is not enough goodness that can be said of Chimay White. I will not try to start in this post. Suffice it to say, the glory of Chimay definitely fit well, a fine match, for the time that Scotty and I were afforded.

"It is good when brothers dwell together in unity..." Psalms

And, here's one for the books. I had this idea last year upon first trying New Belgium's Frambozen. It is a beauty of a drink with only limited availability from October thru December and, seeings as I tried it late in the year, I was not able to employ my dream until tonight. The idea?

Frambozen over Vanilla ice cream.

I got the idea reading a site alst year of a porter that is renown for being poured over ice cream and served as a desert. When I tried the Frambozen last year, I knew this was the inevitable destination for this beer.

So, when Kelly and I visited the store tonight, I picked up some Fram and decided to pair it with Ben & Jerry's Homemade Vanilla. You know a Vanilla Ice Cream is good when you almost stop your experiment in beauty just to finish the scoops you've served yourself.

Nevertheless, the pour of the Fram proceeded and developed into a experience in bliss. Frambozen normally has a little twang to it from the raspberries, however this was calmed only a hint by the sweetness of the Vanilla. Truth be know, had I not poured the Fram myself, I would have thought that the drink could have passed as something from Cold Stone Creamery, it was that good. The sweetness of the Ben & Jerry's Vanilla over the twang and depth of the Frambozen is simply meant to be.

Try it.

You'll like it.

Live Oak Brewery

I had the opportunity to hang out at the Live Oak Brewery in the industrial area of east Austin last week. Ron, my "lead" at Central Market, Callaway, my #1 brewing companion and I headed over on Wednesday morning around 11 a.m. -- just as the winter blast was entering town.

Ron is good friends with Steve, the brewmaster. Callaway, by happy providence, just received his brewing internship there. I was just the third wheel, an interested observer and taster.

I don't normally drink beer so early in the day (I promise!), but I wasn't going to just stand there and miss out, either. So I began with their Hefe Weisen, recalling that Germans traditionally drink wheat beer for breakfast. I've been a big fan of this beer for quite a while. It is as close to a true German-style Hefe as I've found from a U.S. brewery, with the classic hints of bananas and cloves and a milder fruitiness than the typical American variety. Refreshing and creamy.

Next I sampled their Pilz. Again, the idea here is to remain true to the Bavarian tradition, using European malt, yeast and hops. And once again, this is a great beer for Texas heat and cooking. This a very good Pilsner, one I often enjoy at local Austin restaurants with a burger or pizza. It has the crisp backbone characteristic of Pilsner Urquell, though not quite as dramatic. And it hints at the floral aroma of Rebel and the breadiness of North Coast's Scrimshaw.

"So why didn't you guys open a brewpub instead?"

"Because we don't know anything about the restaurant business."

"Why don't you bottle your beers, instead of just delivering kegs?"

"Because the bottling equipment is the largest investment in any brewery."

I like their logic. And I like their humble ambition -- to simply make great beer for the locals, rather than trying to mass market themselves all over the place.

I tried the Liberation Ale next. This is a slightly heavy-bodied IPA, somewhere between the hoppy beers that have become so common in the Northern Pacific microbrew renassaince, and the maltiness of English pale ales. A really pleasant beer, though I would only pair it with thick, meaty foods.

As we were leaving, the owner called our attention to a rare beer they had snuck into the tap. Although it was on the Big Bark label, this was actually the Liberator. This is an extremely high alcohol Doppelbock. It was way too much to drink at 12:30 in the afternoon (good thing these were small samples), but I was very pleased by it. This is one to look out for if you can find it -- an exceptional sweet, malty winter warmer. Try the Ginger Man in Dallas or Alamo Drafthouse South in Austin.

I've been saying this since I've lived here and I've found no reason to change my mind -- this is the best beer in Austin (maybe Texas). At a brewing rate of 3,000 gallons per week of kegs sent to local pubs and restaurants, there's plenty of support for my opinion.

Great Divide Brewing Co.: Ridge Line

Walking through the door, the smell of Deb's creation was incredible. Chicken pasta with homemade flat bread. A dream...

The six beverages in the cardboard container did not maintain their numbers very long. Taking our first sips with the meal, joy filled our oral senses. Great Divide's Ridge Line began. Amber ale. Beautiful, smooth delivery with a hint of hop bite at the end... unusual for an amber as smooth as this. Rich says, "Hmm. A bit of hops." Good call.

Chocolate resonates throughout the experience, from aroma to the aftertaste, with a nutty complexity. Drink between cold and room temperature for the fullness of the experience.

A second helping of flatbread to dip into pasta sauce with its heart of palm and artichoke juices make for a great finish to the meal.

Great conversation ensues.

It is late and time to rest. The Chimay White Label will have to wait for another night, for Chimay should never be enjoyed alone.