By Heather Burns

Normally I go for lower alcohol, sessionable beers, but when you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, it’s time to think out of the box. These are crazy times and with all this time at home, it's making my beer selections a bit more adventurous. 

I'd like to suggest Burley Oak's Search and Destroy TIPA (aka Triple IPA!) weighing in at a whopping 10% ABV.  This is a big beer, but still has the refreshing citrus notes that you want in an IPA, and it is surprisingly smooth.  In fact, it may creep up on you, so this is a good sipping beer; the perfect choice for a Zoom Happy Hour! 

Burley Oak Brewing Company is in the town of Berlin, Maryland and produces delicious beers, often with locally sourced ingredients.  Search and Destroy sounds like a wartime beer, and I, for one, am up for the challenge! Stay safe, beer drinkers, and stay stocked! 

We’re still selling to go at St. Gambrinus and we have Search and Destroy on draft. Come fill your Growler. 64 ounces of 10% beer might be just what the doctor orders for a pandemic!

It's time for Thanksgiving, delicious turkey, your favorite pie, football and beer!

When it comes to beer, there’s no one better to talk to than our very own Heather Burns. Not only is she responsible for keeping The Zweben Team on course, Heather is and expert on all things beer. Heather and her husband Ray Darmstadt are the proprietors at the St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.  Here are Heather's thoughts on the holiday and beer.

I look forward to that huge, comforting, sweet and savory Thanksgiving meal every year.  For me, a lot of what makes holidays so much fun with my family is our mutual appreciation of good drinks and good laughs.  We drink more wine than beer in my family, but I've never really thought wine tasted particularly good with Thanksgiving foods. 

The less acidic quality of beer is better suited to pairing with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweets like cranberry sauce, and all of the fixings!  Plus, it's fun getting my parents in their 70s and 80s to taste different beers.  While Mom has decided she likes IPAs since they smell like flowers, my step-Dad is still digging in his heels over English ales.

If you would like to do something different this year and pair your Thanksgiving meal with beer instead of wine, I've got some great suggestions. 

If you know you prefer a lighter (colored) beer, this is a really terrific choice.  Allagash is one of my favorite breweries.  It's an established brewery in Maine and the Saison is their classic, farmhouse-style ale.  It's easy drinking, lightly bitter with a bit of spice.  This would go well with a variety of foods and is just a lovely beer for daily drinking!

If you are a Guinness drinker and would like to have something darker to pair with your meal, this Long Island brewery's porter is a perfect choice.  This is a delicious, rich beer with hints of roasted coffee, with a nice dry finish. It can easily pair with both the Thanksgiving meal and all of the holiday pies too!  

Heather Burns, St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe, Brooklyn, NY

I like to mix up my pie apples. While a combination of Honey Crisp and McIntosh apples makes me, any combination of apples that you love to eat will be equally delicious.

You'll need dough for a two-crust pie. I like to make my own but, if making pastry seems too scary, you can use store bought dough.

Now for the good stuff. This pie filling is easy and delicious. There's a reason they say it's as easy as pie!

Ingredients:

• 6-7 medium apples
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 T flour

Method:

• Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning
• Add the sugar cinnamon, salt, and flour to the apples.
• Let them sit for at least 30 minutes to draw out the juices. 
• While the apples are macerating, preheat the oven to 400F.
• Pour the apples into your prepared pie shell and dot with butter.
• Place the top crust over the apples and crimp the edges.
• Don't forget to cut vents on the top crust!
• Place the pie on a cookie sheet before you put it in the oven to avoid any of the juices from hitting the bottom of your oven.
• Bake the pie for about 60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the juices begin to bubble out.

Enjoy after dinner, for a late night snack, or have a slice for breakfast!

When it comes to a late night snack, we asked our resident beer expert and proprietor at St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe, Heather Burns, what she would serve with our rockin' apple pie. Heather says we should pair our pie with an Allagash Curieux.  Allagash is one of the most respected, established craft breweries in the US, founded in 1995 and is located in Portland, ME.  This is a Tripel aged for 7 weeks in bourbon barrels and then blended with a fresh portion of Tripel. It’s smooth and slightly boozy with notes of coconut and vanilla.  Perfect to pair with apple pie a la mode!

This recipe will serve 4-6 people.

Ingredients

• 1 Small onion, diced
• 1/2 lb. Ham, julienned
• 1 T Olive oil
• 3 c. Fresh corn
• 1/4 c. Fresh basil
• 1 tsp. Crushed red peppers
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

The Method

• Shuck corn and cut kernels from the cob.
• Saute onion in a frying pan on medium heat.
• Add ham and cook until heated through.
• Throw in the corn, crushed red peppers and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove from heat and add the basil.

Serve it warm or cold. It's the perfect accompaniment for grilled chicken.

We asked Heather Burns, The Zweben Team expert for all things beer and proprietor at St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe in Brooklyn, NY, what she recommended for our scrumptious corn salad. She suggested Prairie Flare. This light and tart Gose-style beer is brewed by the immensely popular, Prairie Artisan Ales in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Prairie Flare is brewed with orange and coriander and is the perfect beer to pair with a summer salad. Slightly tart, and even a little salty, but with enough citrus to balance the flavor, this refreshing beer would also make a great alternative to a mimosa at brunch.

Don't you just love summer?!

The weather’s getting warmer and that makes me start thinking about spending some quality time in the back yard with my grill and cold one.

When it comes to beer, there’s no one better to talk to than our very own Heather Burns. Not only is she responsible for keeping The Zweben Team on course, Heather is and expert on all things beer. Heather and her fiance Ray Darmstadt are the proprietors at the St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.

When I told her I was planning to make my world famous ribs this Memorial Day, there was no holding her back! While I typically use Guinness in the marinade, Heather suggested using Black Hog Granola Brown. With a name like that, how can I resist giving it a try?

Heather says this dark brew from Black Hog in Oxford, CT, is an interesting spin on a brown ale. It’s brewed with granola, oatmeal,  and roasted malts and has a nice hop backbone for balance.

I think I’ll be trying a bit of the “hog” on my hog this year.

As for what to drink, she suggested a couple more tasty treats, Carton IDIPA and Finback Double Sess(ion).

Heather says she loves a hoppy, fresh IPA or Double IPA to go with any spicy food. The hops in the Carton IDIPA, brewed in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, cut through the spiciness and also make a nice contrast to the rich, juicy meat.

If you’re not a fan of hoppy beers, Heather suggests the Finback Double Sess(ion), brewed in Queens, NY. Her sophisticated beer-palate says it’s a unique wheat beer brewed with Szechuan peppercorns, ginger and chamomile. The subtle pepperiness and spice, along with the light body of the beer will be refreshing and a great complement for BBQ ribs.

So everyone is happy, I think I’ll have all three on hand.