Railroad Tie Smoked IPA from Bottle Logic and Hopscotch Fullerton

Collaboration between breweries is everywhere these days. Taking personality traits from two breweries and brewing them into one beer has been very successful in both showcasing and isolating unique traits the breweries feature. But what happens when you take a restaurant known for its food and whiskey and mash their personality into a collaboration with a brewery known for innovation and pushing its limits? You get a fantastic IPA called Railroad Tie.

The brewers at Bottle Logic have made a collaboration beer with Hopscotch of Fullerton featuring cold smoked hops to celebrate Hopscotch's second-year anniversary. This beer is available Sunday November 16th at Hopscotch and it will blow your taste-buds away--especially combined with the smoked meats being offered at their anniversary party!

Bottle Logic has made a name for themselves through "Innovation" and "Invention" as their tasting room suggests--prominently featuring a portrait of Nichola Tesla, electrical engineering books, and sci-fi sketches. This IPA is nothing short of inventive science. The first thing that came to mind when I tried it was "how does one smoke hops without destroying the delicate citrus aromatics?" Brandon Buckner, Founder and Brand Manager of Bottle Logic was eager to explain the process:
"We cold smoked the hops over night. Piping in cold smoke into a container of whole Citra Hops we are able to impart the smoked flavor without exposing the hops to direct heat and leaving all those delicate alpha acids intact"

So no artificial smoke flavor? No "bacon-flavored" beer? Not at all. This beer hits you on the nose with those brilliant Citra notes and follows through with great hop flavor with just a hint of smokiness in the end resulting in a well balanced beer and a solid hitting west coast IPA.

So enough of me raving about it, here is where you can get your hands on some Railroad Tie.

This Sunday, November 16th from 3PM to 7:30PM Downtown Fullerton at Hopscotch. Come celebrate their two year anniversary with some Railroad Tie Smoked IPA and a special smoked menu featuring St. Louis ribs, Tri-tip, and chicken all by Executive Chef Linh Nguyen--proceeds benefit Coast to Coast Foundation, a community-based organization dedicated to the needs of the area's homeless and underprivileged.

Hopscotch

Craft Beer + Whiskey

136 E Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832(714) 871-2222

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Hopped up Jalapenos

I love to use inspiration from my Mexican and Russian heritage as often as possible when cooking. Whether I'm adding jicama to salad or a splash of pepper to a dish, staying rooted to my heritage has never steered me in the wrong direction. This is why I decided that pickling up some jalapenos would be the best addition to summer barbecues and warm nights. 

Keeping in mind that hops magnify the heat of peppers I decided to pickle some mild jalapenos in an extra hoppy pale ale to give them some kick and also bring out the citrusy notes of the hot pepper and the coriander!

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

2tbsp honey

1tbsp salt

2tsp whole coriander

1tsp whole mustard seed

pinch of whole pepper corns

juice from one lime

1/3 cup golden balsamic

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cups of beer (I used Knee Deep's Citra Extra Pale Ale)

7 mild jalapenos

-Slice up your jalapenos thinly and set aside in heat proof container

-Add honey, salt, spices, vinegars, lime juice, and 1 cup of the beer to a pot and simmer

-Simmer pickling liquid for about 5 minutes

-Add 1/2 cup of beer and remove from heat for a couple minutes

-Pour liquid over sliced jalapenos and cover container

-You can enjoy them after about 2 hours and they will keep for a couple weeks if properly refrigerated!

Pair your jalapenos with grilled meats, tacos, charcuterie and of course a refreshing beer!

Don't forget to share pictures of your Hopped up Jalapenos with me on Instagram with #fugglybrew!

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Holiday Beer Buying Guide for Beginners

When you're on your way to see family and old friends for the holidays, the last thing you want to stress out about is what to bring. You are already getting the 9th degree of what you've been doing with your life the last year, who you're dating, why you're putting up with that soul-sucking job, when will you pop the question to your girlfriend of 5 years... Chances are you're already pretty stressed out and what better way to lubricate the situation than with a little booze.

Here's a few tips for the beginner on bringing beer to your holiday table.

Don't Be A Scrooge
This is not the time of year to grab a 30-rack, or a 12-pack of aluminum bottles. If you're looking to save a little money check out some of the beers in the bombers ( 22oz bottles) section. During this time of year they have holiday beers that are usually spiced with a heavier alcohol and flavor profile. If you're looking to splurge check out a Magnum (1.5L) or Jeraboam (3L bottles)-- these beers are great for parties or if your host or hostess is a connoisseur these are great for cellaring 'till next year.

Go Local
Skip BevMo and go to the bottle shop down the street. The guys there will be knowledgeable and able to help you pick out a good beer to go with your meal as well as let you know new beers and special releases that are around just for the season.

From The Source
The best beer is usually fresh beer, and during the holidays fresh hop beer is king. If you live near a brewery go in and ask if they have any wet hop or fresh hop beer you can get in a growler (refillable 64oz glasses from the brewery). It goes with well with stinky cheeses and mild meats and is perfect for a course of canapes.

Hostess Gifts 
Proper glassware is always a plus whether you're at a restaurant or enjoying a "brewski" at home. Grab a set of tulip glasses on your way out of the bottle shop or brewery for your hostess to enjoy the beer you brought. The right glass increases your enjoyment by opening up the aromas and like a wine, allowing the flavor profile to open up and relax.

The most important part of buying beer is to have a little fun, if you see Santa's Butt-- buy it! Drinking should be enjoyable

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#IPAday Cigar Pairing in Santa Rosa

Join us for an evening of top ranking California IPA's and expertly paired cigars in the newest craft beer pub in Santa Rosa, Heritage Public House! Never had a cigar with your beer? You're missing out! There will be two IPA flights to choose from; a citrusy, bright flight of 4 standard IPA's, and a bold, spicy flight of 4 Imperial and Black. Each flight has the option to add a perfectly paired cigar to that style of IPA. Please come on down and celebrate #IPAday with FugglyBrew.com!

Click Here To RSVP!

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Options For Cinco De Mayo

It's Cinco De Mayo, America's favorite day to indulge in the wonderfully addicting food of Mexico and of course booze! Along with all the wonderful tequila's that will be consumed so will copious quantities of Tecate's, Pacifico's, Dos Equis and heaven forbid Bud Lime. I am here just to drop a friendly note regarding alternatives to these American-style lagers and some tasty dishes to pair with them!

Cucapá, named after the native tribe of Baja California, or Cerveceria de Baja California is a first in Mexican craft beer advocacy promoting a culture for good beer and awareness that there is more to beer than just Pacifico.

The Cucapá Honey Amber (4.5%) is a beautifully sessionable beer with a rich tan color and aromas of toasty nuts and light citrus. It's flavor had a deep flavor, almost of a savory french toast, very bright and refreshing. This beer plays well with the that of lightly salted corn chips and my Mango-Avocado Salsa!

Mango-Avocado Salsa
1 Firm but ripe Avocado, peeled + diced
1 Mango, peeled + diced
1 Jalapeno, roasted+ chopped
1/3 Cup Red Onion, chopped
3 key limes
chopped cilantro to taste
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
Salt and Pepper

The Cucapá Obsura Brown Ale (4.5%) pours a bay brown with swirls of roasted toffee and molasses aromas. It's dry nutty flavor with hints of dutched chocolate make for a lovely pairing with Carne Asada!

The Chupacabra has indeed been found in Cucapá's Pale Ale (5.8%)! A medium bodied, deep caramel colored ale with citrus and savory complexities is the perfect companion for your evenings main dish of Camarones A La Diabla or Pescado Al Mojo De Ajo.

Of all the beer's that I've tasted by Cerveceria de Baja California my favorite by far is the Cucapá Barleywine (10%). With gobs and layers of caramel and chocolate covered orange peel, this black cherry colored barleywine is the perfect night cap for your cozy Cinco de Mayo dinner.

For those of you planning to do more drinking than cooking for Cinco De Mayo and in my growing excitement for the upcoming Boonville Beerfest I would also like to tell you about my new guilty pleasure that is Anderson Valley Brewing Co.'s Cerveza Crema (5.6%). This is a super smooth, lightly sweet cream ale reminiscent of an old fashioned cream soda. I was super excited when I tried this because of it's simplicity and it's crisp finish, perfect for a hot day! If you're looking for something to pair with your fiesta's flan this is definitely the beer!

Have a fun and safe festivity! ¡Salud!

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Goats Do Roam...and Tweet!

Check-in your brew from the shower! Tweet your latest cocktail recipe! Foursquare from the hottest gastropub! I am truly obsessed with social media from almost every angle of my life. We want our information smooth and fast and that's just what I've done with my ultra simple photo stream  called The Roaming Goat. The Roaming Goat is a strictly food related mobile blog updated from where ever I may be but not only that, it's optimized for you to see from where ever you may be. Each photo's description is accompanied by links to websites and the twitter profiles that are related to the place I'm at. Check it out and tell me what you think!
Cheers!

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