tasting life

We've moved!

ajbosco — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 10:22:11 -0400

We’ve decided to move the blog to WordPress where we’ll have a bit more control of the content. Check us out there!

http://thetastinglife.wordpress.com/

Hill Farmstead Brewery Art (Rate Beer: 99, Beer Advocate: A) The...

ajbosco — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:35:00 -0400

Hill Farmstead Brewery Art (Rate Beer: 99, Beer Advocate: A)

The wine barrel aged version of the small VT brewer’s Arthur Saison is delicious. I just wish they distributed to Boston so I could drink more.

Nashoba Valley Winery

michmashed — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 09:39:00 -0400

Last Saturday, Adam and I went to the Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, MA. This place is more than just a winery. They not only make their own wine, but also brew their own beer and liquor! Getting here, I couldn’t help but feel like we were driving through a little town in Vermont. Very quaint and charming. When you pull up all you see is fields and grape vines everywhere.

As we waited for our tour to start, we were able to try some wines and beer that weren’t going to be featured in the tour. I tried a blackberry wine that was very good and also their dry, apple New English Cider. (Yes they even make cider including pear!). It was my favorite for sure. Very light, dry and refreshing. During the tour, we were able to learn a bit about the history of the winery and of course (the best part) were able to sample some of their wines. The most noteable being their wine of the month: Strawberry Ruhbarb. Which reminds me…I had no idea you could make wine from fruit other than grapes! (Goes to show what I know I guess…) Anyway the Strawberry Rhubarb was…OK. A little too sweet for me but I can see where other people may like it. We also found out that they make vodka from apples, which I thought was pretty neat. I didn’t hear anything about apple picking, but I made note that I wanted to comeback here during the Fall season. The scenery should be amazing.

After the tour, we were able to purchase some wine and of course some beer…and we headed to my parents house where we had some dinner and were able to share and enjoy our purchases out on the back deck. A perfect way to spend a summer evening!

Well hope you enjoy the photos. If you haven’t been there yet, I highly recommend it. The tour is cheap (only $7) and it was about an hour and included 4 tastings. Their store also has quite the selection of wine, as you can imagine, but also beer and some food items such as jams, cheeses and crackers. You can actually go outside and sit at picnic tables and chairs to relax and enjoy your wine, beer or whatever you purchased. You can’t beat that! Check it out and see for yourself! :)

Soft Shelled Maine Lobster

ajbosco — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:40:10 -0400

Soft Shelled Maine Lobster

Sesame-Ginger Chicken with Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Potatoes, and...

ajbosco — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:30:00 -0400

Sesame-Ginger Chicken

Nashoba Valley New English Cider

Sesame-Ginger Chicken with Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Potatoes, and Nashoba Valley New English Cider

We tried another new recipe last night and once again it was pretty good. The only issue was that the sesame-ginger chicken barbecue sauce was a bit thin. It turns out that accidentally using twice as much water as required is not a good thing. Oops.

Bitter Melon Stir-Fry I love trying new foods and I’ve...

ajbosco — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:05:01 -0400

Bitter Melon Stir-Fry

I love trying new foods and I’ve been itching to try bitter melon since Michelle told me about the fruit (it’s very popular in Okinawa where her mother is from), so when I saw it at my local produce store today I decided to give it a shot. No real recipe was followed and I just used stuff I had sitting around, so I’m sure this is about as authentic as Olive Garden. Still it was pretty tasty. I used rice vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes to cut the bitterness and it worked pretty well though you can still definitely taste how the melon got it’s name.

Cape Ann Brewing (Gloucester, MA) Our original plan to enjoy...

ajbosco — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:31:00 -0400

Great view on the deck

Fisherman's Bavarian Wheat

Cheese Plate

Cape Ann Brewing (Gloucester, MA)

Our original plan to enjoy yesterday’s great weather involved sitting on the beach and doing nothing, but after failing to find parking at seemingly every beach on the North Shore we went enacted Plan B and headed to Cape Ann Brewing. This brewpub is right on the water in Gloucester and they have a great outdoor deck, so the day was not a total loss. Their beer was really tasty, too. I enjoyed the Fresh Hopped IPA (it’s run through a filter of whole cone hops as it’s served) and Michelle loved the Bavarian Wheat pictured above. Highly recommended if you’re in the area.

Bottling Day We bottled the Summer Saison we brewed 3 weeks ago....

ajbosco — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:58:00 -0400

Capping is so fun

The finished product

Bottling Day

We bottled the Summer Saison we brewed 3 weeks ago. Not the funnest thing in the world (I can’t wait to start kegging!), but it’s done. The uncarbonated version tasted very good, so I have high hopes for the final product. Now we just need to sit back for another 3 weeks and wait…

Chuckwagon Goat Cheese Burger with Onion Jam and Lumberyard...

ajbosco — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:31:05 -0400

Chuckwagon Goat Cheese Burger with Onion Jam and Lumberyard Brewing Big Rapid Red

We tried this recipe last night and it was fantastic even though we used turkey meat to make it a little healthier. The onion jam goes perfectly with the goat cheese and was really easy to make. We’ll definitely be trying it again.

Happy 4th of July!!

michmashed — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:13:41 -0400

Happy 4th of July!!

Wales/England Trip 2011

michmashed — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:39:31 -0400

So Adam and I are excited to announce our first (and definitely not our last) overseas trip. Come October 27th we’re off to the UK! We’ll be starting off our trip in Swansea, Wales where, fortunately, my Aunt will be hosting us for a few days. I’ve been to Wales twice now, and as you can tell I can’t get enough of it. If it wasn’t for the weather…I’d actually consider moving there. As soon as you get off the plane you seriously can not help but take in a deep breath and smile. Sure there’s no palm trees and bright blue, sandy beaches but it’s a different kind of beauty over there. There’s something that’s so warm and welcoming I can’t even describe it. It’s like that all over the UK.Adam is beyond excited which makes me ten times more excited for this trip. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees the big green pastures with sheep everywhere and all the cute little houses along the country side.

As we make our treck from Heathrow to Swansea, our first stop will be at Castle Combe. If you close your eyes and think of quintessential England and what you picture on post cards and in movies then this is the place. In fact, TV/Movie directors have felt the same way as many different shows and movies have been filmed in this little town. It works out that it’s about a midway point from Heathrow to Swansea, so it’ll help break up the drive a bit.

That’s just the beginning of the trip though. We’ll be ending our trip in London and Adam has been feverishly doing all the research on the places that he (we) would like to see. Some I’ve seen before, but honestly one time really isn’t enough. I’m actually really glad he likes doing all the work because I have no patience with doing the research on what is where, the timing of it, pricing and all that stuff. I’ve included below a copy of our “itinerary” that he’s put together so far. You’ll notice that there are a lot of stops to local pubs that have their own craft beer or that they’ve opened their doors to allow other brewers to sell it there. -That’s the other thing I can’t wait for him to see. The pubs are just, everything you imagine when thinking of a traditional pub. However, the one thing I remember having a hard time getting used to is not tipping the bartender! It’s actually considered rude to do it. I guess because a lot of the bartenders are owners of the pub as well…so you tipping them is almost like a charity…but if you are a frequent patron of theirs and know them well…the polite thing to do would be to order your drink, pay, and then give a few extra and say: “and one for yourself…”.

So anyway, without further ado, below is our UK “to do” list. If you have any comments, suggestions on anything that we are seeing…or should be seeing please let us know!

10/27 Depart Boston - 10:00pm

10/28 Arrive London - 9:15am
Pick up rental car - 11:00am
Castle Combe, England

10/29 Swansea City vs. Bolton

10/30 Visit a castle

10/31 Joiners Arms Brewpub
Bryncelyn Brewery

11/1 Bath, England Roman Baths
Lunch/Dinner Spots Zero Degrees Brewpub
The Hop Hole
The Star Inn
The Old Green Tree
The Raven

11/2 Depart Bath - 9:00am
Arrive London - 11:00am
Drop off rental car - 11:30am
Check in at Best Western Victoria Place - 2:00pm
Buckingham Palace
Westminster Abbey
Houses of Parliament
Big Ben
Trafalgar Square
The Harp
The Bree Louise
The Craft Beer Company
Cask Pub & Kitchen

11/3 Tower of London
Tower Bridge
Brick Lane
Borough Market
Tate Modern
The Wenlock Arms
The Lamb
The Rake
Brew Wharf
The Old Red Cow

11/4 White Hart Lane
Stamford Bridge
Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station
Hyde Park (Speaker’s Corner)
Oxford Street
Thames River Cruise

11/5 Check out of hotel - 11:00am
The Kernel Brewery
Depart London - 7:00pm

Narragansett Lager at Back Eddy (Westport, MA) The perfect...

ajbosco — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:58:00 -0400

Narragansett Lager at Back Eddy (Westport, MA)

The perfect setting for a hot Fourth of July Weekend.

The Bruery/Lawson’s Finest Acer Quercus I just got this...

ajbosco — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:19:00 -0400

The Bruery/Lawson’s Finest Acer Quercus

I just got this one in the mail the other day. It’s a very limited (brewery only?) release made by everyone’s favorite Vermont nanobrewery, Lawson’s Finest, and The Bruery from California. I think I’ll be saving this one for a special occasion. Sounds really tasty.

A collaboration between The Bruery and Lawson’s Finest Liquids, this complex ale is seeping with Vermont maple syrup and maplewood smoked malt. Brewed at The Bruery with the use of oak cubes. ABV: 9.5%.

Homebrew Citra IPA (courtesy of my friend Erik) This is the...

ajbosco — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:36:00 -0400

Homebrew Citra IPA (courtesy of my friend Erik)

This is the second homebrew that Erik has sent me and it’s another hit. A nice, balanced, easy drinking pale.

First place in trivia at Pizzeria Regina!!

ajbosco — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:05:00 -0400

First place in trivia at Pizzeria Regina!!

2011 Zymurgy Best Beers in America

ajbosco — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:29:01 -0400

2011 Zymurgy Best Beers in America:

Zymurgy Magazine just released a list of their reader’s favorite beers in 2011 and the results are about what you’d expect with perennial favorite Russian River Pliny the Elder on top for the third straight year. While a great beer, I disagree with the results as my favorite beer (and I’ve had all of these except for 3) Goose Island Bourbon County Stout finished 13th.

What’s left of the Banana Bread I made last night. Just...

michmashed — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:24:00 -0400

What’s left of the Banana Bread I made last night. Just barely had enough to spare for Adam… (No I did not eat all of that myself…)

One of the things I love most about summer is the frequent...

michmashed — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:38:00 -0400

One of the things I love most about summer is the frequent cookouts with friends and family.

Yesterday, I got to enjoy some of Opa Opa’s Raspberry Wheat beer, as we celebrated my sister’s, brother-in-law’s, and my birthday. Throw in some fresh raspberries and you have the perfect summer refreshment. If only New England summers lasted forever!

The Perfect Friday Delivery Don’t you just love when you...

ajbosco — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:23:32 -0400

The Perfect Friday Delivery

Don’t you just love when you get a big box of beer in the mail. Thanks, Jeff!

Batch Ice Cream at Sam Adams Brewery (Jamaica Plain, MA) This...

ajbosco — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:30:06 -0400

Batch Ice Cream at Sam Adams Brewery (Jamaica Plain, MA)

This upstart ice cream company from JP was serving up samples last night at Sam Adams’ Open House. Made from scratch with local ingredients, it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t care for sweets. The Salted Caramel was my favorite, but the Ginger was really interesting as well. I’ll definitely be picking up a pint from these guys soon.