Category Archives: Learn About Beer

Alex’s 6 Top Fall Brews

August is too early to start thinking about Pumpkin Spiced anything, but the End of September, now that’s a different story. The crispness in the cool air starts to permeate the thoughts of what’s to come. As the new crop of seasonal brews rolls in, here are some of Alex’s great suggestions to pick up and try. But just like the fall season, these brews will disappear like the leaves on the trees. They’ll be gone before you know it so get ’em while the getting’s good and the supply is here. Thanks for the tips, Alex!

Oktoberfest Lager By Banded Brewing

A domestic take on the timeless German style. This version is bready and warm with hints of toffee and caramel. Sssshhh – You can almost hear the Oohmpa band.

ABV: 5.4% Price: $10.99 – 4pk 16oz cans

Smashed Pumpkin By Shipyard

A boozy spin on the OG pumpkin ale from Shipyard. Big and robust with pumpkin sweetness and Saphir hops.

ABV: 9% Price: $12.99 – 4pk 16oz cans

 

Roadsmary’s Baby By Two Roads

A rum-barrel aged pumpkin ale that amplifies the sweetness of the pumpkin and adds tons of warm baking spice flavor. Plus the name is just genius.

ABV: 6.8% Price: $11.99 – 6pk 12oz cans

Cold Press Coffee Pumking By Southern Tier

Cold brewing coffee leaves behind the bitter acids that can seem harsh, but brings forward vegetal notes that highlight the pumpkin flavors in this imperial brew. A great treat for PSL lovers!

ABV: 8.6% Price: $15.99 – 4pk 12oz btls

Pumpkin Cider By Downeast Cider

The top seller from Downeast is a fan favorite for good reason. An excellent blend of pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon spices create a warming but refreshing cider, making it one of our first to land and first to leave for the fall season. Get it while we got it!

ABV: 5.1% Price: $9.99 – 4pk 12oz cans // $17.99 9pk 12oz cans

 

The Great Pumpkin Ale By Cambridge Brewing Company

CBC uses all local ingredients for their pumpkin ale including sugar pumpkins from Lexington, MA and organic barley from Hadley, MA. It is a great balance between pumpkin spice sweetness and hearty lager.

ABV: 5.5% Price: $15.99 – 4pk 16oz cans

Enjoy these selections and let us know what you think.

Pricing subject to change. Seasonal product with limited availability while supplies last.

Art + Beer = Collective Arts Brewing

The beers brewed by Collective Arts Brewing were first made available to us here in Rhode Island late last year and I have been head over heels for them since.

The mission of the grassroots brewery, located in Ontario, Canada, is to fuse the creativity of craft beer making with the talents of emerging artists and musicians. Bringing their beer to our store was a no-brainer: you know how important supporting local artists is to us!

Every label and can features a limited-edition work of art, and the suds inside are something of a work of art, as well. My personal favorite of the moment is their Lunch Money Blond Ale. It’s a no-frills, easy drinking ale that goes with nearly everything.

If you’re on the more adventurous side, you have to try Liquid Art Fest. This is a passionfruit, mango, and vanilla sugar ‘milkshake’ IPA. You absolutely must pour this into a glass, it pours out like freshly-squeezed OJ!

Below are the brews that we’re featuring in our beer section. We’ll be cracking open several of them during an in-store event on Friday, August 31st, 2018 from 4-7pm. Please come by and let me know what you think!

Saint of Circumstance Citrus Blond Ale
Like the citrus flavors that come from IPAs but not so into the bite from the hops? This lemon-y citrus blond ale is for you. Low ABV, pilsner malt and seasonal citrus zest.

4pk $11.99 

Single $3.49

 

 

Lunch Money Blond Ale
As I stated above, this is my go-to easy ale. Just a well-crafted beer that is super crisp and balanced

4pk $9.99

Single $2.75

 

 

 

Prophets & Nomads Gose
An unfiltered wheat beer with coriander and Himalayan salt. Dry, spicy and tart. Great acid!

4pk $11.99

Single $3.49

 

 

 

Ransack the Universe IPA
Galaxy hops from Australia meet Mosaic hops from Washington and marry beautifully in this better-than-awesome IPA. Crisp, slightly bitter and dangerously drinkable.

4pk $11.99

Single $3.49

 

 

Liquid Art Fest
I know, I know. This one takes a bit of a leap in price from the ones I’ve mentioned thus far (see below), but does it make you want it more knowing that when this comes off the truck I have to hide it from coworkers who want to keep it all to themselves? This stuff is nuts. A pure creamy, tropical fruit sensation in a glass. And as I said earlier, you MUST pour it out to really appreciate the wonder of it!

4pk $16.99  

Single $4.75

Cheers!
-Alex

all prices subject to change

Veteran-Owned 14th Star Brewing

This veteran-owned and operated brewery out of St. Albans City, Vermont is near and dear to our hearts. Founder Steve Gagner began writing the business plan for it on the back cover of his battlefield notebook when he was serving our country in the mountains of Afghanistan. With the help of his best friend and fellow soldier Matt Kehaya, Steve opened the doors to the brewery in 2012. Since then, 14th Star has been pumping out delicious, quality brews with the community and military forces in mind: They are very proud of their commitment to give back to various veteran organizations and the communities in which their beer is sold. And we are very proud to feature their lineup here at Bottles. Here’s what you will find: 
Valor Amber Ale 
14th Star’s flagship ale, Valor is a clean, hoppy amber ale with great crisp flavors and aromas.16oz 4pk – $13.99
Follow Me IPA 
A delicious session IPA brewed with five American and Australian hop varieties. Very crisp and easy-drinking. 16oz 4pk – $13.99
Tribute Double IPA 
If you’re looking for a super piney, super pineappley IPA, this is perfect for you. Definitely a best seller here at Bottles! 
16oz 4pk – $14.99
Maple Breakfast Stout 
A great breakfast oatmeal stout with filled with locally-inspired flavors of Vermont maple syrup and cold brew coffee. 16oz 4pk – $13.99
B72 Double IPA 
All you New England-style IPA fans must try B72! Tons of hops, juicy citrus flavors and hints of tropical fruit. 16oz 4pk – $14.99
Recruit Golden Ale 
Clean, crisp and refreshing. The Recruit is a well-made golden ale for when you don’t want anything too bitter and just want to enjoy the malts. 16oz 4pk – $13.99
Drink well and do good! Cheers!

Milk Stout & Chocolate Chip Cookies

photo credit: Stephanie Ewens

It almost seems too simple, doesn’t it. But when brainstorming on what to pair with this easy and delicious Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie from our friends at 
Easy Entertaining, we automatically went to the tried and true standards: Madeira, Port, Moscato. And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of those wines, we had a head-slap moment when we remembered one of the most iconic and classic pairings of all time: milk & cookies.

Which is why we opened Hitachino’s Sweet Stout when we made the recipe, featured in the Winter issue of 
Edible Rhody. It’s a 21+ pairing of a sweet milk stout that just loves this hot-from-the-oven masterpiece.
The milk stout comes from Japan’s most acclaimed brewery, Hitachino, and unlike some popular stouts, this one has absolutely no bitterness but all lusciousness. It has notes of chocolate, roasted nuts and coffee that bring out the warmth of this simple, rustic and oh-so comforting dessert.

The Skillet Cookie was featured in Edible Rhody’s wonderful profile of local artisan Matt Cavallaro who crafts stunning cast iron cookware here in Providence via his company, 
Nest Homeware. His 4.5-inch Egg Pans are shown in the photo above. 

Visit Edible Rhody online to find 
Easy Entertaining’s recipe for these individual chocolate chip cookies a la mode, then stop in at Bottles to pick up a bottle or two of Sweet Stout.
Bon Appetit!
-Alex

The Top 7 “Unicorn” Beers

We take a lot into consideration when deciding which products to bring into our store. Of course we have all of the staples, classics and favorites to form the foundation of the Bottles beer program, but where we really have fun — and what we take great pride in — is finding the bottles that are off the beaten path, unfamiliar and unique – ‘unicorns’ if you will! We believe that bringing in these unicorn products for our customers is what sets us apart from the rest. We want to be that place where you can find that super weird thing you read about in Bon Appetit, or that your cousin heard on a rando podcast about micro brews.

Below are our 7 favorite ‘unicorn’ beers, why we’re drinking them and why you should, too. To find them, just look for the sign of the unicorn in store. (Or, ask a staff member – naturally, the unicorns can be hard to spot!)

ENJOY! -Alex

La Fleurette
This beautiful Italian pilsner is a gorgeous orangey-pink hue, and has fun tart little punches of flavor. Birrifico Italiano added roses, violets, bee honey, elderberry and black pepper (to name a few!) to this brew for pretty floral, earthy notes that will be perfect to drink this coming spring.
$6.99 

Montegioco Bran Reserva
What an intense bottle of suds we have here! This deep brown ale gets aged in Barbera wine barrels for at least six months before bottling. So you’re looking at a very rich, oaky, chocolate brew with tons of plum and raisin flavor. We recommend aging this guy for a bit to let that heat from the Barbera barrels cool off a bit. This one will be interesting to watch.
$11.99  

Proefbrouwerij and New Glarus Absolution
A really fun collaboration between Proefbrouweij and New Glarus brings us this malty Belgian Quad that is velvety smooth due to the addition of lactose. This beer is rich and woody because of its time spent in French and American oak. Get two – one to try now and one to age, and keep notes to see how it changes over time!
$22.99 

Alvinne Cuvee D’Erpigny
This ale has a little bit of everything – which makes it great for everyone! It is strong, yet dangerously easy to drink down. Its sour, but sweet like honey. There are deep, rich chocolate notes, but delicate berry flavors as well.
$8.99 

Uerige Doppelsticke
Dark brown and malty with loads of caramel and yet a slight bitterness from the hops. It is very complex, and trying it while tasting different cheeses will bring out a ton of different characteristics of the brew.
$5.99

The Bruery Mash & Vanilla
If you’re unfamiliar with Mash from The Bruery, I highly recommend checking it out. It is a sweet, oaky bourbon-barrel-aged barleywine and is super intense and rich and delicious. But it’s what they’ve done to that Mash that makes this bottle next-level. They took that super dessert-perfect barleywine and added a heap of aromatic vanilla beans. As much as this seems like something you’d want to age, drink it sooner rather than later to enjoy that fresh warmth of the vanilla.
$29.99

Apostelbraeu First Bavarian Pale Ale
In my opinion, this is the underdog of this selection. It is so no-frills delicious and approachable, but at the same time is complex and interesting if you’re looking hard enough. Light, hazy and chuggable. This would love to be on the table for BBQs, weeknight roasts and alongside salty oysters.
$6.99

Prices as of February 15, 2018 and subject to change

The Best Christmas Beers of 2017

Have you ever thought that maybe – just maybe – Santa is a little sick of eating cookies at EVERY house over and over and over again on Christmas Eve? Don’t you care about what Santa wants?

To ensure that I end up on his nice list (its been a rough year for all of us, hasn’t it?) I’ll be leaving him one of these holiday craft beers. Some are big bottles (the reindeer do most of the driving), some are small bottles (he’s got to get back on the road, it’s a long night!) but all are fun, tasty and special treats for Christmas. Whatever he doesn’t drink is all mine!

To Øl
“Shameless Santa”
750ml – $14.99
Big, warm and sweet like jolly old St. Nick himself. This Belgian ale is dripping in molasses and rich malts with a creeping ABV of 10%. Drink this one slow and steady by the fireplace (just make sure Santa has already stopped by before you light it!).

Mikkeller
“Red & White Christmas”
500ml can – $5.99
An amber ale with heaps of Christmas spice. Pour this one out to get the full whiff of orange peel, clove, allspice and nutmeg. The packaging would look absolutely adorable peeping out of a stocking!

Jolly Pumpkin
“Noel de Calabaza Special Ale”
750ml – $17.99
This bottle would age beautifully for Christmases to come. Deep mahogany in color and an alluring aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies with a lingering, delicate fruitiness of cranberries and roasted chestnuts.

Ridgeway Brewing
“Lump of Coal”
22oz – $6.99
An intensely dark brew, about as dark as the lump of coal you hope you won’t get. This stout is richly sweet and perfect to enjoy with a cutout cookie or slice of fruitcake. You’ve been bad, sure, but this “Lump of Coal “is really good.

Prairie Artisan Ale
“Christmas Bomb”
12oz – $9.99
Probably the most sought-after brew on this list and for good reason. Prairie is really good at making stellar products and this is no exception. If you could bottle up all of the Christmas smells you’d get the Christmas Bomb. It is so nutty, slightly fruity and warming on the palate. If you share this with Santa we think you’ll be on the nice list for at least the next decade.

Merry Christmas!
-Alex

prices subject to change

Our Fall Beer Preview

That time of year again, folks! Though fall beers may have developed somewhat of a negative reputation over the past few years, I truly believe that autumn brings out some of the best brews we get all year. I’m not talkin’ pumpkin stuff (though, some of it is really done well, I swear), I’m talkin’ the beautifully malty, nutty Marzen and brown ales that pair perfectly with sitting by the campfire and telling ghost stories. Below are some of the suds I’ll be drinking over the next several weeks and why.

 

Two Roads Ok2berfest:
Every time I have to make a list of favorite beers, Two Roads always makes the cut! They’re doing great stuff, and it shows with this toasty, caramel Marzen-style lager. 

Citizen Cider ‘B’ Cider:
This cider adds fresh honey, so you’re looking at a sweeter juice here than the others on this list. Keep one in your fridge for a treat after apple picking!

Dogfish Head Punkin Brown Ale:
Hear me out, guys. Pumpkin beers can be done really, really well. This one from Dogfish takes their already delicious brown ale and simply adds roasted pumpkin, brown sugar and cinnamon. Give pumpkin a chance.
Weihenstephan Festbier:
Just a classic, delicious & traditional Oktoberfest beer. Light and fresh but creamy at the same time, with some hop spice and great honey sweetness.

Eve’s Cidery Beckhorn Hollow:
A funky, all-natural cider that is bone dry with a zip of acidity. Bring this to the table when your experimental wine friends stop by! 

Ayinger Oktoberfest:
Lots of sweet, hazy bubbles and a nose of toasty granola and fresh baked bread. One of our beer geniuses, Tom, recommended this to me and I am so very grateful he did!

Ein Prosit!
-Alex
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Top 4 Beertails For Summer

Take your favorite beer, add a flavorful mixer and fresh or frozen fruit, and you have the beertail. We love drinking ‘em, especially in the summer: They’re super simple to make, and refreshing. Experiment with your go-to beer, or follow our easy recipes below. Just add the ingredients to a glass, stir, e voila. Your beertail is ready.

Here are 4 of our favorites, perfect for the season.


The Siesta Reviver
12oz summer ale, such as Brooklyn Summer Ale
4oz lambic, such as Lindemans Peche
Frozen peaches or berries for garnish

The Kremlin
Juice of at least 1 lime
12oz light beer, such as Narragansett Summer Citra
Splash of ginger ale


Summer Juice
4oz lemonade, such as Llanllyr Source
4oz pomegranate juice
8oz white ale, such as Two Roads’ Bergamonster
Lemon for garnish

The Sloe Greyhound
2oz Sloe Gin, such as Plymouth
4oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
8oz summer ale, such as Wash Ashore’s Boy Meets Girl

Cheers & enjoy!

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5 Questions With Alex

Meet Alex McIlwee – our brand-spanking new (female!) Beer Manager. (Not many ladies hold that title. Anywhere.) She’s been with Bottles for the past 2+ years and we’re so excited for her new role. Alex is a Scranton, PA native (yes, where The Office takes place and yes, where Joe Biden is from – she’s very proud of both those facts), but says she’ll probably never leave Rhode Island. When she’s not at the store she’s most likely doing something involving food: cooking food, eating food, pairing drinks with food, or reading about food. Any other shred of free time is spent with her pets whom she loves dearly, or exploring every nook and cranny of our beautiful state. Oh, and drinking beer. She does that a lot.

1. Fave beer in the store right now?
Two Roads Passionfruit Gose. It is wicked tart and dangerously chuggable in those tall boy pounders. Especially tasty with raw littlenecks.

2. What beer trend is about to explode?
I’m enjoying all of the sour beer releases, and I’ve noticed the rest of my generation is, too (I chalk this up to shoving handfuls of Sour Patch Kids and Warheads in our mouths as kids). On the opposite end of the spectrum, quality coffee in beers is poppin’ which is so freaking smart. Brewers combined two of the world’s biggest vices (caffeine and beer) and did it really well. I respect that!

3. The beer/food pairing you crave the most is…
Whole belly clams and fries with a New England style IPA is arguably the best pairing in the universe.

4. What are your plans for the Bottles beer program for the next 6 months?
Showcasing the big seasonal products and limited edition items is vital but I strive to provide as much local product as possible. Being able to sell a brand that I believe in while simultaneously knowing the hands and people that put work into it is such a simple concept yet so profound to me.

5. This summer we should be drinking…
Session IPAs. Great beers that have those admirable IPA qualities but with softer flavors and a lower ABV that pair beautifully with mowing the lawn, fishing, and sitting on the porch.

6. What’s your desert island brew?
Ahhhhh this is hard. Allagash Hoppy Table Beer or Jack’s Abby House Lager. Simple, no-frills, delicious.

7. What excites you most in today’s beer world?
Canning! A lot of local businesses are investing in canning systems (Revival, for instance) and a lot of bigger craft companies that swore they’d never can are canning (looking at you Dogfish Head!). Cans are crushable, portable, and better for the environment. It is a no-brainer.

8. The most underrated beer or style of beer is…
Definitely ciders. They get cast aside and bad reps for being fruit bombs or “chick beers” but they’re bursting with character and make killer cocktails.

9. Fave style of beer?
I love super sour and funky gose, but at the end of the day a good lager is all I really want.

OK, so that was more than 5 questions, but Alex is such a font of good beer info that we couldn’t help ourselves. Be sure to ask for her next time you’re in store and what to know what’s new, tasting good, and what to drink.

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Cooking with Beer – Two Recipes

It’s cold out! When the February snow and wind hit, I like to hunker down with a hearty braise inspired by the land of “Cuisine à la Bière,” served with a vibrant green salad tossed with an orange IPA-flavored dressing.

You may know that Belgium has a long and proud brewing tradition that stretches back for hundreds of years. Beer is so deeply rooted in Belgian culture that it holds the same revered place on the table as wine does in France or Italy, and is used in many of the same ways. Cooking with beer can be a real treat, and this Belgian inspired one-pot meal is one of my favorites to make in the winter, especially on a long, cold, snowy Sunday.

The beer I’ve chosen to use in this dish comes from the esteemed Dubuisson brewery, the oldest in Wallonia (older than most Trappist breweries!). Their flagship beer, Scaldis Amber, is a 12% ABV take on an English Barleywine. It adds both fruity and savory notes to the roast, with flavors of ripe fruit and caramel, along with a hint of herbal hops and licorice. Although it’s high in alcohol, most of that will steam off while cooking, so don’t worry, this is a family-friendly pot roast!

Scaldis is something we regularly carry, but if you want to branch out, any Belgian-style Amber or Dark Ale will do. Some of our favorites for cooking (and drinking) include:

-Allagash Dubbel
-Rochefort ‘8’ or ‘10’
-St. Bernardus ‘Pater 6’
-North Coast ‘Brother Thelonious’

When it comes to pairing a beer to drink alongside this braise, do we really have to tell you what would go best? Scaldis Amber, of course! If that’s a little too strong for you, any of the aforementioned beers will also work quite nicely.

To learn more about the beer, check out Dubuisson’s excellent website: https://dubuisson.com/en-us, and check out https://dubuisson.com/en-us/our-beers/scaldis-amber for more on the Scaldis.

cookingbeer4Belgian Pot Roast
If you’re short on time, skip the steps below and instead use a slow cooker. You can put the whole shebang in on low before you go to work, then add the root veggies and turn it to high when you get home.

Ingredients:
4 – 5 pound beef rump roast or bottom round
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
(optional: ¼ tsp Old Bay seasoning or cinnamon for extra flavor)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
2 large onions, cut in half & sliced into thick half moons
3 carrots, peeled & cut into cubes
1 big sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 12 oz. bottle of Scaldis Amber
A mix of your favorite root vegetables to finish the roast: small potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, etc., cut into bite-sized chunks.

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix the flour, salt & pepper (and the Old Bay or cinnamon, if using) in a big plastic container with a lid.

Heat a dutch oven or deep-sided casserole over medium–high heat.

Dry the roast well with paper towels and put it in the container with the flour mixture. Gently shake it up, down and all around to evenly coat the meat.

Warm the oil and/or butter in the dutch oven until hot (not smoking!). Tap off any excess flour and brown the meat on all sides, a few minutes per side.

Remove the meat to a plate to rest, turn the heat down to medium, and add the onions to all the beautiful brown bits left in the pan. If it seems dry, add another 1-2 teaspoons of oil or butter.

Cover the pot, and sauté the onions, stirring every 2 minutes or so until soft and just beginning to take on some color.

Push the onions to the sides of the pan, put the meat (with any juice on the plate) into the middle of the pan and add the carrots, thyme, a little salt and pepper, and the whole bottle of Scaldis. Mix everything up around the meat, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan.

Bring it gently to a boil, cover, and bake in your oven for about 3 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, scrub your root veggies and cut them into evenly sized chunks – about the size you’d want to put in your mouth after they’re cooked.

After 3 ½ hours, add your root veggies to the pot, stir them up a bit in the sauce, and leave to cook for another 30 minutes or so, or until the meat is falling apart.

Let the roast cool a bit, and eat it with a cold glass of Scaldis Amber!

cookingbeer2Orange & Ale Vinaigrette
To complement the rich roast I like to serve a vibrant, zesty salad that also uses beer as a main ingredient. With thanks to Sean Paxton of Home Brew Chef & BeerAdvocate, here’s one of my favorite salad dressings to make any time of year, but especially when I’m missing the sun.

Ingredients:
3 oz. IPA (I like any of the following for this recipe: Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Grey Sail Captain’s Daughter, Harpoon Hoppy Adventure, or Lost Nation Mosaic IPA – or just use your favorite)
1 tbsp minced shallot (or half a small onion, minced)
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (bring out the good stuff for this)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Put the shallot, orange zest, honey and mustard in a small bowl and whisk in the beer until well combined.

Slowly whisk in the oil, a few drops at a time, until the whole thing is creamy and emulsified.

Drizzle your dressing over hearty greens, or blanched green beans, or asparagus, beets, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc., you get the drift.

The dressing will keep in your fridge for about five days if you don’t eat it all first!

Enjoy! –Liam