McCoy's Dinner = Great Success

Check out photos of the event here

IMO, every course and pairing was a hit. Just look at the pictures...your eyes will agree.

I've already got tickets for December, where some of the beers on the menu include McCoy's Winter Warmer, St. Bernardus Abt. 12 (a quadrupel and part of the beer cycle), Samichlaus (with which a Foundry bartender once tried to kill me, and a special Christmas treat from Boulevard (it's a secret!).

Thanks to N & D for attending, and it was nice to meet with owners, chefs, brewmasters, and bloggers (LC, holla!) who made the event possible.

What I Learned At The Foundry Last Night

-McCoy's Ursa Major Imperial Stout is back, just in time for the chilly weather. Thinking back to the last batch, I may have been a fan. This year's is outstanding as well, though it's poured cold and you'll need to let it warm up a bit. Definitely worth a trip if you're a fan of the style.

-November 3rd is the next McCoy's Brewmaster's Dinner, and it's going to be a doozy. It's all fall food paired with Belgian Trappist beers. I looked for a .jpg of the menu, but couldn't find it. I was drooling. I'll post it once I find a copy. My reservations are in. Let me know if you'll be there and we'll meet up beforehand. It'll be like Drinking for the Cycle plus food.

UPDATE: Found this on the Foundry's calendar...

TRAPPIST BEER DINNER! All of our Brewmaster's Dinners so far have sold out. However, this highly anticipated food and beer pairing is certain to fill up quickly, so make reservations now.

First Course: Chimay Tripel featuring Hazelnut-encrusted Chevre Goat Cheese Truffles with rosemary honey.

Second course pairs a Pumpkin Soup served with Sage Crouton and Nutmeg Whipped Cream with Orval Belgium Pale Ale.

Next up is the Rochefort 10 matched with a Roast Duck Salad, Sun-Dried Cherries, Candied Walnuts and Roquefort Cheese.

On to the Fourth Course: Seared Diver Scallop over butternut squash, brown butter sauce and proscuitto paired with Achel Bruin 8.

For the main course, Westmalle Dubbel is served with a Braised Beef Short Rib, shitake mushrooms and parsnip-turnip puree.

And finally, for dessert, a Double-layered Butternut Squash Pecan Pie with an Apricot Glaze and Maple Whipped Cream teamed with Konigshoeven Quadrupel.

Schlafly Brewmaster Dinner @ McCoy's

Last night, we went to the Schlafly Brewmaster Dinner at McCoy's. These dinners take place monthly; the premise is to enjoy the ways that beer and food can complement each other.

Those who didn’t attend missed out in a BIG way. We were thoroughly impressed by every dish and glass they put in front of us.

They closed the Foundry off to the public; the 60-or-so dinner attendees had the entire place to ourselves. We were fortunate enough to be seated at the “Brewmaster’s Table”. Steven Hale, the brewmaster at Schlafly, was highly informative and entertaining. Don’t believe me? Watch the video below to get your kilt and Karate Kid soundtrack fix. (Yes, he was wearing the kilt last night.)



The beers were all special-release-type brews. For the Kansas Citians among us, they would be analogous to Boulevard’s Smokestack series—big flavors, big bottles, big alcohol content. The first two beers (Biere de Garde and Grand Cru) came in at 7.5% and 9% respectively; the Tripel, Quadrupel, Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout and Oak-Aged Barleywine all carried double-digit ABVs. And yes, you could tell at the end of the night.

I had a hard time picking a favorite, because they were all nice representations of their respective styles. I think the winner at the end (for me, at least) was the Stout. Huge in flavor but not totally overwhelmed by the bourbon notes (which can ruin it for me). The rich chocolate flavors just amplified all that was good about the beer.

The food didn’t just complement the beer—it was delicious. This was a full-on six-course gourmet meal: seared salmon with blackberries; flatbread with prosciutto, gorgonzola and arugula; cassoulet with duck sausage; a flourless chocolate torte with caramel ice cream and sea salt brittle; and a dried fruit beggar’s purse made of phyllo. Add the beer pairings (which basically carry the punch and cost of wine), and the meal was an absolute steal at $40.

The only thing I would have changed would be to flip the order of the two dessert courses. The stout was so big on the palate that we lost some of the subtleties of the barleywine that came out afterward.

I would go on raving about this, but it’s easier to take a look at what I’m talking about. Go to McCoy's blog for photos, menus, course descriptions, beer descriptions, etc. Next month will be a Latin-themed dinner, followed by a barbecue/smoked beers theme in September.

McCoy's 12th Anniversary Dubbel, Plus a Good Read

We both had some work to do last night, but the last two weeks have been hectic and we really just wanted to have some beer.

What's a guy to do?

Go to the Foundry, of course. There's beer there, as you may know. What you may not know is that the Foundry also has WiFi.

Their 12th anniversary beer, an abbey-style dubbel was on tap. If you're a fan of the style, don't miss this one! It is superb. The caramelly finish will bring a smile to your face. But don't let the smoothness fool you--it packs a punch.

(Unfortunately, we just missed the aged release of their 11th anniversary Triple B...you snooze, you lose I guess.)


Totally unrelated, but Joe Posnanski wrote an article about Andy Roddick that's really about all of us who have ever aspired to be great. Long read, but totally worth it.

Left Hand Oak Aged Imperial Stout @ Foundry

Beer dork update - yesterday the Foundry tapped a keg of Left Hand Oak Aged Imperial Stout. It's friggin' fabulous, especially in weather like this. I recommend you get there before it's gone.

Ethan was also kind enough to let us sample a treat. The Stout replaced Anchor's Old Foghorn Barleywine on tap, and when they changed out the kegs Ethan was conscientious enough to save the beer remaining in the lines instead of letting it go down the drain.

What resulted was a pitcher which was mostly barleywine chased with a little bit of Imperial Stout, and it tasted wonderful. Enough so that we experimented a little with it at home (I had bottles of Great Divide Old Ruffian Barleywine and Sam Smith Imperial Stout), and it is a great combo. I know, blasphemy, but don't worry--we drank most of the beer pure and as the brewers intended. We're not total heathens here.

Goes great with a homemade blue cheese Juicy Lucy with balsamic ketchup and chipotle fries (courtesy of my fiancee, who obviously rocks).

Observations

1. A visit to Westport last night confirmed that, in addition to the fabulous beer selection and service, The Foundry also has WiFi. This was universally lauded by...well, the two of us, but it raises more questions:
Can I work from "home" from the Foundry?
Moreover, will I ever again set foot in a coffee shop after noon?

2. Radiohead's performance at the Grammys was very good. If you didn't catch it, they played "15 Step" with the USC marching band. It was a somewhat questionable choice of songs, since it's probably the least accessible tune on "In Rainbows". Ah, what they hell do they care? They're freaking Radiohead.
The sound mix was highly suspect all night, which is pretty piss-poor for "the biggest night in music".

And I'm sorry, but can we stop with the "musical generations come together" motif? Between the Jonas Brothers performing with Stevie Wonder and the Pepsi commercial mashing Will.I.Am with Bob Dylan, I've been nauseated since the Super Bowl.

3. A-Rod allegedly did 'roids. Not that I ever cared much for the guy, but can we just strike 1994-2005 from the record books and pretend they never happened? I don't even want my money back. I just want to forget those years ever happened in baseball. Maybe give me a targeted MiB mind-wiping or something.