July | 2015 | Food, Sweat, and Beers

You don’t have to know much about me to know that I love one thing about most others.

That thing?

Dapper Dames

It’s no wonder that events like Dîner en Blanc light a fire inside of me that used to be reserved for college fêtes like “Paranormal Formal” and “Anything But Clothes”. I love watching folks get creative and costumey. It’s no surprise, then, that when I heard that Philly was bringing Jazz Age on the Delaware, a 1920s-era theme party on the River featuring thematically appropriate tunes, bites, and activities…. I leapt at the opportunity to check it out.

This was the moment that I CRUSHED the game of croquet

This incredible event is going to be hosted on Saturday August 1st from 11am-5pm on the beautiful grounds of the Glen Foerd Mansion, Philadelphia’s last remaining Gilded Age mansion along the Delaware River. And while my amateur photos certainly don’t do it justice, if I captured even a fraction of the elegance and beauty, you’ll see you’re in for a treat. We arrived hungry and ready for a little nosh and libations.

Toasted almond cake served in a martini glass? Sure.

The Glen Foerd mansion’s exclusive caterer is Jamie Hollander Catering and Events, and he brought his a-game with desserts, appetizing hors d’oeuvres, and a buncha goodies served in mini martini glasses. All paired well with cocktails full of Art in the Age spirits.

These drinks were the Bee’s Knees!

Put on those dancing shoes and cut a rug!

Getting to Glen Foerd is a quick train or bus ride from Center City, and tickets are $45 for an afternoon of play, picnics, dancing, and delicacies. There’s a pie-baking competition for the bakers of the bunch, and children under 12 are free so you can bring the whole family.

Bonus: this event couldn’t be any more Instagram-able.

I unfortunately won’t be on the East Coast for the big day, but if you’re in need of a few strands of pearls… you know how to get a hold of me.

Tickets here!

Disclosure: I received promotional consideration by DuClaw Brewing Company.

In life, sometimes stars align. And, in this case, those stars aligned in the most delicious fashion possible. DuClaw Brewing Company’s got two new summer brews, 4th of July is DAYS AWAY, AND they asked if I’d give them a try and pair these treats with some summer BBQ favorites. The contenders:

Funk: A traditional American Wheat Ale serves as a solid baseline, but we couldn’t be content until we tore the roof off this sucker! Funk, our Blueberry Citrus Wheat Ale, sets the rhythm with a soulful fusion of American wheat and hops, before unleashing a stunning encore with big notes of blueberry and Meyer lemon. It’s no jive, you’ll just dig it!

And, of course, a wonderfully named blonde ale.

Morgazm: A refreshing, citrusy twist on one of our most popular brews of all time. The medium body, mild hop character, light fruity taste, and smooth drinkability of Bare Ass Blonde Ale is infused with grapefruit zest and dry hopped with Citra hops to add notes of lemon, grapefruit, and an overall tart character to the beer. The result is a highly drinkable, highly refreshing Blonde Ale with big citrus flavors and aromas that will leave your palate in ecstacy… but wanting more.

I thought, and I thought. A blueberry citrus wheat ale. A grapefruit zested blonde ale. And then my mind shifted.

See, the Game of Thrones finale was on that night, and I was a bit distracted. And then it hit me. I didn’t have to choose. I could have my beer, and eat stuff (related to Game of Thrones), too.

My buddies and I… We go hard when it comes to themes. So, when a Game of Thrones feast finale was proposed by some brilliant mind (COUGH me. COUGH), everyone jumped on it. So I won’t share every little bit, because we got nerdy and there’s some eats that would take far too long to understand. But let’s get to the beer pairings, eh.

Bread and Salt: Guest Right!

Once guest right was invoked, we were ready to get to work.

In honor of Arya – Oysters Clams and Cockles (but just clams)

Beer-steamed clams are not anything world-rocking. However, instead of a traditional lager to steam, we added a bottle of the Morgazm. With a beer-to-drink in one hand and about 50 clams on the table, we poured this zesty citrusy blonde over the little clams, thanking them for their contribution for the meal. And while some opt to boil these bad boys in a pot, we went for an oven-steam, since the oven was already on and our initial goals of outdoor grilling were squashed by an unwelcome guest.

Rain, rain, go away!

And before we were ready to enjoy our clams, there were a few options to go with the blueberry citrus wheat. FIrst: Sansa’s favorite, lemon cake!

The Funk’s on ME!

Lemon desserts are ubiquitous in the summer, and this pairing of the tart lemon cake (featuring blueberries in the icing!) was outta this world. The aroma of the blueberries in the Funk was strong, but the taste was subtle, and this beer would pair nicely with any tart, bright flavored dessert.

While my buddy made the cake, some similar recipes are here:

Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake – Perfect, with a hint of red in the frosting, for the upcoming Independence Day festivities!!
Lemon Blueberry Cake – another great option to use summery blueberries as an ingredient and a garnish

The Funk, a blueberry citrus wheat, would also pair well with some seafood, and I may have enjoyed a few of these “dragon eggs” (sticky rice, avocado, and eel!) with the brewski.

Khaleesi would be proud.

After a long time (maybe we SHOULD have boiled the clams, but we were in no hurry), our clams were ready!

All of the sudden, that crusty bread makes a lot more sense, as it was the perfect way to soak up the juices from the lemon, the Morgazm, and all sorts of clammy goodness. For this one, there’s also not really a recipe for this one (add stuff into pot or pan, put over heat, wait for clams to open, gorge!) but if you’re jonesing for one, here ya go.

We also really liked the Morgazm with a marinated grilled chicken AND Theon’s favorite plaything (sorry, promise that’s all the nerding out).

These beers would both make excellent additions to any summer celebration, but if you’ve already got the grill going…. why not just get them for this weekend’s 4th of July festivities?! While they wouldn’t be the FIRST beer I get at the store, they’re definitely beers for the beach, the BBQ, and the summer.