North Carolina Girls’ Pint Out: We’re Busy Bees

August 26, 2011August 26, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 20 Comments

Hey there friends and neighbors! Hope you’re all surviving Irene, that clap-having jezebel who seems to be ruining everyone’s plans. I was supposed to be in Ocean City, NJ prepping for my cousin’s bridal shower. Instead, the whole island was put under a mandatory evacuation, and I spent some time gathering the essentials in the Wilmington, Delaware Total Wine. Which. Is. Epic.

3 bottles of wine, a handle of rum, pick six, pretzel crisps, AND 40 lbs of ice. We're ready for anything.

And I have a hot date tonight with this little scene:

As I said before, Happy hour is my happy hour.

But even though my spirit of choice is rum and coke with my mom and dad tonight, it wasn’t too long ago that I joined the fine ladies of North Carolina Girls’ Pint Out at Busy Bee Cafe in downtown Raleigh. Not too long at all…….

(cue hazy cloudy mist that brings us back to August 18th, 2011. Or maybe just imagine Wayne and Garth waving their hands for a flashback….)

Party on Wayne, party on Garth.

After another successful glass night at Rockfish with the folks representing Palm Brewery (a new tasty beer from Belgium!) I bid everyone a fond farewell.

Thanks, for repping it hard, fellers.

I only enjoyed a single brew, but knew that there were some tasty ones in store at Busy Bee.

The Hive gets a little crazy with their beer list!

The options seemed endless. The two beers I personally featured in my writeup were:

Dogfish Head Namaste, often translated as “The spirit in me respects the spirit in you”, is Dogfish Head’s way to respect your thirst for beer in the hot summertime. This Belgian White is made with dried organic orange slices, fresh cut lemongrass and a bit of coriander, and is perfect to pair with spicy fare, so try to get some kick from Busy Bee’s Pork Burger, featuring sriracha and Bok Choy slaw.

and

St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition: (alas, this beer ran out faster than we had the chance to feature it!) Interested in stepping up your beer game? Step outside the bottle and try this sour, traditional Geuze style beer. A tart beer with lemony fruitiness, you can enjoy the crisp, clean mouthfeel that puckers the lips and makes you crave the creaminess of cheeses, such as Busy Bee’s Baked Mac and Cheese.

Here's me screaming my face off as I talk about beer. (photo credit to Ben Woodward, click to hit up the facebook source)

There were some amazing little treats (for free) provided by the glorious host, Busy Bee!!

Tots are ALWAYS part of my happy hour.

Although this was only our second event, we had over 30 craft beer lovin’ ladies (and some especially brave gentlemen!)

Wow. We're popular.

We upped our profession game:

We also met some local folks who are keeping it real in the craft beer scene!

Ted from Bottle Revolution!

Ted from Bottle Revolution came and handed out some camo koozies (in case we have to drink while undercover… in the forest). His store’s going to be opening soon with awesome features like A Year of Beer Club and pre-packaged craft beer coolers (LIKE IF YOU NEED THEM FOR FOOTBALL TAILGATING!!)

I may have even met my soulmate in Somer, a fellow blogger in the Triangle who’s interested in reproductive health and advocacy, UNC, craft beer, and my brother! (well, maybe not my brother yet…. but one day.)

True True and we didn't even know it!

I’m so proud of my fellow planners and coordinators, and I hope that they’re all proud of what we put together!!

Just a few of the founding gals. Again, photo credit to Ben Woodward, click for source!

If you’re a lady, and you like craft beer, and you live in/around the Triangle (or LOVE to travel wicked far), and/or you want to be my friend (duh.), follow NCGirlsPintOut on Twitter or check us out on facebook!

Word on the street is we have another excellent event coming in Mid-September…. Stay tuned!

What’s your favorite appetizer to pair with beer?

7 Links: Welcome New Readers Edition

August 21, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

Greetings all, and a wonderful Sunday to you! At this very moment, I’m writing from the deck of my shore house in Ocean City, New Jersey (my favorite place on the planet.) I left the Healthy Living Summit yesterday about an hour or so after the sessions ended because, although I wanted to spend time with the new people that I met, I don’t get to see my family too often (as I live in Durham, NC and they all live outside of Philly). From reading the tweets and posts from these new beautiful bloggers and bloggettes, I missed out on some mischief making, but the opportunity to sip rum & coke with mom and dad and cuddle on the couch watching CSI with my siblings (and the always-gorgeous Horatio Caine was clearly too good to pass up.

Pierce me with those eyes, Lt. Caine... (click image for Source)

Though I was ~~nominated~~ ~~chosen~~ picked for this whole “7 Links” meme a while back by a fellow blogger or two, I figured I’d hold off for a little because it seemed like the perfect way to introduce new readers to myself in a fun, organized fashion. And also, sometimes, I’m a lazy bum. But mostly it was because of how appropriate it is for new readers.

For the ease of access, feel free to check out my “About Me” to glean some background info. And on that note, I’m going to dive right into things.

My Most Beautiful Post
Football, Football, Football (Oh, and Friday.)

A Sea of Carolina Blue

Maybe it’s because I’m romantically involved with my alma mater, UNC. Or maybe it’s because I think tailgating is the most wonderful Autumn pastime of all. But whatever it is, this post fills my heart with joy and makes my heart beat a little faster when I read it. If you love college football (or college sports… or any sports), you might think this is lovely as well. If you don’t, here’s a post on my best friend’s wedding that ought to tide you over: The 61 Hour Whirlwind Wedding Weekend: Picture and the Ceremony. Don’t say I never gave you nothing….
My Most Popular Post
New Belgium Tour de Fat, Meet: DURHAM!

Beer Education: So hot right now

During a hot summer day this year, I was able to dress up like a champagne bottle and volunteer for the New Belgium Tour de Fat in downtown Durham, North Carolina (the closest city to me). Being a HUGE craft beer fan (obviously, with a name like “food, sweat, and beers“) I jumped at the chance to volunteer. I helped bring beer tokens to the masses, got to participate in a mini beer-du-cation class with some of the brewers from New Belgium, and realized that retronasal tasting is a real term (though most folks use it regarding retronasal wine tasting). I think this post was especially popular in the Durham, NC area. But beer fans far and wide are welcome to continue enjoying it.
My Most Controversial Post
Women and Chick Beer vs. Craft Beer: A Response

The Infamous "Chick Beer" that sparked the discussion

While I can’t say this post was incredibly controversial, the topic certainly was, and the discussion was the most enjoyable to read in the comments section. I also brought discussion about this topic. As I mentioned before, though I just attended a Healthy Living Summit, my passion is also craft beer and this whole topic of women being “catered to” in the craft beer world with weak flavored, low carbonated beers really got me fired up. Apparently, I was not the only one that cared about it, because I still hear this topic discussed. It’s a pretty interesting read, if you care about beer, but also if you’re interested in marketing techniques targeting females.
My Most Helpful Post
Eating Good in the Neighborhood (Pool)

Poolside with my buddy, Claire

In the summertime, on the weekends, if I’m not at the shore/beach, I like to be at the pool. I think this post provided a lot of good advice (and it was a pretty popular one, so clearly others were interested.) However, I also liked my post on Lunchbox Variety and mixing up your sammies. Eating healthy on pool weekends AND mixing up my lunches are both challenges for me, so hopefully these posts helped folks in similar situations.
A Post Whose Success Surprised Me
No Pants Wednesday

I. Hate. Pants.

I guess I’m not SUPER surprised that people love the idea of No Pants Wednesday. But when I shared with everyone the fact that the reason I go home every day for lunch, I never thought they’d get so fired up about me hating pants.

Then again, who really likes to wear pants?

If you do, I don’t mean offense…. I just think you should give No Pants Wednesday a chance.
A Post I Didn’t Think Got the Attention It Deserved
Wisdom Teeth: Be GONE!

So Very Loopy.

This is a tough one, because honestly, I never think to myself “this post DESERVES so much attention.” Who am I to expect any attention from anyone? ~~(other than awesome.)~~

But really, if you want a laugh, check out the pictures on that post. For some reason, when I was loopy on pain medication, I was SO intense about the nurses taking pictures of every step of the way. And I demanded to keep my teeth (not unlike my new buddy, Jessica and her pillow of baby teeth.) Now, not only am I the weirdo who was a total bossy brat at the dental surgeon’s office and documented every step of her wisdom teeth removal, but I’m the creep with four bleached wisdom teeth in a shot glass in my apartment.

Be careful if we ever do shots at chez moi… no one wants a shot of tooth.
Post I’m Most Proud Of
Wake-Up Call

Namaste.

This post was both a reminder to myself of all the progress I made (I have lost 40-45 lbs since March 2010 with the help of Weight Watchers, exercise like Zumba and Body Pump , and support from family/friends, as well as a reminder that sometimes, all you need to change your entire life is a little wake-up call. It sums up my progress, it talks about how my thinking about food and health changed over the past year and a half, and it has a cute shot of me sleeping (in case you’re into that kinda thing.)

This weekend, I realized that even though I never really have experienced the hardships of disordered eating that many of my peers dealt with, I had my own interesting set of circumstances that others might benefit from. No one becomes who they are in the exact same way, and though my story feels unique, I am sure I’m not the only one who slowly put on weight until they were living an unhealthy lifestyle without even realizing it, and then decided to change things up.

So there you have it. Some funny posts. Some poignant posts. Some food posts. Some beer posts.

Read up, learn about me, comment, email me, follow me on Twitter, and let’s get this party started.

Now, I’m back to hanging out with this stud:

Princess of the Jersey Shore

Isn’t he handsome?

Surprise Samurai Ale Review!

August 10, 2011August 10, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

I bet you thought that my night was over. You think I just go have random surprise date nights and then that’s it?

Ye of little faith.

I have another treat for you.

Treat for you? More like a treat for ME!

Tonight’s beer was one I’ve been holding onto for a little while. But I’m not too upset, it was worth the wait.

A little brewski from the fine folks at Great Divide Brewing Company, this beer was not quite as delicious as that Hercules Double IPA I enjoyed at Milltown last week. But man, was it drinkable.

Samurai Rice Ale, described by the brewer:

An easy drinking, unfiltered ale that changes the status quo for unfiltered beers. The addition of rice gives Samurai a slightly fruity, crisp, refreshing and clean taste. This is definitely not your everyday unfiltered beer. 5.1% ABV

Samurai Rice Ale, described my MOI:

This beer comes out a beautiful golden color, a teensy bit cloudy but that faded fast, with a little bit of sediment on the bottom of the glass. One thing I liked about this beer was the amount of carbonation in it (i.e. quite a good amount!) I smelled malts and maybe like… cut grass. It smelled clean and good.

The taste was tart on my tongue, and very crisp. It finished with very little mouthfeel, and there may have been some sort of bitter fruit taste in there too. My favorite part about this beer was the drinkability, without question. If it weren’t a little out of my price range, I’d want to drink these all summer.

I’m not sure what exactly made this a rice ale, I’m sure it’s something beyond my knowledge of beer, but I’d enjoy trying another rice ale in the future to know if it’s anything similar to this Samurai Ale.

Have you ever tried a rice ale?

Do you like a little sediment in your beer?

North Carolina Girls Pint Out invades Tyler’s in Durham

July 28, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Good evening y’all!! Even though it’s about a week overdue, I’ve definitely had this post on the backburner for a little while. Admittedly, most of that week was preparing for/driving to/being in/returning from/recovering from my best friend’s wedding but truly, no excuse for letting ladies who love craft beer down, right?

Last Thursday, I sped over to Rockfish at Southpoint for my favorite night of the week, Glass Night! And, lemme just say, the place was poppin’!

Oh, hey, every beer lover in the Triangle!

The beer of the night was the New Belgium Trippel , and it. was. tasty! So tasty, in fact, that we ran out of glasses early in the night. Even though I gave mine away, it was not until after I took my essential “beer at Rockfish” picture.

Chin chin, people!

I’ve been a fan of New Belgium beers since I first tried Fat Tire, but even MORE so after being a part of the New Belgium Tour de Fat in Durham, which was a TOTAL BLAST! It was also great to see what they’re all about, namely promoting self-powered travel via bikes!!

Though I’m a huge fan of their beer, I only had one glass before I headed out to Tyler’s Taphouse in Durham for the Inaugural North Carolina Girls Pint Out event!!

When I got there, I was immensely pleased with what I saw (other than just a bunch of hot ladies drinking beer… which always is a joy to see, no matter the occasion.)

Check out our Hoppin' Spot!

Tyler’s really went above and beyond the call of hosting-duty for us, allowing us to post signs, reserving a great spot for all us ladies, and providing a few complimentary appetizers to keep the ladies drinking and the conversation flowing (big thanks, Tyler’s folks! we LOVE you!!)

We even had some extremely well written beer handouts about Girls Pint Out and the special beers of the night!

Love that logo, too cute.

Expertly written. What a pro...

Well, I’ll be honest. I’m kind of biased, since the author of those BEAUTIFUL beer write-ups and pairing suggestions was none other than yours truly. I’m also great at being humble, and available for parties and Bat Mitzvahs.

I even got to share my hard work with the class! Great practice for my Maid of Honor speech.

So many ladies showed up, they actually had to give us an extra table!

Initiate my HEART SWELLING PRIDE!

The beers were cold, the koozies were free, the queso was divine (and welcome after a long day of eating diddly) and the company couldn’t have been better. I was so excited to work with the ladies that were part the “Founding ~~Mothers~~ Sisters” (mothers just sounds too weird) of the organization, and we’re already planning some events in August (possibly even a little outing or two for August 4th #IPADay!)

Big thanks to all the Founding Sisters for helping put it together, to Tyler’s for showing us a good time, and to all the lovely ladies of Lager who came out and made it as fun as it was!! (oh and big ups to Melissa for being my personal photographer for the night!)

Founding Sisters, looking classy as per.

Are you a lady who likes sipping on beer with ladies?

If so, check us out on twitter and facebook or find a chapter near you!!

Women and Chick Beer vs. Craft Beer: A Response

July 9, 2011July 18, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 20 Comments

Good Saturday morning, y’all! Hope you’re already enjoying your weekend, and doing lots of amazing things. So far, I’ve Body Attacked, had a fantastic double date with my workout buddy (and mistress of the killer workout, the Death Deck, Melissa) and her guy, and snacked heavily on some froyo and some quality brewskis. But more on that, later. See, right now, I have something to talk about that’s been on my mind for the past two days but, as I was swamped at work/working overtime to make up for coming in late on Monday, I had little/no time to blog, tweet, facebook, gchat, or any other fun social media that I love. But now it’s time.

A few days ago, an article came out and swam around the twittersphere. The article, from New Zealand’s The Marlsborough Press, was entitled Women and Beer: The taste test results are in. To sum up the article, a sort of experiment was conducted inviting women who don’t normally drink beer to come out and try two new beers which have been specifically designed to appeal to the ladies.

The two beers in question: Valkyrie Brynhild and Beltane Maiden Source

To expand: one, the Beltane Maiden, was flavored with lemon zest to give it a “sweet citrus flavor”, described as “light in body, low in bitterness, and with a velvety finish.” While some women found it refreshing, others were turned off by the cloudiness, yeastiness, and called it “absolutely disgusting.”

The next beer they tasted was called Valkyrie Brynhild golden ale, which was described as “gentle hopped” and flavored with “hokey pokey” (I have no clue what that means, but I heard that’s what it’s all about…) Again, mixed results ranging from “I’d choose this over a glass of wine” to “drinkable, not too much taste.” No real winner here, either.

The author of this article, Geoff Griggs (who some of you may know if you spend a lotta time going to beer tastings in New Zealand) found that, when polling the women afterwards, and asking what it is about beer that women don’t like, the answers ranged from taste to the “bloated” and “gassy” feelings they get. Others focused on the image of beer drinking, traditionally associated with young males getting obliterated at parties.

With the advertising culture of beer obviously geared towards males, with most featuring concepts like this one:

the women are merely accessories are prizes sought by the likes of (yuck) Carlos Mencia and friends. It is no wonder that women find the image of beer drinking a bit off-putting. One beer manufacturer is even trying to combat this stereotype with “Chick Beer“.

I'll take sexist bottle designs for 800.

Allegedly, this beer won’t “weigh you down” with less than 100 calories per bottle, the flavor is “soft and smooth”, and it’s only “lightly carbonated” to avoid that “bloaty” feeling. Also, from the site:

Chick Beer finally gives women a beer choice that suits their tastes and their style. The bottle is designed to reflect the beautiful shape of a woman in a little black dress. The six-pack looks like you are carrying your beer in a hip stylish, purse. Chick’s unique reflective bottle blings you up! It’s fun, fabulous, and female!

Ok, we get it. Lots of times, girls like to shop, to wear dresses, and to have jewelry. But I have to admit, this beer makes me feel like my fondness for shiny things (Seriously, I’m like a raccoon around Swarovski ) is being mocked, and then sold back to me. This beer truly just sounds like a flavorless, low carbonated light beer. And there are enough of them to go around.

As a lady of lager (pulled that one from the Girls Pint Out description!!) myself, I have to say that this was an incredibly interesting look into why my breed is a rare one indeed.

Too many women that I know have zero knowledge of the rich, diverse world of craft beers, of the subtle pairings of beers with foods, and of the fact that you don’t have to drink enough to get drunk to enjoy them (thus, avoiding that bloated feeling! I don’t know if I’ve ever been bloated off a single beer.)

Likely, many of them only remember beers from the days of college or partying, where they were hoisted up for kegstands of warm, cheap light beer or were tossed a can of some swill. It’s no wonder, then, that they shifted their interest to the more “refined” wine.

I'll have you know, this was a kegstand of Carolina Brewery Amber Ale. GET ON MY LEVEL!

I certainly don’t think that beers should be developed in order to appear “girly” (just like I didn’t think it was the best practice for Camel to introduce Camel No. 9 in hopes for more women smokers) but only because I think it creates a beerdrinker that will only want that kind of brew. Education can make a world of difference, and women may learn to embrace more beers if they realize what else is out there (and that it’s not all cheap, nasty cans or deep, dark stouts.)

Bottoms up to Craft Beer, ladies!

There’s a world of beer out there, just waiting for you to give it a try. And even though the bottles may not look like little black dresses or “bling you out”, I promise there are some pretty ones out there that can match just about any outfit you put together.

Big Boss Monkey Bizz-Ness: This SH** is Bananas!

July 1, 2011July 1, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

Happy July, ladies and gents!! First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for the warm words and amazing response from my last post about my personal Wak e-Up Call to change my lifestyle to a healthier, more active one. It’s great to hear about other people’s wake up calls, or what gave them the drive to change their lives. Inspiring, right?

Since we hit up a rather heady topic last night, let’s try something a little light-hearted, shall we? And honestly, what could be more light-hearted and appropriate before the holiday weekend than…. BEER?!

Last night, Lauren and I hosted yet another amazing glass night for the Tri-Beer Meetup group (only THE group to be in if you live in the NC Triangle and enjoy hops, ales, pilsners, and people!) The beer of the evening: Big Boss Brewing Company’s Monkey Bizz-ness. I’m no stranger to Big Boss Beers, and have toured the brewery before as well as attending a food-truck round-up once or twice. I’m a HUGE fan of their Angry Angel, and many friends are hopelessly devoted to Bad Penny. But that’s beside the point.

Monkey Bizz-Ness in a glass!

This beer poured a cloudy hazy gold color that was beautiful to look at on a sunshiney evening. Only available on draft in June, this beer is described by the brewer:

Monkey Bizz-Ness is spiced to complement the fruit, yeast and malt notes present in this complex, rustic Belgian-style ale. Monkey Bizz-ness is aged for months to blend the bold flavors into a seamless presentation. 9% ABV.

In my opinion, while the smell was divine, it was a little too powerful in flavors for my liking. It might’ve be the powerful alcohol percentage, but the fruity flavors had me feeling like I was inhaling a tropical mix of produce and flowers, and not in the best way. I feel like there was mix of citrus, maybe peach (though that could’ve been the peach I ate earlier tricking my mind), and floral tastes… it was just too much for me. That being said, my co-host loved it, and it has a very loyal group of followers (who followed us right to the bar!), so clearly my tastes are not similar to everyone. While I’m glad I tried this one, I think that I’ll stick to their Angry Angel Kolsch in the future as my go-to brew (though their Harvest Time Pumpkin Ale is something I look forward to all autumn!)

A beer, for little ol' me?!

Loyal Tri-Beer member, Will, surprised me by getting my first beer of the night, and it even included a free (BEAUTIFULLY ETCHED) Big Boss Glass which you can buy at their Merchandise Store. The glass normally runs for $3.50, and the beer AND glass cost a mere $2 (or free, if you have a dapper gentleman treat you!), further going to show that Rockfish Seafood Grill at Southpoint truly has the best deal on craft beers in the Triangle (at least that I’ve seen, I challenge you to find me a better one!)

After finishing my Bizz-Ness, I switched over to a beer I honestly didn’t expect to love… but after one sip of Lauren’s, I knew I had to try it. Lonerider Brewing Company’s Deadeye Jack, a seasonal porter, infused with… COFFEE! Holy moly. If you’re someone who likes beer but thought to yourself, “This doesn’t have enough coffee in it!!” this is the brew for you. It’s deep and rich and full flavored, dark brown in color, aromatic as any mug o’ joe, and easy to drink I would suggest that Starbucks grab a hold of the Lonerider PR person, and work with them on some sort of Brew-Ha-Ha event combining this beer and tasty coffee, and… I don’t know… stand up comedians? I’m obviously not a PR whiz kid. alas.

Speaking of alas, the only image I got of this brew was in the side, during an impromptu photo shoot for the Women of Craft Beer NC Calendar:

We'll be taking pre-orders next month...

That’s me on the left (the tall one, shock.), Lauren, and Johanna Kramer, aka the finest food loving, brew sipping ladies of the Triangle food and drink scene.

After enjoying a delicious night of great talks, lots of laughs, and tasty appetizers (half off from 4-7), I went home to open up my package… More on this later, but I’ll give you a hint. This is what I looked like when I opened it.