Stout for Summer

Volume 2, Issue 2 - May 31, 2006

Summer is typically the enemy of Stout. After all, most people stay away from this dark, "heavy" beer when the thermometer rises. Even in the country that invented stout, in the 2^nd half of last year volume sales of Guinness fell by 9% in Ireland due to the hottest summer in 10 years. But why completely abandon such a delicious style of beer for an entire season? This issue is filled with ways to enjoy the darkest of beers while beating the summer heat.

Cheers!
Keith

Not as Heavy as you think

To dispel the myth of the heaviness of stout once again, here are the facts:

12oz of Guinness = 125 calories, 9.8 grams of carbs, and 4.2% ABV (alcohol by volume).

12 ounces of Budweiser = 150 calories, 11 grams of carbs and 5.0% ABV.

Now you know… when a friend asks for a "lite", give them a Guinness!

Black and Tan

Black & Tans are a great way of enjoying a somewhat "lighter" take on stout during summertime. While stouts are no higher in alcohol or calories (and often lower as illustrated above), the dark roasted malts and creamy mouthfeel (especially when poured from a nitrogen tap) make stout seem heavy on the palate. The higher carbonation and lighter body of a lager or pale ale helps to lift some of the heaviness while still enjoying the roasted flavor of a stout.

The classic Black & Tan most beer drinkers know is either Bass Ale or Harp Lager topped with Guinness Stout. I won't join the debate over which is the one true "Black & Tan", but some Irish are fond of saying when pouring their native Guinness into a glass with the British Bass, that "Ireland always comes out on top!" A trick often used by bartenders to achieve the perfect separation of the layers is to pour the Guinness over the back of an upside-down spoon to avoid splashing and mixing of the two.

But really, any combination of a pale ale or lager topped with a stout is a Black & Tan. So, be adventurous at your local brewpub and ask for their own version. Or try some interesting flavor combinations, say a "Black Magic" with stout poured over Magic Hat #9 (with its distinctive apricot flavor), or a Sam Adams Cream Stout over their Cherry Wheat for the taste of a chocolate covered cherry in your pint glass.

And while my first choice would be straight from the tap (actually, two taps – one for the stout, one for the lager or ale), there are actually a few pretty good "Black & Tans" that come straight from a single bottle. Saranac Black & Tan brewed by F. X. Matt in Utica, NY (http://www.saranac.com/) is among the brewery's best sellers. It's a blend of their Adirondack Amber lager and a dark Irish stout. In fact, the brewery actually doesn't bottle the stout on its own… you can only find it in their Black & Tan mix. Yuengling of Pottsville, PA (http://www.yuengling.com/) also makes a "Black & Tan" in a bottle, but theirs is a blend of their classic lager and their dark brewed porter (a close cousin of stout).

Stout Float

What could beat a cool root beer float in a frosted mug on a hot summer day? How about a just plain BEER float? Well, there's nothing plain about that. And the perfect beer to pair up with a scoop is a stout. Now, you can go simple and top a nice creamy pint of Guinness with your basic vanilla. But of course, while Guinness was the first stout, it's certainly not the only stout.

For the chocoholic, go for a scoop of rich chocolate over Young's Double Chocolate Stout or Rogue's Chocolate Stout. For rich and indulgent, try a premium vanilla (like Haagen-Dazs or better yet a local homemade vanilla) over dark and luscious Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. Try coffee ice cream over any chocolate stout or chocolate ice cream over a coffee stout (they do exist, but are hard to find… Triumph Brewery (http://www.triumphbrew.com/) has made an amazing coffee & cream stout available on occasion only in their brewpub). Pick a pairing of your own… the possibilities are virtually endless!

Stout Shake

The first place I ever encountered this amazing concoction is Schnäck in Brooklyn, NY (http://www.schnackdog.com/). They serve up their bite-side sliders with Beer Shakes. You can choose chocolate or vanilla, and the beer is typically Dogfish Head's Chicory Stout. I've heard on occasion they also make a shake using Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, which at over 18% ABV (alcohol by volume) would be quite a kick, while in the fall they make a Punkin' Ale Shake (no stout in there, but still sounds pretty good none the less). The recipe I understand is fairly simple… equal portions beer and ice cream… though you want to only fill the cup on the milkshake mixer halfway or less, since the beer will foam up.

Beer Ice Cream!

While on the topics of beer and ice cream (two topics you just can't go wrong with), Ben & Jerry's has created the ultimate flavor for beer-lovers. New this year, their "Black & Tan" (http://www.benjerry.com/our_products/flavor_details.cfm?product_id=180) is a swirl of chocolate and "cream stout" ice cream in a pint. Though no actual beer or alcohol is used here, the cream stout flavor comes from malted milk powder, and malt after all is the major component of beer.

Of course, in the name of research, I had to go and try a pint for myself (ah, the sacrifices one must make as a beer writer!). I must say, this may be my new favorite flavor from those crazy guys in Vermont (yes, I know they are now owned by a huge multi-national conglomerate, but hey, the hippie influence is still there if they still coming up with crazy ideas like beer ice cream!). Let's hope this one never ends up in the "Flavor Graveyard" with such oddities as "Lemon Peppermint Carob Chip" or "Holy Cannoli!" (http://www.benjerry.com/our_products/flavor_graveyard/)

Stout Cake

Had enough of stout & ice cream yet? I haven't, but in case you're not an ice cream fan (which is truly a shame), you can still enjoy stout for dessert. Another milestone here… our first true beer recipe to appear in the newsletter! Thanks to my wonderful wife who first baked this for my birthday two years ago…

            1 cup stout (choose your favorite, since you'll be drinking the rest of the bottle!)
            1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
            3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process)
            2 cups all-purpose flour
            2 cups sugar
            1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
            3/4 teaspoon salt
            2 large eggs
            2/3 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease either one (1) bunt pan or (2) 8" cake pans. Stir together the stout and butter in a saucepan, and simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside, and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. In yet another bowl, beat eggs and sour cream together with an electric mixer till smooth. Add the chocolate-butter-stout mixture to egg mixture and beat lightly to combine. Then add the flour mixture and beat briefly on low speed. Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until completely combined (no white streaks). Pour batter into the pan(s). Bake until about 35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool before removing from pan.

For the frosting:

            1 pint of heavy cream / whipping cream WITH
            4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process) with 2 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
            OR 4 tablespoons sweetened cocoa powder (preferably Scharffen Berger)

In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream and sugar (if used) until soft peaks form. Fold in cocoa powder. Frost cake! Eat! Enjoy!

Beer Quote

"There is no such thing as a bad beer. It's that some taste better than others."
- Billy Carter

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