Merry Christmas All!!!

Now that it is Christmas Day, you will have TONS of leftover homemade cookies for the next few days and what is a great way to GET THEM IN YOUR BELLY??  Wash them down with beer!

The holidays are that time when you…yes, even you…actually make desserts from scratch…you lazy bum.  Nothing is better than freshly made holiday cookies, cakes and pies.  Well…freshly made holiday cookies, cakes and pies that have been paired with beer!  So, I picked three beers that are super varied and three cookies that are divine right out of the oven. We all have different palates so, like most of my pairings, I pick what I like. If you happen to have a problem with an ingredient or beer or beer parent company or even the actual pairing itself…I really can’t help you.  Open your mind and try it and if you don’t like it…try it again! Make this the year you step outside of your comfort zone and try some new and different in beer and food…you’ll be pleasantly surprised…or not.

Note: I have never had any of the store-bought versions of the paired cookies below, only homemade ones, so I’m unsure how the store bought ones really rate. I’m just trying to be extra helpful for you folks that are oven-phobic.

Let’s get started!

Troegs Mad Elf

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Shannon from Warren, MI!

Shannon, a converted IPA lover, and her fiancé are huge craft beer lovers who have never had the pleasure of tasting Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. They have toured many breweries all over the country and own almost 90 different growlers! Shannon will be surprising her fiancé with this delicious IPA in his groom’s gift at their upcoming nuptials.

Let’s all wish Shannon a big congratulations on winning the IPA and winning the heart of her beloved! 😉

Thank you all for the overwhelming responses! Our team of folks went through each one…some where hilarious some were bland, some were straightforward, some were kinda sad…but ALL WERE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

So…for those of you that did not win this time…don’t be disheartened! Adventures ‘N Ales will periodically have giveaways and the next winner may be YOU! Stay tuned!

Cheers and Keep Drinking!

So we have come to the fork in the road…meaning…WHAT BOOZE AM I GONNA SERVE WITH DINNER!

This can be a tricky situation ESPECIALLY if you have no idea what people like or where their tastes lie.

I’m gonna be honest. And don’t let anyone in on this secret….If the booze is free and flowing, they will drink it.  Simple. 

So now that we have that figured out, let’s do some quick and easy holiday food and beer pairing.

I’m very elementary with how I pair food with beer on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Sweethearts Day or National Hat Day.  Because of my low level way of doing things, I like to revolve everything around the oven roasted foods. So, I’m going to highlight the roasted character of both the foods and the beer and go from there. The Maillard Reaction is a type of non-enzymic browning that adds color and flavor to foods. The beers I have picked all have delightfully roasted grains or candied sugar added and all of the food on my holiday table will be delightfully oven roasted…minus any of the delightful stuff my Mom burned. 😉

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For all of you lovers of DogFish Head 120 Minute IPA, who could NOT get your hot little hands on a bottle this past year…..

Guess what?

I’m giving away a beautiful, cellared August, 2014 bottle!

Yes. I’m serious.

Giveaway Rules:

So…What do you have to do???

Send a very short blurb by 12/30/15 on why you would LOVE to have this beer to AdventuresNAlesGiveaway@gmail.com.  Simple. 

It can be your first time or your 50th time drinking DFH 120. I don’t care because everyone has a reason on why they need it…Good Reason (“I need it for a celebration”.) or Bad Reason (“I’d like it to break it over someone’s head”.) Whateve, just make it good!  The winner’s name, picture and reason may or may not be posted on the site, based on the winner’s preference.

Cheers and Good Luck!!!

Giveaway Guidelines:

Must be 21 to enter and be able to produce a valid ID.

Must be located in the contiguous 48 States, preferably Michigan. Contest ends November 30, 2015

For those of you that would like a little back story on this amazing IPA, here ya go…

Although 120 Minute IPA is brewed a few times a year, it gets sold out quickly because of its pure deliciousness. Due to its high alcohol content, 15-20% ABV, it stores and ages excellently and just gets better and better. This 120 IBU beer is a hop lover’s dream come true. Per Dogfish.com it is “boiled for a full two hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops.”

Food Pairing Recommendations:  Smoked almonds, smoked meats, grilled lamb, gingersnaps
Glassware Recommendation:  IPA glass
Wine Comparable:  More whisky than wine