VEGANS DESERVE GOOD BEER TOO

As part of an ongoing weekly post yours truly will be picking one food menu item and pairing it with one of our 150+ bottle beers from our monster beer menu. Stay tuned each week for an informed, tried and true suggestion.

This weeks' winning couple is:

Mudville's Vegan friendly Veggie Burger and the ever accommodating Allagash White

+

The Chemistry:
To you Vegans out there (or even cautious eaters in general): sure, it took a while but menus are becoming more accommodating throughout the foody-verse. BUT what if you want to enjoy a nice craft beer in a place with 18 digital screens and screaming football fans? Well you can have your veggie cake and eat it too at Mudville.  This week I've chosen a pairing that will fit you right in with the carnivores for gameday.

The first of the pair is a no-brainer. We've created this veggie burger specifically for you. It's made from scratch with 100% vegan ingredients (you know...carrots, tofu, beans, rice and a plethora of secret spices). If you're a vegetarian we'll add a dollop of tzatziki sauce on the side.
Now, for the significant other to this pair you might be wondering why one couldn't choose just any beer, right? I mean, after all, according to German Law Reinheitsgebot beer is supposed to be just grain, hops, water, and yeast right?! These are ingredients that any vegan/vegetarian can eat. Though these ARE the main ingredients for most beers of the world the lesser known fact is that there are some types of beers (ESB's for example) that may use isinglass as a clarifying agent. Isinglass is derived from cod bladder and so would not be considered a compliant food. And for those of you who thought "cask-conditioned" or "hand-pumped" ales are vegan friendly - think again. These brews are usually made with some sort of gelatin. So, I've chosen the totally vegan friendly White beer out of Maine's Allagash Brewery. According to my sources, Allagash Brewery and a vegan wine and beer source I like to reference, this beer is bona-fide vegan. Oh yeah, and this beer tastes great! Moreover, the style is very complimentary to the veggie products in the burger. There aren't lots of malts overpowering the flavors of carrot, rice and tofu. The crispness of the citrus notes in this particular white add a nice extra zing and the yeasty flavor resonate perfectly with any essence of roasted vegetables. At last!

Bon Apetit! 

P.s. For a nice vegan side addition ask for our grilled asparagus!

 Cheers!

ON A CHILI DAY, SET SAIL!

As part of an ongoing weekly post yours truly will be picking one food menu item and pairing it with one of our 150+ bottle beers from our monster beer menu. Stay tuned each week for an informed, tried and true suggestion.

This weeks' winning couple is:

Mudville's grande Spicy Chili and the award winning Full Sail Amber

+ 

The Chemistry:

Fall is officially upon us and what better food to warm your bones than chili. Chili is one of those dishes where everyone has their own secret recipe. Well, at Mudville9, we’re no different. Usually these secret recipes simply mean that 18 different pepper varieties are in the sauce or something weird like spaghetti might be added - but there are plenty of ways that people enjoy chili. Ours includes our proprietary buffalo wing sauce to give it that necessary zing. With such a variable dish one needs a flexible beer that can handle the heat, meat, beans, spices, cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh onion. That beer is an Amber Lager. The style may seem a little odd at first but this combo is tried and true in Mexico since the 1800's when Austrian brewers moved to Mexico and introduced their amber lager where it remains a standard (you've heard of Negro Modelo, Dos Equis and Corona, right?)  

The sweet, caramelly Full Sail is an excellent foil to temper dishes with a lot of heat. They use chocolate malt which complements the richness of the sauce while the bright citrusy notes in the beer play nicely against the earthy notes of the beans and cumin dashes. There are many Amber Lagers out there to choose from but for this guy's money I choose the Full Sail (it might have something to do with the fact they've won 14 gold medals with this one).

Bon Apetit!

P.s. Add a fire roasted corn to your order to go all out Mexicana! Can you say "Queso Fresco"?

Cheers!

GUNN HO FOR COMFORT FOOD

As part of an ongoing weekly post yours truly will be picking one food menu item and pairing it with one of our 150+ bottle beers from our monster beer menu. Stay tuned each week for an informed, tried and true suggestion.

This weeks' winning couple is:

Mudville's Roasted Half Chicken and the oak-aged, one and only Innis & Gunn

+

The Chemistry:

Dusk is coming earlier each day (sometimes before you’ve started your commute home!) so it’s no surprise you start craving some of those hibernation-type foods to soothe the soul and combat the SAD. Well we have just the pairing this week to battle the dark and gloomy outside. Step inside and get some of Mudville's own half-roasted chicken that, dare I say, will rival your grandmother's. Besides that, unless you have a seanmhair I doubt she'd be able to pair it with a nice oak-aged brew like Innis & Gunn. Sometimes the best things in life are discovered accidentally, this beer is no different. Originally used as a malty seasoning agent to prep scotch whisky barrels (and then tossed out?!) someone decided to taste the beer one day and "crivens!" - Innis & Gunn was born. This beer is slightly malt forward, with caramel flavors that carry on a deep conversation with the crisp, caramelized skin of the chicken. There is a little bit of a cream note that adds some depth and richness, and then essence of dried apricot pushes through and brightens it up a bit. The aftertaste gives you hints of what I like to call "sleeper hops" and vanilla. I can't think of a better combination to round out the caramel flavors from both the beer and the skin of the 24-hour-brine-soaked chicken.


Bon Apetit!

P.s. if you're feeling extra moody try Mudville's Rib & Roasted Chicken combo. And don't forget to ask for your side dish...definitely Grandma Roz's coleslaw!

Cheers!

BLUE POINT SAMPLING PARTY AT MUDVILLE - Wednesday, Nov. 16

Well, Mudville 9 is at it again, gang. This time along with our friends at Blue Point Brewing in Long Island we're offering 10, yes, I said 10 taps of delicious brew to sample. This event kicks off at 6 PM right here in TriBeCa's finest craft beer bar.

With so many taps commandeered by the boys at Blue Point they can roll out all of their award winning standards as well as some new and limited editions.

This events' brews include:

TOASTED LAGER - 5.3% abv
This beer won the gold medal at The 2006 World Beer Cup, the silver medal at The 2006 Great American Beer Festival and the silver medal at the 2004 World Beer Cup. Copper in color this brew is made from six different malts and utilizes a special lager yeast to produce that long lasting, smooth finish. Toasted Lager displays a balanced flavor of malt and hop which makes for easy drinking.
 
PALE ALE - 5.0% abv
Blue Point Brewing's Pale Ale has a light golden color but explodes with a rich full-flavor. This refreshing ale is top-fermented and hopped at four different stages of the brewing process. English pale malt lends complexity to this brew. Small amounts of Wheat and Carapils round out the malt bill. Brewed to satisfy the hop lover, this pale ale has an immediate floral-citrus flavor that pervades the overall character of this hoppy, quenching microbrew.
 
WINTER ALE - 7.0% abv
Brewed to chase away the chill of cool Winter nights, it’s created with pale, Vienna, crystal and chocolate malts. This uncommon amber is brewed with a tasty balance of malt and hops, only during the cold months of the year. One of our most popular seasonal specialties, just remember this special ale is gone with Winter’s winds.
 
RASTAFARYE - 7.5% abv
Blue Point Brewing Company humbly honors the Rastafari and dedicates this beer to them. Our RastafaRye Ale marries a hearty rye malt with a blend of freshly harvested west coast hops resulting in a delicious deep copper ale, with just the right amount of rye flavor to offset the spicy and floral characteristics of the hops, RastafaRye will stay on your palate and your mind evermore.
  
NO APOLOGIES (LIMITED) - 10.0% abv
Our Imperial or Double IPA is a brew not to be taken lightly. Crafted only in small batches from the finest European malts and American hops, the huge earthy dry hop aroma of Blue Point Brewing’s No Apologies is followed by a pleasant caramel sweetness. Four hop varieties round out this perfectly balanced big ale that’s sure to warm your soul and for that, we offer absolutely NO APOLOGIES!!!
 
HOPTICAL ILLUSION IPA - 6.3% abv
This IPA won the Bronze Medal at The 2005 Great American Beer Festival. It was also named the best IPA at The 2005 United States Beer Tasting Championship. This classic American style IPA features a rare hop exclusively grown on a farm in Oregon. One taste of the Hoptical Illusion and you'll know why Blue Point bought the entire crop. A generous amount of the select hop balances out malty backbone of this delicious golden beer.
 
OATMEAL STOUT - 5.3% abv
The Oatmeal Stout is a dark beer drinker's dream come true. The Oatmeal Stout is made from Pale, Crystal, Chocolate and Roasted Malts. In addition Flaked Oats are added to the mix and the outcome is an uncommonly silky brew. This legendary dark beer is full flavored and rich tasting. A romantically delicious microbrew to share with someone special.

TOXIC SLUDGE (LIMITED) - (Black IPA) 7.0% abv
Blue Point will donate 100% of net proceeds from Toxic Sludge to Delaware-based Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research to fund their Spreading Our Wings Campaign and long term efforts to build a Wildlife Response Annex. "The annex will improve our ability to care for large numbers of wildlife affected by oil spills and other incidents in our region," said Rebecca Elzey, director of development for Tri-State. "Through their perfectly-timed new brew for the birds, Blue Point will be providing ongoing support for our campaign and helping to raise awareness of our mission."

 

WHITE IPA (LIMITED) - 6.0% abv (BELGIAN-STYLE WIT/ AMERICAN IPA HYBRID)
White IPA is brewed with wheat for a Belgian twist that is balanced perfectly by well rounded hops character. Brewed specifically for the 13th Anniversary of the brewery and debuted at their celebration.
 
BLUE POINT BLUEBERRY - 4.3% abv
Blue Point fresh Blueberry Ale offers an unusual twist on brewing that turns out to be just perfect. A wonderful blend of fresh blueberries matched with a thirst quenching distinctive ale. We carefully add 132 lbs of blueberries to each special batch. Brewed with 100% American ingredients. Enjoy a truly unique flavorful brew!

Get in early to grab your spot. This is going to be fun!

Stay tuned here and be sure to check in on the Mudville9 Facebook page for upcoming events. We're constantly sampling new craft beer.

Cheers! 

ALL HAIL GLUTEN FREE: THE BARD'S TALE

As part of an ongoing weekly post yours truly will be picking one food menu item and pairing it with one of our 150+ bottle beers from our monster beer menu. Stay tuned each week for an informed, tried and true suggestion.

This weeks' winning couple is:

Mudville's crisp Caesar Salad and the always gluten free Bard's Sorghum Malt Beer

+

The Chemistry:
And oh boy, is there chemistry involved for those of you who suffer from Celiac's disease, deal with dermatitis herpetiformis, or have that pesky wheat allergy. Well you're not alone as we see more and more restaurants and hotels include options for the intolerant. In fact, (and I'm not sure how accurate this is) I heard through the olive vine that Julius Caesar may have been gluten intolerant. But that doesn't really matter because this creation was named after chef Caesar Cardini. Who knew?!

I digress.

So what better match for this week's choice than these two. Now granted, this salad is going to be a little salty from the anchovy essence, (which was originally created by adding Worcestershire sauce not anchovies!) a little tangy from the lemon juice and a little creamy from the dressing and parmesan cheese. That's okay -- the Bard's, is not only made with gluten-free sorghum, but is an American Pale Ale so it's tangy, a little hoppy, and refreshing. This translates into a great and citrusy balance (from the hops) to the salty anchovy (Worcestershire!) dressing and cheese. To make this truly a gluten-free meal simply ask to remove the croutons. Voila!

Bon Apetit! 

P.s. For a nice addition our grilled asparagus side dish is also gluten-free. 

INTERNATIONAL STOUT DAY IS THURSDAY!

Hey Gang, this week at your favorite craft beer spot in Lower Manhattan we'll be offering 3 stouts to help you check International Stout day off your bucket list. Two of Victory Brewing's classic dark brews, Donnybrook Stout and Storm King Stout will be available as well as the Irish standard Guinness. (The Donnybrook is also on nitrogen!)

Malts: imported German 2 row malts and roasted barley
Hops: American Whole flower
Abv: 3.7%
The most refreshing dark beer you could ever imagine this side of Dublin! Low alcohol and roasted barley keep it clean and flavorful. The subtle earthiness of European hops harmonize with the roasted barley to offer a whiff of peat. Served with the classic nitrogen pour, Donnybrook delivers an impressive head and silken body of a classic stout.

Malts: Imported 2 row
Hops: American whole flowers
Abv: 9.1%
With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King Stout^® subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart.
And while your drinking it maybe we'll put on StormKing Radio (clicking will open Pandora) to tickle your earbuds. 

See you then!

Cheers!