The Shed Mountain Ale

The state of Vermont has a fantastic tradition of beer brewing. With such breweries as Long Trail, Magic Hat, and Harpoon being staples, there are great things happening in the Green Mountain State. While the aforementioned breweries might get all of the attention, there is much more to discover in the Vermont beer scene. The Shed Brewery is a brewery that I just found out about. The Shed has been around for about 50 years being based in Stowe, Vermont until moving to Middlebury in 2011. I tried their Mountain Ale for the first time and I was blown away by just how delicious it was. It is a strong English Brown Ale that is a perfect compliment to a crisp, cool fall day. While it is a strong ale at 7.4% ABV, it is an extremely smooth ale that is easy drinking. Do not underestimate its smoothness however, drink too many and it will knock you on your ass. The Mountain Ale has a malty smell and taste with slight caramel notes. There is a slight bitterness from Mt Hood and Northern Brewer hops. Its amber color make the Mountain Ale an extremely beautiful beer to drink. If you can find The Shed Mountain Ale i would highly suggest it. Its another Vermont beer that is a winner and a must try for beer lovers. Cheers!

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

A classic way to utilize all of your apples you picked at the local apple orchard is to make apple crisp. It is a classic fall dessert that is amazing to make at home. To make it even more representative of the fall season is to pair the apples with fresh cranberries. This apple-cranberry crisp is sure to be a hit. This would also be a great addition to your Thanksgiving meal this year.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
3 cups sliced, peeled apples
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsalted butter

Method:
You will need to use a 2 quart casserole dish that has been greased for this recipe. In the 2 quart casserole, combine the cranberries, apples, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix the ingredients until they are fully incorporated. Next mix together all of the topping ingredients. Once the topping has been mixed together, spoon it over the fruit in the greased casserole. Bake for 1 hour at 325°. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Baked BBQ Chicken

Barbecue Chicken is one dish that is American to its core. There is no discussing whether it is or not. It is a purely American invention and has been perfected here. There are many ways in which you can prepare your barbecue chicken. Whether it be on the grill, or in the oven it will be a crowd favorite no matter what you do besides burning it obviously. For this recipe I used a new barbecue sauce that I had not tried before. I saw that Annie's Naturals makes their own barbecue sauce and decided to give it a try. I gave their smoky maple flavored barbecue sauce a try. If you like maple flavored things you should try this barbecue sauce. For this recipe I decided to cook the chicken in the oven. I used only the legs and thighs for this recipe due to the fact that is what I had on hand, but you could use chicken breasts also just make sure it is on the bone and not boneless.

Ingredients:
bone-in chicken legs and thighs. Two legs and two thighs
Annie's Naturals smoky maple flavored barbecue sauce
5 sprigs fresh thyme
salt
pepper
teaspoon smoked paprika
teaspoon garlic powder
teaspoon onion powder

Method:
About three hours before you want to start cooking your chicken, wash under cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle salt onto the skin of the chicken and make sure to rub it into the skin and not the meat. This process makes the skin become crispier and it helps render more of the fat. Place in your refrigerator until you are ready to cook. I would not do this process for more than five hours. When you are ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400° F. Make sure to wipe off the salt and moisture from the chicken with a paper towel. You will notice that the salt has brought out some of the moisture from the skin. Season the chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook for 30 minutes at 400° F. After cooking for 30 minutes, baste the chicken with a kitchen safe brush with the barbecue sauce. Baste with barbecue sauce every five minutes so that the barbecue begins to caramelize on the skin. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes while basting the chicken every five minutes. Serve with whatever side dishes you like. Freshly made coleslaw, cornbread, corn on the cob, or steamed vegetables are good suggestions as side dishes to serve with your barbecue chicken.

Drinktime: Harpoon Octoberfest

Many breweries today offer seasonal beers that evoke the season. For fall, many breweries brew a pumpkin flavored beer that features pumpkin and spices such as cinnamon, and nutmeg. While the pumpkin beer craze is very much an American autumn beer tradition, another autumn beer tradition is Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is the largest fair in the world held annually in late September in Munich, Germany. One of the traditional styles of beer that is served at Oktoberfest is a Marzen style of lager. The Marzen style of lager originates in Bavaria, which is coincidentally where Oktoberfest is located. Marzen is a very malty, rich, and deep colored beer that is perfect for the cooler weather of fall. It is no wonder that Harpoon Brewery celebrates the autumn season by brewing a Marzen style lager which they call Octoberfest. The Octoberfest is a classic fall beer which I highly recommend you sample this fall before it is gone. Its deep malty aroma and flavor, deep garnet color, and its gentle finish with a touch of bitterness makes the Octoberfest a great beer to have on a cool autumn day or evening. The Octoberfest has a very typical 5.3% ABV for a lager which will not knock you down after one or two pints. This is a beer that is very enjoyable and like I said before is a perfect session beer for fall. If you are getting bored of the typical pumpkin fall seasonal beer and are looking for something different, the Octoberfest by Harpoon is the beer for you to try out. Cheers!