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When we stopped in, a little before 7pm, the place was full but not crowded. My first time at Johnny’s, I took a minute to survey the area… A quick assessment of the beer selection told me I was among friends. The bar was inviting, softly lit and surrounded by the smiling faces of patrons out enjoying their Thursday night. A handful of tables surrounding the bar, and more in an adjoining room, sat small groups of people already enjoying the featured menu. Dinner started at 5, and we hadn’t made reservations, so I was a little nervous that we’d miss out on the beer pairing… luckily there was a table free and we were able to sit right down.

The four course meal started with an appetizer of Cajun breaded fried pickles (made with homemade dill pickles!) and served with a Dijon IPA mustard.  They paired it with Victory’s Ranch Double IPA (9%ABV), well balanced with plenty of citrus notes and a dry, hop finish, this is definitely one to keep an eye out for in the future. The Ranch series features a fixed recipe, with the exception of the hops, which Victory changes with each batch in order to highlight different hop varieties. The Ranch name comes from the fact that they’re working with several family-owned hop farms and ranches out of the Pacific Northwest to source traditional and experimental hops for this recipe.  The fried pickles were a good match, and the spicy Cajun flavor provided just enough kick to set off the hops in the beer. Overall, the beer was the star of this pairing. I actually enjoyed it more on its own than with the appetizer.

As we were finishing up our appetizer, Johnny came by to introduce himself and see how were enjoying the pairing. He talked a little about how Chris, their chef, had prepared for the event, and listened eagerly as we shared our first impressions. We talked beer for a bit, homebrewing and local breweries, before our next course arrived and he left us to our meal.

Next up was a sausage and ham Spanakopita served with a side of German potato salad, and paired with Moonglow Weizenbock (8.7% ABV). This dark amber wheat beer, with fruity and spicy aromas, is brewed in the traditions of true Bavarian weizenbocks. The acidic vinegar flavors in German potato salad blended magically with the fruitiness of the weizenbock. This is an instance where food and beer work perfectly together. On its own, this would not be a beer that I would go for.  The spicy fruit notes have an almost rotten sweetness that I can’t get into. Same goes for the potato salad, it was good, but the pairing really takes both to the next level. It’s moments like this that really make me appreciate the complexities of craft beer.

The main course was top round London broil atop smoked bacon, served with a Grand Marnier au-poivre, and again, chef Chris nailed it with the pairing! The creamy richness of the sauce and the fatty bacon, along with the slight toughness of the steak, paired perfectly with Victory’s Scarlet Fire Raunchbier (6.1% ABV).

Last but not least, dessert was served.  A moist double layer chocolate cake with chocolate espresso frosting, served with StormKing Stout (9.1% ABV), a Russian Imperial stout. One of my favorite beer and food pairings, stouts and chocolate cake are a match made in beer heaven! A rich and substantial stout, the Storm King features a pretty substantial hop aroma that’s backed by delicious roasty malt flavors. Roasted malts are a perfect pair with the bittersweet chocolate flavors in the cake. If you’ve never tried a combo like this, you are missing out! Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (5% ABV) is another fine match for chocolate cake, and a good choice if you’re looking for a stout with a lower alcohol content than a Russian Imperial.

All around, this was a great beer and food pairing. If you’re reading this and thinking, “Man, I’m totally bummed that I missed such a kick ass beer event at a great local bar in Rochester!”, fear not… Johnny’s Irish Pub will be hosting another beer pairing event this month, Thursday, Dec 27, this time with Brooklyn Brewery! Keep an eye out for details on the Johnny’s Pub website or their facebook page. If you’re interested in going, call (585) 224-0990 to make reservations. (They accept walk-ins but only while supplies last!)

PS. Here’s another event, happening this week, at Johnny’s that you may be interested in!

The post Johnny’s Tower Takeover with Victory Brewing Company first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

What: Beer Bar featuring Belgian imports and Belgian-style beers.

Where: 120 East Avenue, Rochester NY, 14604 / tel: 585-325-3663

When to go: Open 4:00 pm – 2:00 am. Regular hours start Monday, July 9th: Monday – Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am

A new addition to the East End district, Victoire (pronounced veek-twahr) offers an impressive selection of authentic Belgian imports along with Belgian style beers from breweries like Ommegang, Victory, Stone, & Unibroue. They feature 20+ taps along with an impressive number of bottle conditioned beers. The Belgian people take their glassware seriously, so it’s also nice to see that Victoire serves much of their beer in the corresponding specialty glassware from the breweries. I ordered a Duchesse De Bourgogne from Brouwerij Verhaeghe (Belgium), and a Liefmans Fruitesse (Belgium)… both of which, I adored. JD started with a Hennepin from Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY) and finished with a Delirium Tremens from Brouwerij Huyghe (Belgium).

The atmosphere at Victoire is great. The dimly lit interior features multiple rooms, plenty of private seating areas as well as a few large wooden tables well-suited to large parties or dining alongside other guests (make new friends!). Perhaps their most endearing feature, is the outdoor seating area. Located a few steps below street-level, the sunken beer garden offers the perfect spot to enjoy a warm summer night in the city… JD and I agreed, we felt like we were in a different city.

When we went, they had yet to release the full menu (available starting July 5th), but we ordered the charcuterie plate, which was huge! A perfect pairing for those looking for something to snack on with drinks and enough to serve as a small appetizer for a table four. For $12 we got 4 cheeses, 4 meats, 4 fruits, tapanade, pepper jelly, mustard, and a sliced baguette… my only critique was that our server didn’t explain what was on the plate so we were left to guess what would pair well with what. (I’m hoping this is one of the “start-up kinks” that will be worked out as the staff gets the hang of what’s on the menu.) The table next to us ordered one of the 8 varieties of moules & frites (mussels & fries) and they said it was delicious, I’ll definitely be back to try those!

*Update!

I stopped back in last night for a quick beer after work and I tried the mussels… I paired a Delirium Nocturnum (Belgian Dubbel) with the Victoire Moules & Frites – white wine, cream, bacon, caramelized onions, scallions, & organic herbs.  It was a great pairing and MAN, those mussels were delicious!  The hand cut fries were also quite good, served with both a pesto and a garlic aioli for dipping.  I gotta hand it to them… they’re doing a great job.  Definitely adding this to our list of favorite beer spots in the city!

The post Local Spotlight: Victoire Belgium Beer Bar first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

As one of our favorite breweries, I was not surprised when JD made a beeline for Southern Tier Brewing Co. as soon as we entered the gates to snag a taste of their Bourbon Barrel Aged Back Burner Barley Wine. We’re both big fans of the standard Back Burner and the aged version did not disappoint.  Oak meets smooth caramel notes and at 14.1% abv, it packs a punch without being too boozy or overpowering in any way.  A very enjoyable brew and one that I was happy to start with.

Conveniently, our friends from Custom Brewcrafters were at the next booth over with a taste of their Krysztoff Baltic Porter, named 2011 Beer of the Year by The New York Cork Report.  Another delicious beer with some serious decision making power (10% abv) this bold brew had us doing the smile-and-nod. From there, slightly nervous that the day would head south quickly otherwise, we sought out some snacks in the main lodge.

Once you’re in the festival, all of the beer samples as well as the food is free and readily available everywhere you turn.  This years featured theme was Caribbean Food, although we got our hands on everything from hot dogs & hamburgers to pierogis with sour cream.  Of course there were plenty of treats that fit the theme a little better… we enjoyed Curry Chicken, Oven-baked Sweet Plantains, and burned our tongues on Conch Fritters.

Saturday was a blur of good food, great beer, and even better people. I cannot say enough about the craft beer community… We met so many great people at TAP New York, many of whom we hope to see again soon.  At 5pm, when the festival had closed for the night, we did some hanging with Rochester’s own Three Heads Brewing and the Dupa Dupa Dupa crew (you’ll find their picture right inside the TAP NY program).  From there we headed up to Tannersville for the official Sixpoint Craft Ales after party at The Spinning Room Bar, where we rubbed elbows with none other than Jan Matysiak, brewmaster and creator of Sixpoint Resin and the newly launched Apollo, a wheat beer brewed with a traditional Bavarian yeast.  We also ate SPAM fries and spent some time chatting with Adam Lang and his lovely girlfriend Aliza.  For those of you that know how much we love Sixpoint, you can imagine how much we enjoyed meeting those guys! (like I’m pretty sure JD has a man-crush on Jan…)

Right about now is when my memory starts to fade in and out… though I do remember that the cab driver from Smiley’s Taxi was totally cool and not at all creepy like the cab driver we had in Jamestown when we visited Southern Tier in February.  Stay tuned for a recap of Sunday, when I actually remembered to take some pictures!

The post TAP NY 2012 – Day One first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

http://www.stoneyardbarandgrill.com

What: Bar & Grill with 21 rotating craft beers on tap.

Where: 1 Main Street, Brockport, NY 14420 (corner of Main St & the Erie Canal)

When to go: Wednesday nights are “Beer Masters” nights.  Enjoy special “Cookin’ with Beer” menu items and once you join their Beer Masters club ($20 for the year), you’ll get discounts on craft beer every Wednesday night.   **The last Wednesday of every month is Beer Masters University where they give patrons the opportunity to learn about craft beer including trivia, tastings and giveaways from 7-9pm ($5 for members/$10 for non-members)

Stoneyard Bar & Grill is one of the few options in Brockport for both a nice sit-down meal and good craft beer.  For those of you that might be familiar with this small college town just west of Rochester, it’s the location of the old Jimmy Macs. The dining room is at street level, with the bar located downstairs, right next to the canal.  Their canalside location makes it a summer hot spot for boaters and bikers along the Erie Canal.

Great specials every day of the week offer something for everyone, not to mention their amazing craft beer selection. They offer 21 rotating beers on tap and a nice variety of craft bottles and cans.  I’m telling you guys, their beer selection is killer, including many beers rarely seen on tap locally.  The guys in charge here really love craft beer and it shows in what they choose to put on.  They put on mostly sixtels (1/6 kegs that yield about 50-55 beers each) so it’s not uncommon for beers to rotate in and out in a matter of days.  This provides a constant variety of taps to choose from and ensures you always get a fresh beer.

The last Wednesday of every month they hold “Beer Masters University” where they pick a topic and school patrons on beer styles, processes, etc. along with tastings, trivia and giveaways.  Tomorrow’s event features the brewers from Rochester’s own Roc Brewing Co. and their great selection of  beers, including a taste of the Kyoto Protocol, their Sumatra IPA showcasing a blend of beer & coffee through a collaborative effort with Joe Bean Coffee Roasters.  I just saw the special menu items for this event on Stoneyard’s Facebook page and I cannot wait to try this meal…

Dark Mild Pulled Pork Sandwich topped with Cullinan’s Revival Red BBQ Sauce and apple slaw on a fresh baked Brewers Yeast Roll with a side of Crispy Brewers Fries and Roc Brewing Oatmeal Stout Ice Cream Floats for dessert!

I’ll see ya there!

The post Local Spotlight: Stoneyard Bar & Grill, Brockport, NY first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.

http://www.donnellysph.com/

What: Neighborhood pub with 22 rotating craft beers on tap.

Where: 1 Water Street, Fairport, NY 14450 (at the corner of Liftbridge Lane)

When to go: Thursday nights are “Drink Local” nights.  Stop in from 6-8pm in February to enjoy a beer tasting presented by a local brewery.  Also, any beers on tap from New York State breweries are just $3 and you get a FREE “I drink NY” pint glass to take home! (limit 1 per visit)

Donnelly’s Public House in Fairport, NY is a great place to go for dinner and a few beers with friends.  They provide ample seating both nearby and away from the bar, perfect for whatever kind of night you have planned.  It can get busy though, so be prepared to wait a few minutes for a table if you stop in during the dinner rush.

They have a great menu, affordably priced, with something for everyone.  Try their BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich or Pork Plate made with house smoked pork roasted with Guinness and garlic (omg) or the popular Beer Battered Fish Fry if you’re there on a Friday.

I was there a couple weeks ago and tried the BBQ Pork Drums with Cole Slaw and Fries.  I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it.  The pork was so tender it literally fell off the bone, and the combination of the sticky sweet BBQ sauce with the creamy cole slaw and salty french fries… all of it washed down with great New York State beer (at $3 a pint!?).  I was in heaven! 

I will admit, I have only been on Thursday, but they look like they have great specials all week long.  Taco Tuesdays – enough said.  And Wednesday night is “Game Day” where they offer a different wild game special each week (elk, buffalo, boar, etc.)  For folks that like to get a little adventurous with their eats, or for those of you that usually play it safe but are looking to branch out, this sounds like a great time!  Did I mention they have grilled wings?  If you’ve never had grilled chicken wings, do it.  Seriously… you’re welcome.

The post Local Spotlight: Donnelly’s Public House, Fairport, NY first appeared on The Craft Beer Blog.