Sprout Creek Farm

The local cheese of the month (I know I'm a little off on the month, timing-wise - but anyhoo) is Sprout Creek Farm I picked up five great cheeses from them and they'll be on the shelf later today.


Toussaint

A Robustly flavored cheese with a distinctive Alpine flavor.
Toussaint becomes more complex and peppery with age, and rounds out with a smooth, tight texture. Natural edible rind.






Ouray

An earthy buttery cheese with a sweet floral flavor, Ouray has a firm creamy paste with a crisp edible natural rind.




Batch 35

A crisp coppery rind sheaths a straw colored interior of this smear-ripened cheese. Smooth, with an open texture and a scattering of eyes, this cheese is meaty, pungent, and earthy.


Eden

Smear-ripened with an elastic texture and a golden interior, Eden has a pungent nose but a sweet apple butterscotch finish.

Sophie

Beneath the rind of this soft-ripened goats’ milk cheese is a white pearly paste with a balanced herbaceous flavor.

(Sorry that there's no pictures for all the cheeses - trust me, they're great!)

We're practically giving beer away!

When warehouses need to be cleared we reap the benefits. Weyerbacher Slam Dunkel (22 oz.) was $3.93 and is now $1.71 and Anderson Valley Winter Ale (12 oz.) is regularly $2.06 and is now $0.50! Both beers are considered seasonal but they make for fine drinking on a cool spring night. You could also cellar them and drink them it the fall at these prices. Whilst supplies last.

cheers, Anngel

These are a few of my favorite beers – Lagunitas

I try not to post strictly based on my own taste but in this case I just can help myself. Lagunitas Brewery of Petaluma, CA has always made really solid beers but this year they are knocking it out of the park with their big bottle series (22 oz.). These are some of the best beers in a bottle that I've had this year and they are an amazing value. The Hop Stoopid quickly became one of my favorite beers because of it's big, juicy, citrusy flavor. I've had it on tap, on cask, and in a bottle and every time it was outstanding. At 7.7 abv it is strong but incredibly fresh, well balanced, and drinkable so tread lightly.

And just when I thought it couldn't get better Lagunitas has released the Correctional Ale, another riff on their run-in-with-the-law series. The Correctional Ale is very similar to the Hop Stoopid but has a little less weight at 6.33 abv. It's fresh and bright and one of the best spring/summer hop backbone beers that one can find in a bottle.

Lagunitas brews whatever they want, whenever they want so, don't expect these beers to be around for long but look forward to Lucky 13 and other great beers at fair prices from these eclectic brewers.

Cheers, Anngel

Southern Tier Brewing embraces winter with it's strong seasonal line-up

New York state has been putting itself back on the brewing map for a couple decades now. One brewing company that has been building up a good head of steam recently is Southern Tier. Based in Lakewood, NY they've been brewing up a storm since 2004.

Southern Tier started out with a fairly conservative stable of solid beers and from there has built a creative, diverse, and, delicious portfolio. Here is a shortlist of some of the limited release, seasonal brews are worth exploring at the coop:

Gemini - Hoppe & Unearthly blended together & placed in this vessel, the mission of our Gemini is to travel high & take passengers on a journey far into the heavens. 10.5% abv
Krampus - Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast and aged cold for no less than 30 days. This Imperial Helles Lager will warm even the darkest hearts. 9.0% abv • Imperial Helles Lager
Cuvee 1 - ALE IMPRESSIONS: Light copper color, slight malt flavor with mild bitterness, dry finish with subtle hop aroma. FRENCH OAK IMPRESSIONS: Qualities of toasted coconut, almond biscotti and toasted almonds with a taste of honeysuckle. 11.0% abv
Choklat - Moving through centuries, the circular journey of cacao has been realized in our brewing house, encompassing the complexity of the darkest, bitter-sweet candy together with the original frothy cold beverage of the ancient Maya to bring to you our Blackwater Series Choklat Stout. We have combined the finest ingredients to tempt your senses & renew the power & interrelation of history in every bottle. 11.0% abv • Imperial Chocolate Stout
Oat - Pour Oat into a snifter, allow its thick tan head to slowly rise, releasing unbridled aromas. The color of Oat is as dark as a moonless night. The first sip reveals Oat’s thick and nourishing taste. Like a haversack to a horse, a bottle of this stout is a meal in itself. Enjoy responsibly. 11.0% abv • Imperial Oatmeal Stout

*info courtesy Southern Tier Brewing

Three weirdo beers that I’m loving for their lightness and brightness for the holidays.

Leelanau and Penn Brewing
Firstly, let’s talk about the Leelanau Brewing Company of Michigan. The Gold Harbor Golden and Whaleback White are amazingly delicious, complex, and in a way, easy. I guess it’s easy when you taste that good. They are handcrafted by Ron Jeffries, one of the best craft brewers on the planet. Just try them, they're expansive and subtle. Think champagne course.

My other favorite is the Penn Kaiser Pils, 2008 GABF gold medal winner. This beer is clean, crisp, and has a nice bitter closure. That sounds like a trite explanation of a pilsner but this triple-decocted bit of loveliness is really gooooood. Try it! It’s easy with food.
cheers, Anngel