Inspired by Tom Kha Gai — and a New York Times recipe shared by a friend — this Thai chicken-coconut soup uses spinach for added color and flavor and a squeeze of lime for brightness. The broth is thin but can be served over rice or another grain to make a full meal. This can
Figgy Pudding – A Seasonal Stout
One tradition to which we adhere in our household is having a seasonal fermented beverage ready for the long, dark, cold months of winter here in Vermont. This year’s beverage is a recipe Rick created with traditional English Christmas pudding as the inspiration. This sweet stout starts off with the smell of figs and a
Simple Rustic Bread as Base for Exploration
I assume I am not alone in finding bread-making both fascinating and scary. It is a simple process, but for some reason the thought of starting bread would paralyze me. The other thing that would keep me from starting was the idea that I had to make sourdough, and keep feeding a starter. That sounds
L’odeur du Printemps: The Smell of Spring in a fruity French Saison style
L’odeur du Printemps is our first saison in a very long time, and we were overdue brewing one. This recipe uses French yeast and (mostly) German malts and hops, coupled with some honey malt for a little added sweetness to accentuate the fruit notes found in the Mandarina Bavaria and Huell Melon hops. A little
The Hairy Porter – A Rich Winter Warmer
The Hairy Porter is a full-bodied, slightly sweet, chocolatey beer without the astringency some dark ales have. We forwent the usual black patent malt and swapped it with a dark wheat malt, leaving the familiar brownish-red color and highlighting the Belgian Special B and chocolate malts. The flaked oats and the wheat malt make for
Metaphors & Rainbows … Whatever: A Juicy Vermont IPA
Metaphors & Rainbows … Whatever is our first attempt at a Vermont IPA. We’ve brewed IPAs in the past, but never one with the distinct haze, orange color, and big, fruity flavors associated with the Green Mountain State — and adopted by the rest of New England. The most well-known of the commercial versions are
DiploMEADic CHAImunity – Braggot
DiploMEADic CHAImunity gets its start and origin from a recipe by Rob Friesel, whose blog Rick has been following for over 15 years. The recipe was published along with his article in Brew Your Own magazine on the Braggot style. Having done a few meads this past winter we were very interested in this fusion
Strawberry Melonball MIPA: A First Attempt Combining Fruit & Lactose
A trip to Portland, Maine in February 2019 reminded us that there is still some fun to be had with even with the most familiar styles of beer. Strawberry Melonball is our first attempt at the milkshake style as well as working with whole fruits, and after some unexpected delays we were finally ready to give it
Photo HOPortunity – American Pale Ale
This week, we’re tasting and sharing the recipe for Rick’s latest brew. For those who would like to brew this beer it is available below, as well as on Brewer’s Friend. This was the first beer done on the new 1800W induction burner in our dedicated brewing space in the basement. It should be a
Making Mead: Honey plus time yields a delicious beverage
We have been intending to make mead for so long that it had become something of a joke. “I’ll get to that right after we make mead.” Then this past summer whilst cleaning the basement we realized we had nearly 14 pounds of honey … and that it was six years old. Coincidentally, we had