Spotlight
Boulevard Brewing Company
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Boulevard’s mission is a simple but successful one: “to produce fresh, flavorful beers using the finest traditional ingredients and the best of both old and new brewing techniques.” It’s that dedication to quality that’s helped the company become the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest in the years since it was founded in 1989. The American-style Unfiltered Wheat Beer is Boulevard’s most popular choice, earning the Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal. But there’s really no wrong choice in Boulevard brews; all of them are known for their full flavors, quality and unique characters.
Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
The Tank 7 came out of the Boulevard brewers’ experimentations with variations on a traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale and quickly turned into a favorite. “(The Tank 7 is) our fastest-brewing beer, and that’s kind of what we view as our beer moving forward,” said Ambassador Brewer Jeremy Danner. While the Unfiltered Wheat Beer accounts for about half of Boulevard’s sales, Danner said Tank 7 has the legs to really sell the brewery to an expanded market moving forward. ABV: 8.5 percent. Sold as: Draft and bottles year-round
Hibiscus Gose
One of Boulevard’s recent releases is one that has actually been in the works for a while. The Hibiscus Gose is a bright pink beer seasoned with sea salt and coriander to give it a light, sour flavor and infused with hibiscus flowers for light cherry and citrus flavors and aromas. Danner explained that the Boulevard makes a holiday beer for its employees each year, and a couple years ago they decided they wanted to brew one with gose, which is a top-fermented German beer. They thought of cranberries to make it a holiday beer, but they worried about the fermentability of the fruit. Instead, they chose hibiscus to keep the unique pink coloring. ABV: 4.2 percent. Sold as: bottles only through October
Boulevard Brewing Company has its own distribution warehouse in Kansas City and is distributed throughout the Midwest. Boulevard beers can be found in restaurants and stores all around the metro, including House of Bricks, Quinton’s Bar and Grill, Wooly’s, UpDown, Buddy’s Corral, Locust Tap, Zombie Burger, Beechwood Lounge, Sambetti’s, Gramercy Tap, East Village Pantry, AJ’s on East Court, Central City Liquors, Quick Trip, Quality Inn and Suites, Mad Meatball, Capital Pub and Hot Dog, Embassy Suites, Wells Fargo Arena, Holiday Inn, Buzzard Billy’s, Vet’s Auditorium, Shorty’s Bar, Tonic on Court, The Venue, Legends Court Ave., Stuffed Olive, Mickey’s, High Life Lounge, Renaissance, Hall of Fame, Des Moines Spaghetti Works, Principal Park, Fong’s Pizza, El Bait Shop, Barcadium and many more. For a full list, visit www.boulevard.com/beers/beer-finder/.
define
Bitterness
The perceived bitter flavoring in beer, referred to as bitterness, is from iso-alpha-acid in solution, which is derived from hops. It’s measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU).
events
Sept. 25 – 2014 Dine Iowa Grand Tasting Gala, 6-8 p.m., Capital Square, the Atrium, Des Moines, http://goo.gl/kJxCAF
Sept. 27 – Barley’s Angels of Des Moines, 2-5 p.m., Crafternoon at Firetrucker, Ankeny, $25, https://www.facebook.com/barleysangelsDSM?ref=ts&fref=ts
Oct. 1 – Cyclonefanatic Hoops Party, 6 p.m.,The Keg Stand, West Des Moines, https://www.facebook.com/thekegstand
Oct. 2 – Table 128 Happy Hour, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Table 128 Bistro + Bar, Clive, http://table128bistro.com
Oct. 3 – Peace Tree Beer Dinner, 6-8 p.m., Hotel Pattee, Perry, http://www.hotelpattee.com
Oct. 5 – Sunday Funday Ride, 12-5 p.m., Nite Hawk, Slater, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nite-Hawk-Bar-Grill/167617616650054
Oct. 11 – Fat Tire Fun Ride, starts at 11 a.m., Mullets to Orlondos, http://www.bikeiowa.com/Feature/1515/fat-tire-fun-rides
Oct. 11 – Belgian Beer Celebration, 1-5 p.m., Royal Mile, Des Moines, http://royalmilebar.com
Oct. 26 – Sunday Funday Ride, noon, Starts at Flat Tire Lounge, Madrid, http://www.flattirelounge.com
Oct. 31 – Court District Annual Halloween Party, starts at 7 p.m.
beer pairings
Roast chicken is a good choice with Tank 7. The spiciness in the Saison pairs wonderfully with the thyme and fennel used in the recipe, and the citrus characteristics from the hops in the beer brighten the dish and complement the flavor. Tank 7 can also be used in a citrus vinaigrette or paired with an aged cheddar, camembert or brie. CV
Roast Chicken
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1.5 hours or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
