The Jolly Traveler

The Jolly Traveler, the name alone makes me happy.

I think of a of smiling European man with a big belly, mustache and rosy cheeks; hiking the countryside, stopping at pubs along the way and laughing heartily with strangers who become friends by the end of the night.

Besides the obvious play on a holiday word, maybe that is one of the visions the brewmasters at Traveler Beer Co. had in mind when both creating and naming their new winter shandy.

A traditional shandy is a glass of ale mixed with lemonade or lemon-lime soda. However the wheat ale in THIS shandy is brewed with the fruit. The orange, pomegranate and spice make this a perfect holiday libation. I typically don't like sweet flavors in my beer, but this has just the right amount and it screams "holiday" to my taste buds.

Forget those dark, heavy seasonal beers, especially in Florida where the mercury is still in the 80's and where  something refreshing to drink is almost always appreciated. This shandy from Vermont is in most major retailers and on tap at lots of local restaurants for the Christmas and winter season. Try it and let me know if you become a "Jolly Traveler." CHEERS!

Deal Of The Day

A nice fallout from the recent economic downturn has been the deals and gimmicks many businesses have developed to keep clients coming through the doors; restaurants specifically. 

Some offer half price bottles (wine) on certain days of the week. I went into a Bonefish Grill not too long ago and couldn't find a seat, it was Bang Bang Wednesday.; $5 Bang Bang Shrimp.

I've got another Wednesday deal for you, $3 O-Ring's at Square 1 Burgers. The burger chain now has five locations on Florida's west coast, it's newest in Fort Myers. This huge pile of hand-cut, double dipped, fried onions costs $7.99 every other day of the week. The batter is crisp and the homemade Sooner sauce on the side has a tangy kick.

I did a hit and run at Square 1, unable to stay for more goodness but I'm looking forward to trying one of their juicy burgers. The selection is quite impressive with everything from Kobe and Buffalo, to Lamb and Veggie, with dozens of combinations of toppings. Let me know which is your fav!

Bacon Beer??

This is the final week of Blue Moon beer tastings to determine which new seasonal creation will make it into the Brewmaster's Autumn Sampler Pack. I got to taste each of the three finalists last night and cast my all important vote!

Being a wine drinker, I'm used to sniffing anything I'm tasting. Beer in small plastic tasting cups doesn't have much of a nose. However, I stuck mine in there, as best I could, out of habit. I peered up to a co-worker giving me an eyebrow raise that said, "really??"

First taste was a Caramel Apple Spiced Ale that was refreshing with a nice blend of spice, a bit of caramel and of course apple. It was smooth, drinkable and for sure invoked the tastes and feel of Autumn. The Blackberry Tart Ale was a little darker and a little sour with very distinct blackberry flavors.

The last beer was getting the most buzz; a Dark Chocolate Bacon Porter. Taste facilitators told me I would either love it or hate it but neither really applied to me. The beer was not one I wanted to sip, but drink with a big hunk of grilled meat. It was smokey with a hint of chocolate sweetness that lingered in the back of my  mouth

In the end I cast my vote for the Caramel Apple Spiced Ale. It best represented the theme of the sampler pack and to me, was the most drinkable. We'll see how my vote stacked up when the new pack is released on August 31. Blue Moon is tasting and taking your votes at places nationwide through Sunday, March 31. Be sure to get in on the fun!

Lovin' The Lager

I’m a wine lover. I do drink beer on occasion and even keep it in my refrigerator (typically to bribe male friends to do odd jobs). I've never really developed a pallet for beer but made some progress last night at a Beer Tasting at The Morgan House in downtown Fort Myers. 

We enjoyed a selection of Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Style beers that were expertly paired with appetizers. The beers were also used in at least one step of the food preparation. (Great job chef!)

I confessed my lack of lager knowledge to the beer distributor adding that I also found it too filling. He told me that if a beer is poured properly, it will not be filling. The proper pour helps release the CO2 that otherwise expands in your belly. He said if a bartender poured my Lager with a nice foamy head, I would actually drink MORE not less.

With my new knowledge I was excited to start tasting. The Pale Ale was a bit nutty and sweet (the tasting notes said citrusy). I could definitely see sipping this one on a hot day! The Brown Ale was, well, brown; and the Lager was crisp. All three of these beers had 5.4% alcohol and were 140 calories, if you're counting.

The Morgan House has several of Alexander Keith's beers on tap right now. Typically home to a wine tasting the third Tuesday of every month (mark your calendar), The Morgan House promises to mix it up a bit over the summer with a bourbon tasting and perhaps more hops!

Venice: Italy? California? Florida?

I can now check all of the above! I just returned from a short road trip up the west coast of Florida, stopping at nine beaches in two days! The stop may have only been 15 minutes but it was a stop none-the-less!

Venice is known as the "shark's tooth" capital because of the abundance of fossilized teeth found on the beaches. The drive along the shoreline to Stump Pass was beautiful and exactly what I imagine old Florida to be. No high rises or beach stores just dunes, sea oats and the smell of salt air!

The downtown was quaint with a couple of restaurants and a wine bar that looked inviting. I was really looking forward to a nice glass of wine and some fancy appetizer with a reduction of this and a drizzle of that. But I somehow ended up with a  platter of ice cold oysters and a pint of ice cold beer! Go figure!

We were looking for waterfront dining and stumbled upon Marker 4 Oyster Bar along the Intercoastal. The oysters were awesome: big, fresh and delicious! We also tried their signature seafood skins: potato skins brimming with a creamy seafood mixture and topped with cheese. Thumbs up. The menu was full of fishy options as well as healthful salads but we had to keep moving. More beaches to explore!

I have to tell you I've heard some bad reviews of Marker 4 citing everything from food quality, high prices, bad service, rude management and check issues. Thankfully I had a good experience and on that alone would recommend you give it a try if you're in the area.