Baking with Beer

Alongside this blog I just started a new one about my beer adventures. I started drinking beer in 2008 when I was handed a Samuel Adams Boston lager and realised that not all beers taste the same :-)

Since then I have made a hobby out of trying a local beer everywhere I go on my travels. It's pretty fun! I've also discovered that you can cook with beer... more specifically that you can BAKE with beer! An interesting concept to me. So the other day, for Yule, I tried out Blue Moon cupcakes. Blue Moon is a wheat beer made by the Coors company that is quite tasty and it made the cakes a bit more chewy than usual. Not bad!

You can check out my recipe on my beer blog A Woman's Brew here and let me know what you think!

Expanding....

Well, I've been a bit busy lately and haven't had chance to craft much. But now I'm home from my cruise ship and should have time to stitch and bake to my heart's content :-)

Until then here is a sneak peek of what I'm working on at the moment - I'm building a second section to my beer cap belt:

And here's a photo of how it currently looks:

More crafting soon!

Expecto Patronum!

Hogwarts

This week I went on a tour to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. I had been there a few months ago, just before they opened the new Harry Potter section. Therefore, the plan this trip was to do a cursory walk around of the other areas, then spend the day submerging ourselves in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We were not disappointed!

Hogwarts from the village

A friend of a friend works for Universal and told us that they spent $300 million on the new section of the part. It shows! The attention to detail is spectacular and makes the experience an unforgettable one. As you walk into the section from Jurrasic Park you are greeted by the formidable form of Hogwarts castle. Cross the bridge and you are in Hogsmeade village!

Entering Hogsmeade

Our first stop was to try some Butterbeer. We had heard very good things about its taste, once again we were not disappointed. In our opinion the butterscotch flavoured beverage is best served frozen (you can choose frozen or regular servings) but the best part is the cream on top! I also tried pumpkin juice while I was there, equally delicious!

Delicious pumpkin juice and Butterbeer

As we walked around Hogsmead we were greeted by well known Harry Potter landmarks - The Three Broomsticks, where we ate lunch, The Hogs Head, where we drank more Butterbeer, Gladrags, Zonko's where you can buy extendable ears, sneakoscopes and puking pastilles and of course Honeydukes! Here you will find all the sweets you might want to try including Chocolate Frogs with Wizard cards and Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans.

Gladrags


The Three Broomsticks


Honeydukes


The window of Zonko's

At one point we were actually in line to go into one of the stores (we thought it was amusing too!) - Dervish and Banges is the main gift shop and is attached to Ollivander's Wand Shop and the Owl Post, complete with roosting owls inside. You are given the opportunity to purchase Harry Potter postcards which can then be postmarked with the Hogsmead stamp!

The Owl Post

Throughout the day small performances take place near Hogwarts. Students come out and sing a selection of school songs with frogs. You are also greeted by students from Durmstrang and Beauxbaton who put on a little show, then pose for photos. I think I might make myself a Beauxbaton uniform for next Halloween :-)

The ladies of Beauxbaton

Our two favourite moments of the day were the main Harry Potter ride and Ollivander's Wand shop. I don't want to spoil Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey for you, but lets just say you get to play Quidditch, meet the Whomping Willow and see some familiar faces. We went on it twice! Ollivander's is a small show within the shop where a member of the the audience is chosen to find their wand. My friend was lucky enough to be the chosen one - and we haven't heard the end of it since! The wands are very beautiful and you can even buy replicas of the wands used in the movies.

My friend with Ollivander finding his perfect wand

If you are in the Orlando area you really need to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I would go back for the Butterbeer alone, let alone the atmosphere, rides and cool merchandise!

I may be MIA for the next couple of weeks as I have cast changeover on the ship, so I will post as soon as I can, promise :-)

New England Beer Adventures!

Sam Adams Octoberfest and Brick Red in Boston

For a month in Autumn my ship changes itinerary to do a New England and Canada run. The passengers come to see the Fall leaves change colour and feel the crisp air… we come for the beer!

The New England and Canada itineraries are fondly known to the crew as the Beer Run because there are just so many tasty local beers to try in the ports we go to. Here are a few of the delights I have had the pleasure to try:

Boston, Mass. USA

The Sam Adams Brewery Tour

Boston is home to my favourite beer of all time – Sam Adams. Britain might call me a traitor for saying such things, but it’s true! My first time in Boston I made a beeline for the Sam Adams Brewery. If ever you are in Boston, you should take this tour. Not only do they show you around the original brewery, that now produces small batches of newer brews, you are given a free glass and get to try three different types of Sam Adams beer. They very cleverly send you out through the gift shop after plying you with beer so you buy things! They also give you directions to the first bar that ever sold Sam Adams on tap - Doyle's Cafe. If you have the stamp on your hand from the tour and order a Sam Adams with your food, you get a free Sam Adams glass!

These are the Sam Adams types I have tried:
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
Samuel Adams Irish Red
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Samuel Adams White Ale
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat (a fave!)
Samuel Adams Brick Red (Only available in Boston)
Samuel Adams Octoberfest (probably my favourite beer ever)

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat at Doyle's Cafe

Bar Harbour, Maine, USA

Bar Harbour Blueberry Ale at the Thirsty Whale

Bar Harbour is famous for it’s lobster and it’s blueberries. It’s beer is no exception – you can find some of the best blueberry beer here. Sea Dog is a local brewery and it’s Blueberry wheat is so fruitful you wonder if there’s any beer in it. We also found a gluten free beer here for my friend who is a coeliac, which made her very happy. We recommend going to the Thirsty Whale is you’re in town.

Beers I have tried from Maine:
Bar Harbour Blueberry Ale
Atlantic Brewing Company Leaf Peeper Lager
Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale
Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat
Sea Dog Octoberfest
Redbridge Gluten Free Beer

Redbridge Gluten Free beer at the Thirsty Whale

Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Newport Storm Octoberfest

Newport, home to all the mansions and sail boats, is also home to Newport Storm beer. Their lager and Octoberfest are quite tasty. Have a drop with a lobster roll in any of the pubs on the wharf.

Beers from Newport:
Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale
Newport Storm Octoberfest
You can also find a good selection of Sam Adams and Sea Dog available here.

St John, New Brunswick, Canada

Moosehead Lager in St. John

Now we move up to Canada, out first stop being St. John. St. John is the home of Moosehead Lager, which is a fine, refreshing beverage for a hot day. It even comes with lime now. I also recently discovered Russell Brewing Company here which makes a nice selection of ales. My favourite was the Cream Ale, a red ale with great flavour.

Beers from St. John:
Moosehead Lager
Russell Honey Blonde Ale
Russell Cream Ale
Russell Extra Special Lager

Russell Honey Blonde Ale in St. John

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

The selection of beer at the local market in Quebec City

Quebec City is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. Whether you are sitting in a restaurant having a beer or going on a picnic with food bought from the local market, there are some good beers here. There are a couple of local breweries there, St. Ambroise does a great Pumpkin Ale that is great for Halloween, and Chambly has a refreshing Blonde Ale. I prefer the red ale of theirs though. The local market has a great selection of local and import beers including Le Mondaine which has beautiful artwork on the label.

Beers from Quebec:
St. Ambroise Pumpkin Ale
St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Blanche De Chambly
Rousse De Chambly
Le Mondaine

La Mondaine and Blanche De Chambly from Quebec

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

My favourite, Garrison Raspberry Wheat at Maxwell's Plum, Halifax

The last, and my favourite, stop on our beer run is Halifax in Nova Scotia. There are quite a few local breweries in Halifax, the most famous being Alexander Keith. You can tour the brewery and be taken back in time to 1867 – it’s cute! I’m not a fan of India Pale Ale, which is Alexander Keith’s main ale, but their dark ale is tasty. Propeller Brewing Company is also in Halifax, they don’t have a tour but you can taste their wares. Their Pumpkin ale isn’t too bad. Garrison Brewing Company is probably my favourite in Halifax, their Raspberry Wheat is one of my favourite beers ever!

Maxwell's Plum, Halifax, Nova Scotia

If you are in Halifax you should definitely go to Maxwell’s Plum. This bar has 130 beers to choose from, including 60 on tap! The food is great too, I could spend all day there. Check it out next time you are in Nova Scotia!

Beers from Halifax that I’ve tried:
Alexander Keith Red Amber Ale
Alexander Keith Dark Ale
Alexander Keith Premium White
Propeller Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale
Garrison Raspberry Wheat
Pump House Blueberry Ale
Fruili Strawberry Ale (this one might not be from Halifax but I tried it at Maxwell’s Plum)

Alexander Keith's Brewery, Halifax, Nova Scotia


Garrison Brewing Company, Halifax, Nova Scotia


Propeller Brewing Company, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Mmmmmm I ♥ beer!

Beer Adventures...

Until about two years ago I didn't drink beer. I didn't like the stuff, you couldn't make me! Then, as with many things in life, I met a guy and that changed! He refused to buy me fruity drinks in the crew bar of our ship and introduced me to San Adams... and my love affair with beer began!

On my travels I have had the chance to try a lit of good and not so good beers. The New England/Canada run is the best for this, having been dubbed the Beer Adventure Run by my friends and I. To commemorate my achievements in beer drinking I wanted to make something that showed off all the beers I had tried.... and so the Beer Cap Belt was born!

I've been collecting beer caps since last October and I think I still need some more. This is going to be a continual work in progress as I find more beers that I like and want to show off the caps!

I started by laying out the caps in the order that I wanted to sew them. I cut out a strip of black denim, rescued from a pair of jeans I had used for another project.

Once I had an order I liked I used pliers to fold out the edges of the caps so I had something to Shisha around to attach them to the belt... yes, I shisha stitched every one!

Shisha stitching however pulled the fabric in more than I had planned so I may have to add another section... but that just means I have room for more caps!

The fastening is a button and a piece of chain currently, but I'm on the look out for something different... I just haven't found what I like yet...

And so, here it is! My beer cap belt! I love it!!!