Beer is an old beverage.  Ancient Babylonians brewed beer and they took brewing seriously.  In fact, if they didn’t like how you brewed your batch, they will drown you in it.  Everybody loves beer.  Some would say that it is water to them.  Perhaps, you have had your fair share of beer, but have you tasted unique beers?  Here is a list of some of the most unique beers in the market today:

1. Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock.  This is an outstanding type of beer.  The nose of the bottle is loaded with raspberry and chocolates notes.  Its flavour bursts with raspberry, chocolate, hazelnut and beer.  Its texture is soft, smooth, thick and rich.  It leaves a sweet and delicious finish on the palate.  Of course, Kuhnhenn products are outstanding, but this one really falls under unique beers category.
2. Sam Adams Utopias.  With 25% alcohol, this is the strongest beer in the world.  This is ideal as an after-dinner drink.  It is best enjoyed poured into a brandy snifter or wine glass.  The aroma is strong and thick.  Ideally, it should be drunk slowly like you would drink a glass of brandy.  Brewed without carbonation, this needs to be savoured slowly.  This is truly one of the world’s most unique beers.  This is the complete opposite of the spectrum.  This is the strong beer as opposed to some of the world’s lightest beers.  It is strong and rich.  Beer drinkers would call it “the ultimate beer”.
3. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.  This particular brand takes it a notch higher when it comes to ‘extreme beers’.  This is definitely on a league of its own.  This is not surprising if you would take into account its brewing process.  First, it’s brewed to a 45-degree plato.  After brewing, it’s boiled for two hours while being hopped continuously.  It will then be dry-hopped daily in a fermenter for an entire month.  Finally, it will be aged for another month.  Many people would argue that it is the best IPA ever brewed!
4. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier.  This is possibly one of the best German beers.  Some would say that it is one of the best beers in the world.  It is actually a smoked beer.  This is the best of its style.  It is produced by Brauerei Heller and it is universally referred to as Schlenkerla.  There are different varieties of this brew but all of these different varieties offer thick smoky aroma and intense flavor.  The intensity of flavor varies from one variety to the next.
5. Gumballhead.  This beer that comes in honey golden hue offers an amazing aroma that is both pleasant and alluring.  It has a chunky but quite resilient texture.  This is one of the best American beers in the market today and it is certainly unique.  It offers the hoppy flavours of vanilla, banana and wheat.  It is creamy and silky and it easily goes down the throat.

These are just a few of the world’s best unique beers.  You can always add to the list.  Just leave us a comment.

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Beer is something that everyone enjoys.  It doesn’t seem to matter what continent you are on, you will always find beer lovers and not surprisingly, every country seemingly has its own special beer to offer.  Beers seem to quench thirsts quite easily.  If brewed perfectly, it will go down easily on your throat.  Nowadays, however, the culinary world is witnessing gourmet blending between beers and various ingredients.  With this, the demand for craft beers has also increased.

What is a Craft Beer?

The word craft beer is an American term; although, it is also used in New Zealand and Canada.  Craft beer basically refers to a beer that is produced or brewed using the traditional brewing method.  This kind of beer is free from additives or preservatives.  The method of brewing is focused on the result or the flavor of the beer rather than its commercial appeal.  So, when people speak of craft brewery, they generally refer to the method of brewing beers.  It doesn’t really matter how large or small the brewing scale is.  It can be a large operation or it can be small. As long as the brewery uses the traditional method, it is producing craft beers.  Admittedly, microbreweries are the ones that often use the traditional beer making method.

The Growing Popularity of Craft Beers

Usually, you will find craft beers in brewpubs; although, they are also manufactured by small breweries and all-malt beers manufacturers.  With the growing popularity of craft beers, however, there is an increasing demand for craft beers, so they are easier to find these days.  In fact, you would likely find them in your local grocery stores.  They are so popular that they are seemingly immune to the dipping sales in the numbers of liquors as a whole.  Microbreweries are faring quite well with their craft beers.  Indeed, this industry section is positively on fire!  It is expected to continue to be one of the hottest consumer demands in 2009.

Brewing Your Own Craft Beer

If you are running your own restaurant or your own business, you should consider learning how to brew your own craft beer.  There is a growing market for this.  Your customers will likely appreciate you more if you can serve craft beer.  Having this potently delicious beer at your disposal will also allow you to experiment with your beer and food pairings.  This is especially important if you are a chef.  You would be able to experiment more with various dishes.

Overall, craft beers are quite popular these days and they are expected to sustain their popularity in the coming years.  If you are running a business or if you are a chef, you should definitely consider changing your menu and your beer ingredients.  Maybe it’s time for you to look into brewing your own craft beers.

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There are new products from ancient grains that are being reintroduced in the market today.  You will even find beverage products that are made from ancient grains like quinoa, spelt, amaranth, buckwheat and millet.  There is a considerable rise in the number of these products.  In fact, the number seems to increase every year.  Ancient grains are expected to maintain their popularity in 2009.

Responding to Health Concerns

You have probably noticed that dietitians and health experts often suggest whole wheat when it comes to proper diet.  Whole grains have always been favored because of the numerous health benefits these grains offer.  It can get tiring, however, to have no other grain options.  Fortunately, with the presence of ancient grains in the market, you have other healthy options available to you.  These ancient grains are so healthy that you can even make them a part of your staple diet.

This is probably why ancient grains are so popular.  People are more conscious of their health and their weight.  People prefer foods that are natural or organic.  In fact, you probably prefer the same.  You probably avoid processed foods.  This is the reason why more and more people are turning to healthy alternatives like ancient grains.

Health Benefits of Ancient Grains

There are many health benefits to eating ancient grains.  The quinoa, for one, is packed with protein, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, phosphorus and other nutrients.  This helps relieve migraines and it helps minimize the risks of heart ailments and diabetes.

The spelt, another form of ancient grain, is also packed with nutrients.  It is rich in manganese, thiamin, niacin, copper and vitamin B12.  Like the quinoa, this is also packed with antioxidants, so it helps relieves headaches and it helps minimize diabetes, heart diseases and atherosclerosis.

Like spelt and quinoa, the amaranth, another favorite ancient grain, is also packed with antioxidants and nutrients like iron, calcium and iron.  You will find amaranth flour in the market today.  You can opt for this if you want to experiment with new tastes.

Like all other ancient grains, buckwheat is also packed with antioxidants, so it can help lower your cholesterol and maintain your blood pressure.  If you are at risk of diabetes, eating buckwheat will help you control your blood sugar.  Indeed, you can buy buckwheat as a rice alternative.

There are still other ancient grains that you can try.  If you want to try out new tastes, you should consider buying these grains instead of your traditional rice and whole wheat.

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When it comes to food-alcohol pairings, things can be a bit tricky. After all, people’s tastes are subjective. People have varying preferences. In fact, chefs have their own preferences as well when it comes to pairing food with alcohol. So, the whole process of food-alcohol pairing can be tricky. There are no exact measurements and precise culinary science.

The Complexity of Food-Alcohol Pairings

Generally, as a chef, you would likely suggest red wine for a customer who ordered red meat. You would probably suggest white wine for fish or poultry dish. Unfortunately, these days, there seems to be a change in people’s expectations when it comes to food-alcohol pairings. The world today is multi-ethnic. There is a certain culinary expectation that chefs need to respond to.

With a wide variety of wines available to everyone, a chef may not exactly pinpoint the best pairing that would please his or her customer. Fortunately, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to food-alcohol pairings. The best you can give are suggestions but often these suggestions may be primarily based on your own preferences as a culinary expert. There is always a room for discovery and experimentation when it comes to food-alcohol pairings.

How to Pair Alcohol with Food

With hundreds of alcohols that are available in the market, it can be challenging to know exactly which dish would blend well with a particular alcohol. A great way to know this is to do some food-alcohol tasting first. Try out various wines with different foods and see how well the ingredients would work with the wine. You can start with the popular dishes and wines in your menu. Choose a good wine and then combine it with dishes that your customers particularly enjoy.

Remember that there are no hard and fast rules on food-alcohol pairings. Again, taste is variable when it comes to pairing wines with food. You should allow yourself to experiment and bend the rules. The next time a customer asks for your “expert” suggestion, you can put forward something new to their taste – something that they wouldn’t have experienced if you didn’t have the courage to discover it. Do not let yourself be stumped by conventions. By opening yourself to possibilities, you give yourself better chances of finding better food-alcohol pairings and combinations.

Overall, balance is the one thing that you should remember when you are doing food-alcohol pairings. Ideally, the alcohol should blend well with the food. It should compliment it and it should bring out the potency of taste in every bite. The food and the alcohol should not overpower one another. Knowing how to pair food with wines will certainly help you please your customers better.

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