Calagione, Kahan and Segal nominated for James Beard Awards

Good luck to Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, who is a semifinalist for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional. Also congrats to our Culinary Council members who are also nominated: chef Paul Kahan of Blackbird, Avec, The Publican and Big Star for Outstanding Chef; and chef Mindy Segal of HotChocolate for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The awards will be announced Monday, May 3, at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center in New York City.

But hey, shouldn't it be Outstanding Beer, Wine and Spirits Professional? This writer agrees (from www.brewersassociation.org):

The annual James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalists list is out. One of the award categories is titled "Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional." Four of the semifinalists, though, are respected craft brewers with long histories of excellence in promoting their beers, great craft beer, beer and food and helping to reshape the way chefs look at beer. Here are Brewers Association members on the list:

• Larry Bell, Bell's Brewery, Inc.
• Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
• Jim Koch, Boston Beer Co.
• Garrett Oliver, The Brooklyn Brewery

Methinks it is time to rename the award the "Outstanding Beer, Wine and Spirits Professional." Finalists will be announce March 22 in New Orleans. Winners will be named May 3 in New York City. Best wishes to all the semifinalists.

--Paul Gatza

Pairing beer and seafood

Check out this article on beer and seafood, featuring Craig Fass of the Bad Apple and the Glunz Beer Culinary Council!

http://www.chefmagazine.com/digitals/2010/0210CHEF/17.html

--Lacey Griebeler

The 12 beers of Christmas 2009

With Christmas just 10 days away, the beer experts at Chicagoland's premier distributor Louis Glunz Beer Inc. in Lincolnwood, Ill., thought now would be a great time to remind you of their third annual "Twelve Beers of Christmas" list. Designed to help beer lovers navigate the beer aisle in time for party-planning and gift-giving, the recommendations are based on a sampling of the dozens of limited-edition seasonals. The sampling was led by Ed Kane, Glunz's on-premise sales manager and a brewmaster.

"Beers brewed for the holidays are much-anticipated by better-beer lovers, many of whom cellar them from year to year to conduct vertical tastings, and they are always quick to sell out," Kane said in a press statement. "The gift packs, in particular, offer a unique opportunity to sample a brewery's best in a single package, and many include custom glassware for toasting. Our top picks among this year's offerings are based on the quality and value for the drinking experience, but we always encourage people to try something new and this is a great season to do just that!"

Many Christmas beers are strong ales, robust and malty with higher alcohol contents--which means they go great with hearty roasted meats and other fare of the season. Check out the suggestions below from Glunz Beer Culinary Council member Lacey Griebeler, or experiment on your own. If you have a favorite winter beer and food pairing, we'd love to hear about it in the comments section.

Prices listed for Glunz's top picks of the season are suggested retail. For product descriptions and a list of nearby retailers by ZIP code, visit www.glunzbeers.com.

1. Chimay Grand Reserve Magnum, Abbey of Scourment, Belgium - $34.99/1.5L btl

A 150 cl bottle contains Chimay Blue, a dark Trappist beer with a strong fragrance and deep, rich flavor that only improves with time. The Grand Reserve Magnum is much more than Chimay Blue in a large bottle, however; a large volume of beer affects the changing tastes resulting from the second fermentation of bottled beer, instilling it with more body and smoothness. The flavor improves with age if stored properly, which is upright in a cool, dark area.
Try with: Chimay cheese

2. Three Floyds Alpha Klaus, Three Floyds Brewery, Indiana - $8.99/22Z btl

Alpha King's festive cousin, Alpha Klaus is a big American Christmas porter brewed with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar and, of course, tons of strange American hops.
Try with: roasted beef tenderloin

3. Southern Tier Old Man Winter, Southern Tier Brewing, New York - $8.99/6pk-12Z btls

A rich and complex amalgam of hops and barley that throws a deep and inviting hue with a thickness that clings to the glass and the warmth of an open flame. Ideal for cellaring as this Old Man does become wiser with age.
Try with: rack of lamb

4. Samuel Smith Winter Welcome, Samuel Smith Brewery, England - $4.99/18.7Z btl

A honey amber-colored beer with a creamy head of small bubbles, a floral aroma and delicious malt flavor with great finesse; Winter Welcome is vintage-dated with a special label each year. Serve in a traditional tankard for the holidays.
Try with: brown sugar-glazed ham with cooked apples

5. Gulden Draak Vintage 2008, Van Steenberge Brewery, Belgium - $13.00/25.4Z btl

A dark brown Triple Ale, which makes it an exception among the Belgian Triples. The second fermentation offers the nice creamy head, the full body and all the vitamins of the centuries old brewers yeast. It balances a natural malt, toffee-like sweetness with a mellow happiness and some hoppy accents; a beer to sip and enjoy slowly as dessert.
Try with: roast turkey with sage

6. Corsendonk Christmas Ale, Corsendonk Abbey, Belgium - $9.99/750ML btl

A rich, dark, joyous brew with an aroma of chocolate malt and spices, this Christmas Ale is reminiscent of the wonderful smells of holiday baking in Mom's kitchen.
Try with: fruitcake or other spiced fruit-based dessert

7. Capital Winter Skål, Capital Brewery, Wisconsin - $10.50/6pk-12Z btls

An amber-hued beer loaded with a great depth of specialty malt character and smooth hop flavors, guaranteed to make one welcome the onslaught of the cold.
Try with: beef chili topped with Wisconsin white cheddar

8. New Holland Cabin Fever, New Holland Brewing Co., Michigan - $9.99/6pk-12Z btls

A toasty, smooth-drinking brown ale; the warming flavors of its dark malts make winter a season of abundance.
Try with: pot roast or beef stew

9. N'Ice Chouffe 2008, Brasserie d'Achoufe, Belgium - $12.99/25.4Z btl

This vintage offers a rich, malty taste, a spicy (thyme) and fruity (dried grapes) aroma, and a complex vinous fruity palate, which is complimented by malt overtones.
Try with: roasted squab with thyme

10. St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, Brouwerig St. Bernard, Belgium - $11.40/750ML btl

Previously only available in Denmark and Belgium, this special holiday beer of 10 percent alcohol by volume, is for savoring, and is characterized by its deep dark color with a creamy, thick head and a full almost velvety taste with a fruity nose.
Try with: oven-roast beef

11. Anchor Christmas Ale, Anchor Brewing, California - $11.99/6 pk-12Z btls

Since 1975, Anchor has brewed a distinctive and unique "Christmas Ale" using a different recipe every year and a different tree on the collectible label, symbolizing winter solstice.
Try with: gingerbread

12. Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Breckenridge Brewery, Colorado - $10.08/6 pk-12Z btls

The chill of a Colorado high-country winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and strength. At over 7 percent alcohol by volume, with a sturdy texture and rich flavors of caramel and chocolate, this holiday seasonal is the fermented equivalent of a good fire!
Try with: pork loin

Happy holidays, from Glunz!

Louis Glunz Beer announces 2009-10 Culinary Council and launch of Glunz Beer blog

(From left to right) Back row: Craig Fass, chef/owner of Bad Apple;
Jeff Collins, gourmet grocery manager, Binny's Beverage Depot;
Middle row: Mindy Segal, chef/owner of Hot Chocolate;
Lacey Griebeler, managing editor of Chef Magazine;
Mike Roper, owner of Hopleaf; Lucy Saunders of www.BeerCook.com;
Front row: Jennifer Glunz Faulk, director of marketing for Louis Glunz Beer Inc.;
Paul Kahan, executive chef/partner of Blackbird, Avec and The Publican;
Not pictured: Randy Mosher, faculty member of Siebel Institute of Technology & World Brewing Academy
(Photo by Ted Lacey)

Positive response to the "Glunz Beer Culinary Council" from the many Chicagoland chefs, retailers and media guests attending the group's educational and inspirational beer dinner series last year has prompted Lincolnwood, Ill.-based distributor, Louis Glunz Beer Inc. to continue the advisory panel for a second year. In addition, the company recently launched a blog: http://glunzbeers.blogspot.com, to extend the Culinary Council's reach to a broader audience and invite visitors to learn more about beer and food pairing, and to ask questions of local chefs leading the trend!

"We bring the world of beers to the kitchens of Chicago's finest restaurants and take seriously our responsibility to teach about beer and food pairing and cooking with beer, with the help of such an elite group," said Jerry Glunz, general manager of Louis Glunz Beer.

"What we're doing is very important to the restaurant industry as a whole," said Craig Fass, chef and co-owner of The Bad Apple, a new gastropub in Lincoln Square, and a returning member of the Glunz Beer Culinary Council. "Trying to get people to understand that there are just as many wonderful craft beers in the world that complement food as there are wines is a great challenge and something we're trying to tackle. Educating other chefs about craft beers enhances everyone's dining and drinking experience in the entire city."

In addition to Fass, members of the 2009-10 Glunz Beer Culinary Council include James Beard award nominees: Paul Kahan, executive chef/owner, Avec, Blackbird and The Publican; and, Mindy Segal, chef/owner, Hot Chocolate. Also among the distinguished group: Jeff Collins, gourmet grocery manager, Binny's Beverage Depot; Lacey Griebeler, managing editor, Chef Magazine and Chef Educator Today; Randy Mosher, author and faculty member, Siebel Institute of Technology; Mike Roper, co-owner, Hopleaf Bar; and, Lucy Saunders, author and founder of www.beercook.com. Culinary Council members were selected by the management team of Louis Glunz Beer, based on their expertise in beer and food pairings, their innovative use of beer as an ingredient, and their enthusiasm for craft, specialty and import beers. Glunz Beer's director of marketing, Jennifer Faulk, is the liaison to the Culinary Council.

"We are honored that the majority of members from our inaugural Culinary Council have agreed to lend their time and talent once again, and we're delighted to welcome representatives from the retail and media communities with the addition of Jeff and Lacey," said Faulk. "Already, we have two beer dinners planned with the chefs choosing the beers they'll cook with and the food pairings, and we're looking forward to welcoming more local chefs, retailers and media guests in the coming year who are eager to learn more."

For more information, visit www.glunzbeers.com.

Glunz Beer Culinary Council in Beverage World magazine!

Check out this great article highlighting Louis Glunz Beers and its education initiative in Chicago, the Glunz Beer Culinary Council, in the October 2009 issue of Beverage World: www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/idealmedia/bw1009/index.php?startid=63