Homemade Beer-a-Ritas

Strawberry Beer-a-Rita

Earlier this year, I shared my favorite margarita recipe, highlighted by my favorite homemade sour mix. Since I refuse to admit summer has almost come to an end, I am still making margaritas but experimenting with different recipes.

Last year, I had my first Corona Rita when they were very popular, but I knew I wanted to try making my own at some point. I also traveled to Texas, where one restaurant had a full menu of beer margarita variations. This past weekend, I finally revisited the beer margarita, making it at home to my own taste.

 Here is my Homemade Sour Mix Recipe again just in case you missed it earlier this spring. This can be used to make margaritas on the rocks, or blended with ice for a frozen variation.

First, you need to make simple syrup from sugar and water. I amended the recipe from three cups sugar to two cups sugar, mixed with three cups water. Boil this combination until the sugar is completely dissolved. I suppose you could use sugar substitutes like Splenda, though the proportions may be different. Let it cool in whatever container you prefer. Once it’s cooled, add two cups unsweetened lime juice (I do not recommend Rose’s as it is sweetened), and two cups lemon juice. You now have your own homemade sour mix. Adjust as needed; it may be too tart to your liking. More water can be added to dilute the mix. You can add additional sugar later, depending upon the drink recipe. This can be kept in the fridge for about two weeks or so.

There are a few different ways to make beer margaritas. At home, I didn’t have anything to hold the beer properly or the right glass, so I went for the mixed together version, which sounds interesting but is surprisingly good.

Here is a basic Beer Margarita recipe from All Recipes. Combine one can frozen limeade, 12 ounces tequila, 12 ounces water, 12 ounces beer (use a lighter beer like Corona or Corona Light so the flavor isn’t overpowering), ice and one lime, cut into wedges. You can use the limeade can to measure and add some triple sec for an extra kick. Adjust with extra water if the mixture is too sweet, and strain the pulp from the limeade before mixing if you prefer. You could also substitute part of the water for club soda or lemon-lime soda. This recipe makes about six cups.

I liked the recipe, but I wondered if it would be good as a strawberry version. Actually, it was pretty good and just as easy to make.

This Strawberry Beer Margarita recipe is very similar to the Bud Light Straw-Ber-Ritas you can buy in small cans at the store, but it can be adjusted to suit your own taste. Amounts are approximate and can be adjusted. I used a can of strawberry daiquiri mix and blended it with ice first in a blender. I combined this with one third (two liter) bottle of Diet Seven Up, one Corona Light and about 4 ounces of tequila (approximate). I also added the juice from one fresh squeezed lime and a touch of salt. This will make about six servings.

This recipe is very easy to tweak based on your own personal taste. If you like sweet, you will like this, otherwise you could add more ice to the mix, water, or only use three-fourths of the can of strawberry daiquiri mix to cut down on the sweetness.

Corona Light is a skunky beer by nature, so this could also be substituted with Bud Light, Blue Moon or another light beer depending upon what you like.

If you have a large goblet that can hold a beer, you may want to try this Moon-A-Rita recipe from Cocktail 365. Note: this recipe is for just one margarita in a large goblet style glass. Double or triple for a batch, with each glass getting its own Blue Moon beer. In a blender, combine: one cup ice, one ounce tequila, half ounce triple sec, half ounce sour mix (use store bought or recipe above), two ounces mango puree. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large goblet glass that will also hold a beer bottle inside of it without falling out and leave about one third of the glass empty. Open up a beer and submerge the head of the bottle into the cocktail. Be sure to hold the beer bottle along with the glass when you drink it so you don’t end up with a mess! Recommended beers: Blue Moon Belgian-Style Ale, Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat.

Barrel Tasting Weekend: A Look at Last Year

Mark your calendar for this year's Lakes Region Wine Barrel Tasting, October 5-6. This year, Newfound Winery is being added to the list. Here is my column from last year on this fabulous event. For more information on this year's event, read on here. Newfound Lake Vineyards is new this year. 

Our 2012 Barrel Tasting Group

Six Lakes Region wineries recently held a Wine Barrel Tasting Weekend, which is like a regular wine tasting with an added bonus: a chance to try wines right out of barrel while they are still aging. I had been waiting for this weekend for months and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

Because I had already visited five out of the six locations in the past, I was really looking forward to trying some different wines and learning more about the process right from the winemakers.

A group of us piled into my friend’s Jeep and headed out on the tasting trail. Our first stop was Coffin Cellars in Webster, where Tim Austin and his mom and helper Lorna had apple and blackberry wines to taste, in addition to their already bottled raspberry, cranberry pomegranate, jalapeno and lime wines.

The apple wine is made from a sweet blend press of fruit from a local orchard. It is my favorite Coffin Cellars wine to date, with a great balance of tartness and sweetness.
Blackberry is not a new wine for Coffin Cellars, as winemakers Austin, his brother Jamie and father Peter get the berries from their family fields. It is always very popular, as it captures the essence of blackberries in a well-balanced wine that is semi-sweet and delicious.

Our next stop was Haunting Whisper Vineyards in Danbury where husband and wife team Eric and Erin craft an great selection of wines. Erin greeted us downstairs, where we tried carmenere, DeChaunac and syrah right from stainless steel tanks. She reminded us that these wines still have some aging to do and will further develop over time, with some reaching their full potential in another year.

Many of my friends enjoyed the carmenere and syrah, which where both a little bit too dry for my taste, while I really enjoyed the DeChaunac. Even at this step in the process, it was fruit-forward and had a nice berry aroma.

I am never disappointed by Haunting Whispers’ wines and ended up purchasing a bottle of Sunapee Red, a new offering this year. A blend of leon millot and marechal foch grapes, it has an earthy aroma but a tasty, surprising candy apple flavor and smooth finish.

Ken Hardcastle, Hermit Woods Winery

Our third stop was Hermit Woods Winery in Sanbornton, where we had the chance to taste two Chilean wines directly out of French oak barrels. Ken Hardcastle, one of the Hermit Woods winemakers, was in the downstairs area of the winery giving tastings of the four-month old syrah and carmenere, which will not reach their peak for some years. The wines are barrel aged for four to 20 months, Hardcastle explained, which helps the tannins develop and “marries together nicely” the fruit and oak. Both wines were slightly dry and the syrah had notes of pepper and spice. It will be interesting to try their finished products in the future.

Our last stop on the group tour was Stone Gate Vineyard in Gilford, where Peter Ellis greeted us in the lower level of his winery with samples of young vignoles and frontenac. The vignoles was dry while the frontenac displayed some of its fruit character found in the finished product. Upstairs, when we tried the bottled vignoles, it was fruit forward, with notes of honey and pear.

Kelly & I at Stone Gate Vineyard

I had to purchase a bottle of apple wine, made from a blend of macintosh, macoun and cortland apples from an orchard down the street. It is light and tart, much like the apple wine at Coffin Cellars.

Because our group ran out of time on the first day, my mom and I visited the two remaining wineries on the second day of the event, stopping first at Gilmanton Winery. Here we met winemaker John Jude, a former chemistry teacher originally from California, who works with owner Marshall Bishop to craft the array of Gilmanton wines. He explained the winemaking process, including the different steps red and white wines take from the beginning of production. He also showed us a refractometer and hygrometer, two key winemaking measurement tools that measure the sugar level and the right time to bottle, respectively.

We tried young carmenere and merlot, bottled recently at the winery and varietals that will get better with age. The carmenere was peppery and spicy, with notes of tobacco. The winery’s current carmenere, and the wine Jude said he is very proud of due to its depth and overall character, sold out over the weekend due to its popularity.

I brought home a bottle of Blue Berry Surprise, a wine recently made at the winery from local blueberries. 

Our last stop on the tour was Sap House Meadery in Center Ossipee where young entrepreneurs Ash Fischbein and Matt Trahan make a variety of meads, or honey wines. I had never been to Sap House before, but it was definitely worth the trip. The building is beautifully decorated, warm and cozy, and their offerings are unique.

I entered the Meadery thinking I wasn’t going to like anything, but I left with a bottle of their Vanilla Bean Mead, which is sweet and smooth with the finish of cream soda. Trahan also let us try it with hot apple cider and it was a great combination. He said it is probably his favorite Sap House Meadery offering. My mind has definitely been changed.

We tried a traditional honey mead and the sugar maple mead, still going through the barrel aging process. They were stronger than the bottled meads but still very tasty.

This event, which I called ‘Christmas for wine lovers’, was a great experience. Not only did we get to meet all of the winemakers, but we got a better glimpse into all of the hard work it takes to make the finished product we all appreciate so much. 

Family Sangria Tasting!

Sangria is a great alternative to wine in the summer and something I like to make at home. Last year while on vacation with my family, we had a group sangria recipe taste test. So this year when we were all together again, we had our second annual event.

My aunt Mayanne used to be a bartender so she took the lead on the mixing. We started with a white merlot and a pinot grigio and concocted three different sangria recipes from each. I recorded the recipes but we started from scratch, just thinking about what would go best together. We did not tell any of the taste testers what was in each recipe; they judged on taste alone.

I am including recipes but please note they are approximate and we used two liter bottles of wine. All of these could have cut fruit added (apples, oranges, lemons, limes) and should be served cold over ice.
About 10 of my family members rated the recipes on a scale of one to five, with five being the best and gave us their comments.

Winter Sangria
While sangria is typically a summer drink, we used Yukon Jack Cinnamon in this recipe to give it an extra kick.
One-third bottle white merlot
Half can lemon-lime seltzer
One-third can cranberry-lime seltzer
Large splash triple sec
One-third to half a nip Yukon Jack Cinnamon
Rating: This recipe scored a 2.6.
Overall, most taste testers thought the spicy finish was a little off-putting but would be good at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

White Merlot Sangria
I couldn’t come up with a creative name for this one, but it was fruity and classic like most sangrias you get at a restaurant. This one would be great with some fruit after sitting for an hour or so.
On-third bottle white merlot
Large splash triple sec
Half can lemon-lime seltzer
Half nip blackberry brandy
Juice from a quarter slice of each-lemon and lime
Rating: This recipe scored a 4.
Many of the taste testers called this “true sangria” that was “refreshing and light.” My cousin Lauren said, “Nailed it!”

Blue Cab
Equal parts white merlot and cabernet sauvignon
Three-fourths nip blueberry vodka
Rating: This recipe scored a 2.4
The taste testers loved the nose on this recipe. My cousin’s husband Chris said, “This puts a smile on your face just smelling it,” but felt it had too dry of a finish to be called sangria and was not sweet. “It tastes like cheap red wine,” my brother’s girlfriend Brittany said. While my aunt and I agreed this wasn’t the most usual sangria recipe, we really liked it.

Fruit Splash
One-third bottle pinot grigio
One apple, cut up
Pomegranate liqueur
Splash peach schnapps
One-third can cranberry-lime seltzer
Rating: This sangria scored a 2.9.
While my aunt and I found this sangria slightly plain and boring, the taste testers called it “refreshing,” “tart” and “crisp,” yet my uncle Mike said he “wouldn’t think of this as sangria.”

Fruitilicious
One-third bottle pinot grigio
One half to three-fourths UV Salty Watermelon Vodka nip
One-third can Fresca
Half a lime-squeezed
Rating: This was the overall favorite recipe, scoring a 4.5. It was not only a pretty pink hue in the container, which would be great for parties, but my family felt it was also a perfect drink for the beach. “This is what a sangria should be,” my uncle Mike said, while my brother’s girlfriend joked that she would “bathe in it.” Even though we only had one recipe left, someone else commented, “It’s going to be hard to beat this one.”

Sour Patch Sangria
One-third bottle pinot grigio
1/8 tube Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade (use sparingly!)
Three-fourths can Limonata
Lime wedges-squeezed
Rating: This recipe closed out the tasting with a 3.6. Only my family members who like sour, like my cousin Lauren who gets credit for the name, liked this recipe. “I love it, but I like sour,” said my mom who rated it a five, while my cousin Katie said, “It’s tart, and makes you pucker.” My brother’s girlfriend agreed and gave it a four. It was too sour for my cousin and aunt, while my uncle said it was “alright.” My brother said it had too much grapefruit.

Overall, Fruitilicious took the top spot this year and Blue Cab took the bottom with the group. The key to all of this is don’t be afraid to try something new and different, according to your own personal taste. I like to experiment so something like this is the perfect opportunity, especially if you come out with something everyone likes.

Stone Gate Vineyard's Last Season: Go Visit Now!

Wine Barrel Tasting event last fall 

Stone Gate Vineyard in Gilford, one of my favorite New Hampshire wineries, opened recently during the Memorial Day weekend. Though this was great news, they also announced that this was going to be their last season. So with this news, I am encouraging everyone to visit. If you haven’t been there yet, go. And if you have already visited, go back and enjoy the great wine, atmosphere and hospitality.

Stone Gate Vineyard is owned and operated by Peter and Jane Ellis. I met them a few years ago while I was a waitress at an Italian restaurant in the area. I happened to notice Peter’s Stone Gate shirt and we struck up a conversation about the winery. I promised to visit and a year later I finally fulfilled my promise. I have to admit I am somewhat partial to this winery because it was the first one I visited in New Hampshire, and Peter and Jane really helped develop my love of wine. 

This winery is so welcoming and isn’t intimidating for anyone who knows nothing about wine. I have always felt like a member of the Ellis family while visiting and have enjoyed sharing their wines with my friends and family. I have also had the pleasure of meeting their daughter and her children at the winery – it’s a family vineyard.

Peter and Jane had been making their own wine as a hobby for a few years before they opened the winery. They had spent some time in California in wine country during one of Peter’s business trips, and learned even more about wineries. Eventually, their hobby evolved into a business. Their on-site vineyard is currently filled with cold weather grapes that are hardy enough to survive New England winters. They were told they couldn’t grow grapes in New England, but like many other New Hampshire wineries, they have really proved that statement wrong.

When I visited during opening weekend, there were nine wines available for tasting at Stone Gate Vineyard. I can honestly say I like them all, and have really enjoyed watching their wines develop and change over the years. Since Peter doesn’t personally like any sweet wines, his wines tend to be on the drier, semi-sweet scale, which many wine drinkers will enjoy. It is important to note, however, that many visitors may not know most of the wines right away, but give them a taste and let Peter and Jane guide you through what you may or may not like.

One of my favorite Stone Gate wines is Cayuga, a hybrid grape developed at Cornell University in New York. This wine is described as off dry with a floral nose and is very smooth. It has been compared to a Riesling, but I find it has its own unique qualities. Many white wine drinkers will enjoy this wine well chilled. 

Steuben is another New York hybrid grape available for tasting. This wine is semi-sweet, light and fruity. On the nose, it reminds me of the Niagara grape but has different fruit flavors on the palate.

My favorite Stone Gate wine is definitely their Riesling. This semi-sweet wine celebrates the best of the delicate grape’s characteristics, without being too manipulated, according to Jane. She said they like to let it be and the result is so nice. I recommend purchasing a few bottles of this wine if you like it because it consistently sells out and quantity is limited.

The Apple wine is made with three different kinds of apples from a local orchard down the street. This might be my second favorite wine at Stone Gate. It has a lovely apple aroma that reminds me of apple juice. On the palate, it is very smooth and pleasant with just the right amount of acid. 

The Steuben is a semi-sweet, light and fruity wine with a Concord grape nose. Many white wine drinkers will enjoy this one as well. 

One of the most unique wines at Stone Gate is the Winnipesaukee White, a semi-sweet wine made from Niagara grapes, the cousin to the Concord grape. This wine smells and tastes very much like adult grape juice. It’s very different from most wines you may have tasted before.

Three red wines are currently available at Stone Gate, including their only blend, Winnipesaukee Red, from Rougeon and DeChaunac grapes, a Frontenac, Marechal Foch and a Cabernet made from California grapes. I noted a raspberry nose on the Winnipesaukee Red. It is very pleasant with a smooth finish. The Frontenac is slightly drier but still fruity, with berry flavors.  The Foch is full-bodied with cherry and earthy notes, with a slight effervescence to it that is noticeable on the finish. 

The 2010 Cabernet is made from grapes that were hand-picked in California. This wine is full-bodied, smooth and aging very well in the bottle, Peter noted.

Though I have been to Stone Gate numerous times since my very first visit, I never get tired of trying their wines and helping others discover it as well. To say I am going to miss them is an understatement. 

Stone Gate Vineyard is located at 27 David Lewis Road in Gilford. The tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. 

Hermit Woods Wine Dinner

This text will appear in the Hippo on Thursday, May 30 in my wine column. But this wine dinner was so good I wanted to share additional links and photos. 

What happens when a local winery, restaurant and bed and breakfast come together? In short, there’s great wine, delicious food and excellent hospitality. This was my experience at Hermit Woods Winery’s second annual Wine Release Dinner, the event that marks the beginning of the winery’s season and introduces members of the media to their offerings.

A group of us met at Hermit Woods Winery, located in Sanbornton near Steele Hill Resort. The boutique winery opened in 2011, offering wines made from grapes, fruit and honey (meads). Co-owners Bob Manley and Ken Hardcastle greeted us, noting Chuck Lawrence, a commercial pilot, was in Portugal. Hardcastle, a geologist by trade and the winery’s chief winemaker, said their goal is to use local fruits and products to create classical style, dry wines.

“Every year Ken achieves more unique combinations, bringing out the qualities in the wines,” said Manley. “This is our second annual wine release dinner and we want to make this a tradition.” 

Our group tried seven different wines, beginning with the 2012 Whiteface, a new fruit wine made with whole quince, rhubarb, peaches and rosehips. While this combination may not sound like something you expect in a wine, it has lovely aromas of peaches and a light hue. I found this wine to be very unique but pleasant with a nice smooth finish. A limited quantity will be available at the winery.

The 2012 Kiwi Wine is something I was really looking forward to trying, as past batches have sold out before I had the chance. The 2012 wine was made with two local organic kiwi varieties, chosen for their tartness. This wine has great aromas and flavors of honeydew melon. It is off dry and could be compared to a Riesling, but has its own uniqueness and isn’t overly sweet. 

As Hermit Woods has been open for a couple of years now, they are able to age some of their wines. One example of that is their 2011 Blue Mead, a blend of two separate wines: blueberry wine and honey mead. This wine is off dry and should be served slightly chilled. The 2011 Elderberry Oak is another example of an aged fruit wine, similar to the elderberry wine but this one is fermented warmer and aged in an oak barrel. 

One wine made from grapes at Hermit Woods is the 2011 Ermitano, a cabernet sauvignon made from Chilean grapes. “Ermitano” means hermit in Spanish, and this wine is big, bold and deep red in color. Big red wine drinkers will enjoy this one, as it was aged in oak for seven months. 

One of my favorite wines of the night was the 2012 Deep Blue, an intense, port style wine made with low bush blueberries. The aroma of this wine is great and the finish is very smooth despite noticeable tannins and strong alcoholic heat. 

Following this tasting, the group of us headed to the Lake House at Ferry Point, a Sanbornton bed and breakfast on Lake Winnisquam where John and Cindy Becker are the innkeepers. There, Chef Kevin Halligan from Local Eatery in Laconia and his wife, Gillian, were busy preparing a fabulous seven course menu, each course paired with a different Hermit Woods wine. First, we sampled a blueberry Bellini, made with Hermit Woods’ Hermitage wine. 

“It’s so exciting to share our wines with everyone. You are the first through the door to try them,” Hardcastle said as dinner began.

I have worked with Halligan in the past and eaten at Local Eatery restaurant, so I knew dinner was going to be amazing because he is such a great chef. He uses as many locally sourced products in his restaurant as he can, which supports local farms and businesses and equals a very high-quality product. He did an exceptional job pairing Hermit Woods’ wines with an exquisite menu and explaining his choice for each. 

We enjoyed pan-seared scallops paired with Lake House White; a lobster cocktail paired with Harvest Apple, a mixed greens salad paired with Three Honey Wine, braised rabbit paired with Knot Mead, pork medallions paired with Petite Blue Reserve and three cheese blintzes paired with Mélange. The last time I had such a wonderful meal was at Local Eatery earlier this year, but the wine pairing made it that much better. 

During the meal, I thought about what made Hardcastle and Halligan so good at what they do: they both respect their ingredients and celebrate the best qualities in their products. Hardcastle allows the grapes and fruit awaken the palate in his wine, while Halligan showcases each item on a plate, put there for a reason. 

One of my favorite pairings was the third course. The complex flavors in the award-winning Three Honey Wine went really well with the mixed greens, apples, honey glazed almonds, fresh goat cheese and honey ramp vinaigrette in the salad. 

“These were outstanding food and wine pairings,” Manley said, praising Halligan for his choices. “We are looking forward to continuing this tradition.”

Following dinner, some of us stayed at the Lake House, where we had a classic New England inn experience. I was lucky enough to be able to stay in the Sunrise Room, which has the inn’s best view of the lake. The Becker’s served an excellent breakfast in the morning of pancakes, sautéed strawberries and a local egg omelet. 

This experience was truly amazing and I was very thankful to be able to experience the wine, food and hospitality offered by these three local businesses. I was also very impressed with the wine and I highly recommend trying it. 

Hermit Woods Winery is now open for the season. Visit them weekends from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. until July and August, when they will also be open Wednesday through Friday from 1-5 p.m. 

Taco Tour...Better Late than Never!

I am a little (okay very) late on this post, but I wanted to make sure I shared some information about the Hippo de Mayo Taco Tour for anyone who is unfamiliar with it. As a columnist for The Hippo, I have been invited to be a Taco Tour judge two years in a row. It's a great event, lovingly named the "world's largest taco tour," and a great event for Manchester. Restaurants gain awareness and overall, it's really fun! 

Here's how it works: Manchester restaurants come up with a taco recipe and a charity of choice. Taco tourists take a map and head out around the city enjoying $2 tacos. There is a judges' choice and a taco tourist vote at the end of the night. Both winners earn money for their charity of choice.

As a judge, I get to ride around in a limo all night and sample tacos. This year, I sampled more than 38 tacos (just a small bite)! While some restaurants unfortunately ran out of tacos before we arrived, others had multiple taco offerings-so overall our team of judges had our fill of tacos for the night.

Some of my personal favorites this year were Ben and Jerry's Mexicone Dream Taco, Baked's Baked Cake Taco, Margarita's Taco del Mar, Red Arrow Diner's Buffalo Chicken Taco and Gyro Spot's Opa Taco. Of course, there were a few tacos I wish I never tried. But we won't get into those. 

The judge's choice this year was Gyro Spot's Opa Taco. Even though I don't usually eat pork, this taco was pretty tasty, complete with French fries. 

If you live near Manchester and have never been to this event (this year was the third annual), mark your calendar for next year. It always falls around Cinco de Mayo and it's a great time! Information available here.

TACO GALLERY

Where's the Wine?

Lime wine from Coffin Cellars for Cinco de Mayo 

Anyone who knows me knows that wine is one of my favorite things, but not just to drink. For me, wine is an experience. It's learning about the winemaker and the grapes, how and why it was made, figuring out its "story." It's the reason I write a column in the Hippo every week. I enjoying learning something new and helping others learn too. I am definitely not an expert; there is so much to learn, but it's been a very fun process.

I have a very special place in my heart for New Hampshire wineries and I really enjoy visiting them. For a small state, New Hampshire has a good amount (I think the last count was 33?). I hope to visit all of them in the state at some point. I am making great progress but there are new ones opening up each year. 

So why aren't there any wine posts yet, you may ask?

There are plenty of wineries that stay open year-round and then there are some that open after Memorial Day. That is when I will really start to make my rounds. For now, visit the NH Winery Association's website for listings and locations.