By now, many of you are aware of why beer lovers join the Kahnoisseur’s Klub for the benefit called Beerocracy.  In short, Beerocracy is a raffle that is held at all Kahn’s beer events and allows K Klub members the chance to buy rare and highly sought-after beers.   In case you’re wondering, when we say rare and highly sought-after beers, we mean it.  Recent Beerocracy winners purchased: Cantillon Fou’foune Apricot Lambic, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, Founders Curmudgeon’s Better Half, Founders Blushing Monk, Founders Nemesis, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Goose Island Bourbon County Bramble, Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee, Dogfish Head My Antonia, Birra del Borgo Ducchesic, Three Floyds Behemoth, Victory Dark Intrigue and more…

You get the idea. 

Normally, the more K Klub members present at the Beerocracy raffle, the worse your chances of winning.  The Wrath of Kahn’s is going to turn the tables on that. For the Wrath of Kahn’s tasting, the more people in attendance, the better your chances of winning. PLUS the more people in attendance the better your chances of winning more prized beers. 

Here’s how it will work:

50 attendees = 10 beers for the Beerocracy raffle.  If all of those people are K Klub members, then at worst, K Klub members have a 1 in 5 chance of winning.

100 attendees = 25 beers for the Beerocracy raffle.  If all of those attendees are K Klub members, then at worst, K Klub members have a 1 in 4 chance of winning.

150+ attendees = 50 beers for the Beerocracy raffle!  If all attendees are K Klub members, then at worst, K Klub members have a 1 in 3 chance of winning.

Winner’s names will be removed from the raffle BUT they will be asked if they want to enter round 2.     We will sell every Beerocracy beer that we can without replacing winning tickets...so as you guessed, your odds continue to improve as round 1 progresses.  If we cannot sell all of the beers available, we will replace the winning tickets that wanted to be in round 2 and begin drawing again.  This process will continue until all Beerocracy beers are sold or until no one wants to buy. 

Here’s a handy chart that might help…

The Wrath of Kahn’s Event Details:
Where:   Kahn’s Fine Wines North Willow
                2342 W. 86^th St
                Indianapolis, IN

When:  Tasting 6-8p, Thursday, June 7^th
                *Raffle starts at 6:45p*

Giving the right Mother’s Day gift is important.

A Great Mother's Day Gift should communicate ‘I love you’ and ‘thank you’ without being mundane.  As simple as that sounds, finding or creating a Great Mother's Day gift is far from easy.  In fact, some people spend tremendous amounts of time and money to make sure that Mother’s Day goes off without a hitch.  The gift, the restaurant, and the entire experience are planned with a feverish attention to detail, and if everything goes precisely to plan, then mom will be in for an unforgettable day.

Unfortunately, no matter how careful and diligent the planner, “even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”  Sometimes the Mother’s Day train derails from poor execution or plain ol’ bad luck and sometimes the gift is just wrong. The road to disastrous Mother’s Days from years past is paved with the remnants of these ill-fated, sad, plans gone awry. Remember, we must learn from history, or we are doomed to repeat it, and with that in mind, we present the Ten Worst Mother’s Day Gifts of all time.  Here they are:

The Ten Worst Mother’s Day Gifts of All Time

1. A copy of Momma Trauma: Why I am the Way I Am, an autobiography of your troubled childhood.
2. Five incontinent puppies
3. Your childhood scab collection
4. A Macaroni collage of various low cost assisted living communities
5. Vacuum cleaner
6. Assorted Tube tops AND a Diet Book
7. A homemade perfume made from Sauerkraut and Horseradish
8. A t-shirt that says “Childbirth: not that hard”
9. A duffle bag full of your dirty laundry with a note that says: “you know what to do with this.”
10. Novelty mug that says “World’s ____ Mom.” and a dry erase marker.  Tell her that you fill in the blank depending on your mood.

If you’re really committed to showing off what a terrific author you are, then by all means, give the woman who brought you into this world her own, personally-signed copy of Momma Trauma.  If you’ve never heard the phrase, “I brought you into this world and I can take you out,” then get ready, because we’re pretty sure you’ll hear it soon enough.

However, if you’re looking for a Great Mother’s Day gift, then check out Kahn’s Mother's Day Gift Baskets.

Make May 13, 2012 the best Mother’s Day yet. 

Mom’s worth it.

The Kahn’s Wine of the Month Club takes you on a new wine adventure every month.  

Our club features high quality, competitively-priced wines from around the world.  If we’ve learned anything from being in the wine business, it’s that there’s always great wine out there; you just have to know where to find it.  With our club, you’re not ‘stuck’ on a specific wine, winemaking style or region and you’re never punished with an inferior wine from a poor vintage.  In fact, the Kahn’s Wine of the Month Club is structured so that you will always get the best wines at the best prices, no matter what club level you join.

In addition, Kahn’s Wine of the Month club gives members a distinct buying advantage.  Wine-club customers can purchase the club wines all month at 10% off the everyday Kahn’s price.   Other customers won’t even know that the wine is 10% off!  Finally, you may cancel your membership without penalty at any time, but we don’t think you’ll want to.  We intend on choosing wines that make you look forward to what’s in store for next month.

Our wine club has three different levels that are tailored to meet your unique needs.

Collector: $100 per month gets you two to three wines that 90+ rated from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and/or Wine Enthusiast.  Collector-level wines guarantee Oohs and Ahs from friends.  They might even wonder how you acquired such highly sought-after wine treasure.

Buy this if:

1. ​You love ‘cult’ wines, but have trouble finding the time to keep up with the latest wine trends. 
2. You love trying new things and value the opinions of wine experts from Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
3. You’re looking for a wine store to help you find great wines outside the regions from which you normally buy.
4. You like getting a great deal.

90+ Under $20: $70 per month gets you two red wines and two white wines rated 90+ pts, are highly recommended by Kahn’s tasting panel, AND cost under $20 a bottle

Buy this if:

1.  Wine is a regular part of your life, i.e. you have wine with dinner at least once a week.
2. You love to try wines from different regions.
3. You are looking to expand your knowledge of wine and like recommendations from the Kahn’s tasting panel and experts from wine industry periodicals
4. You like both white and red wines.

Tasters: $30 per month gets you one red wine and one white wine.  You may opt for all red or all white. 

Buy this if:

1. You’re looking to expand your wine knowledge, but don’t know where to start.
2. You’re ready to try new things.
3. You’ve had great experience with Kahn’s staffers’ recommendations.
4. You want to learn a lot about wine, while you stay in budget.

Start Your Monthly Wine Adventure Today.

Call 317-228-9463 

Bring the Noise : Drink the Funk!

Sours are by no means new, but they seem to be the beer world’s (current) final frontier. First light lagers, then wheats. After that some folks jump into the Belgians. Some opt for pales and India pales, or browns, porters and stouts. Then usually it’s at this point people reach the end of the road and start to look around. What’s left to explore? Sours, baby!

So, what the heck… let’s explore the world of sour beer and listen to funk music! From the mouth-puckering extremes to sweet/sour fruit-forward favorites to light, dry, crisp summertime thirst quenchers…  We are set to run the gamut of what wild ales have to offer. Whether you are hip to this genre of the world’s greatest beverage or not, I have no doubt we will have something open at this tasting you will like… love… and most likely, CRAVE!

*Warning: I’m not kidding. Sours might be the most dangerously addictive branch of beer’s family tree. ‘Sour’ isn’t necessarily the most appetizing word. Brewers risk (and suffer through) full blown wild yeast/bacteria contaminations to make these beers that can take years of attention and aging to mature. And consumers spend significant amounts of money on these heartburn inducing treats. Despite all that, it’s a surprisingly successful business model.

In addition to the diverse range of offerings open for sampling, Drink the Funk will also include a very special Beerocracy Raffle! The rights to buy some of the rarest sour treats will be up for grabs. The raffle roster will feature offerings from: Cantillon (arguably the greatest sour/lambic producer), Drie Fonteinen, Upland (Indiana’s own world class sour brewer) & more!

List of breweries being sampled: Jolly Pumpkin, Upland, Bell's, Lindemans, Liefmans, Goose Island, Fantome, The Bruery, Verhaeghe, Ichtegems, BFM, Van Steenberge, Anchorage & more!

To recap: Sours are good. Come try a bunch of them!

Bring the Noise : Drink the Funk!

Thursday, April 26, 6-8p

Kahn’s North Willow
2342 W 86^th St
Indianapolis, IN 46260

RSVP: 317-228-9463

Members-only events are the best reason to join the Kahnoisseur's Klub.

On March 29, Kahnoisser’s Klub members were treated to the Grand Tour of France, a FREE tasting that featured wines, beer and spirits from France’s most famous regions.  K Klubbers had the opportunity to sample nine Bordeaux wines, and were introduced to the famous 2009 vintage with Chateau Bellisle Mondotte, St. Emilion Grand Cru 2009.  The Bellisle Mondotte represented the much-anticipated 2009 vintage well, boasting aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and earth along with a complex palate, ripe tannins and refreshing acidity.

K Klub members tasted five wines from Alsace, a region known for its world-class single varietal white wines.  The unlikely, but clear star was the Rene Muré Clos St. Landelin Pinot Gris 2003.  Exotic floral aromas leapt from the glass and mingled with a rich, honeyed palate that was surprisingly fresh for a nine year old Pinot Gris!  It was a rare treat for Alsace wine lovers and everyone else. 

Our Champagne table featured four outstanding Grower Champagnes, called so because the grape grower and the winemaker are one in the same.  All four Grower Champagnes tasted were dazzling, but the clear favorite was the René Geoffroy Brut Expression.  The word enchanting is not adequate to describe it.  Tastes of lemon curd, quince, and fresh bread accompanied loads of minerality, and great acidity to make this ‘farm fizz’ absolutely irresistible. 

And then there was Burgundy…lots of it.  An entire table was dedicated to Joseph Drouhin, a second table featured the wines of Louis Jadot, and the final table showcased boutique producers.   There were lots of great wines, but perhaps the most memorable red was the Lecheneaut Morey St. Denis 2007, a scrumptious beauty with pure cherry fruit, earth, mineral and an enticing nose of violets. 

The Cordier Pouilly Fuisse Rare 2006, a Chardonnay-based white Burgundy, was simply one of the finest Pouilly Fuisses we’ve encountered.  It was rich and complex beyond comparison with honey, butter, a touch of spice and ample orchard fruits on a solid frame of acidity.  An absolute wine treasure.

From there, tasters toured the Rhone and the South of France, encountering the wines of Chateau de Nages.  The reserve white, the reserve red, the VV red and the Les Piliers Syrah were purchased frequently, as tasters continued to remark how outstanding they tasted for the price.

Finally, K Klub members were treated to six beers and six brandies.  The Etienne Dupont Bouche Cidre and the Castelian St. Amand French Country Ale were clear favorites among the beer loving members in attendance.  The brandy lovers in the K Klub were treated to VS and VSOP Cognacs and Armagnacs from Monnet, Lucien, Chabot, and Sempe as well as a surprising value-priced Calvados (apple brandy) from Calvaclub.

Remember, we only promoted the Grand Tour of France to K Klub members, so join the K Klub today to make sure you don't miss the next great event!

Don't miss the next great event.

Join the Kahnoisseur’s Klub today for just $10 per person/per year.

Check out other K Klub member benefits.

Call 317-228-9463 to join today!

And then there was one...Leffe Brune, the Battle of Belgium 2012 Champion!

Leffe Brune, a #7 seed, represented the Waterloo region in the BOB 2012 finals, a surprise to be sure.  Many beer drinkers and Kahn's employees were shocked, as Waterloo appeared to be the most difficult region.  Waterloo was awash with top-notch beers that fared well in the 2011 Battle of Belgium, including: Goose Island Matilda, Rochefort 10, St. Bernardus Watou Tripel,  and St. Bernardus Tripel.  No one expected much from Leffe Brune, a 2012 BOB newcomer.  We all judged the beer by its label, and frankly, we underestimated it.

Leffe Brune trounced #2 Rochefort 10 in the first round, busting many BOB Bracket Challenge brackets in the process.  In round two, Leffe Brune beat up on St. Bernardus Tripel and in round three, it clobbered Ommegang Brewery's Three Philosopher's to make its way into the Championship.

The 2012 BOB Championship was filled with a veritable who's who of Belgium beer, including St. Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Blue and Rochefort 8, all #1 seeds.  Surely, Leffe Brune's Cinderella story would end when it matched up against the three top seeds in the tournament. To be honest, we were almost certain that St. Bernardus Abt 12 would repeat as BOB champion and we were ready to retire it as the finest Belgian beer; however, when it came down to customer votes, Leffe Brune won by two votes over the 2nd place beer, Rochefort 8!

It just goes to show you what the Battle of Belgium proves with every single matchup: Don't judge a beer by its label,  judge beer by how it tastes.  We hope you enjoyed the BOB, and we look forward to an outstanding BOB ini 2013.

Remember, all Belgian beer is 10% off for the rest of March, so come in and try some today!

Day Two of Battle of Belgium 2012 is Complete!

Download the Updated Bracket after Round 2 here!
St. Bernardus Abt 12 produces another strong effort in round 2 as it continues to fight its way through the 2012 BOB bracket.   Abt 12's round 3 matchup is with Goose Island Pere Jacques, a dominant force in this year's Battle of Belgium.  Pere Jacques crushed Houblon Chouffe in round 1 and embarassed Duvel in round 2, wining by over 20 votes in both cases.  Taking down defending BOB champ will be a different matter entirely, as Abt 12 brings richness, complexity and freshness to the table.  Again, we'll have to wait and see, but the stage certainly appears to be set for Abt 12 to repeat as BOB Champ in 2012.

Rochefort 8 and Unibroue Trois Pistoles are matched up in the Bruges regional.  Both beers had strong showings in prior rounds and continue the trend of big beer dominance in BOB 2012.  We expect this to be a hotly contested matchup.

Leffe Brune continues its trimuphant stroll through the Waterloo region after knocking off Rochefort 10 and St. Bernardus Trpel in rounds 1 and 2, respectively.  It round 3, it faces Ommegang Brewery's Three Philosophers, a Belgian-style quad brewed with cherries.  While these beers are markedly different in style, we expect the outcome to be dependent on customers in attendance, so if you love either of these beers come out and help vote them through to the final round.

Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, the Antwerp region features Indiana's own Sun King Brewery's Velvet Fog vs. Chimay Blue.  Both beers pack a huge punch, but we'll see where the votes fall tonight in what is sure to be an exciting matchup.  We suspect that once Indiana palates figure out which beer is Sun King that the votes may tend toward our hometown brewery, but who knows.  Either way, your votes will determine the winner in a matchup with two high quality brews.

DON'T FORGET...BEEROCRACY! 

March 9: Goose Island Bramble, Dogfish Head My Antonia, Boulevard Chocolate Ale 2010, Founder's Backwoods Bastard 2011.  Beerocracy is a raffle that we host at the end of all Kahn's Beer Events where K Klub members are entered into a raffle for the chance to purchase rare and hard to find beers.  Joining the K Klub costs just $10 per person, per year and has loads of great benefits.  Find out more about the Kahnoisseur's Klub here!

Day One of Battle of Belgium 2012 is Complete!

Download the Updated Bracket after Round 1 here!

What an interesting night it was! Overall #1 seed St. Bernardus Abt 12 crushed McChouffe by 27 votes, so its chances of repeating as BOB Champ are still alive, but it will have to get past Boulevard's Tank 7 Saison in round 2.  Saisons (like Tank 7) usually have trouble with rich beers like Abt 12, but we'll let your votes decide the winner.

Brackets were busted in the Waterloo region when St. Bernardus Watou Tripel  was knocked out by New Belgium's Belgo IPA, setting up a duel between Belgo and Three Philosophers by Ommegang Brewery.

The #1 seed in the Antwerp region, Chimay Blue, easily dealt with Urthel's Quadrium, so Chimay Blue's potential crash course with Abt 12 in round 4 is still in tact.  Also in Antwerp, newcomer Sun King's Velvet Fog managed to knock out #2 seed New Belgium 1554, though by only a slim margin. This sets Sun King's Velvet Fog up for a matchup with La Fin du Monde, which crushed Urthel's Hop-It by over 30 votes in round 1.

The Bruges region features an interesting contrast of styles with a round 2 matchup between Rochefort 8 and The Bruery's Mischief, which defeated newcomer Great Crescent Brewery's Frosted Fields in round 1. 

All in all it was an interesting round 1, but round 2 should be even more exciting!

DON'T FORGET...

March 8 Beerocracy Beers: Three Floyds Behemoth, Del Borgo Duchessic, Dogfish Head Olde School, Goose Island Bourbon County (2 bottle lot)  Beerocracy is a raffle that we host at the end of all Kahn's Beer Events where K Klub members are entered into a raffle for the chance to purchase rare and hard to find beers.  Joining the K Klub costs just $10 per person, per year and has loads of great benefits.  Find out more about the Kahnoisseur's Klub here!

MPORTANT NEWS: The Battle of Belgium rules committee has decided to replay one of the round 1 matchups tonight.  At the end of round 1, we determined that one matchup contained a flawed beer, and as such, the matchup's outcome may have been skewed.   We beleive that it is fair to replay this matchup with two 'clean,' unflawed beers.

How we'll replay it: We will replay the round 1 matchup and the two potential round 2 matchups tonight.  When the round 1 winner is determined, we will then use the round 2 matchup with the round 1 winner to determine the round 2 winner.  The other round 2 results will be discarded.  If you have any questions, please call 317-228-9463 and talk with Kyle or Todd.

Great News for Downtown Residents and Businesspeople

Finding a place to park in downtown Indianapolis can be tricky, so we’ve come up with two ideas that we think will make shopping at Kahn’s Downtown much easier…

KAHN'S DOWNTOWN TRICYCLE DELIVERY

&

KURBSIDE SERVICE!!!

Here’s how it works:  Give us a call at 317-632-9463 with your order and then tell us whether you want your wine, beer, and spirits delivered OR if you want to use Kurbside Service.  If you want delivery, we’ll roll your way on the Kahn’s Tricycle.  For Kurbside Service, just call us when you’re a few minutes away from Kahn’s and we’ll bring your order out to your car. 

Either way, there’s no need to park!

Let Kahn’s help when you’re entertaining, sending gifts or  hosting an after-work party for colleagues or friends.

JUST REMEMBER:

you're never out of Wine, beer and spirits...

CALL Kahn's Downtown at 317-632-9463 to place your order today!

Good news..the Battle of Belgium  is March 7-10 from 6-8 pm at Kahn's North Willow, 2342 W. 86th Street.  In our quest to make the Battle of Belgium the best event it can be, we've decided to add a Beerocracy Raffle at the end of every Battle of Belgium round (around 7:30pm).  .  More Battle of Belgium info here. 

Download the Battle of Belgium Bracket here.

What is Beerocracy?  Beerocracy is a Kahnoisseur's Klub member benefit where members are entered into a raffle for the chance to purchase rare and hard-to-find beers.  See what rare gems K Klub Members purchased at the Beerocracy Kickoff Tasting here. The Kahnoisseur's Klub costs members just $10 a year and is loaded with benefits including:  Beerocracy, a VIP Tete de Cuvee Room at our Champagne and Shopping event, Discounts on all Food and Accessories...and more.  Learn more about the Kahnoisseur's Klub.

The Battle of Belgium Beerocracy Raffle Schedule:

March 7: Goose Island Bourbon County (2 btl lot), Samuel Adams Infinium, Mikkeller 1000 IBU, Ommegang Gnomegang, Bell's Batch 10,000

March 8: Three Floyds Behemoth, Del Borgo Duchessic, Dogfish Head Olde School, Goose Island Bourbon County (2 bottle lot)

March 9: Goose Island Bramble, Dogfish Head My Antonia, Boulevard Chocolate Ale 2010, Founder's Backwoods Bastard 2011

March 10: Goose Island Coffee, Founder's Imperial Stout (2 bottle lot), Bruery Three French Hens, Founder's Nemesis

Remember....

Only Kahnoisseur's Klub members may enter the Beerocracy Raffle. 

If you're not a Kahnoisseur's Klub member, call 317-228-9463 to join  today for just $10!

If you already know about the Battle of Belgium and just need your bracket, here it is:  Download the Battle of Belgium 2012 Bracket here.

If you're new to the Battle of Belgium, we promise that it will be an unforgettable beer experience.  The Battle of Belgium is a 4 day, 32 beer single elimination blind taste-off where customer votes determine the King of Belgian Beer!  Last year's champion was St. Bernardus Abt 12 and as the overall #1 seed in 2012, we think there's at least a decent chance for it to repeat, but just like last year, we'll let the tastings decide...

The Battle of Belgium is March 7-10 from 6-8pm at Kahn's North Willow, 2342 W. 86th Street.

Battle of Belgium Bracket Challenge:

How to Play:  First, pick up a bracket at any Kahn’s location or Download the Battle of Belgium 2012 Bracket here.   Fill out your Battle of Belgium bracket by selecting the beers you think will advance and eventually win.  Brackets must be turned in by March 7th at 6:00 pm to any Kahn's location. Points are awarded for each correct pick and will be equal to the round number, i.e. Round 1 = 1pt, Round 2 = 2pt, etc...The person with the most total points will be anointed the Baron(ess) of Brew and will win an outstanding prize. Follow Kahn’s on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KahnsFineWines and Twitter @ Beer_at_Kahns for round by round updates.

The Tastings:   Initial matchups are based on seeding.  All matchups will be conducted blind. At the tastings, customers vote for their favorite beer in each matchup, and the beer with the most votes will advance to the next round.  In the event of a tie, a Kahn’s staff member will break the tie by tasting and voting for their preferred beer in the tied matchup.   At the end of each day, brown bags will be removed and the beers will be revealed. In the event of a tie in the final round, the winner will be the beer with the greatest number of votes throughout the tournament.

For K-Klub Members: Every Battle of Belgium round will have also have a Beerocracy raffle, where K Klub members  will have the chance to purchase beers from our Beerocracy Stockpile.  Click for Info about Beerocracy.  Only Kahnoisseur's Klub members can enjoy the Beerocracy Benefit, so if you want to have the chance to purchase rare and hard-to-find beers at the Battle of Belgium, then make sure to join the K-Klub.  Click for Other Great Reasons to Join the Kahnoisseur's Klub!

The week of the 2011 Big Ten Championship football game was a big one at Kahn’s Downtown, as college-level light beer tolerance and extensive tailgating drove sales to near store-record highs. Game day itself was quite a spectacle, with increasingly jolly groups of sports fans returning two and three times to top off. Empty boxes stacking up. Lines at both registers, all day. That kind of thing. By the time the dust settled, more customers than ever before had walked through our doors: 450. Wow! What amazing traffic!

The above is an example of something I’ll call “Pre-Super Bowl Perspective.”  It’s where you think you’ve seen a) crowds b) eye-dropping alcohol consumption c) a certain level of crazy d) anything at all.  But you haven’t, really.  On the Thursday before the big game, a cool 617 folks made purchases here (“cool” is not an insignificant word, here. It connotes the attitude one must take when the former redline becomes the new warm-up). It was going to be a ridiculous weekend.

The Bud Light Marketing Committee did Kahn's a favor by setting the price for Bud Light aluminum bottles at $7  Ludicrous!   We could have easily charged $7, but $3 was a fair price for America's most popular light macrobrew.  We figued that if we charged fair prices, then revelers would find their way into Kahn's downtown again and again.

Well, it worked. We were slammed, inundated, engulfed, etc. The revelers began streaming in just past noon and only stopped after we literally shut the door in their faces.  Speaking of faces, new ones became regulars in the course of an afternoon (though I spent most of my time recognizing these through the doors of the beer cooler, which I stocked relentlessly, and not fast enough). Discarded cardboard filled every available nook, a one-in-for-every-one-out line had to be marshaled at the front door, a mountain of bottles had to be swept from the entryway, and in the end we found ourselves entirely out of everything Bud-Miller-Coors.

There’d been 1500 customers in one day, and that number does not account for the many groups of 3 and 5 and even more who threw in together. It all seemed a bit post-apocalyptic, late Friday night. But following a few emergency beer orders we came back Saturday and did it all again. Needless to say, there has never been anything like it and probably never will be. At least until Indianapolis gets on the regular rotation for the Super Bowl (I’d vote for it!).

Oh yeah, and those $3 Bud Lights. We ordered an absurd quantity and sold it all. Over 130 15-bottle cases in two days, which if you do the math adds up to a fairly rousing success for both Kahn’s and Anheuser-Busch.

 I heard the Village did all right too, considering.

Valentine’s Day can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be, especially if you roll up your sleeves and cook dinner for your Valentine.  We think this is such a great idea that we hunted down some tasty, easy to prepare recipes and paired 'em with wines we know you'll love.  If you've never had a great food and wine pairing, then please try at least one of these! 

Recipe 1: Grilled Steak with herbed butter

Red:  Cabernet Sauvignon, esp. California.  Check out Caymus, but make sure to decant it for around two hours.

White: California Chardonnay.  Try Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve.  You’ll be shocked how well a full-bodied oaky California Chardonnay works with butter sauces, even when there's red meat involved.

Recipe 2: Mini Pork Rack with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

Red: Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy.  For Burgundy, try Bertrand Ambroise Aries, it's elegant with a touch of earth. For California Pinot Noir, try Donum, a big, mouth-filling Pinot from Carneros.

White: California Chardonnay or Riesling.  Try Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay or Leitz Rudesheim Roseneck Riesling Spätlese.  The Leitz is an absolute rockstar Riesling that will just break your heart.

Recipe 3: Chicken Scallopini

Red: New World Pinot Noir.  Try Donum or Caitec. 

White: White Burgundy or Sauvignon Blanc.  For the Burgundy, try Moreau Chassagne Montrachet Champs Gain .  For the Sauvignon Blanc, try Thomas La Crele Sancerre.  The Burgundy will work with the sauce's richness, while the Sauvignon Blanc will contrast it.

Recipe 4 Garlic Basil Shrimp with Tomatoes

Red: Not recommended.

White: Sauvignon Blanc or Sparkling Wine.  For the Sauvignon Blanc, try Thomas La Crele Sancerre.  The Sancerre will work some zesty magic with the tomatoes and the basil. For the Sparkling wine, try Henriot Brut Souverain.  The Champagne will work beautifully with the shrimp’s delicate flavor and will tie it in with the basil and tomatoes.

Recipe 5: Oven Poached Salmon a la Paige with Dill, Vidalia Onion and Cucumber Relish

Red: Pinot Noir.  Try Donum or Caitec.  Pinot Noir is a classic pairing with Salmon.

White: White Burgundy or Sauvignon Blanc.  For the Burg, try Manciat Petite Bruyeres Pouilly Fuisse.  For the Sauvignon Blanc, check out the Paul Thomas Sancerre Les Comtesses.  The Sancerre will be magnificent with the relish.

If you need help with other food and wine pairings, just email me at todd@kahnsfinewines.com.  I’m happy to help.  Just tell me what you’re cooking and whether you want white or red.  

Cheers!

Attention to all Mavens of Malt, all Lords and Ladies of Lambic, and all Sultans of Saccharomyces!  We kindly request the presence of your finely tuned, discriminating palate at the Battle of Belgium, an 4 day, 32 beer single elimination blind taste-off that will result in the crowning of the King of Belgian Beer!

The Battle of Belgium is a Free Beer Tasting Event!  It runs from March 7-10, from 6-8 pm at Kahn's North Willow, 2342 W. 86th Street.

But wait, there’s more…  Are you tired of the Belgian beer know-it-all in your ‘inner beer circle’?  Looking for an opportunity to prove that you’re the true Baron of Brew? The Battle of Belgium Bracket Challenge is your chance. Fill out and submit your completed bracket by 6:00 pm at any Kahn's location…The overall winner will receive the official noble beer title of Baron(ness) of Brew, a ton of bragging rights and… an outstanding prize TBD.  Brackets will be released. soon.

The Tastings:   Initial matchups are based on seeding.  All matchups will be conducted blind. Vote for your favorite beer in each matchup, the beer with the most votes will advance to the next round.  In the event of a tie, a Kahn’s staff member will break the tie by tasting and voting for their preferred beer in the tied matchup.   At the end of each day, brown bags will be removed and the beers will be revealed. In the event of a tie in the final round, the winner will be the beer with the greatest number of votes throughout the tournament.

Battle of Belgium Bracket Challenge:

How to Play:  First, pick up a bracket at any Kahn’s location.  Fill out your Battle of Belgium bracket by selecting the beers you think will advance and eventually win.  Brackets must be turned in by March 7th at 6:00 pm to any Kahn's location. Points are awarded for each correct pick and will be equal to the round number, i.e. Round 1 = 1pt, Round 2 = 2pt, etc...The person with the most total points will be anointed the Baron(ess) of Brew and will win a prize TBD. Follow Kahn’s on Facebook (Kahns Fine Wines) and Twitter @ Beer_at_Kahns for round by round updates.

For K-Klub Members: Come to the Battle of Belgium and you'll have the chance to purchase beers from our Beerocracy Stockpile.  Click for Info about Beerocracy.  Only Kahnoisseur's Klub members can enjoy the Beerocracy Benefit.  Want to learn more? Click for Why You Should Join the Kahnoisseur's Klub!

Questions? Call 317-228-9463  

This election year, the time is ripe to enact change, to learn from our missteps and to build on our successes. At Kahn’s, we are launching a campaign of our own; a crusade to better serve our loyal beer buying constituency. We call it Beerocracy!

Beerocracy is our attempt to handle the distribution of the most limited and sought after beer releases we have to offer. These high demand beers usually sell out before they reach our shelves. So you, growing beer lover, rarely get the chance to try them.  We don’t think that’s fair, so here’s what we’re doing…

We still want to reward loyal patrons who are on their beer release game, so Kahn’s will continue to have sign-up lists for the beer world’s rarest releases.   From now on, Kahn’s will hold back and cellar an undisclosed number of some highly allocated beers for Beerocracy.  Every couple months Kahn’s will host a beer tasting for our Kahnoisseur’s Klub members.  Attendees will be entered into a raffle for a chance to purchase from our Beerocracy treasure stockpile.

OK. We’re ready to kick this bad boy off in style…

Click to download the beer's you'll taste at the Beerocracy Kickoff Tasting

Call 317-228-9463 to join the Kahnoisseur's Klub today for just $10...and we'll tell you the date for Beerocracy I!

Raffle winners at Beerocracy I can purchase these beers...

Founders Blushing Monk

Victory Dark Intrigue

The Bruery + Dogfish Head Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder (Gradually, Quietly, Steadily)

The Bruery + St. Feuillien Biere De L’Amitie

The Bruery Cuir

Upland Raspberry Lambic

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch

Mikkeller Texas Ranger Chipotle Porter

Mikkeller Sur Monk

Hebrew + Terrapin Reunion Ale

Hoppin’ Frog Barrel Aged Naked Evil Belgian-style Barley Wine

Any questions? Give us a call at 317-228-9463!

We look forward to firmly shaking your hand, kissing your babies and offering you an exclusive opportunity to buy some of the world’s most highly regarded beers.

Classic food and wine pairings don’t just appear out of thin air, they’re discovered. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not.  One day, a lucky human being decided to drink a buttery, full-bodied California Chardonnay with his lobster.  Can you imagine his delight as the Chardonnay’s butter, apple, lemon and tangerine flavors mingled with the lobster’s rich, succulent texture?  If you can’t, then please go buy a lobster and a bottle of Grgich Hills Chardonnay right now.  I’m not kidding.   You can send me a thank you note later, but you owe it to yourself.

The #1 Rule of Food and Wine Pairing is…

If it grows together, it goes together.

Catchy, isn’t it?  In fact, this rule says more about culture than it does about the complementary nature of food and drink produced within close geographic proximity.  Classic food and wine pairings aren’t just born, they’re cultivated.  People stumble upon delicious flavor combinations all the time, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident.  A classic pairing is born when we share what we’ve discovered with others and then they validate our discovery by sharing it again.  In that spirit, I’d like to share two pairings that I’ve stumbled upon.  I believe that the first is a bona fide classic and the other is well… a little off-the-wall.  I hope you try both and if you agree; I hope you share them with others.

 My Classic Pairing…

Venison Loin: Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir 2009

Venison can be purchased from a variety of online specialty retailers like Broken Arrow Ranch, Elk USA, or Underhill Farms. 

Here’s how to prepare the Venison loin:

Venison Loin 2 lbs.

Olive Oil 4 oz.

Greek plain yogurt, 4 oz.

Cumin, 1 tsp

Cayenne pepper, 1 tsp

Cardamom, 1 tsp

Salt, 2 tsp

Pepper 2 tsp

Garlic 2 tblsp

Two limes, juiced

Combine olive oil, yogurt, cumin, cayenne, cardamom, garlic, salt, pepper and lime juice together in a plastic bag.  Place venison in the bag and work it around with the olive oil, yogurt, spice mixture.  Marinate for three hours.   

Wrap the venison in foil and place in a 350 degree oven for forty minutes to an hour until the red in the meat is gone.  Open foil to reduce the juices and produce a crust.  Serve with roasted potatoes and carrots.

Try this with the Drouhin Pinot Noir 2009 and you’ll know instantly how a classic pairing should taste.  The tart, bright cherries and the Pinot Noir’s wonderful acidity perfectly complement the venison’s rich complexity.  You’ll love it.

My Off-the-wall, yet completely awesome pairing…

Cheez-its Snack Crackers: Grand Marnier

You might think I’m crazy, but oh my goodness…please try this!  The Cheez-its saltiness pairs perfectly with Grand Marnier’s orange-macerated sweetness.  I’m not saying it’s Sauternes and Roquefort, but it’s pretty darn good!

Do you have a food and wine/spirit pairing you’d like to share? 

Post a comment on this blog or on Kahn’s facebook page.  We’d love to hear from you!

Recipe: Courtesy of Mr. C. Smith