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.
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…
# in Attendance | # of Beerocracy Beers | Worse Case K Klub Member Odds of Winning | Key Beers |
50 | 10 | 1:5 | 1 Founders KBS, 2 Founders Imperial Stout, 1 Founders Old Curmudgeon, 2 GI Bourbon County, 1 Upland Gilgamesh, 1 Dogfish Head Raison d’Extra, 1 3Floyds/Mikkeller BooGoop1 Sun King Wee Muckle |
100 | 25 | 1:4 | 2 Founders KBS, 4 Founders Imperial Stout, 2 Founders Old Curmudgeon, 4 GI Bourbon County, 1 GI BCS Bramble, 1 GI Juliet, 2 Upland Gilgamesh, 1 Dogfish Head Raison d’Extra, 1 3Floyds/Mikkeller BooGoop, 1 Sun King Wee Muckle, 1 Mikkeller TX Ranger BA Porter, 2 Mikkeller Brunch Cognac, 1 Jolly Pumpkin IO Saison, 1 Stone Lucky Bastard, 1 Bell’s Expedition Stout |
150 | 50 | 1:3 | 6 Founders KBS, 6 Founders Imperial Stout, 4 Founders Old Curmudgeon, 1 Founders Backwoods Bastard, 6 GI Bourbon County, 1 GI BCS Bramble, 1 GI BCS Coffee, 2 GI Juliet, 2 Upland Gilgamesh, 1 Cantillon Classic Gueuze, 1 Dogfish Head Raison d’Extra, 2 3Floyds/Mikkeller BooGoop, 1 3Floyds Alpha Klaus, 1 3Floyds Behemoth, 2 Sun King Wee Muckle, 1 Mikkeller TX Ranger BA Porter, 2 Mikkeller Brunch Cognac, 2 Jolly Pumpkin IO Saison, 1 The Bruery 3 French Hens, 1 Stone Lucky Bastard, 1 Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze, Dark Horse Plead the 5th, 1 Bell’s Batch 10k, 3 Bell’s Expedition Stout |
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
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.
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:
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:
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:
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 86th St
Indianapolis, IN 46260
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!
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.
DayThree of Battle of Belgium 2012 is Complete!Download the Updated Bracket after Round 3 here!
And then there were four. Last year's BOB Champion St. Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Blue, Rochefort 8 and Leffe Brune. Leffe Brune, a mere #7 seed, was the beer left standing once the dust settled in the Waterloo region, considered by many to be the most difficult.
St. Bernardus reasserted its dominance as it defended the Brussels region against Goose Island's Pere Jacques. Truthfully, it was never close. Abt 12 has had no real challenge up to this point, and again looks like the beer to beat in this year's Battle of Belgium.
The Bruges region didn't provide much drama either, with Trois Pistoles falling to #1seed Rochefort 8 by over 15 votes.
The real intrigue came in the Antwerp region where Chimay Blue took on Indianapolis brewery Sun King's Velvet Fog, a bourbon barrel- aged quad brewed wtih cherries. Early in the battle, Sun King stormed out to an 8-1 lead, but as the night went on, Chimay began to gain ground and eventually tied things up. The matchup was hotly contested up until the last thirty minutes of the competition, but Chimay Blue eventually pulled away to win by a mere five votes. Our friends at Sun King should be proud. Kahn's Fine Wines is proud of our great friends at Sun King Brewery!
In the end though, only four remain. All four are true Belgian beer and tomorrow, customer votes will decide the King of Belgian Beer. Does Rochefort 8, unlikely BOB newcomer Leffe Brune or the mighty Chimay Blue have enough to overcome the richness and complexity of St. Bernardus Abt 12? Come join us tomorrow at Kahn's NW from 6-8 pm and we'll find out together.
IMPORTANT NEWS....BEEROCRACY RAFFLE WILL BE AT 7 PM TOMORROW NIGHT! DON'T MISS ITI!
March 10: Goose Island Coffee, Founder's Imperial Stout (2 bottle lot), Bruery Three French Hens, Founder's Nemesis. 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 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 BusinesspeopleFinding 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…
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.
Let Kahn’s help when you’re entertaining, sending gifts or hosting an after-work party for colleagues or friends.
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
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...
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!
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
Membership in the Kahnoisseur’s Klub is your all access pass to the hottest deals and the coolest events that Kahn’s Fine Wines offers. The K Klub is easy to join and costs only $10 per person, PER YEAR.
Here’s what you get for only $10 per year:
Call 317-228-9463 to join the Kahnoisseur’s Klub today!
It’s that time of year again. At 12:00 on January 1, 2012 many of us will find ourselves surrounded by loved ones as we ring in the New Year. We’ll engage in long-standing New Years traditions like clinking bubbly-filled Champagne flutes together and we may even share a midnight kiss with someone special.
For many of us, Champagne is a staple for any legitimate New Years Eve celebration, but why? We’re celebrating a New Year, so why not try something new?
Ringin’ in the New Year with a Vodka Tasting
Personally, I’m not sure why unflavored Vodka hasn’t become a ‘thing’. Maybe it’s slowly gaining speed. A quick browse in almost any liquor store reveals an explosion of flavored vodkas to fuel the current Vodka martini cocktail trend; however, a close look at the Vodka world reveals some excellent choices for Vodka purists.
Here are some helpful tips to make your tasting a success
Kahn’s recommends:
Regarding Sunday Sales…
I wish the answer was simple, but it is not. We understand why many consumers are in favor of Sunday Sales, but things look very different from Kahn's point of view.
If the Sunday sales law passes, then Kahn’s and other package liquor stores in central Indiana have a choice: open and incur 52 days of additional labor, selling, general and administrative expenses and compete with groceries and pharmacies for Sunday sales… or stay closed.
You know who keeps pushing for this law don’t you? The media and others sponsoring the bill want you to think it's consumers like you, but Big Box Grocery Stores, Pharmacies, and Convenience Stores are the main proponents of the new law. We get it. Essentially, groceries and pharmacies are forced to shrink their normal selling space for the time they are open on Sundays. If the new law passes, then grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores won’t incur any additional labor costs or other significant expenses. Since Sunday is one of the biggest grocery shopping days of the week, many consumers will buy alcohol when they do the rest of their shopping because it will be more convenient.
Are Hoosiers going to drink more just because they can buy alcohol on Sundays? Probably not. Most Hoosiers will consume the same amount of alcohol; they’ll just buy it on the day that’s most convenient for them. We do not foresee increased sales for Kahn’s... just the current 6 days of business spread over 7 days. If sales do increase, we certainly do not foresee an increase that will offset the additional costs of being open. For the small “Mom and Pop” Liquor stores throughout the state, these additional costs could be the kiss of death, as they incur a 7th day of expenses and little to no increased revenue.
Liquor Stores are fighting hard to limit the exposure of alcohol to minors. All of our employees must be 21 and pass a training class in the Safe Sales of Alcohol while grocery stores can hire minors. Additionally, you must be 21 to enter a Liquor Store but teens and pre-teens are free to walk the liquor aisles freely in a grocery store. In a nutshell…if grocery stores win, minors will have easier access to alcohol and they'll be exposed to alcohol at an earlier age.
Additionally, we would argue that the Sunday law makes an already unfair playing field even more unfair. For example, if you want to open a package liquor store in Indiana , like Kahn’s, Crown, UPL, Payless, 21st Amendment, and others, you have to buy a license. Auctioned licenses can run from $150,000-450,000. Want to buy a new license from the government? Good luck. New licenses are based on population increases and there have been no new Marion County licenses issued for years. In fact, it is doubtful that there will ever be any new licenses issued (unless the law changes), since Marion County's population is shrinking. The final way to obtain a license is to buy a liquor store already in operation. Most owners value their licenses in the $200,000-$250,000 range, and as you can imagine, no sane owner will just sell you their license. Compare this to what it costs for grocery licenses (which are unlimited)…and cost only $2,500. How is that for an unfair playing field?
Make no mistake about it; grocers are leading the charge on the Sunday sales law. We just want you to know that there are two sides to every story, and we feel that the Sunday sales law is anti-small business, anti-competition and is all about money for the big grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and the government. Kahn’s Fine Wines will adapt and be open for business if and when the new law passes; we just hope you’ll make the extra trip on Sundays, because like always, we’ll still offer the greatest selection around, top-notch service and competitive prices.
Told you the answer was not simple. Hopefully this clears things up from the retail side.
CHEERS!
On June 25th, Kahn's Fine Wines Downtown partnered up with Mesh, Aesop's Tables and Agio to offer guests a one-of-a-kind Progressive Dinner called A Midsummer's Sauntering Supper. It really was a great time. The event began around 4:30 at Kahn's Downtown where guests were greeted with La Ardilla Moscato and Bartolomeo Prosecco. The La Ardilla displayed a fizzy effervescence coupled with tangerines and Granny Smith apples and the Bartolomeo exuded spumante-like bubbles and crisp acid; both functioned well as apperitifs and provided a nice foreward to the wine and culinary delights to come.
With palates cleansed, we ventured forth to Mesh, in search of a unique spin on American Fusion with a chic decor, and boy did they hit the ball out of the park. Sarah Eck, Mesh's events co-ordinator put us in Mesh's private dining room overlooking Mass. Ave. We enjoyed Kim Crawford's wonderful Sauvignon Blanc and a delightful Malbec from Alta Vista along with Mesh's expertly prepared food:
Beer Dinner #1
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Wednesday, May 25th
We were fortunate enough to be invited to a four course dinner hosted by World Class Beverages last month at the The Oceanaire Indianapolis. We paired two beers with each course. My three colleagues along with myself had a fantastic night that not only captured our sense of sight, but surprised and excited the palate. The pairings also offered enticing aromas that exploded from our glasses and plates while constantly perfuming the air throughout the event.
Reception Beers: Grolsch and Brooklyn Brewing Summer Ale were the two beers that we were welcomed with as we arrived. It was a particularly muggy day outside and both of these beers were a refreshing treat as we walked out of the unseasonably warm spring air.
First Course: Ahi Tuna Poke with Crispy Wontons, Cucumbers & Wasabi Emulsion
Beers Paired: Blue Moon Grand Cru/Three Floyd’s Rabbid Rabbit
This course was all about elegance and refinement. The tuna was incredibly fresh and delicate. The wonton added some interesting crunch to contrast the silky smooth texture of the thinly sliced cucumber. And then there was the wasabi emulsion, which kicked everything up a notch. The beers for this course were on the lighter end of the color spectrum, but still possessed some weight on the palate. The Blue Moon Grand Cru was from 2009 and showed some age on it. It seemed to be an Imperial Belgian Wit that had some orange and coriander aromas along with its softly rounded malt driven mouth feel. Three Floyd’s Rabid Rabbit is a Franco-Belgian style Farmhouse Ale that has an effervescent body and a light straw color. With its light malt body, augmented by spices, is a complex and frothy beverage with deceptively high alcohol content. Unfortunately, we’re sold out of this lovely offering, but we’ll have it again next March. Both of these beers were solid pairings, but my palate leaned toward the fresher and more complex layers of the Rabid Rabbit.
Second Course: Jumbo Shrimp & White Cheddar Grits
Beers Paired: Pilsner Urquell/Brasserie d’ Achouffe Houblon Doebbelen IPA Tripel
For those of you that know me well, you know that I moonlight at the Oceanaire as a server part time. This appetizer course is absolutely one of my favorites that we offer. I don’t know how many of you enjoy grits, but the plate presentation is brilliant as they lay a hand formed ball of grits in the center and gently place four jumbo shrimp around the bowl. Then the bowl is lightly drizzled with a savory tomato based ragu and freshly diced tomatoes. The Pilsner Urquell showed brilliantly with this dish. The soft malt and moderately bitter finish set up wonderfully with the slightly firm texture of the grits along with contrasting the mildly spicy jumbo shrimp. Our second beer was the Chouffe Houblon. This beer was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an ‘Indian Pale Ale’ type of beer, with a harmonious balance between a marked bitterness and a pleasant fruitiness that lingers in harmony with the bone dry finish. It is unfiltered and re-fermented in the bottle, which will allow the beer to evolve and develop in the bottle over time. If you like it fresh and the hops at the forefront drink immediately after purchase, but if you like things a little more balanced, just wait a few months and the hops will fade a bit. The malt and yeast aromas will become more pronounced after the wait. I would say that this ale might have been a little too heavy and bitter for the dish it was paired with, but I was a fan of just drinking it after I finished the course. It is remarkably refreshing for a beer that has an ABV of 9%.
Third Course: Blackened Grilled Hawaiian Marlin with Carmelized Onions & Bleu Cheese Butter
Beers Paired: Blue Moon Pale Ale/Duvel Triple Hop
This main entrée is another one of my favorites to offer while serving. The layered flavors of the seasonings, firm textured fish, sweet onions along with the pungent and highly acidic bleu cheese makes my salivary glands pray to the lord for this creation. Our two ales here were in stark contrast to each other. The Blue Moon Pale Ale had well defined aromas and flavors of caramel as a result of those types of malts used in its brewing process. It paired up nicely with the carmelized onions and lent itself to a contrasting component to the Cajun spices the marlin had been dredged in before grilling. The Duvel Triple Hop was much paler in color, but had a highly acidic side to it as one might expect from “Triple Hop” in its name. This highly carbonated ale positioned itself differently against the prep by cutting through the richness of the marlin and Cajun spices. It also had this wonderful relationship with the bleu cheese that I didn’t expect initially, but as they worked together with one another on my palate I was blown away. This pairing was probably my second favorite of the night.
Fourth Course: Chocolate Cake with Hand Made Whipped Cream & Macadamia Nuts
Beers Paired: Leinenkugel Big Eddy Imperial Stout/Three Floyd’s Dark Lord 2011
Well, if you’re into decadence, this was easily at the farthest end of that spectrum without question. Chocolate and Imperial Stouts are a perfect pairing in my mind. The intense chocolate aromas of these massive ales are wonderful companions to anything that involves chocolate or coffee. Both the Big Eddy and the Dark Lord possess the characteristics I’ve just described. However, the Bid Eddy was on the lighter end of the Imperial Stout mouth feel spectrum, while the Dark Lord was as viscous as the oldest motor oil you’ve ever seen. I would say the Dark Lord was by far my favorite beer of the night and this was the most magnificently paired course of the night.
I can’t express how thankful I am to be on the receiving end of such gracious hospitality. I would strongly encourage all Hoosiers to venture out to The Oceanaire Indianapolis for a remarkable dining experience and please visit World Class Beverages and check out super cool features like Beer Spy and Beer U. The Beer Spy feature helps you find a certain beer at specific retail or restaurant locations by entering your zip code and the proximity for your shopping needs, but of course, you can always shop with us at Kahn's Fine Wines Beer for all of your craft beer needs. The Beer U program is new and if you’re interested in educating yourself further about craft beer it is a wonderful resource.
I’m certainly looking forward to attending and hosting many more wonderful beer pairing dinner events in the near future and would like to invite all of our highly valued Kahn’s customers as we continue to expand our event offerings throughout the rest of the calendar year. Make sure you sign up for our weekly e-mails and if you don’t receive the Khronicle it’s got the listing of the current month’s events on the cover.
Until we cheers again!
Best Regards,
W. Brennan Corder
Beer Dinner #2
An Informative Afternoon : An Incredible Dinner
Wednesday, June 8th
Teamwork is a massively important part of everything we do. Whether it is cooperation at work, helping out at home, or the pairings on the table in front of you, this day was about all of the above. As a follow up to the meeting World Class Beverage held two weeks prior to discuss their new project, BeerU, they again invited area beer retailers for a meeting and a meal.
Brennan and I arrived at the state of the art Monarch shipping facility on Indy’s Eastside where we got to dig a little deeper into BeerU. It’s a new project they are rolling out with a few goals in mind. Educate retailers and customers about craft beer and, in turn, grow the craft beer segment as much as possible. Essentially, it is an online ‘university’ where you can learn about specific processes, styles and histories of beer. We are excited to explore and utilize it as much as possible for our staff and all of our interested customers. So, be on the look out for educational/classroom style tastings here at Kahn’s in the near future. There is so much to learn about craft beer!
After the BeerU training it was off to a beer dinner at Oakley’s Bistro. A dinner Brennan and I had been salivating for ever since we received the email inviting us. Upon entering, we were greeted with two refreshing easy drinkers as our liquid appetizers: the light and thirst-quenching Anchor Summer Beer and the lemony goodness of Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. Both proved to be suitable answers to the sticky heat that harassed us on the way over. Ok… Food please!
First Course:
Asparagus “Toad in the Hole” : Brioche / egg / asparagus / prosciutto / roasted peppers / artichoke / brie cheese / truffle vinaigrette
3 Monts Biere de Garde / Blue Moon Grand Cru
This first course was a delicate, flavorful and multi-dimensional precursor of the other exceptional plates to follow. I have no doubt that I could eat this dish for every meal for eternity. Is that too high of praise? I don’t think so. Especially when you factor in how well the asparagus, brie and truffle vinaigrette paired with the 3 Monts Biere de Garde. Each played off the other perfectly! The Blue Moon Grand Cru proved to be a bit too big in style for the delicacy of the dish, but provided a great example of how a proper pairing can enhance or hinder a meal.
Second Course:
Butchers Board : Selection of housemade charcuterie / foie gras honey mousse / pickled vegetables
Chimay Grand Reserve 3L / Killian’s Irish Red
If I said this was my least favorite course it might sound a little harsh. It’s more like if I said that one of my five fingers was my least favorite. It’s still one of my fingers and I would never want to part with it. This dish offered a nice sampling of charcuterie that actually went better with the Killian’s Irish Red than the Chimay Grand Reserve. I’ll even admit that Killian’s is one of my most despised beers, but yet again, the power of a good pairing reared its head again. While the malt and body of the Chimay were tasty as always, it was too much for this dish, in my opinion. The light-medium body Killian’s, on the other hand, had a suitable amount of malt that complimented the selection of meats nicely.
Third Course:
Sea Scallops : Parmesan pudding / portobello mushrooms / spinach / garlic chips / spicy balsamic
Boulevard Two Jokers Double Wit / Leinenkugel Classic Amber
I love sea scallops. Love them. My mouth is watering again as I type and I’m only just now starting to really relive this dish in my mind. This course is tied with the first and fourth as 3 of the best I’ve ever had the opportunity of trying. There are a few others I’d put up there in my past, but dang… these were complete efforts from the kitchen AND were paired so well! I just told Brennan that I wish I would have a soft-serve ice cream machine that would dispense parmesan pudding anytime I would want it. Granted it might not be the healthiest appliance a person could own, but it would be the most delicious and possibly the most used. Again, as with the second course, I was surprised by which beer I enjoyed more with this dish. Boulevard has quickly become one of the most consistently impressive breweries we are fortunate enough to carry. Continuing that trend of quality was the Boulevard Two Jokers. It is a well balanced imperial Belgian wit beer, but was just too much for the soft graceful flavors presented here. The Leinie Classic Amber presented a lighter body and a perfect maltiness to highlight the scallops, parmesan, portobellos and garlic chips. I have no doubt I’d enjoy this one even if it was served with a cup of sriracha, but to have it enhanced by the beer was a treat.
Fourth Course:
Duck & Duck : Pulled duck enchilada / roasted duck breast / almond mole / baby vegetables / pico de gallo / avocado mousse
Hoppin’ Frog Bodacious Black & Tan / Leinenkugel Creamy Dark
How many flavors, textures and visually stimulating presentations can Chef Oakley utilize and, better yet, harmonize? Umm… a lot! This course was over the top impressive. The mole sauce and the spices used in the pulled duck acted as the perfect bridges to tie the rest of the dish to the two beers. This was probably the best all around course when you factor in all the elements. Presentation, texture, taste and they way they went with the roasty chocolaty nature of both beers. Well done!
Fifth Course:
Vanilla Crème Brulée : Strawberry Jam / corn puffs
New Glarus Raspberry Tart / Leinenkugel Berry Weisse
So, I think after running us all through his own personal gauntlet of amazing courses, he let us recover and savor the past hour or so by offering us a straightforward and refreshing dessert. This was a hard one to mess up. Big vanilla beans and strawberries that paired so well with each beer. Those of you who may not be familiar, New Glarus is a terrific Wisconsin brewery that we unfortunately cannot enjoy here in Indiana. This was a surprise treat provided to us for being a part of the BeerU program. The slightly sour nature of the Raspberry Tart was perfect here and so was the refreshing light berry wheat from the Leinie collection. Another more than adequate combination of food and beer!
I hope you all can live vicariously through our experience (and not resent us too much). I hope it excites you and inspires you to venture out and try more things. Plan meals around the beers you like. Base the beers you buy around the foods you like. Explore all the possibilities. Learn as much as you can and you’ll enjoy the combinations more than you ever thought you could! Food and beer, our distributors and Kahn’s, Kahn’s and all of you. A day full of pairings is a good day!
Thanks,
Kyle Kaufman
Check out World Class Beverages
Check out Oakley’s Bistro
And Come in to Kahn’s!
Cheers,
Graham Miller
Assistant Manager
Kahn's Fine Wine & Spirits
Downtown
25 N. Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46205
317-632-9463
By: Bill Cheek, Kahn's North Willow
Let us be upfront and admit that I am NOT yet a wine drinker (or at least, not yet one with a palate to be trusted). So when Kahn's gave me a day off that just so happened to coincide with Le Grand Tour d'Alsace, I took the hint and headed over to conduct a bit of research.
I figured that to beat the crowd I'd stop in right at the start of the two-hour event; slip in, sample, take notes, slip out...but whoa: apparently when you offer twenty-five wines for the price of the gas it takes to get there (and, uh, maybe a cab, depending on your affinity for spitting) people SHOW UP. Who knew?
So over the course of an hour I mingled with the 75+ customers on hand and gradually made my way through most of the available wines. The Alsace region is predominated by several white wine varietals which range from dry to semi-sweet: Riesling, Gewurtzraminer, and Pinot Gris were clearly the order of the night.
Now we come to the fun part. Highlights of the night included the Rene Mure lineup of varietals, mid-00s vintages that displayed delicious age-acquired mellowness and subtlety. [Our manager at North Willow], Todd, was quite enthused by the 2003 Pinot Gris St. Landelin, which he let everyone in earshot know was "drinking like a champ." In fact, we sold every bottle in the store that night! (I noted only "Gentle tart, ripe apple" to prove that I am a rube) The ReneMure Pinot Noir V 2005, the only red wine in the tasting, was by no means a token - it was well balanced between ripe berries and tannins, and smelled uncannily like the Upland Lambic Blackberry I recently opened. Fun beer-wine connection, huh?
Other interesting selections (disclaimer: to me) included the PierreSparr Alsace One, a blend of the aforementioned Alsace varietals that featured a citrus/apple tartness overlaying a distinct perfume-likefloral character, and the 2009 Gustave Lorentz Gewurtzraminer, a lovely concentrated punch of flowers and melons and honey with a finish just dry enough to demand another sip.
I have discovered that I am a great fan of the Gewurtzraminer. Wine reviews can get pretentious & disturbingly anthropomorphic, but when they say this varietal has a "flamboyant" nose, they ain't lying. Instantly recognizable, the nose of a Gewurtz is a deep, brooding floral essence which tightly embraces a range of ripe fruits. And then in the mouth it is...well, various things, but these things tend to highlight a remarkable cooperation between playful and serious, sweet and sassy. You see what I am doing here. Anyway, the point is that my favorite wine of the night was theEhrhart Gewurtzraminer Rosenberg 2004, offering a richly honeyed, perfumed upfront sweetness that u-turned into a surprisingly dry spicy finish.
Of course, my co-worker Shilpa tells me the next day that Todd proclaimedthis particular bottle to have ameasure of undesirable oxidation present. This is clearly evidence that my palate has yet to reach the scintillating "mediocre" status it holds in my mind. Or lies. I'll go with lies, becausethat wine was great fun, regardless.
So, I convinced Paul and Jim to let me sneak out of Keystone for a day and take 3 other highly enthused colleagues up to Chicago for an afternoon of absolutely marvelous fine wine tasting. We left early in the morning about 7am and arrived in Chi-Town about 10:30am.
We didn't have to be at the tasting until 11:00am...This is Kyle now. Unfortunately, Brennan has been pulled away by one of many strings of responsibilities that will most likely not allow him to finish this task, so you'll just have to deal with my perspective of this great day trip.
We arrived in Chi town early and had about an hour to kill so we stopped at Binny's. This is one of the most wonderful locations for fine wine, beer & spirits in the country. The primary reason for our stop was to acquire beers & single malt scotches that aren't distributed in our fair state of Indiana. We found some gems like Green Flash "West Coast IPA" along with Lost Abbey's "Serpent Stout". Kevin with his keen eye spotted the last bottle of Sassicaia barrel finished Edradour 10 year. The distillery only produced 464 total bottles of this glorious single malt. So, as a result we're expecting to have invitations made available to our staff next week to polish off the bottle courtesy of Kevin. Ok, enough with the shameless plugging of Binny's, on to the tasting.
We arrived and we're immediately greeted by our wonderful Bobby Kacher sales rep, Anne Markovich-Girard. She politely explained the layout of the tasting room, showed us the table with available stemware and gave us the green light to begin our three hour adventurous exploration of the beautifully distinct wines from the multitude of unique French appellations that comprise their portfolio.
Well, somehow Brennan has managed to escape the floor to once again engage in this blog. Please enjoy your further reading.
Best Regards,
Kyle
Ok, well, I'm glad I could return just in time to talk with all of you about this fabulous tasting. We began with one of my favorite Non-Vintage Champagnes in the world, LAMIABLE BRUT NV. This Champagne is one of the many "Grower Champagnes" that we carry and is incredibly and uniquely expressive. This wine has a penetratingly deep nose of honey drizzled granny smith apples, lemon-lime zest and graphite as you work your way through to a slight underpinning of subtle and elegant yeasty aroma. The texture is delicate and refreshingly dry with very refined effervescence. If you love sparkling wines as much as I do, and believe me, I can drink sparklers on any day that ends in "Y", so you know if I'm preaching about this wine, then you should seek this one out.
All of our "Grower Champagnes" can be identified by the letters RM, which translates to Recoltant Manipulant. These Champagne houses are small producers that only use the fruit they grow on their estates and are terroir driven with a wonderfully focused purpose of being true representatives of their vineyard sites.
We tasted so many lovely and charming wines throughout the day. Some of the highlights would be from fabulous producers such as Bertrand Ambroise. His family origins date back to the 18th century in the village of Premeaux-Prissey in the heart of the Cote D'Or. His Echezeaux 2008 and his Clos Vougeot 2008 were two of the best wines we tasted all day. They were remarkably dense, amazingly dark and highly extracted for Pinot Noir, but marvelously refined and elegant at the same time. Their balance and harmony were unmatched. Unfortunately, we don't have them in stock, but rest assured I'll be harassing Jim to purchase them with our next shipment.
Diane De Puymorin is the sole proprietor of Chateau d'Or et de Gueules located in the rolling hills outside the ancient Roman city of Nimes. We tasted several wines from her winery and the show stopper was her Q'es A Quo, which was this wonderful old vine Carignan. We also tasted her PETITE CASSAGNE BLANC 2008. This is a refreshing white comprised of Grenache Blanc, Roussane & Vermentino (called Rolle in Southern France). It has enticing aromas of fresh pears, grapefruits and ripe lemon zest. The acidity is vibrant and compelling enough for you to drink two bottles on the patio and reach for a third in just a few hours. Make sure to pick some up for your outdoor picnics or cookouts.
We also had an opportunity to taste with Philippe & Corinne Ehrhart. Their small estate of 21 hectares is located in the small village of Wettolsheim in the Alsace region of France. The Ehrhart family has been making wine in this region since 1725. Their wines are certified organic by the French government. My personal favorite from their table was at the top of my short list for white wines for the day. Their EHRHART GEWURZTRAMINER "HERRENWEG" 2009 was rich and full bodied. The nose had multiple layers of ripe exotic fruits like kiwi, passion fruit and mango accompanied by spicy notes that you would expect from this varietal. The finish had so much acidity it forced me back for more after every sip.
We finally had our fill of vino and moved to the Cognac & Armagnac table where we tasted the most fantastic Armagnac I've had in quite some time. The Tariquet XO 1994 was rich and full bodied and had marvelous notes of honey, vanilla & spice box along with subtle caramel and toffee notes. There were no noticeable high end fusels on the nose and the finish was superbly long and smooth. If you're an Armagnac aficionado or just starting and want to taste something that you can keep around, this is the one for you. Our everyday price is $99.99 and there are about 12 bottles throughout the three stores.
The tasting was finally over about 3:30pm and we headed out to avec and Publican for more great company, world class cuisine and some of the best beer available in Chicago! It was a great day trip indeed; the only unfortunate aspect was that Kevin had to drive home while the rest of us slept peacefully the whole way back home.
Amazing Food..... Stunning Wines...... Absolut Enjoyment...... This is how you sum up the Catena event at Fleming's. Hosted by Jorge Liloy of Catena, the evening began with crispy garlic flatbread topped with arugula pesto, feta and truffle fingerling potatoes. This was paired with Catena's outstanding (90 point Robert Parker) Chardonnay and Tilia's (Catena) gorgeous blend of Malbec/Syrah. The Chardonnay is one of the most balanced Chardonnays I have ever tasted. With subtle oak and lovely tree fruits such as pears and apples, it conveys to your palate the sure awesomeness of Catena's elevated Chardonnay vineyards.
Next, was coriander porcini crusted pork tenderloin with pink lady apple and charred red onion chutney. This course was paired with none other than, Catena's "Alta" Cabernet Sauvignon (91 points Robert Parker) and Catena's Malbec (91 points Robert Parker). What a match made in heaven. The Cabernet boasted Currants and black raspberries, backed by silky smooth tannins and the perfect acidity. The Malbec was exceptional, with even darker notes of rainier cherries, light chocolate notes, and Asian spice.
Lastly, was the highlight of the evening.Coffee crusted lamb lollipop with shallot butter sauce paired with Alma Negra's Red Blend (91 points Robert Parker) and the awesome, astonishing 2007 Nicolas Catena Zapata (98 points Robert Parker).The Alma Negra was a new blend that I had not seen before. It was primarily composed of Bonarda which is a grape that originates from Italy. The latter portions are Malbec and Cabernet Franc which add significant texture to the wine. This poised a wonderfully fruity but dark wine as suggested by the label which has a shadow hidden picture of a mask similar to the "Guy Fawkes Mask".
Before anyone tasted the Nicolas Catena Zapata, Jorge began explaining the process in which they make this wine. It is not rushed, over managed or technical. The winemaker takes plump clusters of grapes and places them in new French Oak barrels, which then through natural free run weight and hand pressing from the winemaker these grapes are crushed. Once the clusters have given all their juice they are removed and the wine is then placed into more new French Oak barrels to allow more fermentation and aging. This was an awesome portrayal from Jorge and he made us all feel the winemaker's sheer awesome craft as if we were there. The wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It delivers a fascinating aromatic array of pain grille, pencil lead, mineral, espresso, mocha, incense, lavender, black currant, black cherry, and blackberry. Everyone was amazed and just kept tasting.
It was a remarkable night and I would like to thank Fleming's, Jorge Leloy, Monarch Beverage and everyone that attended. We can't wait for our next event and hope you will be able to enjoy it with us. Contact any of our locations to inquire about future tasting events or click for our events page.
Cheers,
Graham Miller
Assistant Manager
Kahn's Fine Wine & Spirits
25 N. Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46205
Improving the Kahnoisseur’s Klub has been our collective obsession for the last couple of weeks. We’ve spent hours in meetings, we’ve brainstormed, we’ve sent hundreds of emails to each other championing various ideas for adding value to it and making it so deliciously tempting that you just can’t wait to sign up. After weeks of toiling, I can tell you that our new offer is almost ready. Today, I’m going to give you a sneak peak at some of the New K Klub benefits that will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the New K Klub is something you must join…and soon. In fact, a couple of the benefits I am going to share with you are actually worth more than the price of the K Klub membership!
To pump the K Klub full of value, wanted to do two specific things: lower the New K Klub price, and give you lots of benefits that you really care about. So that’s exactly what we did.
The new K Klub price is now just $10!
Of course, a low price means nothing unless what it is you’re paying for is worth more than that. So I’m going to highlight a couple of the new K Klub benefits to show you why $10 for the New K Klub is an absolute steal.
We are kicking off MANY new benefits…here are just a few for now…
New Benefit #1: Perhaps the most popular December Kahn’s Fine Wine event is Champagne and Shopping. Kahn’s and our distributor partners pour around 50-60 Champagnes and Sparkling wines for no charge; included in those wines are usually about 5-6 Tete de Cuvees. Some Tete de Cuvees we’ve had in the last couple of years are: Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot “Rare” 1988, Perrier Jouet Flower Label 1996, Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes D’r and others… Let’s face it…Tete de Cuvees make for long lines and sometimes you don’t even get to taste them before the distributor runs out. We hate that, so we fixed it. As part of your $10 New K Klub Membership, there will be a K Klub only Tete de Cuvee Hour where you’ll get to taste at least 5 Tete de Cuvees!
Try to find restaurants that serve wines like Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot La Grand Dame by the glass. These wines are rarely offered and when they are, they will cost you around $30/a glass—sometimes much more! So just know that your membership will pay for itself at Champagne and Shopping K Klub ONLY Tete de Cuvee Hour!
New Benefit # 2: It’s happened to all of us. We’ve all signed up for retailer email lists and received emails about highly rated items. When you try to order those items for yourself you find that the retailer has already sold out of the item. Better luck next time, my friend. We hate that, so we fixed it. As a member of the K Klub, we think you’ll really enjoy K Klub Head Start. K Klub Head Start emails you about highly rated, highly allocated and rare items 2 DAYS BEFORE we communicate with any other customers! We bet you can beat everyone to those fine wines and spirits with a 2 DAY HEAD START!
I hope you’ve realized by now that we mean business. Kahn’s is excited about the New K Klub and we hope you’ll join us. We’re kicking off the new Klub officially very soon, so keep checking in for more benefits as we get closer to kickoff, but if you’re ready to take the plunge and sign up for the New Kahnoisseur’s Klub, call us at 317-251-9463 or email todd@kahnsfinewines.com and we’ll get you signed up. Cheers!
Hosted by Biochemist and Master Sommelier candidate, Jorges E. Leloy!
When: May 4 from 6-7:30PM
Where: Fleming's Steakhouse 8487 Union Chapel Road, Indianapolis, IN 46240
Cost: $40/person (K-Klub Price: $32).
Join K-Klub NOW for just $10/yr and get the $32 event discount price. To Review, $42 gets you a year of K Klub AND a ticket to this wonderful event!
RSVP Required - Call or visit any Kahn's to reserve tickets. Seating is limited!
Keystone - 251-Wine (9463) Downtown - 632-9463 North Willow - 228-9463
THE MAY 4 MENU: Prepared by the expert hands of Fleming's Steakhouse:
1st Course
Crispy garlic flatbread with Arugula pesto, feta and truffle fingerling potatoes.
Paired with: Catena Chardonnay and Tilia Malbec/Syrah Blend.
Coriander porcini crusted pork tenderloin with pink lady apple and charred red onion chutney
Paired with: Catena "Alta" Cabernet Sauvignon and Catena Malbec.
3rd Course
Coffee crusted lamb lollipop with shallot butter sauce.
Paired with:Alma Negra Red Blend andNicolas Catena Zapata.
Last Saturday night, I was able to get away from our North Willow store at a fairly reasonable hour. Before I left, I made two purchases: the Ehrhart Gewurtztraminer Rosenberg 2004 and the Ehrhart Gewurtztraminer Herrenweg 2009. While I considered going straight home and opening these bad boys for a little Gewurtztraminer mini-marathon, I decided that it would be more fun to share this wine with some friends. I'm a giver...what can I say?
I decided to head over to our flagship store on Keystone Ave. to kidnap Brennan to join me and another friend for an evening of good wine, good food and good company. For those of you who don't know, Brennan loves to share. If competitive sharing were a real sport (instead of one Kyle and I made up on observing Brennan in action), then Brennan would be its undisputed champion. He turns sharing into an art and throughout the years he has shared many great wines with me, so I decided to return the favor. After wrangling Brennan away from entering beer Purchase Orders into the system--not an easy task because of his love for beer, Purchase Orders and technology--we dropped his car off and headed to a friend's house in downtown Indianapolis to see what these Alsace wines were all about. For a good summary of Alsace wine click here
Cliff Notes on Alsace: Suffice it to say that Alsace wines are absolutely some of my favorites. Alsace features mostly aromatic whites like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and my personal favorite: Gewurtztraminer; little red wine is grown. Alsace wines range from bone dry to unctuously sweet, rare dessert wines. Alsace vineyards are fairly dry and sunny and the best sites are able to produce wines high in acid, body, minerality, richness and wonderful, even exotic aromatics. Alsace is one of the only places on earth where you can find full-bodied whites that are up to 16% ABV and still "dry." I say "dry" because these wines are pretty rich, even if there is technically no residual sugar present.
Notes on what we tried:
Rosenberg 2004: 91 pts Tried at just a little bit below room temp. Honeyed and lush with textbook lychee and sandalwood aromas and full palate of ripe, floral scented, exotic, spicy fruits. Drinking absolutely beautifully. If the vintage scares you, be not afraid, because this wine is absolutely perfect right now and probably has about 2-3 more years left. An absolute must buy. We all agreed the Rosenberg was the superior wine.
Herrenweg 2009: 89-90: Tried initially at a fairly cool temperature and let it warm up in the glass. Less honeyed than the 2004 Rosenberg and maintained a grapey freshness on the nose along with scents of exotic white flowers. The interesting thing was how YOUNG it tasted. I would recommend cellaring the Herrenweg for another year and it will be as exciting as the Rosenberg.
Three suggestions about Gewurtztraminer that you need to remember:
Here's what Ehrhart's labels look like:
American Wine: Bourbon::European Wine: Single Malt Scotch
Thank you for checking back in with Kahn's Fine Wines. Just for fun, I thought I’d start off today’s discussion with an SAT style analogy. Admittedly, I would be curious to know how many SAT takers would be able to fill in the blank here if I excluded one of the terms. Hard-core wine people can find numerous exceptions to the logic implied in the analogy above, but all analogies eventually break down at some point, so I think I’m ok with that.
The gist: American wines and Bourbon require varietal knowledge, whereas European wines and Single Malt Scotches require regional knowledge.
So what do American wine and Bourbon have in common?
American wine and Bourbon labels place less importance on place of origin than varietal or style.
American wine and Bourbon are both products of a varietal culture. American wine consumers are pleased to see labels graced with their favorite varietal and are often confused (rightly so) by European wine labels that only list the appellation and omit the grapes in the wine. Can you imagine if a producer in Napa Valley just put the word Napa on the label and didn’t tell the consumer what grapes he used to produce the wine? It would be unheard of. Part of the reason is that numerous grapes are grown in places like Napa Valley. Napa simply doesn’t imply a single grape or combination of grapes like Cote de Beaune in Burgundy, because grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grow in Napa. Here’s an example of a typical American wine label. Note the presence of the varietal name.
Bourbon is similar to American wine because it really is an “American whisky varietal.” The word Bourbon does not imply place of origin. Consider that the grains to produce Bourbon are sourced from numerous U.S. states. While many people believe that Bourbon has to be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky they might be shocked to know that no Bourbon is made in Bourbon County. In fact, Bourbon can be made in any U.S. state.
American wine and Bourbon are functions of the American varietal culture where varietal is more important that place.
European wine and Single Malt Scotch are different.
Let’s say you stumble into the French aisle at Kahn’s and tell a blonde-haired wine dude that you’d like a Chardonnay that’s big, rich and buttery. He might pick up a bottle that says the word Meursault and tell you that “if you like rich, full-bodied, buttery Chardonnay then you’ll love this. It’s Chardonnay from France, and Meursault is a village in the Cote de Beaune, which is located in Burgundy.”
This is when the shock sets in. You’re probably thinking: “Who in the hell is this guy and how does he know that Meursault is Chardonnay, and more importantly, why doesn’t the label say the word Chardonnay if there’s Chardonnay in there?” Here’s a typical European wine label. Notice how big the region is and also notice the absence of any mention of varietal…
It doesn’t say Chardonnay because the producers want you to associate the wine in the bottle with a place, not a grape. Walk through any wine shop and find the sections for Italy, France, or Spain. You’ll see one theme repeat itself over and over: no grape names on labels. There are exceptions, like Alsace, of course, but in general, European wineries want consumers to know that their wines come from a certain region. The actual grape names are much less important than in the New World.
Does this hurt their sales in the United States and many other New World countries? Of course, but many wineries will never change—proof that tradition is still alive and well.
So American wineries labels have the grape names on them and European wines have the region…what about the whisky side of the analogy?
If you purchase a whisky that says the word bourbon on the label, you can be reasonably certain that it will taste similar to other whiskies you have purchased whose label also sported the word bourbon. This is not true for Single Malt Scotch.
Single Malt Scotch, like European wine requires regional knowledge.
Take a look at these two labels. One is from the Highlands while the other is from Islay. Let me assure you, they taste completely different.
Highland Scotches are rich, round, fruity with cereal notes, toasted nuts and toffee flavors whereas Islay Scotches are generally full-bodied, smoky and peaty with iodine and seaweed flavors.
The point is that there are times for both whisky styles and both wine styles, but before you go shopping make sure that you are armed with the proper knowledge to deal with the choices presented to you.
If you really enjoy European wines and are interested in trying a whisky you might enjoy, try Glenfarclas 12 yr.
Just remember: American wines and Bourbon require varietal knowledge, whereas European wines and Single Malt Scotches require regional knowledge…and everything will be alright…
Anyway, let's talk about some actual booze...Behold, the beer for Champagne drinkers the Oud Beersel Gueuze...
Conflictedwineo Rating: A Pours beautifully from the bottle with lots of head. Beautiful amber/gold/orange color. Make sure to put your nose into it, I mean really get in there and you will understand the essence of Gueuze...sourness, but not oh, my word I just ate an entire lemon sourness, just sourness. It's there and it holds the rest of the ale together. The Oud Beersel is not a beer for hopheads, but you do pick up a faint hop aroma on the nose that is delivered on the palate. This particular bottle had a subtle tartness which, I am told increases with age. I would have liked it to be more tart, but it certainly delivered a subtle, funky, interesting aroma that is common for gueuze. Wine lovers, there are simply few beers that are as vinous as lambics and gueuze. If you're thinking of getting into beer but have been a wine drinker for years, then try these beer styles. You will not regret it.
Plus...the biggest bonus of all: price. The Oud Beersel Gueuze will set you back about $16.99, and while this is certainly more than the average beer, it is way less expensive than even an entry level Champagne which generally starts at $39.99. Thus, Gueuze offers an outstanding value. In fact, it sounds so good that I'm getting thirsty for one right now...if only I weren't at work! I will tell you though...next time I'm feeling the need for some bubbly, I'm going to think twice before dropping $40 on a Champagne. Plus I already have another Oud Beersel waiting for me in my fridge at home.
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