The Wet and The Dry- Book Giveaway!!!

I have a book to give away!! Well not a book that I wrote, but one that I read. It is a very interesting book too! The book is, "The Wet and The Dry: A Drinker's Journey" This book follows the authors travels around the world, and how different cultures use (or don't use) alcohol as part of their society.

Here is an excerpt from the book, "I am taking a few months off to travel and wander, drinking my way across the Islamic world to see whether I can dry myself out, cure myself of a bout of alcoholic excess. It is a personal crisis, a private curiosity. I am curious to see how non-drinkers live. Perhaps they have something to teach me."

Sounds like something you want to read, doesn't it?

Want to win a free copy of the book?? (I hope you do!!) All you need to do is tell me where you would go if you could take a wet (or dry) trip. Leave me a comment here on the blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter (@HoppyBeerGirl). Heck, you can even email me!! (Sarah@hoppybeergirl.com). Just tell me where you would like to go. I will randomly select a winner on Friday July 26, 2013 (that gives you a week).

Want another taste? Here is the synopsis I got on the book, "A rich Merlot with dinner. A fizzy mimosa during Sunday brunch. A tumbler of amber whiskey after a harrowing day. There are so many simple alcoholic indulgences our Western society takes for granted. For millions around the world, however, drinking alcohol is a strictly forbidden practice. As an acclaimed travel writer and author, Lawrence Osborne has traversed the globe and witnessed first-hand the complex relationships that exist between cultures and alcohol. Intrigued by the starkly contrasting views on drinking—specifically the Western tradition of permission versus the Islamic East’s culture of prohibition—Osborne set off on a personal journey through the world’s dry countries for a look at life untainted by the “demon drink;” a journey chronicled in THE WET AND THE DRY."

For more information on Lawrence Osborne, visit his website LawrenceOsborne.net or follow him on twitter at twitter.com/lawrenceosborne

This giveaway is a way of thanking my current readers.

Cooking with Beer-Beef Brisket

Well, if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you may have noticed that one of the things that I love to do is cook, especially cook with beer. I have a difficult time finding good recipes that incorporate beer, so when I find one, or come up with one (like today) I have to share it.

So here is the recipe for the Beer beef brisket that I made this past Sunday (it was REALLY good). I do have to give credit, where credit is due, we bought the brisket form the Woodstock Farmers Market, from Willow Lea Stock Farms, and I am sure that has something to do withe the awesomeness of this meal. The farmers market has quickly become my family's favorite Saturday morning activity.

Ingredients       2 tablespoons chili powder

·         2 tablespoons salt

·         1 tablespoon garlic powder ( I was out so used 2 cloves fresh garlic)

·         1 tablespoon onion powder

·         1 tablespoon ground black pepper

·         1 tablespoon basil

·         4 good shakes of liquid smoke

·         ¼ cup sugar

·         2 teaspoons dry mustard

·         2 bay leaf, crushed

·         4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed

·         2 Beef bouillon cubes, crushed

·         1 Bottle Red Ale (I used Fixed Gear from Lakefron Brewery)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard, basil, crushed bouillon cubes, and bay leaf. Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub, and liquid smoke. Add beer to the roasting pan. Place in a roasting pan and roast, covered, for 3 hours.

Raise oven to 400 degrees F, uncover pan and continue cooking for 1 hour, or until fork-tender.

Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain. Top with juice from the pan.

Enjoy!!

Not a beer related post...

I apologize for taking a moment to talk about something that is of not-beer-related importance.

Last night, my daughter who is now three and fully under the influence of the Disney Princesses said something that made me so proud. She told me that she doesn't want to be a princess, she wants to be a doctor. She has always liked to pretend she is a doctor, and we always encourage her with whatever she is doing. I have been hearing for the past few months, how much she wants to be a princess when she grows up. I have tried to explain the marriage pool for becoming a princess is pretty slim, and she should set her sights on something a little more realistic.

Of course she is three, and her career aspirations are going to change as she grows up. I am just so happy that she has decided that "princess" might not be the best career goal... of course it will probably change when we get home tonight.

I think that we might have to make some beer tonight to show her science in action! What better way to secure her interest in science than explaining to her the fermentation process?

Any of you beer parents out there have any ideas?

On another note, we are moving the next two weeks, so I will hopefully have some beer stuff for you soon. as I need to move my beer fridge and it's contents to the new place, I am really afraid my beer might break.

Any suggestions on how to pack my beer?