Ancona Cousins Raise Glasses & Awareness for ROAR

“Celebrity” Bartending Night at Toscana Restaurant

Every dog has its day, but Joe and Mitch Ancona are making sure they get their night, too.

On Thursday, February 25, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Anconas will be the top dogs tending bar at Toscana Restaurant in Ridgefield.

Joe Ancona of Ancona’s Market and Mitch Ancona of Ancona’s Wines & Liquors will be shaking and stirring up cocktails, wine and beer in support of Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR). All gratuities earned by them will benefit ROAR. Toscana will also donate 10% of the total bar bill that evening. The event is open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to challenge Ridgefield’s own “green grocer” and wine and beer expert with an interesting request.

Toscana is located at 43 Danbury Road in Ridgefield. For more information, call 203-894-8995, or visit www.toscanaridgefield.com. For more information about ROAR including tickets to their upcoming “ROAR with Laughter – An Evening of Food, Drink, Music, and Comedy” to be held Saturday, February 27th at the Rec Center, see www.roar-ridgefield.org.

Beer 365 # 227 Long Trail Hibernator

Beer 365 # 227, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #227 Long Trail Hibernator
Pours a clear soft brown with thin tan head. The mild nose is driven by sweet malt, slightly sweet. The mouth is medium to light with ample carbonation. Nice sweet malt flavors with just a hint of spice from the hops. Drinkable but not too memorable. (5.6% ABV)

Beer 365 #226 Brewdog Punk IPA

Beer 365 #226, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #226 Brewdog Punk IPA
Pours a bright golden with active white head that disappears in a blink of an eye. Nose is chock full of floral hops, hints a lemon, grass come through as well. Mouth is lighter than I would want with mild carbonation. Flavors are what you would expect, strong hops followed by supportive malt. Finish is dry and lingering. Nice session beer. (6% ABV)

Beer 365 #225 Stone Smoked Porter

Beer 365 #225, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #225 Stone Smoked Porter
Pours pretty darn close to opaque black with creamy tan head. The nose is what you would expect, some smoke, peat, chocolate, caramel, coffee and some warmth. Mouth is thick but not too heavy, carbonation isn't all that noticeable. The palate follows the nose except the smoke and peat show up mildly in the finish. Nice sipper on a cold night. (5.9% ABV)

Beer 365 #222 Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale

Beer 365 #222, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #222 Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale
Pours a hazy amber color with long lasting sticky white head.Blend of citrus and floral hops up front on the nose with minimal malt showing. Body is medium in weight with subtle effervescence. In contrast to the nose, the malt seems to take the lead on the palate for a second or two before the grassy, piney, citrus hops kick in. Finish in mild and pleasant. (5% ABV)

Beer 365 #224 Brasserie Dubuisson Scaldis Prestige de Nuits

Beer 365 #224, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #224 Brasserie Dubuisson Scaldis Prestige de Nuits
Pours a hazy brown with a dark red tint. Nose is a nice blend of, sweet/tart fruit, oak, spice, vanilla, yeast. The mouth is light and crisp with carbonation reminiscent of Champagne. Flavors are very complex. Oak, tart fruit, yeast, plum, raisin, bready malt, nice warming finish. (13%ABV)
(FYI this is Brasserie Dubuisson's Scaldis Noel aged for six months in burgundy barrels from the Nuits St Georges Vineyard. It retails for $46 (ouch!) per 750ml bottle. It went really well with a leftover turkey sandwich)

Beer 365 #223 Rogue Mogul Madness

Beer 365 #223, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #223 Rogue Mogul Madness
Pours an attractive redish/brown with nicely forming head that settles but sticks around. Nice nose of sweet malt and well managed floral hops with bits of warm spice. Mouth is medium in body with a nice creamy feel. The carbonation is there just enough to keep it lively. The hops are more apparent on the palate than they were on the nose, they're kept in check by nice chewy malt, finish is dry and spicy. (6% ABV)

Beer 365 #221 Van Steenberge Piraat Ale

Beer 365 #221, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #221 Van Steenberge Piraat Ale
Pours a hazy golden yellow with thick, sticky white head. Very yeasty nose with hints of fruit and straw. Mouth is thin and fine with very active carbonation. The yeast leads on the palate with complex flavors following. Sweet malt, specks of bitter hops, grassy spice, apricot, slight heat in the finish. (10.5% ABV)

Shrimply Delicious!

Spicy Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of shrimp

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoons oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons course salt

1/ 2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon of lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped almonds

5-6 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Place the shrimp in a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice. Let sit for 15 minutes and then drain and dry the shrimp.

Mix in a food processor or blender all of the ingredients except the shrimp. Blend to a thick pesto.

MIx the shrimp with 1/2 of the pesto mixture, reserving the other half. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan and roast for 4-5 minutes.

Remove the shrimp and mix with the reserved pesto and serve over rice or pasta. Serves 6 people.

Wine pairing choices:

White: Val de Sil Valdeorras Godello 2007

Red: Renwood Syrah 2005

Celebrity Bartender

Celebrity Bartender, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Jerry Benziger did a bang up job as barkeep last Thursday night at Toscana's innaugural "Celebrity Bartender Night". All of the tips that Jerry earned that night went to the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department along with 10% of the total bar bill which Toscana donated.
As you can see from the pictures, Jerry was a man of action delivering a perfectly poured pint. CHEERS!

A Clean Loft Is A Happy Loft!

A Clean Loft Is A Happy Loft!, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

We spent part of the day yesterday cleaning out our store loft. Our goal was to make room for extra inventory storage. With the second store opening shortly we're going to need all the extra storage space we can find.

Beer 365 #220 Victory Yakima Twilight Ale

Beer 365 #220, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #220 Victory Yakima Twilight Ale
Pours orangish brown with nice off white head. Nose has more malt than I expected, floral/citrus hop tones float around as well. Mouth feel is heavier than medium with slinky bubbles, very drinkable. Flavors are more aggressive than the nose was. The hops shine through, citrus/pine/floral with the malt supporting. Nice beer! (8.7% ABV)

Beer 365 #219 Stone Double Bastard Ale

Beer 365 #219, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #219 Stone Double Bastard Ale
Pours a mahogany brown with reddish hue. The head is thick ,tan and quick to disappear. Nose is big and complex, booze up front with fruity hop tones and caramel malt. Mouth is thick, chewy and coating with carbonation that struggles to get through. Flavors are aggressive as one would imagine. Hops and heat at first, bready sweet malt follows, finish is lingering hops bitterness. This is a beer to buy and hold for a year or two, that is if you have the will power to wait to drink it. (10.5% ABV)

Beer 365 #218 Shipyard Prelude Special Ale

Beer 365 #218, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #218 Shipyard Prelude Special Ale
Pours a dark brown with thin tan head. Nose is slight with hints of brown sugar, caramel, dark bread. Medium bodied with well integrated carbonation. The flavors follow the nose nicely, sweet molasses, toffee, biscuit, and a spicy bitterness in the finish. (6.8% ABV)

Beer 365 #217 Brewdog Hardcore IPA

Beer 365 #217, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #217 Brewdog Hardcore IPA
Pours a hazy orange with slight tan head. Hints of floral/citrus hops, not a ton going on with the nose. Mouth is lighter than I hoped for, with minimal carbonation. Flavors are a bit disjointed, sweet malt upfront fading into one dimensional metallic bitterness. (9% ABV)

Beer 365 #216 Weihenstephaner Dunkel Hefe Weissbier

Beer 365 #216, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #216 Weihenstephaner Dunkel Hefe Weissbier
Pours clear mahogany brown with chunky tan head. Typical nose of banana, spice (clove, cinnamon) and malt. Mouth is light and crisp with active bubbles. Flavors are very traditional. Sweet bread,banana, spice, with hints of prunes and dates. Very drinkable dunkel. (5.3% ABV)

Beer 365 #215 Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Beer 365 #215, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #215 Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
Pours a briliant hazy orange with bright white head. The cabonation was solid and long lasting. Really big nose of grapefruit, piney hops, "booze", honey, apples and more "booze. Lighter mouth than oone would expect from a beer this big. The flavors were as complex as the nose. Sweet tangerine, pineapple, grapefruit with bitter hop notes showing once in a while. Oh yeah there was the "booze" thing again. Strong and warming to the point were you ask if this is still really a beer. (18% ABV)

Beer 365 #214 Redhook Winterhook

Beer 365 #214, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #214 Redhook Winterhook
Out to dinner tonight so my choices were limited. Pours a deep amber brown (not that I actually poured it) with a little whispy tan head. Mostly malt shows up in the mild nose, perhaps a touch of spice. The mouth is light and almost still. Flavors were as mild as the nose, mostly a malt profile with little else to speak of. (6.1% ABV)

Beer 365 #213 Brewdog Paradox Isle Of Arran

Beer 365 #213, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #213 Brewdog Paradox Isle Of Arran
Pours an opaque black with brown head that isn't around very long. Nose is rich and inviting. A solid dose of smokey peat mingles with coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt. The mouth is full and coating with very little activity from the carbonation. The flavors follow the nose to a T. If you are not a scotch fan (especially smokey, peaty scotch) than this brew might not be for you. A true sipper! (10% ABV)

Beer 365 #212 Brewdog Riptide Stout

Beer 365 #212, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #212- Brewdog Riptide Stout
Pours a dark brown almost black with very little head that quickly recedes. Faint nose of molasses, chocolate and coffee. The mouth is lighter than one would expect/want from this style, carbonation is minimalistic. Flavor follows the nose nicely with the addition of a touch of smokiness. (8.0% ABV)

Beer 365 #211 Brewdog Chaos Theory IPA

Beer 365 #211, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #211 Brewdog Chaos Theory IPA
Pours a golden orange color with very thin tan head that goes away quickly. Nose is faint but somewhat traditional, pine/citrus/floral hop notes with light malt and slight heat. Mouth is light to medium with slight carbonation. The flavor is a bit over the top hop driven for the style (English IPA), the malt supports all the citrus/pine nicely though. (7.1% ABV)

Ber 365 #210 Rogue Northwestern Ale

Ber 365 #210, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 # 210 Rogue Northwestern Ale
First off I wasn't expecting much from this. Thought it was going to be more of a gimmick than a drinkable beer. I guess I should have had more faith in Rogue. Pours a cloudy auburn /amber brown with nice forming off white head. Those nose is dominated by the hops, mostly citrus, the malt slips through, but only slightly. Well balanced mouth, medium in body but nicely carbonated to give it ample life. Flavors are complex but well proportioned. Citrus, pine and earth in the hops with sweet, toasty caramel malt. Quite enjoyable for a gimmicky beer. (6.2% ABV)

Beer 365 #209 Brewdog "The Physics"

Beer 365 #209, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #209- Brewdog "The Physics"
Pours a hazy orange with soapy off white head. The nose is strong but dis-jointed. Raw hops trip over misplaced malt. The mouth is lighter than one would expect with slight carbonation. Flavor is a nice balance of sweet malt and bitter grapefruit hops. (5% ABV)

Wine that Describes your Cupid

Soft, supple, caressing, exotic, silky and sweet or powerful, muscular, rich, dark and brooding could be adjectives used to describe your special cupid. This Valentine's Day go one step further and pair not only the food, flowers and ambience, but also the wine that encompasses the personality of the one you love. Is she the sumptuous and elegant Cataldi Madonna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or the sweet, luscious Bitch Bubbly. Is he the deep and rich Sly Dog Cabernet Sauvignon or the elegant and earthy Ego Toscana.

Here are a few more wines that may characterize your sweetheart this Valentine's Day.

Sleek and muscular - Finca Decero Malbec
Wild and pure - Errazuriz Chardonnay Wild Ferment
Intense and vibrant - LAN Reserva Rioja
Lively and persistant - Dr. Loosen Riesling
Rich and polished - Luigi Bosca Syrah
Racy and energetic - Vina Somoza Godello
Exotic and robust - Chateau Valcombe Cote du Ventoux
Bright and easy-going - Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc

Beer 365 #208 Lindemans Framboise Lambic

Beer 365 #208, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #208- Lindemans Framboise Lambic
Pours a dark ruby red with pink head. Nose is all sweet and sour raspberries with hints of spice. Mouth is light with lacking carbonation. The flavor follows the nose to a T. Unfortunately the raspberry flavor seem processed and fabricated. Great with flourless chocolate cake. (4% ABV)

Beer 365 #207 Berkshire Brewing Cabin Fever

Beer 365 #207, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #206 Berkshire Brewing Cabin Fever
Pours a clear rusty orange with chunky, clingy off-white head. The nose wanders from fruity to spicy. Mouth is silky, soft with mellow bubbles. Flavors are rich and inviting. Semi sweet malt is the star with hints of fig, raisin and molasses. Wonderful winter warmer. (6.3% ABV)

Beer 365 #206 Sam Smith Organic Ale

Beer 365 #206, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #206 Sam Smith Organic Ale
Pours a clear copper color with quick dissipating white head. Sweet grains on the nose with a hint of citrus. Mid weight with relaxed carbonation. Flavor follows the nose with solid grainy malt peppered with bitter citrusy hops, somewhat cloying malty aftertaste. (5% ABV)

How Light Can A Light Beer Get?

Bud Select 55, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

How Light Can A Light Beer Get?

With the introduction of their Bud Select 55, Anheuser-Busch has just answered that question. At 55 calories and 1.9g of carbohydrates, Bud Select 55 edges out Miller's MGD 64 by 9 calories and .5 grams of carbs for the worlds lightest beer. I tried one the other day just to see what a 55 calorie beer tastes like. Here are my tasting notes:

"In the glass the color is a crystal clear, burnt yellow with a short-lived, clean white head. The nose is chock full of grain with perhaps a hint of sweet malt. The mouth is ultra thin with active prickly carbonation. The flavor is hard to describe because it is somewhat non-existant. It tastes like beer infused seltzer water. (2.4%ABV)"

For comparison sake here is a list of some popular beers with their calorie content along with a list of everyday activities and how many calories a 170 lb man would burn performing the activity for 30 minutes.

Budweiser 143
Pabst Blue Ribbon 153
Sam Adams Boston Lager 160
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 175
Guinness Draught 125
Corona 148
Heineken 166

Grocery Shopping 135
Hiking 231
Jumping Rope 386
Mowing the lawn 212
Shoveling Snow 231
Vacuuming 96
Walking (moderate pace) 115

Personally I'll stick to drinking Guinness Draught and keeping my house well vacuumed.

Beer 365 #205 Southern Tier Iniquity Blake Ale

Beer 365 #205, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365- #205 Southern Tier Iniquity Blake Ale
Pours a very dark brown with thin tan head. The nose is aggressive with complex notes of rich burnt malt (chocolate and coffee) and citrus hop (pineapple, grapefruit). The mouth is light but is silky and coating. Effervescence is mild at best which ads to this beers drinkability. Surprisingly balanced for such a big beer. The hop notes are strong but never out shine the malt backbone. Nice sipper. (9% ABV)

Beer 365 #204 Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale

Beer 365 #204, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 # 204 Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale
Pours a very dark opaque amber brown with a respectable fluffy tan head. The buckwheat shines though on the nose with hints of earth, coffee and toffee. The mouth feel is light considering the color with nice balanced carbonation. Mild roasted flavors balanced nicely with a nice dose of hops. This beer is very drinkable and extremely food friendly. (4.8% ABV)

Beer 365 #203 Southampton Cuvee des Fleurs

Beer 365 #203, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #203 Southampton Cuvee des Fleurs
This could very well be one of my all time favorite beers. This saison/farmhouse ale flavored with edible flowers is absolutely delicious. Pours a brilliant golden straw color with ample clingy white head. The mouth is light and active. The nose is one of the intricate that I have ever smelled. Along with the expected floral notes there were also hints of orange, hay, leather, lemon and good old funk. In the mouth those wonderful aromas turn into flavors that all mingle nicely with a subtle sourness. AWESOME! (7.7% ABV)

Beer 365 #202 Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

Beer 365 #202, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #202 Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
Pours a really dark reddish brown. Cool funky sweet/sour nose with hints of earth and oak. Mild carbonation makes the brew quite quaffable. The flavors follow the nose, cool fruit flavors that dance between sweet and sour, really well integrated oak tonalities lathered with earth and spice. This is a world class beer from a world class brewery that unfortunately most people don't know about. (7.2% ABV)

Beer 365 #201 Harpoon UFO Pale Ale

Beer 365 #201, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 #201 Harpoon UFO Pale Ale
Pours a cloudy (the U and F of UFO stands for unfiltered) golden/amber color. The nose is faint with wisps of grassy hops. The mouthfeel is mid weight with ordinary carbonation. Well balanced with mild hops resting upon slight malt. Not a bad beer, just nothing to write home about. (5.3% ABV)

Ber 365 #200 Allagash Victor Ale

Ber 365 #200, originally uploaded by mitchancona.

Beer 365 - #200 Allagash Victor Ale
So, I've been a complete slacker as far as writing reviews for my beer 365 project. I have however kept up on the shooting and sampling. As of right now I'm on Beer #294 although I'm just getting to posting by tasting notes for this beer, Beer #200. I'm going to try my best to catch up before I taste and shoot the final beer some 71 days from now. So today I'm typing in my notes from the beer I drank back on November 1st 2009.
Pours a hazy golden with hints of rust. The head is clean white but minimalistic. The nose is complex but dominated by fruit notes that must come from the chancellor grape juice that is added to the mash. The mouth is light and crisp. Flavors of sweet (but not sticky) fruit lead the way with earth and spice notes creating balance. The 9% ABV in nicely masked.

Tarragon Roasted Chicken

Tarragon Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole roasting chicken, 5-7 lb.s
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons chopped tarragon and 2 whole sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon of flour
1-2 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a whole roasting chicken in a roasting pan with a rack.

Mix the softened butter (not melted), the herbs, garlic, lemon peel, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Lift-up the skin on the chicken and begin stuffing the herb butter underneath and on top of the skin. Place the sprigs of tarragon in the cavity. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and pour 1 cup of the chicken stock in the bottom of the pan. Roast for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 375 and add more stock. Roast for another 60 minutes or longer checking to maintain some liquid on the bottom of the pan. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.

While the chicken is roasting, place the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and saute the shallot for 5 minutes on low. Sprinkle flour over the shallots, pour in the wine and add 1 cup chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the drippings from the pan and simmer another 2-3 minutes. Add additional chopped tarragon to the sauce. Carve the chicken and serve the sauce on the side. Serves 4-6 people.

Wine pairing choices:

White: Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay 2007
Red: Domaine La Manarine Cotes Du Rhone 2007

Super Bowl

Once again the “Big Game" is upon us. It is a time to gather with friends and family, fire up the big screen, and root for your favorite pigskin professionals. Of course no Super Bowl gathering would be complete without the necessary football fare. From light snacks to wicked wings to super sub-sandwiches, we all know that the food is as important as the game itself. But what about the frisky fluids to wash down all that glorious grub? Wine? Whiskey? Water? Nah… nothing says “Super Bowl Sunday” like a cold brewski. Now the real difficult decision begins; which beer to choose from the multitude of beers available. The Super Bowl is an American institution, so I suggest offering a selection of American beers. For snack food I prefer lightly hopped amber ales such as Rogue’s American Amber Ale. This brew has more forward flavors and will pair nicely with everything from chips and dip to zesty potato skins. If you want your mile high grinder to be the star of the show, then I suggest a beer with a less aggressive flavor profile. Sierra Nevada’s Kellerweis would be perfect. Its delicate flavors will allow the savory sub to shine through. If you have a passion for fiery hot wings or chili, then I suggest a porter such as Stone’s Smoked Porter Ale would be a great choice. With great food and great beer it is sure to be a great game, no matter which team wins. to help control the heat. For an all around crowd pleaser that will pair well with just about anything, you can’t go wrong with a Pale Ale. Berkshire Brewing’s mildly hopped Steel Rail Pale Ale would be a great choice. With great food and great beer it is sure to be a great game, no matter which team wins.