Portland, Oregon recap

It was almost a year ago that I went to Portland, but I just came across a collage I was putting together so I thought I’d throw it up here.

Portland, OR is a fantastic place to visit. I visited with my mom, sister, and my mom’s friend. My sister and I walked through most of the city together. We also rented a convertible one day (woohoo) and drove down to the Willamette Valley to do some wine tasting. Who knew that Argyle has such incredible bubbly?! We also drove over to the coast on our way back. It was wonderful.

This was the place that I first tasted New Belgium’s Springboard beer – my all time favorite. They only sell it for a short time in the spring, and I’m anxiously anticipating this year’s release. Perhaps that’s why I thought this would be an appropriate post today.

It’s a beautiful spring day here in Minneapolis – going to be 60 degrees today and the sun is shining bright.

The best not dog in Minneapolis…maybe anywhere

If you’re wondering what a “not dog” is, it is a vegetarian hot dog. And the Bulldog Restaurant (btw – what’s up with the MySpace profile for bars?) in Minneapolis, MN has THE BEST not dog around. I am one for good hot dogs, but man, I would order that not dog over any hot dog any day.

Now that I’m no longer a vegetarian – even though when I was I was really bad at it – I still crave that not dog! Can it be like a drug? I know sushi is like drugs, but no-dogs? They typically suck.

The not dog on their menu comes with all the fixin’ options that their hot dogs do – any assortment of chicago style, beans & onions, jalapenos, etc. Pretty much anything you want on your dog you can get. It must be the texture – it’s very meatlike. I think it could fool any meat-eater.

Not to mention, the Bulldog does have an excellent assortment of beers on tap – Bell’s 2 Hearted (my alltime fave), Rush River Beers (a local Wisconsin brewery w/a good red), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Hoegaarden, etc.

Do yourself a favor and check it out. You will be mighty satisfied with your choice of not dog.

The difference between Ales and Lagers

Ales are beer and lagers are beer, but they are quite different from each other. Ales tend to be darker, richer and hoppier; lagers tend to be lighter in color, taste and body.

The difference between ales and lagers tends to be defined by the fermentation process.

Ales are brewed with top-fermentation yeasts and are fermented at higher temperatures (60 and 75F) which makes the beer ferment much faster.

Fermenting at this high temperature allows the beer to develop flavors and aromas that are more fruity and rich than lagers, which tend to be drier and lighter.

Lagers are made with bottom-fermented yeasts and tend to go through 2 fermentation phases. The first phase ferments between 45 and 55F, while the second phase ferments between 30 and 40F.  It’s the second phase that gives the lager a lighter, clearer color.

I tend to be a fan of ales over lagers. I prefer the richer, more intense flavor an ale has to offer. IPA’s (India Pale Ales) are a favorite of mine due to the very bitter, and hoppiness of the beer. However, if I’m not interested in such a strong beer (IPAs can get up to 9% alcohol, so watch out), I’ll always settle for a good weiss.