April 2016 – Page 2

07
Apr
2016

Crabbie’s Spiced Orange Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Ginger Beer has been my go-to mixer for about two years now. It’s smooth, flavorful and mixes well with just about anything. Contrary to its name, most ginger beers are not actually what real malt drinkers would consider beer. Most ginger beers on the market are non-alcoholic. If you go to the bar and order a drink with ginger beer take a look at the alcohol content on the bottle, nine times out of ten it’s 0%. I’ve said before that I’m not a big beer drinker, but I do like cider and Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer is a cross between a cider and a beer with a kick of ginger.

Just in time for National Beer Day on April 6th, I received a package of Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Crabbie’s is a U.K. company that has made ginger beer since 1801. They currently offer three flavors: Original, Spiced Orange, and Raspberry. I’ll be posting recipes with each flavor over the next few weeks. For this post I decided to mix the Crabbie’s Original Spiced Orange with a bottle of Angostura Rum Punch that my friend brought back from Trinidad.

Ingredients:

2 oz Rum Punch
(If you don’t have ready-made Rum Punch mix Dark Rum, Coconut-Flavored Rum, Orange Juice and grenadine syrup)

2 oz Crabbie’s Original Spiced Orange Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Squeeze of Lime Juice

Instructions:

Pour Rum Punch over ice

Squeeze Lime over Rum Punch and Ice

Top with Ginger Beer

I used the Spiced Orange with the Rum Punch because the punch already has hints of orange and it added a spicy note to an already delicious punch.

Have you tried Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer? What did you think? Comment Below.

Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on social media …

06
Apr
2016

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ … Oh My!

categories: EVENTS

On Saturday afternoon, I attended the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival held at Timonium Fairgrounds and I must say… The three B’s was the Bees Knees!

I arrived at the fairgrounds around 2:00 pm on Saturday just in time for my general admission session. Other guests visited on Friday night and the VIP ticket holders were invited to start the festivities at noon on Saturday. I’m a newbie to the BBB Festival and the Timonium Fairgrounds, so I was pleased to discover the parking was free and the parking lots are fairly close to the main event area.

There was a long line of general admission patrons waiting to get into the event, but there were also plenty of staff directing the lines and this made the process run smoothly and the line moved fast. Once inside guests grabbed their free tasting glass for unlimited beer and bourbon samples. There were three sections at the festival — the main entrance area, the Bourbon west wing and the Beer east wing. I headed for the beer side first because I’m not a big beer drinker and I wanted to save the bourbon tasting for last.

The beer area was pretty busy with guests moving from booth to booth. There were booths positioned along the walls and in the middle of the space. Over 60 beers were available to sample with a variety of IPA’s, seasonal favorites, domestic, imported, local brands and ciders.

There was also beer “Tasting Theater” area featuring some of the fan favorites. Each class held 50 slots and were first come, first seat. There were four classes total and I attended the tasting for Jailbreak Brewing. I know, I know, I said I’m not a beer drinker but I couldn’t help it because the art featured on the cans was pretty cool and with beer names like Big Punisher and VanDammit this made the tasting experience even more interesting.

Of course the Big Punisher beer is named after the late New York rapper. Jailbreak founders thought he was so interesting they wanted to name a beer after him. The Big Punisher has a high alcohol content of 9% that will definitely punish you. And it has big tropical flavors such as mango, apricot, and motueka from New Zealand. The Van Dammit is named after Belgium Action Superstar, Jean-Claude Van Damm. It’s a strong beer and their most expensive to make, so expensive they only make it twice per year.

In addition to the beer vendors there were also craft and food vendors selling specialty items and brands.

Moving over to the Bourbon side of the event, that seemed to be the recreational area. There was a cigar smoking lounge, a live band and a game area.

The festival featured over 40 bourbons and other liquors. I headed straight for the premium bourbon booth and wouldn’t you know I’m third in line when they ran out of the top-shelf brands. *sad face* …maybe I should have come over to this side first.

bb40 — The bourbon lady showing us the last drop in the bottle.

Not to fear, they still had plenty of the other brands available to taste. I sampled Four Roses, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Fire Fly and many more. I must say I was impressed with the pouring size because they were NOT stingy with the liquor.

On to the barbecue…there were about 15 food vendors at the event, but honestly I was so busy with the beer tastings and bourbon samplings that I didn’t have time to carefully consider my food options.

bb41 — He doesn’t look happy about me taking his photo, maybe I should have left a tip.

I had a blast at the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival! Next year I’ll be sure to plan it out more carefully so I can sample the famous BBQ. #BeerBourbonBBQ

Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on Instagram.com/Arlisappetite and twitter.com/ArliBaby.

05
Apr
2016

5 Maryland Food And Drink Festivals You Don’t Want To Miss

categories: EVENTS

Photo Credit: Everfest

Warm weather is upon us and it usually brings the anticipation of outdoor food festivals and events. It seems like the Maryland food festival list continues to grow each year with new events, locations and sponsors. Arli’s Appetite is officially ready to eat spicy barbecue, feast from the food trucks and have tons of fun at the 2016 Food and Drink Festivals.

1. Wine & Food Festival – National Harbor MD/DC April 23-24 and Baltimore May 14. Maryland has tons of local wineries and craft breweries in the DMV area, too many to name. This festival will feature 150 international, national and local wine, beer and spirits. Save time and money and sample them all in one location! And lets not forget about the local Maryland food favorites. Restaurants and food trucks will be on-site with all-you-can-taste food options. They will also have a Cooking Kitchen area with hands-on cooking demonstrations and wine pairings. With two event locations, one in Baltimore at Canton Waterfront and the other in National Harbor you have the option of date and scenery.

GENERAL ADMISSION & TASTING GLASS: $39 Advance / $49 On-Site Access from Noon – 5pm. Includes a souvenir wine glass, unlimited samples, and cooking demos. For ticket information visit www.bmorewine.com

Photo Credit: Heather Victoria Photography

2. Chesapeake Crab and Beer Festival – National Harbor MD/DC August 27 and Baltimore June 25. It wouldn’t be Maryland if there weren’t a crab festival or two or three. This 3rd annual festival is unique because it focuses on one thing only — CRABS! A VIP Ticket offers an all-you-can-eat option with 30,000 crabs, over 50 beers, wines and a few spirits…I suggest the VIP option. It’s also family a friendly event featuring arts and crafts, live music and family fun.

VIP CRAB & BEER TICKET: $89 Advance This option offers guests an all-you-can eat and drink experience. Guests will enjoy a souvenir mug and mallet, unlimited tastes of the beer and wine on-site. This includes ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE Crabs and Corn on the Cob. GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET: $59 Advance This option offers guests an ALL YOU CARE TO TASTE BEER experience PLUS 6 CRABS from the a la carte tents. Guests will enjoy a souvenir mug, unlimited tastes of the beer and wine on-site. Any food more than the included 6 crabs will be purchased a la carte. For ticket information visit http://www.mdcrabfest.com.

Photo Credit: Steve Ruark

3. Taste of Three Cities – Baltimore, Patterson Park 2806 Eastern Ave. June 4. I love a good Food Truck Festival! Baltimore vs. D.C. vs. Philadelphia Food Trucks. The day-long food truck festival and competition is back and better than ever and this year’s event is in the beautiful Patterson Park. Guests will enjoy the regions top 40 food trucks with a range of culinary options such as barbecue, soul food, seafood, desserts and many more. Everyone will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. This is a family-friendly event complete with live music, games and a family zone.

General Admission $20, Family Pack $45, VIP $75 For ticket information visit http://tasteof3cities.com

Photo Credit: Brew and Bourbon Classic

4. Brew and Bourbon Classic – Baltimore, Pimlico Race Course June 11. With over 35 bourbons and 40 beer options, this festival is one for the B&B lover in everyone. Food options include beef brisket, barbecue, bacon and cheese steaks just to name a few. While you watch live horse races and listen to music, cigars will be on-hand for purchase, they are the perfect companion to your bourbon.

$39.00 Admission includes all-you-can-taste beer and bourbon in a souvenir glass, access to a special VIP race viewing area, FREE admission to the track, live music and all the exhibits. FREE parking is also included with your ticket. You must be 21 to enter the event, no children permitted. http://www.brewandbourbonclassic.com/

Photo Credit: Beer Bacon Music

5. Beer Bacon Music Festival – Frederick, MD Fairgrounds 797 East Patrick Street May 21. Let’s be honest, I’ll only be there for the bacon! This event features a two-ton bacon bar that includes smoked bacon, jalapeno bacon, maple black pepper bacon, pecan wood and smoked bacon…come back and enjoy the bacon bar as many times as you’d like. Guests will also enjoy over 100 beer varieties, live music and a family zone for kids of all ages.

Admission $40.00 – $55.00 for ticket information visit http://beerbaconmusic.com/

Be sure to follow my foodie and cocktail adventures on Instagram.com/Arlisappetite and twitter.com/ArliBaby.

01
Apr
2016

A Look Inside MOM’S Organic Market in Hampden

categories: FYI

The MOM’s Organic Market in Hampden is finally here! If you live or work in that area you’ve noticed the Rotunda Shopping Center getting some much-needed improvements. A new supermarket, new apartments and other stores are coming to the Hampden Neighborhood. MOM’s Organic Market opened today and they are offering swag bags, free trees, samples and lots of goodies during the weekend of April 1st – April 3rd 2016. I took a few photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!