Libation of the Week: Saranac Shirley Temple

Name: Saranac Shirley Temple

 

Brand: Saranac Brewing Company

Place of Purchase: Ontario Orchards in Oswego, NY

Country/Region of Origin: Central NY

Tasting Conditions: Chilled in the bottle

Price in New York: $1.69 for 12 oz.

Description: A spot on bottled version of a standard kiddie cocktail

Flavor:  Syrupy maraschino cherry and fizzy lemon-lime

Mouth-feel: Heavy but not too heavy.  The perfect mix of syrup and fizz.

Aroma: Strong cherry and citrus

Notes: Saranac is a Syracuse-area beer that is a local favorite in the Oswego-area.  I've been to a few mixers since I arrived here, and some kind of Saranac was always available.  Like most breweries in the area, they developed a soft drink line to get them through Prohibition.  The Saranac Shirley Temple was designed during the 1950s to meet the kid's demand for a serious cocktail.  This drink is perfect.  An exact replica of the fresh bar-made drink in the bottle, from taste to mouth feel.  I bought a single bottle and tried it.  Immediately, I bought a 6-pack.  It was that good.

Why no "Roy Rogers" to match?  Because Saranac is world-famous for their Black Cherry and Black Cherry Cream Sodas, instead.

Libation of the Week: Moxie Elixer

Name: Moxie Elixir

 

Brand:  Drink Moxie.com

Place of Purchase: KOA General Store in South Bend, IN

Country/Region of Origin: Maine

Tasting Conditions: Chilled in the bottle

Price in Indiana: $1.79 for 12 oz.

Description: A carbonated, caramel-colored soda with gentian root.

Mouth-feel: Crisp

Aroma:    Like root beer and Robotussin

Notes:  Moxie Elixir is one of the oldest soda pops in the United States.  It started off as a gentian root elixir, but once soda water was added to the mix, it's been Moxie soda for over a century.  The drink itself tasted like a really strong root/birch beer.  It didn't give me pep or vigor, but it cooled me down on a hot day.

Hiatus

I must apologize for the two month hiatus.  Between moving across the country and starting a brand-new teaching position in "sunny" Oswego, I've been a bit distracted with unpacking and course preparations.

BUT, I'm back and looking for new cheeses and drinks in the Northeast.  So, look out for new pleasurable reviews.

Cheese of the week: Porter Cheddar

Name: Porter Cheddar

Brand: Cahill's

 

Place of Purchase:  HyVee Foods in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Ireland

Price in Iowa: $14.99/lb

Milk: Cow

Processing: A monastery-style cheddar mingled with Cahill's own porter ale.

Texture: Semi-firm

Color: cream-yellow with dark brown veining

Rind: Natural waxed (with a beautiful brown wax)

Aroma: Woody, smokey

Taste: Nutty, coffee, walnut

Mouth feel: A solid cheddar paste

Notes: This cheese was much better than Cahill's Whiskey Cheese from last week.  The porter ale blends well with the cheddar, with the protein and fat in the cheddar.  This cheese paired well with the local microbrews that I had from Olde Main Brewing here in Ames.

Cheese of the week: Pave de l'averyron

Name: Pave de l'averyron

Brand: None listed

 

Place of Purchase:  Wheatsfield Organic Co-op in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: France

Price in Iowa: $20.27/lb

Milk: pasteurized sheep

Processing: at least 4 weeks of aging, characteristic square shape

Texture: soft

Color: pale yellow paste

Rind: Washed with a reddish dust of mold and color

Aroma: Musty, woody, strong dairy

Taste: Woody, mushroom, earthy

Mouth feel: A tight, but soft cheese.

Notes: I picked this little quarter-square of cheese from the local co-op simply because of the color and the hatched pattern on the rind.  I could smell it all the way home, even in the bag.  I've been doing this long enough to know that a really strong cheese smell does not always mean a really strong flavor.  This cheese has a nice, complex flavor profile with a unique mixture of woody and mushroom notes.  It is definitely not for the faint-of-palate, but a true fromagophile will enjoy the luscious paste and the unique flavor of this hard-to-find cheese.

Cheese of the week: Irish Whiskey Cheddar

Name: Irish Whiskey Cheddar

Brand: Cahill's

 

Place of Purchase:  HyVee Foods in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Ireland

Price in Iowa: $11.99/lb

Milk: Cow

Processing: A monastery-style cheddar mingled with Kilbegga's whiskey.

Texture: Semi-firm

Color: cream-yellow

Rind: Natural waxed

Aroma: Sharp, salty dairy

Taste: Musty, acrid, bitter

Mouth feel: A solid cheddar paste

Notes:I'm not sure about the flavor profile of this cheese.  The freshness shouldn't be suspect, since I grabbed it the day my cheesemonger sliced the wheel, but it is Summer and something may have happened to the cheese on the way home.  Regardless, whiskey is a high proof alcohol with a low-water content.  Cheese is a mix of fat and protein, both soluble in alcohol.  I was surprised that this cheese held together at all, but it's no wonder that there is a bitter flavor.  Not my favorite, and I bought a few more Cahill's with this one.

Cheese of the week: Bel Paese

Name: Bel Paese Cheese

Brand: Galbani

 

Place of Purchase:  HyVee Foods in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Italy

Price in Iowa: $13.99/lb

Milk: Cow

Processing: A cooked, cow's milk cheese aged at least six months.

Texture: Semi-soft

Color: cream-yellow

Rind: Natural

Aroma: Sweet, buttery dairy

Taste:  Creamy and buttery, with a mild, piquant aftertaste

Mouth feel: A solid, yielding paste somewhere between cream cheese and mozzarella.

Notes: This cheese is a nice, mild snacking cheese.  It reminded me of a comte, but a bit softer.  It is supposed to be spreadable, but my wedge was a bit too firm for that.  The cheese itself has a delicate, mild dairy flavor with a bit of an aged edge in the background.  The Italians eat this cheese with fruit, fruity wines, honey and nuts, even a bit of chocolate.  It accentuates the acid and sweetness of the accompaniments, but alone does not offer much more than a buttery flavor.  Still, the popularity of this cheese with Italians is reason enough to try it.  Just be sure to some fruit or wine to the table.