A Night With Stella

The Tiki Gal and I met Dale and Carol at McNellie's for Pint Night on Monday evening because the featured beer was Stella Artois. Dale and I had Stella for the first time at a hotel bar in Dallas after a Jimmy Buffett concert and I have been a fan since. When I saw that Stella was the featured beer on Pint Night, I knew I had to go.

Dale and I have actually had a couple of interesting experiences with Stella over the years. Last summer, we all went on a Caribbean cruise out of Galveston, Texas. When you cruise out of Galveston, naturally the majority of the passengers are from Texas. Folks from Texas are a lot of fun, but much like most folks in Oklahoma, their taste in beer runs toward Budweiser, Coors and Miller. There is nothing wrong with those beers, but if you've read any of the previous blog entries, you are aware that Dale and I gravitate toward a different set of beers entirely. As we wandered about the ship, we noticed that most of our fellow cruisers were drinking Bud and Bud Light out of aluminum bottles.

One afternoon, Carol and the Tiki Gal wanted to go on a tour of the galley. At the same time, the cruise staff was supposed to give a presentation on making folded towel animals. (If you've never been on a cruise, the stateroom steward creates a sculpture out of towels and leaves it in your room each evening. We've had monkeys, stingrays, lobsters, elephants, and many other amazing creatures. See examples below.) Dale has younger children and was hoping to learn to make a few towel sculptures for them when he got home so he and I decided to attend the presentation.

It turned out that the towel folding demonstration was really a chance to purchase a towel folding book. We were highly disappointed and now had some time to kill because the girls were touring the galley so we went to the casino and sat down at the bar. After browsing through the beer choices, we chose Stella Artois. The bartender drew two Stellas into lovely Stella glasses that look a bit like a tall wine glass. The Stella glass sits on a stem and has a gold ring around the rim.

We were now sitting at the Casino bar drinking a beer named Stella out of pretty glasses with no ladies in sight. Each time a Texan came to the bar and ordered a bucket of Bud in aluminum cans, I sat there thinking that Dale and I probably made quite a pretty picture. No amount of persecution can change who we are, however. We like pretty beers and we are proud to admit it. We just admit it more loudly when our wives are with us.

Last night, we started the evening with Stella Artois and the rating follows. (I'm adding a new category to the beer ratings, the Carol Rating. As I may have mentioned before, Carol and the Tiki Gal are not fans of beer. Carol is even less of a fan, if that is possible, than the Tiki Gal so Carol has two possible ratings: 1 or 5. 1 means that Carol does not like it at all and wouldn't drink it if she was dying of thirst. 5 means that Carol would drink one or two small sips and not make a horrible face after either of them.)

Stella Artois

Color: Light golden.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks. (We really need to get a skunky beer sometime.) 

Taste: Slightly hoppy and very crisp. Not as complex as the best beers we've tried but good anyway. A well balanced beer.

Comments: Carol said that it "was not offensive." This is high praise coming from her.

Carol Rating: 5 on a scale of 1 or 5.

Rating: 4 pints out of 5.

After the Stellas, Dale and I wanted to try a sample tray of British Isle beers. Each of these beers came in a small glass, maybe two or three swallows in each, so these ratings are provisional. We'll need a full glass of each to apply a proper rating.

Smithwick's

Color: Dark Amber.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks.

Taste: A malty, dark beer that was somewhat understated. The finish provided some sort of tang. We didn't have enough beer in our small glass to determine the source of the tang.

Comments: A decent and interesting beer. I would like to try a full glass.

Provisional Rating: 3.5 pints.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Color: Dark coffee.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks but a slight mocha latte smell.

Taste: A creamy, chocolate taste with a hint of coffee.

Comments: A dessert beer. The Tiki Gal was not a fan.

Carol Rating: 5

Provisional Rating: 3.5 pints.

Fuller's ESB

Color: Amber.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks.

Taste: Hoppy. Not as hoppy as our Intense Hop Experience, but still hoppy.

Comments: A one-note beer. The hoppiness is really all you get.

Carol Rating: 1

Provisional Rating: 3 pints.

Boddington's Pub Ale

Comments: We've rated this beer before in this blog and this small taste didn't change our minds. The girls thought it had been watered down but that's just how it tastes.

Guiness Stout

Color: Dark coffee.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks.

Taste: Malty with a slight hint of bacon in the finish.

Comments: Dale and I have had Guiness Stout before and remembered it being better than the sample we had last night. We will give this beer another chance.

Carol Rating: 1

Provisional Rating: 3 pints.

An Intense Hop Experience

The Tiki Gal and I joined Dale and Carol on Friday night for cards. Our busy schedules hadn't allowed us to get together the previous weekend so we were all in need of a good card night.

While beer shopping, Carol had chosen a beer to share with the Tiki Gal. This was a momentous occasion because, as I've mentioned before, Carol and the Tiki Gal do not like beer. They do take a sip or twelve of whatever Dale and I are drinking but they do that just to contribute their opinions to the beer rankings (and we may have cured that problem on Friday night - more on that later.) On February 13, for the first time ever, Carol and the Tiki Gal had an entire beer - that they shared - of their own. The rating is entirely theirs.

Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde

Color: Strawberry blonde.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks of course. The girls wouldn't drink a skunky beer.

Taste: Mild strawberry flavor. They couldn't determine if the beer was hoppy or malty.

Comments: I was impressed that the girls got through their half-a-glass each. I could tell that their enthusiasm for finishing the beer was waning with each drink. I don't think Dale and I have to worry about hiding our beer from them just yet.

Rating: 5 pint glasses on Carol's scale of 1 or 5.

I mixed a drink the Tiki Gal and I had been working on for a few weeks. I wanted to concoct a drink that tasted like the orange-vanilla ice cream pops I had as a kid called Creamsicles. Over several weekends, the Tiki Gal and I had tried various combinations of things before getting something close to what I wanted. We did find that although Bailey's Irish Cream is good when mixed with orange juice, it does not taste like a Creamsicle. The finished - and as yet unnamed recipe - follows.

Orange-cream-vanilla thing

Color: Creamy orange.

Ingredients: 4 oz. orange juice, 1 oz. cream, 1.5 oz. vodka, 1.5 oz. vanilla liqueur. Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake very well. The drink should be slightly frothy. I haven't tried this, but this drink would also be good served frozen. Put all ingredients in a blender with one cup of ice and blend well.

Taste: Like a Creamsicle - a mixture of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream.

Comments: My philosophy of mixed drinks is that the liquor should add to the flavor of the drink but should not overpower it. That is why this drink contains vodka instead of rum or Bailey's or any of the other things I tried. The vodka adds alcohol content without overpowering the orange-cream-vanilla tastes.

As we settled down to play cards, Dale and I were excited to try a new beer. I like most beers, but I'm drawn to the more hoppy or more malty beers of the beer spectrum. Some of the beers in the middle of the spectrum are good too but they don't seem as complex as the beers on the ends. With that in mind, Dale and I tried a beer from the far right - the hoppy end - and made a couple of startling discoveries. First, the rating.

Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner - "An Intense Hop Experience"

Color: Light gold and a little cloudy. The cloudiness is probably the chunks of hops floating around in there.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks. Really, the skunks didn't have a chance.

Taste: Hops, hops, hops. The Tiki Gal took her usual small sip and said it tasted like that taste you experience after you've ralphed everything in your stomach and all that is left is stomach acid but you keep throwing up anyway. I'm betting Sam Adams won't use that comment on their promotional materials. Also, Dale said it tasted like you had just stuck your tongue up a monkey's butt. We didn't delve too deeply into why he would know that but, again, not a ringing endorsement for this beer.

Comments: Not only did this beer taste bad, it was so hoppy that it coated your mouth and throat with a stinging, slimy substance. My throat was sore the next day and I think it was because of this beer. Needless to say, we will not be having this one again.

Rating: 1 pint glass out of 5. We would have gone lower but the beer was at least interesting. We will be talking about it for years to come.

This beer made me rethink my fondness for hops. I ended up drinking the whole thing but, wow, I was wondering if it was a good idea about halfway through. The hop flavor was completely overpowering. There was no hint of caramel or malt or anything else. On the positive side, I think this beer broke the girls' habit of trying our beers. One sip of this thing and I thought they were both going to be sick.

To recover, Dale and I had a much better beer.

Samuel Adams Irish Red

Color: Golden red.

Skunkiness: 0 skunks.

Taste: Slightly hoppy with caramel flavors. A beer with better balance than the Imperial Pilsner.

Comments: I think we would have rated Old Milwaukee very high after the previous beer so we had to temper our enthusiasm somewhat.

Rating: 3.25 pints.

We had just poured our next beer when Dale and I left the room for a bit. Carol and the Tiki Gal thought it would be really funny to switch the beers we were about to drink with another glass of the Imperial Pilsner. When we came back and sat down, I thought the color was odd but tried it anyway. Imagine my surprise when the stomach acid - monkey butt taste hit me. The girls thought this was really funny, however. They may get a special ingredient in a future mixed drink, I think.

Our last beer of the night was one of our favorites.

Spaten Optimator

Comments: See previous entries for ratings. I highly recommend this beer.

Rating: 4.5 pints.

The card games turned out pretty well for the guys. I won Cutthroat. The girls squeaked out a one point win in Pitch on the very last card of the very last hand and the Tiki Gal is still crowing about it. Dale won Oh Hell! in a landslide.

Carol was able to get tickets to the Jimmy Buffett concert in Dallas for all of us. We are very excited because we will be on the floor for the first time - on row twenty! Expect a detailed account of the concert and our experiences with the Parrotheads in April.

Mostly Margaritas

I've met a few people now who claim that they don't like Margaritas. This is hard news for me to take because Margaritas are my favorite mixed drink. My theory is that people who say they don't like Margaritas have never had a good one. They have been served one of those Margarita-like drinks that are mixed in a bucket with cheap tequila. If that was my only exposure to Margaritas, I probably wouldn't like them either. Luckily, there is a better way.

I had my first Margarita when I was in college. A friend and I went to a country dance club (I know... I know... I was young) and after several beers, I decided that I needed to try a Margarita. This was a strange decision on many levels. First, I was in a country dance club. Not many of the cowboys were drinking Margaritas so I was going to stand out a bit. Second, country dance clubs are typically not known for outstanding bartending. As you would expect, I ended up with a nasty Margarita and everyone in the bar thought I was a little, um, different. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

That experience dampened my desire for Margaritas for over a decade. But then, for an anniversary trip, the Tiki Gal and I went on a Caribbean cruise. Before our stop in Cozumel, the cruise director mentioned that a restaurant called Pancho's Backyard had the best Margaritas around. The Tiki Gal and I had lunch at Pancho's and I ordered a Margarita. I was happy to find that the cruise director was right. The Margarita was very good and very strong. After that, I was hooked.

Cozumel also played a big part in changing Carol's mind about Margaritas. She always claimed to not like them until we all went on a cruise and stopped in Cozumel. We went on a snorkeling excursion and, afterwards, the snorkeling guides broke out a big insulated jug of Margaritas. Since snorkeling makes you thirsty, Carol decided that a Margarita was better than nothing so she tried one. Then she tried another one. We lost track of how many she tried but she eventually tried enough that she decided she liked Margaritas after all. The moral to this story is, if you think you don't like Margaritas, go to Cozumel. You will like Margaritas before you come home.

The secret to making a good Margarita at home is to use good tequila. I personally like Sauza Conmemorativo and Sauza Hornitos. Each is tasty and smooth but are not overly expensive. I've tried many other kinds of tequila but I prefer these two.

I use Finest Call Premium Sweet and Sour mix. You can get it at the local supermarket as well as at the liquor store.

Here are my favorite Margarita recipes.

A Really Good Margarita

Ingredients: 4 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. Cointreau, 1 oz. brandy

Instructions: Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a salt rimmed Margarita glass over ice and serve. For a frozen Margarita, pour all contents into a blender with 1 cup ice and blend well.

Comments: I prefer Margaritas on the rocks. Guys who order frozen Margaritas look a little, um, different. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Mango Margarita

Ingredients: 5 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. mango rum

Comments: Carol ordered a Mango Margarita at a restaurant and enjoyed it so I tried to recreate it. I'm not a fan of mango but if you are, this drink is for you.

Melon Margarita

Ingredients: 5 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. melon liqueur

Comments: This tastes like a Jolly Rancher for adults.

Margarita in the Raw

Ingredients: 2.5 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.5 oz. simple syrup, 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. Cointreau, 1 oz. brandy

Instructions: Squeeze limes and then strain juice (pulp and seeds have no place in a Margarita.) To make simple syrup, boil 1 cup of water. Turn off the heat and then mix in 2 cups of sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and let cool.

Comments: This is a recipe the Tiki Gal and I concocted one summer night. It is my favorite Margarita.

A word of warning: these Margaritas, especially the Really Good Margarita and Margarita in the Raw, are potent. Most mixed drinks have one or two ounces of liquor. These have four ounces. If you don't drink much, one should be your limit. Most people can handle two but you should probably stop there. Trust me. These drinks don't taste like they have much alcohol so you may be tempted to drink more. Stop at two. I've seen the effects of people drinking more than two. It isn't pretty. Stop at two.

Pound cake? What pound cake?

On Friday night, the Tiki Gal and I joined Dale and Carol at The Melting Pot in Tulsa. The Melting Pot, if you aren't familiar with it, is a restaurant where everything is fondue. None of us had eaten at The Melting Pot before but we had heard good things about it and we weren't disappointed.

Reservations are a good idea because dinner can be rather lengthy. We were right on time and were seated immediately. Our waiter introduced himself - little did we know how well we would get to know him at the time - and took our wine order. Dale chose a Francis Coppola Blue Label Merlot. The wine was very good with rich, complex fruit flavors. We then ordered the "Big Night Out" meal for each couple. The Big Night Out includes a cheese fondue, a salad, a selection of meats and vegetables, and a dessert fondue. If this sounds like a bunch of food, you are right.

Our waiter brought our cheese  fondues first. Dale and Carol ordered the Boston Lager cheese fondue. It contained Sam Adams Boston Lager, a mixture of cheeses, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces and chopped chives. The Tiki Gal and I ordered the Fiesta Cheese fondue containing Miller beer, a mixture of cheeses, salsa, fresh jalapenos and cilantro. Each fondue came with an assortment of bread, chips and vegetables for dipping. We all enjoyed both fondues. While very different, each was good in its own way. The cheese fondues also come with apple chunks for dipping. I was a little skeptical about dipping apples in cheeses but after tasting it, I was right. Apples dipped in cheese are not my favorites.

The next course was salads. The Tiki Gal and I went with the Southwestern Cobb Salad. Dale ordered a Spinach Mushroom Salad and Carol had a California Salad.

For our entree course, we shared a cooking pot of Mojo style broth. Mojo style is described as a "Caribbean-seasoned bouillon with distinctive flavors of garlic with a citrus flair." Our waiter brought out a tray of vegetables containing potatoes, squash, broccoli and mushrooms and dumped it in the pot. He then gave us a platter with uncooked marinated pork, chicken, shrimp, Filet Mignon, lobster tail, salmon and ravioli. Each meat was cut into bite-size chunks. We also were served a bunch of sauces including a Gorgonzola cheese, plum, curry, teriaki, and butter sauces as well as green goddess dip and cocktail sauce. There was also an unidentified brown sauce that the girls didn't care for but Dale and I thought it was good on the mushrooms.

There were four or five chunks of each of the meats so we each stabbed something with our skewers and put it in the pot to cook. I particularly enjoyed the filet and the salmon. The lobster was good too, however. The Tiki Gal liked the pork and the chicken although it was all good. Unfortunately, Carol and the Tiki Gal didn't pull their weight with the entrees so Dale and I had to finish off what was left. It was a dirty job but someone had to do it. At one point, Carol was just cooking food for Dale as he attempted to try all the combinations of meats and sauces.

We finally finished the entree course roughly two hours after we arrived. We then ordered our dessert course. Dale and Carol ordered the Original - milk chocolate mixed with crunchy peanut butter. The Tiki Gal and I decided on the Flaming Turtle containing milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans. For dipping, each couple got a tray containing bananas, strawberries, rice crispy squares, graham cracker coated marshmallows, Oreo coated marshmallows, brownies, pound cake, and cheese cake.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize that both pieces of pound cake were on my side of the tray and both pieces of brownie were on the Tiki Gal's side of the tray. Apparently, I ate both pieces of pound cake - very good by the way. We had eaten most of the dessert when we started discussing the best combinations. Carol mentioned that the pound cake was good. The Tiki Gal's eyes lit up as she said, "Pound cake? There was pound cake?" She then turned and looked at me with an evil gleam in her eye. It seems that the tray that held the dippers was dusted with powdered sugar and there were two empty squares in the dusting on my side of the tray. Apparently, those two squares were where the pound cake had been.

In my years of marriage, I've managed to learn a few things for my own survival. One of those things is not to get between my wife and certain chocolate-based desserts. Apparently, I can add pound cake dipped in chocolate fondue to that list. One of the waiters overheard the Tiki Gal's protestations over the pound cake and offered to get some more from the kitchen. I think he was worried for my safety.

We were now about three hours into dinner and the restaurant was mostly empty. Our waiter had disappeared and we were stuffed and ready to go. Over the course of the meal, we learned that our waiter was interested in music. Since Dale is a musician, he was able to give the waiter a few tips. The waiter wasn't too sure about Dale's sense of humor, however. When the waiter brought out the Flaming Turtle chocolate fondue, Dale asked if the turtles screamed when they were tossed in. The waiter eventually chuckled, but it took a moment. Anyway, Dale tracked down the waiter so we could pay and get out of there. The meal was extremely good and I would be happy to go back again. (And next time, I will definitely let the Tiki Gal have the pound cake.)