Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin and Beef Stew

With all this beer left over from the pumpkin beer tasting at my house this past weekend, I decided to sample a few of the best to give my own impressions.  The foot of snow left from the recent storm here in New York made for perfect stew weather.  So I decided to combine the two and see how things went.

Beef Stew in a Crock Pot:

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds of beef cut into 2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of flour

1 6 oz can of tomato paste

½ pound of baby carrots

1 pound of potatoes cut into 2 inch cubes

2 cups of beef broth

1 bay leaf

Salt and thyme to taste

Directions:

1.      Roll the beef cubes in flour and brown in a pan with olive oil.  Transfer to crock pot.

2.     Scrape up browned bits and add to crock pot along with beef cubes.

3.     Stir in broth, carrots, potatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaf.

4.     Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours with cover on.

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin:

 I chose Shipyard Smashed because it has an inviting orange label and a 9% ABV.  Smashed is part of the Alan Pugsley series.  I was first introduced to this name by the brewer at the Ship Inn, the oldest brewpub in NJ.  It pours a similar orange color with a thin head.  There is a distinct buttery smell, almost like buttered popcorn, that is enhanced by the curve of the wine glass.  The first sip gives my tongue a little bite from the alcohol.  There is a warm sensation as I swallow.  This beer doesn’t do as well a job of covering the booze as Imperial Pumking does.   It’s interesting that this beer has lots of carbonation that adds to the bite, but little to the head. 

As this beer warms, it mellows a bit, or is that me mellowing?  I’m starting to detect a coriander taste that one would expect from a Belgian ale.  The buttery aroma and spicy taste now seem to complement each other.   Note to self:  Remember to serve good beer at the right temperature. 

The wife and I sit back and enjoy our dinner. After almost 8 hours in the crock, the beef nearly falls apart as I pick it up with the fork. The stew is the perfect hearty meal on a snow covered evening.   The Shipyard adds to the warmth of the meal.  All is good.