Beer & Chocolate – A sweet pair

My first experience pairing chocolate and beer was at a fundraiser beer pairing event in Portsmouth, NH. The Passport Beer dinner featured local restaurants and NH breweries in pairings of food items and one of their beers. I walked the grounds of the historic Strawberry Banke living history museum and tasted some amazing food. Smuttynose [...]

What it really means to “go local”

Everyone has a laundry list of resolutions, I’m sure. Lose weight, finish the novel, donate more to charity…
I made up a short list of my own as far as my own beer drinking was concerned, and one stuck out to me – “support local beer.” In the days of this economy, where each little business [...]

The Beer Babe does the math – what craft ABV %s can mean for drinking and driving

I went to a defensive driving course a few months ago as a requirement for one of my jobs. I wasn’t surprised, but the video that they played was from about 1985 (complete with yellow suits with hideous shoulder pads – yikes!) and that I had seen it several times before in other trainings. As [...]

The Grand Cru – When you aim for the moon…

I have professed in the past that I am a beer geek, not a beer snob. I will try and review anything, and I will be open to trying whatever comes cross my way. That being said, I do have strong opinions about non-craft beer, but I try when ever possible not to let them [...]

Whisky-strength beer challenges beer definitions

Since the first humans accidentally figured out that fermented grains and fruits produced an intoxicating effect, we’ve been constantly seeking new and unique ways to brew. The magic byproduct of fermentation, the alcohol, has been a central part of brewing culture for centuries. The taste of alcohol can drastically change the taste of a beer, [...]

The Scarcity of Pumpkin

This weekend, I had the pleasure of planning a menu and cooking a beer dinner for a few friends of mine. One of the items I planned to prepare for the fall feast was a pumpkin soup – made with canned pumpkin (for time constraints). I was excited to make this because I love all [...]

First Annual NH Brewers Festival

This weekend I had the privilege of attending and running a session at the First Annual NH Brewer’s Festival in Manchester New Hampshire. Born from an ember of the growingly successful Maine Brewers Festival, the NH Brewer’s Festival was opened with hopes that it would bring out the craft beer geeks, great small and local [...]

Hi, I’m The Beer Babe

I just wanted to take a moment to give you a little information about me. I’m a beer blogger for the website www.thebeerbabe.com and I’m excited to have this opportunity to write for ratebeer.com and the Hop Press. I’ve been a beer writer for about two and a half years, and I like sharing my [...]