Firestone Walker Brewing Company - Windsor Pale Ale

Windsor Pale Ale is brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, Maris Otter, Caramel, Caramalt malts using the same oak barrel fermentation system used to brew Double Barrel Ale. Jeffers hops this bright golden ale with Horizon, Challenger and Liberty hops. Immediately note a complex nose hinting of orange, vanilla, and a soft smokiness from the oak. You'll find this medium-bodied ale mild well balanced with a subtle hop bitterness complementing a sweet malt profile nicely. Look for it to finish with light toffee notes, a hint of nuts, and a clean brisk bitterness. Overall, very complex, quite refined and truly unusual. We really liked it!

Pony Express Gorgonzola Ale Soup

2 lb peeled red potatoes
¾ lb peeled and diced yellow onions
4 cups chicken stock
1 pt Pony Express Unfiltered Wheat Ale
¾ lb Gorgonzola cheese
1 pt heavy cream
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp ground white pepper
4 tsp cornstarch

Boil the potatoes and onions in water until the potatoes become slightly mushy and then drain, Saving the water. Puree the potatoes and onions, adding potato water as necessary until the Mixture becomes smooth. In the meantime, bring the chicken stock and beer to a boil in a large Pot, reduce the heat and gradually add the Gorgonzola cheese, whipping with a whisk to make. The mixture smooth. Next, add the cream and, gradually, the potato mixture, again whipping to make the mixture smooth. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer before adding the salt and pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water and slowly add it to the soup, whisking gently. Simmer for at least 10 minutes prior to serving. Serves 8-10 persons or 4 Irish Sheep Herders.

Dear Murl,

I'm writing to ride you jokers a bit for sending me that damn Mother's Day Promotion email 15 times over the course of a couple hours last month!!! What's up with that you pesky pooch? Okay, so my mother does drink beer and she loves wine too, but one reminder notice would have been plenty.

Lovin' ya but still just slightly agitated,

James Frank

Portland, OR

Yo Jimmy!

I'm thinkin' we should start a Cheese of the Month Club so you can have something to pair up with that nice Whine you got going on! You only got it 15 times? We had some that got it 25 or more! Seriously, James, we owe you and any one else that was on the receiving side of that little episode a big Ole apology and maybe even one of my favorite chewy sticks!

On the heels of the "I love you" virus and in an age where we all receive heaps of unwanted crap pumping anything from a better nose hair trimmer to a facial toning exercise system (no kidding…I just got it today with the subject line posing the question: IS YOUR FACE ALL THAT IT COULD BE?), it would be somewhat understated to say that we really pissed some of our favorite people off in one svelte maneuver.

I can speak for, and often do, the entire gang at Corporate here, when I tell you that we are truly sorry for the screw up. In a nutshell, there was some kind of screw up with our ISP in sending the note. Granted, our marketing guys can be pretty dense at times, but not so thick as to think it a good idea to send the same message repeatedly in a short period of time until we drove our most valued asset (our customers) to the point of writing some downright nasty emails! We hope you accept our apology and once again think warm thoughts of brew and liver treats when you think of us in the future! Gotta Trot! I need to read up on a new and improved hair removal system that was emailed to me last night!

Woof!

Murl.