Tuesday = Bratwurst Tuesday

My Tuesdays have been renamed Bratwurst Tuesdays.  They are Bratwurst Tuesdays, because I am usually already irritated with my work week by Tuesday and the Bratwurst at Gus's Pretzels' (www.guspretzels.com) makes me happy.  If you are not familiar, for $2.75 (they only take cash as an FYI) you can get a yummy bratwurst wrapped in a fresh made pretzel.  Slather this with yellow French's mustard and I think I might have found my perfect food. Tuesday it was 9000 degrees outside again.  I decided the bratwurst was worth the walk and walked over to Gus's, only to find it closed for the holiday.  BOO!!!  Fine, I will walk back home empty handed.

The back-up plan kicked in and I decided to have another delightful meal of sliced tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese.  I sliced the tomatoes in to 3/4 inch slices, salt them with kosher salt, pepper them with fresh ground pepper, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic and then crumble Gorgonzola over top.  Super light and easy.  If I am super hungry I kick up the cheese to tomato ratio.  You can also slice red onion into thin slices and pair that with the cheese and tomato for an equally yummy snack.  If you don't like blue cheese, you can also substitute goat cheese. 

After working the day away, my friend Scott and I decided to do a small pub crawl.  I specifically wanted to go to 4 Hands (http://4handsbrewery.com/our-beers.html).  They had a new beer I wanted to try, but they don't open until 4 PM (which has since changed to 3 PM as an FYI) so we decided to head to Urban Chestnut (http://www.urbanchestnut.com/our-beers) to checkout their new Beer Garden and have a beer to pass the time.  I love Urban Chestnut.  I was in the mood for a wheat beer with a little flavor so I settled on the Maximillian which they classify as:
"Our Weizendbock is comparable to the barley-based regular Bockbier, but is actually a stronger version of an unfiltered Weissbier. We use approximately 55% wheat malt (German law requires that a Weizenbier, regardless of strength, be made from at least 50% wheat). The other 45% of malts are a combination of Munich, Pils and Caramel. All of which when combined give our "Maifest Special" a full-bodied mouthfeel and a rich, malty finish. Point of fact: while regular Bockbiers are lagers, Weizenbocks are ales. ABV 7.0%, IBU's-23, OG- 16.0 Plato"

It really hit the spot.  I like most German wheat beers and this one was dark in color and full of flavor.  A little maltier than I expected, but overall it was delightful. We checked out the beer garden, which we couldn't sit in because it is still 9000 degrees outside at this point.  Then we headed to 4Hands.

4Hands seems to be pumping out beers left and right and therefore there were four new beers on draft for me to try, including the one I had come for.  Scott and I both got the sample of all four new ones.  There was a Saison, an IPA, a brown (I think) and the wheat beer I had come for.  My favorite out of the four, was the Saison.  It was crisp, flavorful, well balanced and light.  I think people who like a wheat beer like Boulevard or 312 would love this beer although it has a higher alcohol content, so one would need to keep the beers to a minimum.   The brown and IPA were a close 2nd behind the Saison.  The disappointment was the wheat I had come for.  I'll be honest, it kind of tastes like your mouth tastes after you throw-up.  Scott didn't quite agree with that description, but he didn't like it either.  We ended up cheersing and taking the sample like a shot.  To the right is a photo of Scott enjoying our beers.

We then headed to the International Tap House (http://www.internationaltaphouse.com/soulard/bottle_menu.php) in Soulard for our final stop on the baby crawl.  Scott had to drive home so we attempted to find beer with a low alcohol content.  I spotted another Hefeweizen that I wanted to try called:   Hitachino Weizen.  This is brewed by the Kodawari brewering in Japan.  (You can read more here:  http://www.kodawari.cc/?en_home/about/history.html).  I first tried their beers because I like the logo, which is a cute little owl.  I have since come to really enjoy their White, so I was excited about the Weizen.  Scott saw a beer called "Petrus Aged Ale" brewed by the Brouwerij Bavik brewery in Belgium
(check out reviews http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/718/2184) that he has wanted to try.The alcohol content was pretty high, so we agreed to get both and share.  The Weizen, to me, was kind of a throw away.  It was good and drinkable, but for a beer that usually is about $8/bottle, totally not worth it.  It was just your normal Hefeweizen.  The Petrus on the other hand was really great and really different.  I can't really compare it to any other beer I have had.  It was sour, but in a good way.  Think tart like a lemonade.  I thought it might actually make a really great salad dressing mixed with a little olive oil.  Really refreshing, not too heavy, not a lot of body, just really, really different.

Overall a great afternoon.