Award Winning Craft Brewery

You may have heard me mention my favorite brewery SPH, and I've even featured them on my TV show. Good people and more good news. Kudos to my hometown friends; Don Sullivan owner of Southampton Public House, SPH and Phil Markowski, SPH Brewmaster for bringing home yet another gold medal. This team has dedication and passion for the craft, that's a winning combination.

Southampton Publick House Ales & Lagers received the gold medal at the 28th annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver Colorado competing against 495 breweries from 48 states. This year’s GABF hosted 49,000 guests and was recorded as a Guinness World Record for the most beers tapped in one location with1900 different brews.

Southampton Public House Berlinerweisse took gold in the German-Style Sour Ale Category, one of the 78 categories of ales and lagers. Berlinerweisse is a cloudy, sour, wheat beer of around 3% alcohol by volume. Historically, it was a regional beer from Northern Germany, mainly Berlin, dating back to the 16th century. Southampton Berlinerweisse, released in alternate years, is brewed in very small batches due to a 6-month fermentation period. 

I’ve sampled brews all over the world, purely for educational and research purposes, of course. Honestly- I use Phil’s SPH Brews as the benchmark for a good brew.

If you want to attend next year’s Great American Beer Festival mark your calendars as tickets go on sale June 2010 for the September 16, 17, and 18 2010 GABF, always sold out event.

For more information on Southampton Public House, Southampton, NY.

Know Your Wings

So why does a classically trained chef appreciate chicken wings so much? Frankly sometimes the simplest prepared foods can be the most delicious, and even the most popular. Today it's serious business; books, TV shows and restaurant chains exist with wings at the center of the plate. BTW, my favorite spots for wings are at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton, N.Y. and Southampton Publick House in Southampton, N.Y.

So what makes a great wing? First, start with fresh chicken. Once frozen, it toughens the meat. But honestly it’s all in the finish- the magic is in the sauce. Don’t think you’ll pass along that bad hot sauce in a bottle and tell me you have good wings! It's a combination of a few flavors; a little heat, tomato, garlic, a bit sweet, but have the bite of vinegar and a touch of fruit. Wings don’t have to be fried. Lesson the fats by oven roasting or better yet fire up the grill. Oh, and adding a pint of IPA doesn’t hurt! Southampton Publick House's IPA is my personal favorite. So what about you- how do you enjoy your wings?