Binny's Blog

Meat pies have been beloved across Ireland and the U.K. for centuries. Usually that means a hearty crust made with beef suet or lard but when it comes to Shepherd’s Pie, rich, creamy and tantalizingly browned mashed potatoes stand in for pastry. Underneath that buttery layer of mash is a savory mixture of ground meat and vegetables, bound together with a thick gravy, making for a hearty and filling dish for a late winter’s day. St. Patrick's Day, to be precise.

Carbonnade à la Flamande is a Flemish beef stew indigenous to Belgium and the beer centric areas of northeast France. It only makes sense that northern European climes, heretofore unsuitable for the cultivation of wine grapes, would develop a beer-based stew akin to Beef Bourguignon.

Two pies are always better than one. We submit as proof positive this mashup of two classic cream pies. We round it all out with plenty of chocolate to make the sum exponentially greater than its parts.

Roger was recently asked about his "Aha Moment" in beer; that one drink that makes you realize what beer (or wine, or spirits) is capable of. For him, it was tripels.