This was also a wonderful preview for some of the items that will be featured on the menu before the official opening. Concepción is now open for dinner and I’m definitely looking forward to going back for more!

Walking into the tasting we were greeted and escorted to the patio for a pre-dinner drink. A keg of La Petit Prince by Jester King Brewery was tapped and poured to be enjoyed with fried hominy and spiced popcorn. This was a light and refreshing start to prepare us for the evening. As we moved inside to be seated, a jar of pickled vegetables and a jar of barrel fish confit ( I love fat! ) were welcoming us to the table.

As we fought over the last bites, the first pairing was presented.

Our first pairing was The Carpenter’s Mikan Ale from Baird Brewing in Shizuoka, Japan, paired with a Ceviche of Salmon, Ling, Citrus, Chile, and Herbs. This was my first time having a Japanese fruit ale and I must say I very much enjoyed it. The citrus of the mikan fruit notes from the ale played elegantly with the balance of citrus and herbs of the ceviche- a beautiful pairing!

Next we had a Fantôme Saison from La Brasserie Fantôme in Wallonia, Belgium, paired with an Arugula Salad. The salad was constructed of Carnitas, Pepitas, a Grapefruit-Pequin Vinagrette, Citrus Segments, and Grilled Queso Fresco- delicious! I’ve discovered that I am becoming very fond of the Farmhouse ale/ Saison style of beer and the Fantôme is no exception.

From here we move forward to the Heady Topper from The Alchemist in Waterbury, VT, paired with a Seared Diver Scallop, Peruvian Wheat Risotto and Grilled Tomato Jus. The scallop and hops work very well together! I generally prefer maltier beers over hoppier beers but there is something about a Double I.P.A. that continues to grab my attention. The flavors seem more intense and balanced than that of a single I.P.A. and the bitterness is not as biting. There is also a pleasant dry finish. For whatever reason a double I.P.A. is always a winner for me.

This next pairing was my favorite! Here we have a Cocoa Mole from New Belgium in Fort Collins, CO, paired with Anticuchos: Black Hill Ranch Grilled Lamb Hearts, Sweet Potato, and Ancho Chile. The flavor combinations between the food and beer were fantastic! The savoriness of the lamb hearts, the sweetness of the sweet potato, and the rich spices of the ale were all very lovely together. I keep thinking about this one and hope to enjoy the pairing again.

Next we had the Beer Geek Rodeo Imperial Oatmeal Stout which is a collaboration of the Jester King and Mikkeller breweries in Austin, TX. This was paired with a beautiful presentation of Braised Short Ribs, Black Hill Goat, Roasted Beets, and Guajillo Chile- “Tablas and Birria.” I love beets, and they played a great role bringing together the richness of the short ribs and goat with the Beer Geek Rodeo. Just to give you an idea of the flavors, this Imperial Oatmeal Stout was brewed with smoked malt, chipotle peppers and Vietnamese coffee.

Our final course was the Raspberry Tart from New Glarus in New Glarus, WI, paired with a cheese plate. Take note that this is not your traditional cheese plate as the Smoked Bleu Cheese was brought to a temperature and consistency of ice cream! Amazing. Dressed with some granola and berries, the bleu cheese and crisp tartness of the wild fruit beer made for a very happy pairing! What a wonderful way to bring the dinner to an end.

The progression from each course was orchestrated beautifully with the tastes of each pairing building up the next combination. I think one of the best components of this dinner was understanding who was in the kitchen making it all happen. Joining Chef Jonathan Jones was Randy Rucker, Jean Philippe Gaston, Alvin Schultz, Troy Witherspoon, and his crew Graham, Carter, and Ted. Talk about an all-star team to have in the kitchen! It was an honor to be a guest at this wonderful dinner.

Congratulations Kyle White and Jonathan Jones for creating such an incredible and memorable beer dinner! I hope to see plans for another soon!

Concepción
819 W Alabama St
Houston TX 77006
713.520.7744

Gore Artistry creates a unique line of cigar tools and ashtrays that are truly art. I could admire any of these pieces over a long period of time and still be amazed, finding new and interesting aspects I had not noticed before. I’ve never seen anything like this available in the cigar world before, and I am very excited to share them with you now!

Gerald and Jeff created Gore Artistry cigar accessories in order to have cigar accoutrements that matched their own style. Gerald is the designer and sculptor behind these fascinating pieces while Jeff runs the business. In fact, you will want to follow them on facebook to see previews of their latest projects: Gore Artistry on Facebook.

All the ashtrays and cigar tools are made of a marbled mixture of heat resistant resin, marble dust, and a fine bronze powder. There is a comfortable weight to each of the ashtrays as well. The cigar nubbers are not only unique in design but also fit very naturally in your hand. They come in a nice clear tube so that when not in use you may display them in your home.

I believe these pieces speak for themselves. If you are in Texas, I would recommend seeing if your local cigar shop carries them and to take a look at them in person. They are also available online from their site, GoreArtistry.com. There is a cigar for every palate, and now there is an accessory style for every smoker.

THE LOST SOULS & SKULLS:

THE AMERICAN INDIAN:

OCTOPUS:

From the aging room, cigars are brought here to be banded and packed for boxing. The room has a mist of water throughout which brings humidity to the cigars, allowing them to be handled. The moisture that is absorbed by the cigars makes the delicate tobacco wrapper less likely to tear during this process. Any cigars that have been broken during the aging process are separated and taken to be re-wrapped in a special way, which Mario explains.

Mario of Joya De Nicaragua shows us how each cigar is checked for quality control, one by one, before going through to the banding and packaging steps. Quality control is done constantly throughout the process- at every step!

You will also notice that every step is done by hand, even the bands and the boxing. Great care is taken into each cigar from beginning until they are sent to the shelves of the retailer.

Be sure to watch more from the Drew Estate Cigar Safari!

Watch More Videos From Nicaragua Here.

Mario of Joya de Nicaragua guides us through the aging room while on the Drew Estate Cigar Safari. Once the cigars are made, they are grouped in sets of 50 called “media rueda. ” Mario shares the story of where the name comes from and how it relates to the way this is done.

Also very interesting is that when the cigars are grouped into these sets, a worker will grab the cigars and make a hexagon shape. Just by this, they know it is 51 cigars without having to count. They then wrap them into a set and remove one cigar to maintain the 50 number. Each set has information about who the roller was, buncher, the day of production, the brand, and all relative details so they can maintain proper quality control.

Cigars rest in the aging room for a minimum of 6 weeks. This allows the cigars to lose the extra humidity gained during production.

View more from the Cigar Safari in Nicaragua Here.

I love Green Chartreuse. It’s an obsession, really. One of the factors I have discovered about Chartreuse it that it is wonderful with chocolate (try adding it in your hot cocoa in the winter- a “haute verte” is magical). As I was making truffles and enjoying a cocktail the other day, a thought occurred to me. Why not mix my Chartreuse into the chocolate?

The recipe I use is from “The Family Meal” book by Ferran Adrià, which calls for Brandy or your preferred spirit or liqueur of choice. Yes, Chartreuse definitely qualifies as that! When the chocolate sets, you then create the irregular shaped truffles and coat them in cocoa powder. I thought… why not take it a step further and mix some Chartreuse dust into the cocoa powder.

Any alcohol that is high in sugar, such as Chartreuse, Cointreau, or Campari, can be made from a liquid into a “dust” state. The easiest way to achieve this is to pour the liqueur into a shallow dish and then just let it sit for a few days. It will crystallize and then you can break up the crystals into a powder. I remembered this technique from a video Jamie Boudreau made some time ago and now I have a reason to use it.

I was already making the truffles when the thought came to me, thus I am currently waiting on the dust to be ready. I’m excited, so much so that I wanted to share it with you right away. The photos you see here are my first Chartreuse Chocolate Truffles batch with regular cocoa powder. As soon as my Chartreuse dust is ready, I’ll have an update with photos and feedback on the results.

*UPDATE* Click Here for the update.

If you want to try this at home, here is the recipe:

Chocolate Truffles:

4 oz Dark Chocolate, 60% cocoa
1/2 cup Whipping Cream, 35% fat
2 tsp Butter, cut into small pieces
2 tsp Brandy (or another spirit or liqueur)
4 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan then pour over chocolate; let sit for 3 minutes. Whisk until creamy then add butter and brandy. Whisk until smooth then cover the bowl and set aside until the chocolate sets. Once set, use two teaspoons to form chocolate into irregular shapes and then carefully roll them in the cocoa powder.

The Family Meal | Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià gives detailed instructions with photos, and precise ingredient lists based on the amount of people you are preparing for (you aren’t just doubling one recipe to make more- it’s accurately measured for taste). This recipe above serves 6 people.

For my variation, add Chartreuse in place of brandy and make Chartreuse Dust to add into the cocoa powder.

For St. Patrick’s day- consider pairing a Green Chartreuse based cocktail with a Claro/Candela wrapped cigar. They work beautifully together: View my post on “Going Green.“

CHARTREUSE DUST UPDATE:

My Chartreuse has been sitting out for a few days and has finally crystallized! I decided to let some of the crystals remain and not make it into a completely fine dust. I like the texture and extra pop the larger pieces have to offer.

I mixed some of the Chartreuse dust with the Unsweetened Chocolate Cocoa and then coated my truffles in the mixture. Once complete, I added a pinch of the Chartreuse dust (with the larger pieces) on top for the full experience. I must say it is one delicious bite!

I think the combination of the liqueur crystals and dust with the cocoa will make a big difference with other flavors as well. I’m thinking an orange liqueur especially since it is more expected. Of course, you could use brandy for the main truffle and then an orange liqueur dust on top for your own personalized combination. For me, It’s going to have to be Chartreuse!

One of the greatest experiences during my travels to discover more about cigars and tobacco has been being involved in a custom blend. When you are able to touch the tobacco, feel the thickness of the leaves, smell various different styles and then light individual leaves on fire to compare the aromas and characteristics from the leaf and the smoke… it’s incredible.

In this video you can see that seco, viso, and ligero leaves burn differently and that those traits are considered when constructing a blend. You want to have an even burn or your “recipe” won’t taste as you intended it. Think taste and burn. That is part of the art of blending. Mario of Joya De Nicaragua and Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate walk us through what to look for when creating a cigar blend and give us an in depth look at specific tobacco leaves.

As I nosed leaves of each region, I found that I began to recognize certain notes become more pronounced in my cigars (in a very good way). It’s interesting to be able to see the individual ingredients, or leaves, and inspect their flavor qualities as a dry leaf, a smoking leaf, and with other leaves within a cigar. I still think about the first time I smelled the Condega wrapper by itself- beautiful!

Be sure to view more videos and lessons from the Drew Estate Cigar Safari!

View More Videos

Wrapper: Dark Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran Corojo Ligero
Filler: Dominican Republic Corojo Ligero and Honduran Corojo Ligero

AKA, or American KickAss Cigars brings attention to being proud Americans and proud of our United States Military. A percentage of all sales are even donated to the Wounded Warriors Project.

Jay Lundy is the mastermind behind AKA Cigars. He is passionate and very detail oriented. Quality is of the most importance and he takes the military focus very seriously.

Looking at the wrapper, binder, and filler you instantly notice a lot of ligero involved in the blend. Yes, this is a full bodied cigar- but don’t be fooled, it’s also a very balanced cigar. The flavor profile is rich and very delicious! There is a dominant earthy quality with notes of cocoa, cedar, almost tea-like spices, and a nice peppery finish.

The pepper characteristic is different from other cigars I’ve smoked, it isn’t a pepper bomb but rather the pepper is all in the nose and the finish. This lets the other flavor notes really stand out and not get blown away by the pepper. The cigar certainly builds as you smoke, and the subtle sweetness in the beginning fades away in the end as the strength increases. It’ll give you a “buzz” so to speak at the end, it’s that nicotine punch you’d expect from lots of ligero leaves.

This will affect people differently, some people won’t be phased by the strength where as others may get hit quite hard. Take your time smoking and enjoy the flavors, and maybe have a little sugar around in case you find the strength or nicotine to be too much. A little sugar will bring you back to life!

A preview of my new ashtray and next post! Stay tuned…