Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:26 pm
Cardamom is a great idea. It's also traditionally used in turkish coffee as well as glögg, a sorta-traditional mulled wine that's been in my family for generations. By which I mean: I got the recipe from a good housekeeping magazine, and taught both my parents and grandparents how to make it. It really is tasty though, and a very unique spice.
Other things I'd consider, especially since you're in the bay area and have access to all kinds of foodstuffs:
kaffir lime leaves (for a lighter interpretation of the amber ale, I'm playing with kaffir lime leaves in my cream ale, but they could stand up to a maltier brew)
sichuan peppercorns (very different from actual peppercorns, although cracked black pepper would have its place in a lighter ale, I think)
dried mushrooms (very iffy and dangerous, the earthy umami flavors here could totally wreck a beer with the wrong hop profile, plus the chance of a fungal infection are high, but something like porcini or matsutake would be spectacular in the right beer; I'm also working on a matsutake beer, considering either a bock-style lager or an amber ale for it, or maybe an english pale as matsus are pretty earthy and piny)
caraway seeds (tough to judge how much, and this would take the beer in the complete opposite direction, but if you've ever had aquavit, you've seen the power there)
I tend toward the savory and earthy flavors myself, but I bet you could make a case for the sweeter and fruitier stuff as well. I've been meaning to try out rhubarb (pretty sour), blueberries (surprisingly balanced), and melon (probably more appropriate for a CAP or a CACA)
As a side-suggestion, go to a cafe that specializes in herbal teas (worst case, go to a mall with a Teavana) and sample. Herbal teas have all kinds of crazy shit in them.
I've had bacon beer (someone was pouring it at winter brews fest) and was unimpressed. IIRC, it was a baconated baltic porter, and the bacon only really came across as salty, which was odd in the beer. I could see something with a smokiness in the amber ale, but I think i'd rather bring that across with just something like a tiny bit of peated malt or a bigger amount of rauchmalt in the steep or some liquid smoke in the secondary than actual bacon. Bacon's only good by itself and in bourbon.
Can you tell that I'm totally jealous that you're on the show? I didn't even try to try out because the first taping was SUPPOSED to be on the weekend I was heading up to Yosemite. Big storm- I had a blast in Yosemite, but the first taping was cancelled. Of course, with tons of people showing up for the casting call, I'd probably not make the cut anyway. Give them hell, beerpal. And fix the dang memory leak in your app too.
