SLIF Vol. XVII

It's back!! After taking the summer off, SLIF is back! I'm not sure if it will be back as the bi-weekly edition it was before, monthly, we shall see, but its back. I found some great stuff to share with you. A lot of which has to do with recent, or upcoming events that are taking place in the area. So, without further ado, here we go, SLIF!!


Street Taco Festival this weekend!

You've heard me talk a lot about El Palacio, the wonderful Mexican restaurant in Chandler that hosts some amazing beer dinners. Well, they also host a Street Taco festival, and its tomorrow, 4pm to 10pm at their restaurant in Chandler!! $5 admission, kids are free. Buying a ticket gets you into a raffle to win a vacation as well! What else do you get? How about taco eating contest, a salsa competition, live entertainment, a street taco station, a margarita hut, Corona’s sand bar, beach games and more!!! I will see you there!

For more info, or tickets, stop by the restaurant, or go to www.rockintacoaz.com.

SanTan Oktoberfest!!!

October 4, 3pm to 11 pm!!! Chandlers own SanTan set to celebrate Oktoberfest in downtown again this year!! So break out your lederhosen and build up your tolerance, its always one hell of a celebration! Food, beer music and more, this one is a must! On, and this year, Reel Big Fish will be preforming! As well as Iration, and 80 Proof!! For more info, tickets and more check out the event site here.... Also, look for SanTan's Oktoberfest Beer in cans in stores now!!!

How to order your Oktoberfest beer properly...

Want to order that Lowenbrau or Spaten at Oktoberfest, but aren't quite sure how to pronounce them authentically, well, fret now more, Lowenbrau has a pronunciation guide for Oktoberfest, complete with audio! Check it out, its pretty cool......click here.







D-backs Oktoberfest

The Dbacks are hosting their own Oktoberfest coming up Sept. 26th at the Ballpark. Each Oktoberfest ticket package includes a 16 oz. D-backs Oktoberfest beer stein and access to an exclusive beer garden inside the ballpark. Click here to buy tickets.....

There you have it! This weeks SLIF! As always, have a great, and happy weekend, be smart and stay safe!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar

The last Summer Beer Dinner at El Palacio!!

El Palacio, Chandler, AZ

Anyone that reads this blog frequently has no doubt heard me talk at length about the beer dinners at El Palacio. If you have attended any of them, you will probably understand why.
These dinners are fun, affordable, educational, and best of all, delicious! If you have never been to a beer dinner before, these are GREAT dinners to start out with. They offer up very good, but very approachable beers, paired with exceptionally prepared Mexican fare prepared by Chef Anthony, who, I must say, is great at getting flavors to work together with the beer!

Chef Anthony!

Well, the last of the Summer Beer Dinners is coming up in a few weeks, Aug 13th, at 7pm. The dinner will feature the beers of Grand Canyon Brewing Co, paired with "off menu" items prepared specifically for this event as well.

Here is a look at what you can expect at this dinner.....

1.  Melon and Arugula Salad with Agave Vinaigrette paired with American Pilsner

 

2.  Carnitas Pastor Mac & Cheese paired with Sunset Amber Ale

 

3.  Italian Albondiga with Picante Alfredo Sauce & Cauliflower puree paired with Black Iron IPA

 

4.  Churro Zeppole with Pumpkin Porter Sauce paired with Pumpkin Springs Porter (read more about Pumpkin Springs Porter here...)

 

There will be a rep there from Grand Canyon Brewing to discuss the beer you will be drinking, and Chef Anthony will be on hand to speak about the food. I have been to a number of these dinners, and always walk away extremely pleased, and I have no doubt you will as well!

 

Reservations are required to attend,  and can be made by calling 480-802-5770 or online by clicking here..

 

Again, the cost of the dinner is JUST $25 per person, and remember you get 4 courses, with 4

different beers, not a bad deal at all!

 

I will say, this dinner has a HUGE added bonus of having Mac & Cheese on the menu!!

 

El Palacio is located on at the Crossroads Town Center off the Gilbert and 202.

 

2950 E. Germann Road,

Chandler, AZ

480-802-5770

 

So please, make your reservations now, and I will see you there!!!!

 

Until next time

Bottoms up my friends!

 

The Beer Czar

Odell Beer Dinner at El Palacio!

Many times on this blog you've heard me go on and on about the awesome beer dinners held at El Palacio, Well, I am happy to report, you get to listen to me talk about another one, coming up THIS WEDNESDAY!!! Not much time left, but still plenty of spots available! The time, Chef Anthony's amazing culinary creations will be paired with the amazing brews of Odell Brewing Company out of Fort Collins Colorado. If you have never been to a beer dinner, you need to treat yourself to one. They are a great way to experience new brews, enjoy some great food, and meet new people, that share your love of beer and food.
There are even more reasons to go to a beer dinner at El Palacio. For one, its Mexican food, which is, on its own, just awesome. Two, its $25 people, really, just $25! I can honestly say, I've never been to a 5 (or even 4) course beer dinner for under $35. Most will run you $60 or more. So, its affordable, the food is great (so don't let the price fool you), and the company is more then enjoyable. This is hands down the best value I've seen for a beer dinner.

This dinner will be a 5 course dinner. Here is what you can expect...

Course One - Ceviche Cocktail Shot. Shrimp, citrus, avocado and garden vegetables, paired with Easy Street Wheat

Course Two - Compressed Fruit Salad - seasonal fruit pressure compacted and infused with herbs, seasoning and garnished with a grilled tamale cake, paired with Isolation Ale.

Course Three - Street Taco - a homemade tortilla filled with roasted chicken and garnished with traditional veggies, paired with India Pale Ale (the tacos at El Palacio are AMAZING!)

Course Four - Pancetta Enchilada all Carbonara - An Enchilada stuffed with chorizo, and pancetta and topped with green chili carbonara sauce, paired with Cutthroat Porter



Course Five - S'More Taco - A chocolate tortilla filled with homemade graham cracker ice cream, and topped with a hint of marshmallow cream sauce

Fish Taco with some Mudshark, just awesome!

As if you needed one more reason, Chef Anthony and El Palacio just took Grand Reserve Champion at the Arizona Taco Festival, so yeah, you need to get there. I can almost guarantee you will have a good time, you will have some great food, and you will more then likely learn a little something about food, beer or both.



To learn more about past El Palacio Beer Dinners, check out my reviews here and here...



You can reserve a spot one line here..... (just make your reservation for 2 or more for Wed, 23rd, at 7 pm)
Or you can call them at 480.802.5770

Check out their Facebook page..
Learn more about Odell Brewing on their website here.....

Hope to see you there!!!
If you go, look for me, and introduce yourself, love to meet you!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

S.L.I.F.!!! (Sorry Liver, it's Friday!)

Happy Friday to you all! We've made it through yet another week, and for that, congrats, you deserve a

beer, you should probably get yourself one, right now!

I didn't have anything real pressing or interesting to share with you that warranted a single post of its own, but I did have a number of useful tidbits and info I wanted to share, so I figured I would just wrap them all up in a pretty, single package, and share them all with you at once. I might even make this a regular Friday thing, or at least semi regular, we shall see.

Who wants a great Taco, and a good time???
A reminder, tomorrow, Saturday the 14th, don't miss the Rockin Taco Street Festival at El Palacio in Chandler (on Gilbert and the 202). Just note, the contest noted in that post is now closed.

Are you a fan of white chocolate?

Good news for lovers of Sonoran Brewing Company's White Chocolate Ale. This wonderful, unique Arizona favorite is now available in 6 packs!! So look for it at your favorite beer store any day now!

Almost pumpkin beer season!
I know its hard here in Arizona to be thinking of fall beers and pumpkin ales already when its still in the 100's, but its that time of year again (in fact, I've been seeing fall beers in stores for weeks now). As is normally the case, I get a lot of folks asking me this time of year for my recommendations for good pumpkin beers. Well, we will be doing a pumpkin beer tasting coming up very soon ( the 1st Annual Pumpkin Beer Tasting featuring The Masked Blogster will be coming up!! Details to come!), but in the mean time, here is a pretty solid list of some great pumpkin beers.....Top 10 Pumpkin Beers. The list is a very solid one, I will disagree with just one on the list. My apologies to all my Maine faithful, but I think Pumpkinhead by Shipyard is a below average pumpkin beer at best. Buffalo Bills is a better option in my opinion. Aside from that, 9 solid beers!

Seriously brilliant!

Must have Tailgating gadgets for the beer lover!
As is always the case, the fine folks at Keg Works have come up with another great list. This one, is ""10 Tools for Tailgating" and, well, there is some great stuff on the list! My favorite, and its so friggin brilliant in its simplicity, is the "Go Plate"! Seriously, how many problems does this one simple innovation solve? Just awesome!








We want you!!!
Do you have a favorite brewery/brew pub? A favorite beer you want everyone to know about? Do you have a fun or interesting story to tell folks about a trip to a brewery, or having a great beer after a long hike? We want you to share it with us! We are looking for guest contributors to The Beer Czar! You can write about anything you want, as long as it is just somewhat beer related. Funny, serious, informative, it can be any, or all of those things. If you are interested, please drop me a line at thebeerczar@gmail.com with some details, and we will get you posted here on The Beer Czar! We would love to have you! Check out a few of our past guest contributors!

A Look at Colorado - contributed by an old family friend, Jon
A Short Tour of Washington Brewery's - contributed from my good friend Daniell
Touring Sam Adams - contributed by my good friend (and Daniell's husband) Bobby

So please, if you have some fun beer stories or whatever, please, share them! (if you can include photos, that would be great, but if you don't have any, not a problem)


That's about all for this first edition of "SLIF", hope to bring you more in the future!

Have a safe and happy weekend everyone
Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

Rockin’ Taco Street Fest, and the Beer Czar wants to give you two tickets!

OK, disclaimer first thing, I know this isn't totally beer related, but let me say this. El Palacio is very
supportive of local breweries, and as far as Mexican restaurants go (they aren't always known for their tap selection) you won't find a better beer selection at one then you will find at El Palacio. You've read my write up's on their amazing beer dinners after all. Besides, they are a great bunch of folks over there, serve amazing food,  and I wanted to do what I could to spread a little love their way.

OK, that being said, this weekend, they are having a street taco festival! You've heard me say it before, but I'll say it again, if there is one thing I love almost as much as I love beer, its a taco, and the ones at El Palacio are as good as they come!

The festivities start this Saturday at 4 pm. There will be food, margaritas, beer, games, contests (mustache contest, and taco eating contest), a kid zone with pinatas, you name it.

The best part, there will be a raffle, and the grand prize, a trip to Ensenada Mexico!! The trip is for two to Ensenada will be given away to one lucky raffle ticket holder. Each $5 admission ticket automatically receives one raffle ticket; additional tickets will be available for $5 each or 2 for $8 the day of the event. Also, all participants in the taco eating and mustache contest will get FREE admission to the Rockin’ Taco Street Fest.





Oh, did I mention, live entertainment....I didn't? Well, there is live entertainment that includes performances
by Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ, DJ Hanzerelli and the Latino Rebel Band:

Here is the schedule.....

4-4:45 p.m.    Ballet Folklorico
5-5:15 p.m.    Taco Eating Contest, $100 cash prize
5:15-6 p.m.    Ballet Folklorico
6-6:15 p.m.    Mustache Contest, $100 cash prize
6:15-7:45 pm  DJ Hanzerelli
7:45-7:55 pm. Ensenada Raffle, do not have to be   present to win
8-10 p.m.        Latino Rebel Band

The famous Papas and Beer, in Ensenada!

As started above, admission is just $5 a person, but we want to help you with that. Email me at thebeerczar@gmail.com, in the subject line put "contest" and you will be entered to win a drawing for 2 tickets (remember, that also enters you in the raffle for the trip to Ensenada too don't forget!)

Good luck!
Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar


You can read the entire press release here....

El Palico does it again!

I've gotten very fond of this place!

A month or so ago, I wrote about a beer dinner at El Palacio in Chandler, featuring the beers of Breckenridge Brewery. The dinner, in a word, was awesome. The food was great, the beer was wonderful, and the hosts were everything you would want in a beer dinner. It left me wanting more quite honestly, a lot more.
Well, you could have imagined my excitement when I got a press release, announcing yet another beer dinner at El Palacio. This time, featuring the beers of Arizona's own Mudshark Brewing Company. I immediately RSVP'ed! Why wouldn't I? I wanted in!
Well, the dinner was last night,  and we were treated to another amazing display of culinary prowess by Chef Anthony, and a great array of beers presented by Mudshark! My friend Brandon was there to tell give us a little history of Mudshark (did you know, they started as a pizza joint?) and give a little preview of what to expect. Myself, as I am sure I can speak for everyone else there, were not disappointed! Lets have a look at what we were presented with....

Course One - 7 Layer Salsa with Up River Lager
 First off, let me say, this was a HUGE portion! From the start, I knew if I was going to get in all 5 courses, I wasn't going to finish this one, but after taking the first bite, I was regretting that decision! The salsa consisted of salsa fresco, salsa picante, beans, creme, guacamole, and queso and rice. It was awesome! I made sure to dig down to ensure I got a taste of all the layers. My favorite was the bottom layer of queso and rice (I just love cheese!). Digging through all layers of this beast was totally enjoyable, it almost drowned out the light Up River Lager it was paired with. A fine "river" beer as Brandon called it (same as what I refer to often on here as "pool" beer). I could see myself sitting poolside (or floating down the river) with a six pack of Up River and huge plate of this 7 layer salsa!



Course Two- Summer Salad with Scorpion Amber Ale
A fresh salad of petite greens, with heirloom tomatoes and Oaxaca cheese with strawberry habanero dressing, this course gave us our first kick of the evening. At first bite, the salad was almost sweet, and very tasty, but as a few seconds passed after putting this in your mouth, a little fire kicked in, and left  a warm, toasty goodness in your mouth, prompting you to take a sip of Scorpion Amber to douse the flames a little. It  wasn't firey hot, but it was enough to leave a little tingly, that the beer did a great job of sort of neutralizing in a wonderful way.

OK, this dinner is getting good!

Course Three - Steamed Mahi Mahi taco with Desert Magic IPA

OK, I will say upfront, this taco was of the hook! The fish was steamed in Desert Magic IPA, and served in a hard shell tortilla (not your normal fish taco). I will tell you, that the moment this dish was brought out to the table, there was a collective almost gasp of delight at the presentation of this dish! The taco's were served in a dented Mudshark beer can! I've always said, 70% of eating you do with your eyes, and in this case, Chef Anthony knocked it out of the park. Simple, yet creative, fun, and relevant to the dinner, my respect for him went up a few notches with this one. Again, it helps that the taco was great, and Desert Magic is just a solid beer, that went well along side this exciting dish!


Course Four- Mexican Kabob with Desert Moon Belgian White Ale
OK, the amount of food we got at this dinner was ridiculous. I remember telling someone sitting near me when this course came out "there is no way I am eating all this" and if you've ever seen me, I don't appear to be a guy that sends a lot of food back to the kitchen! The seasoning on this kabob was amazing, a salty, sweetness, that tasted wondful, that paired amazing with their Belgian white ale ( full disclosure, Full Moon is my favorite Mudshark beer). I always tell people, Belgian white ales are great beers to have with food, because they go so well with so many different foods. Specifically, the shrimp on the kabob (there was steak, chicken and shrimp) paired amazing with this citrusy beer. This course left me VERY full, but still wishing there was 4 more courses! Sadly, there was only one.




Course Five - Raspberry Flan with Mudsberry Raspberry Wheat Ale
OK, again, presentation is half of culinary arts in my opinion. Put a beautiful plate in front of someone, and they are far more likely to find the dish at least favorable. Well, let me just say, this plate, it was a work of art. I remember saying to the woman next to me "this plate is gorgeous!" she made mention of not wanting to eat it, it was so pretty! Arranged with the flan, was homemade whipped cream, berries, and eatable flowers, it was just SO colorful! The flavors were amazing as well. The flan was near perfect, and washed down with the Mudsberry beer, well, this was an epic conclusion to a great dinner!


Let me just say, if you've never been to El Palacio, you need to get there. The food is just awesome, and its family friendly! Chef Anthony is great, friendly, and a wonderful, talented chef. Get there! 

To wrap, this dinner was great! I believe I was told there were 45 people there, and all the folks I saw, and the ones I spoke to, seemed to be enjoying themselves, and experiencing something new. A beer dinner is a great way to learn a little more about beer, if you are someone that is just getting into craft beer, and its a great way for some of you self proclaimed "beer snobs" to reconnect with a breweries core line up, and discover how good a flagship beer can be! The food was awesome, the beer was great, and the company was enjoyable, is there a better way to spend a Wednesday night? If you find one, let me know.

I want to thank Brandon, from Mudshark for presenting some great beers to all us, and to Chef Anthony, for another killer dinner, you out did yourself! ( I can't wait for the next one! please tell me there is going to be a next one!!). I also want to thank Landon, Jennifer and the rest of the fine folks at HDE Agency for making all this happen, please continue to do what you do, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of it (and for the photos Jen!).

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends!

The Beer Czar  

Another Beer Dinner at El Palacio!!!

***Update***

This event is sold out

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

El Palacio, Chandler AZ

A few months ago, I wrote to tell you a little bit about a beer dinner at El Palacio Restaurant & Cantina in Chandler, featuring the beers of Breckenridge Brewery. If you want to read about, check it out here. I won't go into a ton of detail about that night here, but I will tell you, it was not only a great time, it was an awesome dinner! Chef Anthony Serrano did an amazing job coming up with dishes to compliment the beers offered up by Breckenridge, and Rick Lazague, there representing the brewery, did a spectacular job telling us about the beers, and educating us on what we were drinking, and what to look for while we experienced these beers with this great food.It was awesome!

Well, good news, Chef Anthony is doing it again! This time, with a local (Arizona) brewery! Mark your calenders, Wednesday, July 17th, 7 pm, Chef Anthony will be pairing up his food, with the beers of Lake Havasu City's Mudshark Brewing Company! This one is only $20 too!!!!! 5 course, 5 beers, for $20? Yeah, just plan on going.....

Here is what you can expect;

First Course -7 Layer Salsa—a Mexican salsa creation of epic proportions with layer upon layer of  goodness including salsa fresco, salsa picante, beans, crème, guacamole, queso and rice with Mudshark Brewing Up River Lager

Second Course - Summer Salad of heirloom tomatoes and Oaxaca cheese with strawberry habanero dressing. This dish is paired with Scorpion Amber Ale. 

Third Course - Steamed Mahi Mahi Taco paired with Desert Magic IPA.

Fourth Course -  Mexican Kabob of shrimp, chicken and steak served with a beer infused salsa verde will pair perfectly with Belgian Style White Ale.

Fith (dessert) Course - Raspberry Beer Infused Flan with Mudshark Brewing Mudsberry Raspberry Wheat.


I can think of nothing more to write to try and entice you to get yourself to this dinner, that should be more then enough!! You will not be disappointed, I can assure you. So, just do yourself a favor, and make a reservation for this event! Either call them at 480-802-5770, or go on their Facebook page here....  and RSVP via their page.

El Palacio is at
2950 E. Germann Road
Chandler, AZ 85249
480-802-5770
Visit their website here...

Mudshark Brewing Company is located at
210 Swanson Ave
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
928-453-2981
Visit their website here....

Hope to see you there!!
Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar

Join Me at the Streets of Mexico Beer Dinner!

I think I have mentioned on here at least once or twice before, one my favorite foods in the world, is a good fish taco. A very close second to that, are Mexican "street" tacos. So, you could imagine my delight when I was invited to attend a "Streets of Mexico Beer Dinner", hosted by El Palacio Restaurant in Chandler, that includes beers from Colorado's Breckenridge Brewing! The dinner is Wednesday, May 1st at 7 pm.  It is $30 a person, and from the looks of the menu, promises to be a pretty awesome dinner.


The menu, which is 5 course, is each paired with a different beer from Breckenridge.

The menu will be;

1. Ceviche with Summer Bright Ale
2. Elote with Agave Wheat
3. Carne Asada Street Tacos with 471 IPA
4. Fish Tacos! With Avalanche Ale
5. Dessert Tamalas with Vanilla Porter

I can't wait! To reserve your spot, just call
480-802-5770, or go to their Facebook page and comment on the Dinner Announcement to RSVP.


El Palacio's Website
El Palacio's Facebook Page
Breckenridge Brewing's Website


Want to see a few AWESOME commercials for Breckenridge brewing? Check them out here and here

I hope to see you there!

Until next time
Bottoms up my friends

The Beer Czar