The high demand for these specialty beers, though, is creating a black market, and unauthorized dealers are selling them underground or online for inflated prices.  All in an effort to profit from another’s time, hard work, and passion.

Besides simply taking from what the brewer so whole-heartedly put in to the craft beer, there are other reasons they are opposed to this black market of beers.  Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Company, says that quality control is at the heart of the issue.  “Beer is a food product and it does not take much to spoil it,” she states.  Imbibing in beer that is not at its best can harm the reputation of the brewer, but still, this is not the end of the harmful effects of bootlegging.  There are costs involved in making and selling the beer, underlying costs beyond the obvious expenditures for materials.  There are business licenses, taxes, production costs that aren’t accounted for when the beer is sold underground.

Unscrupulous black market beer geeks work around the alcohol regulations, too, as they often lack the proper permits to sell alcohol.  By marketing the rare craft brews as “collectible beer bottles” and not mentioning the content of those bottles, they have found a way to divert the system, at least temporarily, as eBay for one is working to prohibit these sales.

So what is a beer-lover to do?  How do you legally get your hands on these scarce relics of the industry, the “whales” in the beer community?  First, try beer trading.  You can find traders online on Craigslist, or Beer Advocate (which, by the way, also posts a “Bad Traders List” to help you avoid price gougers and unethical sellers.)  Or you can join a membership club.  You can find friends who are visiting the area around where your favorite beer is located and have them help you obtain a few bottles or cases.  When there is a will, there is usually a way, and there are opportunities out there for nabbing the vintage beers. You may have to be creative, and you may have to be flexible in your choices, but it is possible.

And what should you do if you do manage to score a rare brew?  Devon, from an article found on www.drinkcraftbeer.com, tells of the five basic rules he follows if he is ever able to get hold of his favorite rare beer, Heady Topper, from The Alchemist in Vermont.  First, he says you should never be greedy.  Don’t buy up all the beer in one purchase—the reason you found it in the first place is because the person before you didn’t do just that.  Second, don’t sell it.  He says that “not everything has to be about money all the time.  Just enjoy the beer.”  Third, drink it now!  As I mentioned earlier, beer is a food product and is meant to be enjoyed soon after purchase.  And as Devon says, there is always new beer coming out.  Fourth, share it.  You may get a little less of your favorite but karma dictates that someone you share it with will likely share their next score with you—win-win in my opinion.  And he is quick to point out that you should share some with your not-so-savvy beer-drinking friends.  Help them learn to love craft beer the way you do!  And lastly, beer should be fun.  If you don’t get the exact beer you wanted, no worries, there will always be new and exciting beers out there.  If you ever take beer too seriously…well, just don’t do that.

Do you have a favorite special artisanal beer?  How do you go about obtaining it?  I bet there are plenty of beer lovers out there who would love to hear your secrets!

The post The Dark Side of Specialty Crafted Beer appeared first on Houston's Blog.

In addition to a history rife with heroes, from Frederick Douglass to Martin Luther King, Jr., to Jackie Robinson, Black Americans also bring to the table a delectable cuisine, borne from the days when slaves prepared meals for their families with little food and limited supplies and resources.   Staples such as black eyed peas and sweet potatoes, corn, and greens were used to make tasty concoctions that could be cooked in a cast iron skillet over an open fire.  Recipes and cooking techniques were passed along orally to later generations, and although meals have evolved to embrace a healthier lifestyle, the essence of the dishes remains the same.

Grits, or chitterlings, are simply coarsely ground dried corn.  There’s no wrong way to prepare grits, they take on the flavor of whatever you use to enhance the dish.  Butter, pork fat, herbs and spices, all enhance the corn in unique yet tasty ways.

Basic Grits Recipe

1 cup liquid (stock, water, milk)

¼ cup grits (coarse ground)

Bring liquid to a boil and add grits.  Reduce heat to low and cook about 30 minutes, stirring often, until grits have are thickened and creamy.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, add a pat of butter if you want, or maybe even some bacon fat or herbs.

Black eyed peas were thought to bring good luck when eaten at the New Year, although they were a staple all the year through.  Flavorful and full of nutrients, black eyed peas are as easy to make as grits!

Black Eyed Peas

1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight

1-2 large ham hocks

¼ cup diced onion

Pepper, garlic powder, salt, crushed red pepper, or other herbs as desired

5 cups water or stock

Simmer all ingredients for about two hours, until peas are tender.  Add more liquid as needed (liquid should always be about 1” over beans in the pot.)  When peas are tender, remove the ham hock and pull any meat from the bone and drop into the peas.  Serve over rice if desired.

Greens are an essential part of the “soul food” menu, and they are as easy to make as they are delicious to eat. Our friend the ham hock shows up again, and adds an unmatched salty-smoky flavor to the greens.

Mess o’ Greens

1 large ham hock

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Bacon drippings

1 onion, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons vinegar (cider is best)

3 bunches collard greens, trimmed

Sugar to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the ham hock in 2 cups of water for several hours, or cook in a pressure cooker for about 45 minutes.

Saute the onion and garlic in bacon drippings, then add sugar, crushed red pepper, and ½ cup water.  Add the collards and simmer on low until wilted.  Pull the meat from the ham hock and add to the greens with the liquid used to cook the hock.

Sweet potatoes thrived in the soil common to the south, stored well over the winter months, and were rich in nutrients, thus making them a prevalent element of slave diet.  Just two large potatoes made a decadent pie, and the result was a treat that was naturally sweeter than its pumpkin counterpart.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 1/3 cups of sugar (brown, white, or any combination of the two)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

3 eggs

½ cup milk

6 tablespoons butter

Mix all ingredients until smooth and pour into an uncooked pie shell.  Bake at 350 for about an hour (pie should be firm when touched in the center.)  Top with whipped cream if desired.

The post In Honor of Black History Month appeared first on Houston's Blog.