{Cookies & Beer} Oatmeal Cookies with a Grown Up Twist

On a whim, I picked up some dried tart cherries that were on clearance and thought they'd make a fun alternative to raisins for my all-time favorite cookie--oatmeal chocolate chip with raisins.

After a little first day of Fall walk with the kiddo this week, we baked up some oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate chips and chopped dried cherries (we taste-tested the combo while making them, of course). The salty, chewy, chocolaty, bitter, tart combination is right up my alley.

I also had Goat Boy, an Imperial Weizenbock on hand, and opened it up to savor with these lovelies. Almond milk for the kiddo, and we were two happy campers. Cheers!

The beer is spicy, with notes of clove and mild banana aroma. The clove gets more noticeable as the beer warms, and the beautiful reddish color of the beer is just perfect for an early Fall afternoon.

Jen Price {A Lady Who Loves Beer}

While her brick and mortar might still be a ways off, she says she's gone to bed dreaming of the customers who frequent her "beer boutique" every night for two years. And she's recently taken a huge step forward in making that dream--reality.

A transportation planner by day, this Lady has led a not-so-secret life as a craft beer evangelist in her off hours, and is hoping to one day make it a full-time affair.

Already up and running with a mobile craft beer education venue called Atlanta Beer Boutique, she's partnered with businesses in the Atlanta area to make use of their space, and is spreading "the good word" through events featuring craft beer cocktails and food pairings located throughout the city.

With a series of 'Perfect Pairings' on the calendar in coming months--she's focused on bringing non-beer drinkers who have been turned away in the past--to the gospel of craft beer.

I had a chance to sit down with Jen last week (over some beers of course) and chat about her first loves and future plans.

Meet Jen Price: a lady who loves beer.  

Have you always been into beer? How did you get interested in it?

I think my earliest memory of drinking beer is with my Dad. Probably at 5, maybe. He used to drink High Life. The champagne of beers. I would prepare his beer, when I knew he was coming home. Pour it for him into his glass, and he would let me drink the foam off the top.

It’s my first choice. Next to that might be liquor, and if nothing else is available then I might drink wine. I would probably have water before I drink wine.

Top 5 Tuesday's {Food + Beer} Blogs You Should Devour Immediately

It's Tuesday! And that means it's time for a top five roundup of beer-y deliciousness that will make your head explode! OK, so maybe I just had too much coffee this morning, but hey!

This week I've got five {food + beer} blogs I've drooled over excessively somewhere in the last 30 days that you should devour immediately!

GET TO IT! EAT ALL THE THINGS! More exclamation marks!!!!!

1. Bacon & Legs http://www.baconandlegs.com/

In particular, these Tripel Threat (yes, I said Tripel) Fried Pickles with Satay Peanut Sauce. You had me at fried pickles. And bacon (note to readers, there's no actual bacon in this dish). Did I mention these have beer in them? Because they do. Oh, yes. And pickles.

From the source: "This dish has been designed to be an uncommon flavor experience. Belgian beer, dill pickles and peanut satay sauce aren’t exactly commonly found together. But the combination of the three are out of this world."

2. Beer & Baking http://beerandbaking.com/

Stacked donuts, stacked donuts! That's the little stacked donuts song I sing to myself while doing this motion (someone stop me before this gets too weird). Also, please make these for me ASAP. K, thx.

From the source: "Old Fashioned Glazed Doughnuts are my favorite doughnut in the whole entire doughnut world. It’s nostalgia, it’s comforting, it’s familiar, and it’s crunchy and delicious."



3. Love Beer, Love Food http://lovebeerlovefood.com/

Love beer? Love food? Check out the delectable delights from the smarty pants Cicerone at Lovebeerlovefood, including these saucy beer-infused oysters!

From the source: "Whenever I make a trip to my hometown of Boston I basically subsist on a diet of seafood and beer. [...] This recipe is my take on the classic mignonette with plenty of freshly grated ginger, shallot, lemon zest, beer and a touch of vinegar."




4. Life, Food, and Beer http://lifefoodandbeer.com/

Beer chili cheese fries with jalapeno cheddar cheese? Yep. Plus a recipe for homemade beer chili. Tastes even better after a night of drinking, or so I'm told.

From the source: "It was like eating nachos. The flat potatoes made it much easier to hold all the chili and cheese goodness. I was so impatient with these pictures, I literally took four pictures because I couldn’t wait any longer to dig in! And I may have slapped Huck’s hand when he tried to steal one! I was hungry and don’t like to share!"


5. Cooking and Beer http://www.cookingandbeer.com/

Because you always need dinner rolls (and beer).

From the source: "I was seriously craving some dinner rolls at this point. Actually, I was craving turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce AND dinner rolls…but I’m trying to be patient here and not go crazy when Thanksgiving is still months away. I have problems, and I’m really trying to soak up these last days of summer. I promise. This is one of my favorite dinner roll recipes. It never fails. This time I added beer, and it seriously gave a whole new meaning to life."

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Do you have a favorite {Food + Beer} blog that I missed? Let me know in the comments on TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM (Stay tuned for more TopFiveTuesday roundups coming soon!).

Seasons' Sippings: A Feast of Georgia's Craft Beer for Fall

It’s early September, but my brain is already in full-time Fall mode. I keep thinking creme brulee, sweet potato pie, mountains of buttery garlic mashed potato...

And also beer. Of course.

SNEAK PEAK! Coming soon, I’ll have some new craft beer pairings to share with y’all, including seasonal deliciousness scheduled for the Brewer’s Association website craftbeer.com in October. And I've partnered with Peach State Ale Trail to provide some syndicated and original content!

In the meantime, you and I both can start planning our holiday craft beer “to drink” lists with these local offerings from breweries and brewpubs all around Georgia!

Here's what Georgia had to say when I asked what's on tap for Fall!

Editor's Note: Although attempts were made to include all Georgia breweries and brewpubs in this list, some responses were not received prior to publication deadline when solicited for comment. Updates will be added as new information becomes available.

Visit for a bite and a pint, or check your local growler shop for tap selections.

Rick Tanner's Grille & Bar/Cherry Street Brewing Cooperative: “We will have a Pumpkin Pie Porter coming out this month and then our holiday Feliz Naviquad Belgian ale around Christmas. We will also be Releasing our Dylan's Dubbel and Hoppy Balboa Dbl IPA this year."

Max Lagers: “MaxFest Oktoberfest will tap Sept 20. Other upcoming beers: The Gremlin Baltic Porter, Harvest Ale, Old 320 Barley Wine. Harvest is a deep red beer with a balance of toasted malt and citrusy hops. Baltic is a collab with Gremlin Growlers with smoky/coffee notes and will likely be wood-aged. Old 320 is an American-style Barleywine which I haven't brewed in 4 years, but will likely stay true to the original. It’s won several ACATs in the past.”

Twains: “We'll have out AutumnFest Ale, and at least one more, but we haven't decided yet. Tuesday September 9 at 7 pm, we will be tapping a collaboration beer with Second Self, a Summer Saison. We can't wait to see you there!”

Wrecking Bar: “This Fall we'll release a Black Rye IPA, Oktoberfest, a Brett Porter and a Pumpkin Dubbel. Later we'll have a Gingerbread Imperial Brown.”

5 Seasons: "We'll have our annual Oktoberfest Lager release. And we do a huge Oktoberfest celebration. At 5 North it is on Saturday, September 27, and at 5 Westside it will be on Sunday the 28th.