No matter what the weather holds this May Long Weekend, one thing’s for sure, having a Big Rock Beer in your hand will make it a lot better!

That being said, I’ve carefully selected some dishes that will tingle your taste-buds when washed down with a Trad, Hopper or Big Rock Lime.

But just like our beer, I like to make my pairings from scratch, with fresh ingredients, so below you’ll find some great recipes to have with our great beer.

Enjoy!

Big Rock Lime & Guacamole

What we love about our Big Rock Lime is that it’s Beer 1st, Lime 2nd.

If you want more lime, give a squeeze, and if you want that lime flavour to come out even more, make this Guac!

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Garnish with red radishes or jicama. Serve with tortilla chips.

Method

1Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.

2 Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.

Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.

3 Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

4 Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

Grasshopper & Spolumbos

A Grasshopper is a wheat ale, and nothing goes better with wheat ales than sausages, and where do the best sausages come from??? Spolumbos of course!!  

Mike Palumbo has this great recipe I just had to share it with you.

Michael’s Italian Sausage with Potatoes and Peppers

• 2 links Spolumbo’s Mild or Spicy Italian Sausage
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large potatoes (cubed 1/2 inch)
• 2 red bell peppers (cut julienne style)
• 1 cup white onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (chopped fine)
• 1/2 tsp crushed chilies or 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp of ground oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Bake or barbecue sausages until almost done. Cut to bite-size portions and set aside. Heat oil over medium heat in a deep fry pan. Add potatoes. Cook potatoes 5 minutes, add peppers, onions and garlic. Cook 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Peppers should begin to soften, potatoes will be crispy brown. Add sausage, simmer an additional 10 minutes. Mix in remaining spices one at a time. Serves 4.

Trad and Pie!? 

I know it sounds weird, but if you serve our Traditional Ale @ 5 degrees Celsius, or even warmer, you’ll really get a full, rich caramel flavour. And what’s the perfect accompaniment to caramel? Good ole apple pie.

 Ingredients: 

• 6 Granny Smith Cored Sliced Tart Green Apples
• 2 Cups Of White All Purpose Baking Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Of Cold 2% Milk
• 1/2 Cup Of Wesson Pure Vegetable Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Of Fine Ground Table Salt
• 3/4 Teaspoon Of Organic Ground Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Cups Of C&H White Superfine Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Of Real Salted Butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon Of Organic Ground Nutmeg

 Method:

To get started, first you should preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 175 degrees Celsius.

To begin the pie crust, first take out a large mixing bowl.

Add into the bowl one and a half cups of white all purpose baking flour, the vegetable oil, milk, one and a half teaspoons of sugar, and the table salt.

Blend the ingredients together using an electric mixer until the crust dough is firm.

Spread the dough evenly over a nine inch pie pan, making sure the dough covers the pan sides.

Crimp the edges of the dough around the edge.

Next onward to the pie filling.

Take out another mixing bowl, and add in a three quarters cup of sugar, three tablespoons of baking flour, the cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Mix these ingredients together until they are even and consistent.

Next add in the sliced seedless cored apple pieces, seal the bowl, and then toss it vigorously until the fruit is evenly coated.

Moving along, next spread the apple filling out in the pie pan with the prepared unbaked crust.

Now you will be preparing the pie topping.

Take out a pastry cutter, and mix together half a cup of flour, half a cup of white sugar, and the butter.

Once the topping is crumbly, sprinkle it over the top of the apple filling.

You are now ready to bake your pie for forty five minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden.