Swig Autumn THE
MAGAZINE
&Grain
ISSUE
Hops
A sweet look into one of the most unique breweries in Austin
GUILT-FREE FEASTING Your holiday detox guide
$5.00
BONUS:
10 tips from your favorite local baristas
Sugar & Spice
Simple ways to add more flavor to your morning latte
Swig
Letter from the
Editor
MAGAZINE
EDITOR Catherine Alvarado PUBLISHER Katelyn Orlowski CREATIVE DIRECTOR Heather Leighton MARKETING DIRECTOR Wes Scarborough SOCIAL MEDIA Kristen Hubby Main Offices: 1929 Congress Ave. Suite 214 Austin, TX 78705
There’s a first time for everything. For me and my team, creating this issue was a first for all of us. When this project began, I don’t think any of us knew what we were in for. There were late nights, there were scrapped plans, there was confusion and a dash of chaos. But I think we made it out alright. We were inspired from the begin by the tastes and places that we loved, and what better place to start than our own backyard?
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This issue is the culmination of Austin’s best - from stand-out breweries to testedand-true recipes, we went the extra mile to find it for you.
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I know I speak for everyone when I say that we all really hope you enjoy it.
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Cheers, Printed and produced in the USA. Copyright Swig Magazine, 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Swig Magazine is a registered trademark of Swig Magazine, Inc.
Catherine Alvarado
Autumn THE
ISSUE
The Connoisseurs The Indulgence 5 Minutes with Meg Rie One of Halcyon’s best baristas reveals (almost) all her dirty secrets Q&A: Matt Henry of Houndstooth Coffee Henry dishes on his favorite drinks and shares an exclusive recipe
Guilt-Free Feasting The complete step-by-step guide to detoxing for the holidays Treat Your Host Our gift guide features presents for every price point
The Celebrations The Drinkeries Fall Gathering We walk you through every detail of the perfect autumn get-together Give Thanks 15 ways to show gratitude to friends, family and co-workers
Hops & Grain A behind-the-scenes look at H&G’s unique brewing process Juiceland How this all-natural juicery expanded their empire - and where they’re headed next
The Craft Do It Yourself A Taste of Cinnamon The complete scoop on this sweet spice Autumn Martinis You’ll fall for these festive cocktails
THIRSTY FOR MORE? Recipes, videos & exclusive content.
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Build Your Own Barcart We walk you through the process Holiday Table Decor 3 projects to give your dinner table that little extra something
Passion
Craft
for the
By Wesley Scarborough Photography by Heather Leighton Opening photo contributed by Hops & Grain
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Each time you visit Hops & Grain, the atmosphere is welcoming amd the beer is always flowing. With a knack for experimentation and a child-like love of board games, it’s hard to go wrong.
T
he moment you set foot into the taproom of Hops and Grain Brewery, your inner child is unleashed. No, not because you feel like a kid in a candy shop with the massive amount of beer you get to sample - 6 half pints with the purchase of a $10 glass to be exact – but because the taproom floor is cluttered with picnic tables each with about ten or twelve different board games. Candyland, Clue, Monopoly. You name it. All the same ones you had in your closet as a child are here. A crowd of mostly twenty-somethings usually fills the taproom, but a wide range of Austinites and outof-town beer enthusiasts will find their way to Hops and Grain. The brewery makes it an affordable venture to try alternatives to the usual mass-produced beers like Bud Light or Coors. After all, brewing is an art form, or at least that is how Bob Galligher, Brand Ambassador for Hops and Grain, sees it.
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“It’s one of the world’s oldest arts. When you get up to the fifteen-barrel system the art kinda goes away,” Bob says, “You’re loading in a thousand pounds of grain, pulling levers and pushing buttons at 4:30 in the morning, dealing with nasty chemicals and hot water. It becomes manual labor.” Bob and the rest of the staff at Hops and Grain take pride in their beer crafting, but they also recognize how they compare to the rest of the industry. According to Bob, craft brewing is only 7.8-7.9 percent of America’s beer industry. The rest are mass-produced by brands like Budweiser, Heineken, and Corona at rapid rates in 7
order to fight the competition. Bob calls it an arms race, which he sees as an opportunity for H&G to stand out. Their beer is made on a small batch system – just 3 barrels - with a sense of detail and inconsistency that makes the process all the more organic. “I’ve been a part of a lot of different industries, and brewing is the one that I found has the least amount of assholes,” says Bob. “The majority of us in the American craft brewing industry ultimately care about making the consumer have a smile on their face,” he says. While waiting in the taproom for the
brew tour to start, there is a chance to explore the myriad of brews Hops and Grain has to offer. What makes the brewery experience unique is what H&G calls the “Green House.” Four brewmasters take turns getting creative each week using a special small batch system. They create different beers such as their Dark IPA, their Double Belgium, and their Common Ale. Other concoctions include a Blueberry Rum and Barleywine. H&G has even concocted a signature Kombucha called the Wander-Bitz. H&G distributes a few of their brews to grocers like HEB and Whole Foods, as
well as local resteraunts. One special brew, titled, “The One They Call Zoe”, was voted as a favorite to drink during the Super Bowl by GQ Magazine. Bob laughs, “I told my parents I would one day make GQ magazine, so goddammit thank you Zoe.” The Hops and Grain experience has something different to offer each time you go. But if you were looking for pumpkin spice ale or a gingerbread porter, Bob has something to say to you - “We don’t do seasonals. We brew whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want.” g
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A Taste of
Cinnamon comes in many different forms including whole, buds or ground and many more varieties. Just in time for the holidays, we’ve compiled a crash-course to help you incorporate cinnamon into your diet. KNOW YOUR SPICE We list the 3 most common varieties.
Origin Story: Sri Lanka
Written & Photographed by Kristen Hubby The history of cinnamon is as deep and complex as its spicy CEYLON taste and the first recorded use dates back to the Egyptians in 2,000 B.C. Known as the “true” Centuries later, Arab traders had created a luxury market for cinnamon, this kind cinnamon across Western Europe making the spice desirable has higher oil content and expensive. Cinnamon has been used to treat everything and is best in coffee. from the common cold to Multiple Sclerosis. It all began with an ancient type of cinnamon named Ceylon, CASSIA native to Sri Lanka from the dried bark of the Zeylanicum This Indonesian variety tree. Ceylon has been known for has a stronger flavor hundreds of centuries and was and is spicier than first discovered by Portuguese what we have in the explorers in 1518 as a sacred States. Best on apple spice for healing, incense and pie or French toast. cooking. Cassia, another form of the sweet spice, finds it origins in Madagascar. It was sought out by SIAGON the Romans and Europeans after their initial discovery in Sri LanGrown in Vietnam, ka. This variety is special because this sweet spice is what of it’s sweet flavor and delicate, you probably keep smooth surface. g stocked in your pantry.
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Cinnamon Roll Smoothie 1 frozen banana 1 cup almond milk 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup Cinnamon stick to garnish Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth-add more almond milk if consistency is not smooth enough. Pour into a tall glass, and add the cinnamon stick for garnish.
Cinnamon Latte
1 ½ cups of water 3 halved cinnamon sticks 1 ⅛ cup of brown sugar 1 cup brewed coffee 1 cup heated, whipped milk In a small pot, boil the water and cinnamon sticks. Let steep for 10 minutes. Discard the spent cinnamon sticks. Add brown sugar to the cinnamon water mixture. Stir until all brown sugar is dissolved. Remove pot from the stovetop and allow to cool completely. You can store the cinnamon dolce syrup in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Brew strong coffee-- in a french press if possible-- and add ½ cup of coffee into a mug. Stir in 3 tbls. of the cinnamon dolce syrup. Pour in ½ the frothed milk and spoon whipped cream on top.
Soothing Cinnamon Milk 1 cup almond milk 1 teaspoon honey 2 drops vanilla extract A pinch of cinnamon Pour the milk into a microwave safe mug and cook it in the microwave until the milk begins to foam. Stir in the honey and vanilla, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy this nice cup of milk before bedtime and you will sleep like a baby.
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The Marketplace Treat Your Fall Hostess
Prepare for the season of fall gatherings and giving thanks with these fabulous gifts your hostess is sure to treasure. Extra points if you splurge on a little something from Vosges.
Champagne and Truffles Vosges $295
Festive Fair Isle Decanter West Elm $31
Corkcicle Air Uncommon Goods $25
Rooftop Honey Flight Uncommon Goods $45
Boylan Heritage Tonic Shop Terrain $10
Crystal Mixing Glass Bed Bath & Beyond $30
Horned Bottle Opener Anthropologie $30
Moscow Mule Mug Set One Kings Lane $35
The Cocktail Hour Mix Starbucks $10
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