Absolut Pear Vodka, Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice, and Champagne

SPARKLING PEAR

Stella Artois

Thirsty Dog Labrador Lager

Fat Head Head Hunter IPA

Peroni

Blue Moon

Heineken

Yuengling Lager

Guinness

Michelob Light

Corona Light

Coors Light

Corona

Bud Light

Amstel Light

Budweiser

Sam Adams Boston Lager

Miller Lite

CAESAR

MEATBALLS

mesclun and romaine hearts, tomato relish and mozzarella

MIXED GREENS

artichokes, roasted red peppers, alfredo and capers in a lemon wine sauce

VEAL PICCATA

sweet sausage, onions and peppers sautéed with cubanelle pepper, Italian sausage, smoked mozzarella with marinara sauce

STUFFED PEPPERS

MINI CRAB CAKES

Place a Champagne flute or coupe in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure the final drink is well chilled.

Chill glass

Add Absolut Pear vodka (1.5 oz), elderflower liqueur (0.5 oz), fresh lime juice (0.5 oz), and simple syrup (0.25 oz, optional) into a cocktail shaker.

Fill the shaker with ice cubes (about 1 cup) and secure the lid.

Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels cold (this chills and slightly dilutes the base for balance).

Discard the ice or water from the chilled flute/coupe if you used it to chill the glass.

Strain the chilled mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cocktail strainer into the chilled Champagne flute, leaving about 1/3 of the glass empty for sparkling wine.

Slowly top with cold dry Champagne or sparkling wine (3 oz). Pour gently down the side of the glass to preserve bubbles and avoid foaming over.

Garnish with a thin pear slice slid onto the rim or floated on top and/or a lime twist expressed over the drink and dropped in.

Serve immediately while the Champagne is effervescent.

Absolut Pear vodka

Elderflower liqueur (e.g., St-Germain)

Fresh lime juice

Dry Champagne or quality dry sparkling wine

Simple syrup (optional, 1:1)

Thin pear slice (preferably Bosc or Bartlett)

Lime twist (optional)

Ice cubes (for shaking)

If desired, chill the chalice or pilsner glass by placing it in the freezer for 10–15 minutes or filling it with ice cubes and cold water for 2–3 minutes. Empty the ice water and dry the rim with a clean towel.

Prepare glass

If you want a lightly seasoned rim, wet a small section of the glass rim with a lemon twist (run the peel along the rim) and dip that part briefly into the coarse salt. This is optional and not traditional.

Twist or cut one lemon wheel for garnish. Set aside on a small plate.

Hold the chilled Stella Artois bottle at a 45° angle about 1–2 inches above the inside of the glass. Begin pouring gently so beer flows down the side of the glass to produce a controlled head. When the glass is about two-thirds full, slowly tilt the bottle upright and pour down the center to create a 1/2- to 1-inch head of foam. Aim for a smooth, creamy head—this enhances aroma and presentation.

Pouring the beer

If the glass was chilled with ice water, ensure it is dry before pouring to avoid excessive foaming. Do not pour onto frozen ice cubes inside the glass.

Garnish the rim or place the lemon wheel on the glass after pouring, if desired. Serve immediately while cold.

lemon twist or lemon wheel

coarse salt (optional, for rimming)

Stella Artois lager (preferably chilled to 38–45°F / 3–7°C)

ice (for chilling glass, optional)

Heat about 18 liters of water to 74°C. If using chlorinated tap water, add the Campden tablet to the strike water and wait 5 minutes. Dissolve the brewing salts (2 tsp CaCl2 and 1 tsp gypsum) into the strike water to adjust mash pH and mouthfeel.

Heat water and treat

Add the crushed Maris Otter, flaked rice, light crystal malt, and liquid amber malt to the mash tun. Stir thoroughly to eliminate dry pockets and ensure even hydration. Target mash temperature: 65°C for a balanced fermentable profile and medium body. Dough in slowly while stirring to avoid lumps.

Mash in

Hold the mash at 65°C for 60 minutes. Check starch conversion with an iodine test after 45 minutes; if purple/black appears, continue until it stays brown. Gently recirculate (vorlauf) until runnings are clear to improve wort clarity.

Mash rest

Raise the mash temperature to 76°C (mash out) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort runoff. This helps produce a lager with a stable body and good attenuation.

Mash out

Sparge with approximately 10 liters of water heated to 75–78°C, collecting enough wort to yield about 23–25 liters pre-boil (adjust slightly based on system losses). Aim to rinse all sugars while avoiding tannin extraction by keeping the sparge temperature below 78°C.

Sparge

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil. Watch for boilovers as proteins and hop material foam early in the boil.

Bring to a boil

At the start of a 60-minute boil, add 30 g Magnum hops for bittering. Begin the 60-minute timer.

Bittering hop addition

With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 10 g Saaz hops and 1 tsp Irish moss (or 1 Whirlfloc tablet) to aid kettle clarity. With 5 minutes left, add the remaining 15 g Saaz hops for aroma and a soft hop profile.

Late hop and clarifier additions

After 60 minutes total boil time, turn off the heat and prepare to chill. Total pre-fermentation wort volume should be roughly 20–23 liters depending on evaporation and system losses.

End of boil

Use a wort chiller (immersion or plate) to cool the wort rapidly to about 12°C–14°C for pitching lager yeast. Rapid cooling reduces chance of infection and helps cold break formation. If using an ale yeast for a pseudo-lager, cool to 18°C.

Cool wort quickly

Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter. Aerate or oxygenate the wort thoroughly (60–90 seconds with pure oxygen or vigorous shaking for several minutes). Pitch the refrigerated yeast pack or a properly prepared starter once the wort is at pitching temperature (12–14°C for true lager yeast).

Aerate wort and pitch yeast

Ferment at 12–14°C until vigorous activity subsides (approx. 7–10 days). Monitor gravity; expect rapid decrease early and slowing after 5–7 days. Maintain stable temperature for clean, crisp lager character.

Primary fermentation

After primary fermentation slows and gravity is approaching terminal (about 1–2 points above expected FG), raise temperature to 16–18°C for 48–72 hours to allow yeast to reabsorb diacetyl and clean up fermentation byproducts.

Diacetyl rest

After the diacetyl rest, gradually lower the temperature to 1–3°C over 2–3 days and condition (lager) for 3–6 weeks. This cold storage clarifies the beer and smooths flavors, producing the clean, crisp lager profile expected for 'Thirsty Dog Labrador Lager.'

Lagering (cold conditioning)

Boil 110 g of dextrose in about 250 ml of water for 5 minutes to sanitize. Cool to room temperature.

Prepare priming sugar

If bottling: transfer beer to a sanitized bottling bucket, gently mix in the cooled priming solution to ensure even carbonation, and fill and cap sanitized bottles. If kegging: force carbonate to about 2.4–2.6 volumes CO2 or add the priming solution before bottling if you prefer natural conditioning.

Bottle or keg

If bottled, store at 18–22°C for 10–14 days for bottle conditioning, then chill and lager for an additional week for best clarity. If kegged and force-carbonated, cold-condition at 1–3°C for 1–2 weeks before serving to allow flavors to mellow.

Conditioning

Clean all equipment with PBW or equivalent then sanitize with Star San (or similar no-rinse sanitizer) before any wort or beer touches them. Proper sanitization is essential to avoid infections and off-flavors.

Sanitize all equipment

Record original gravity (OG), fermentation temperatures, and final gravity (FG). Expect OG around 1.048–1.052 and FG around 1.008–1.012, yielding an ABV of ~4.5–5.0% for a sessionable Labrador Lager.

Record keeping

Maris Otter pale malt (crushed)

Light crystal malt (10L)

Flaked rice (adjunct for lighter body and color)

Liquid amber/caramel malt (40L) (small amount for color balance)

Flaked maize or corn sugar (optional to dry and lighten)

Hops - Magnum (14% alpha acid) - bittering

Hops - Saaz (or Hallertau Mittelfrüh) - aroma

Irish moss (clarifier) or Whirlfloc tablet

Lager yeast (clean, low ester German lager strain, e.g., Wyeast 2124 or Saflager W-34/70)

Priming sugar (for bottle conditioning) - dextrose (corn sugar)

Brewing salt: Calcium chloride (CaCl2)

Brewing salt: Gypsum (calcium sulfate)

Water (mash and sparge)

Star San or PBW (cleaner/sanitizer)

Campden tablet (optional, to remove chlorine)

Heat 4.5 - 5.0 gallons of water to 165°F (73.8°C) to achieve a mash temperature of about 152°F (66.7°C) when grain is added. Adjust volume for your system's mash/sparge loss.

Heat strike water

Add the crushed Pilsner, Wheat, Carapils, Crystal 10L and flaked corn to the mash tun and stir to eliminate dough balls. Hold at 152°F (66.7°C) for 60 minutes to convert starches to fermentable sugars.

Raise mash temperature to 168°F (75.5°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzyme activity and improve wort runoff.

Mash out (optional)

Recirculate until wort runs clear, then sparge with enough water to collect ~6.5 - 7.0 gallons of pre-boil wort (account for boil-off to yield ~5.5 gallons post-boil).

Sparge / Lauter

If using extracts, steep specialty grains (Carapils, Crystal, flaked corn, wheat) in ~2.5 gallons of 150–160°F (65–71°C) water for 20–30 minutes, remove grains, then add enough light liquid or dry malt extract to reach the equivalent gravity (target OG ~1.065). Top up to boil volume.

Partial mash / extract note

Bring collected wort to a vigorous boil. Boil time: 60 minutes.

Bring to boil

At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 1 oz Columbus (bittering). Begin the 60-minute timer.

60-minute (bittering) addition

With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 tsp Irish moss or Whirlfloc and 1 tsp yeast nutrient (optional) and add 1 oz Centennial for flavor.

15-minute addition

With 5 minutes remaining, add 1 oz Amarillo and 1 oz Citra. This delivers bright late-hop flavor and aroma.

5-minute addition

At flameout, chill the wort quickly. Optionally add 1 oz Centennial (if you prefer a heavier late-hop aroma) in the last 1 minute or at flameout.

End of boil / flameout

Cool wort rapidly to pitching temperature (approximately 66–68°F / 19–20°C) using an immersion chiller or ice bath to minimize infection risk and hop oxidation.

Cool wort

Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving the last few ounces of trub behind. Top up with water if necessary to reach ~5.0 gallons.

Transfer to fermenter

Aerate wort well (shake, splashing, or oxygenate) and pitch the yeast (one pack or a properly prepared starter). Ferment at 66–68°F (19–20°C).

Pitch yeast

Allow primary fermentation to proceed 5–7 days until vigorous activity slows and SG has dropped significantly (expect final gravity around 1.012–1.016 depending on attenuation).

After 3–5 days of primary (when active fermentation has slowed but not fully finished), add dry hops to the fermenter: 2 oz Citra + 2 oz Mosaic. This timing encourages biotransformation while minimizing grassy compounds.

Timing for dry hop

Leave dry hops in contact for 3–5 days. Maintain fermentation temperature around 66–68°F (19–20°C).

Dry hop contact

After dry hop period, cold crash to ~35–40°F (2–4°C) for 24–48 hours to help settle hops and yeast prior to packaging.

Optional cold crash

If bottling, dissolve 4 oz priming sugar in 12 oz (approx. 355 ml) boiling water, cool, and add to bottling bucket. Rack beer off sediment into bottling bucket and gently mix with priming solution.

Prepare for bottling

Fill sanitized bottles and cap, or transfer to a keg and carbonate to ~2.3–2.5 volumes CO2. If bottling, allow bottles to carbonate at room temperature for 10–14 days.

Condition beer for 1–2 weeks (bottle) or force carbonate & condition in keg for a few days. Allow flavors to settle and hop aroma to integrate.

Target original gravity: ~1.064–1.068. Target final gravity: ~1.012–1.016. Estimated ABV: ~6.5–7.0%. IBU: ~60–70 (bitter but balanced). Color: pale gold (3–6 SRM). The recipe emphasizes a full-bodied malt backbone (flaked corn and wheat add lightness and head retention) with assertive American hop character: pine/citrus from Columbus/Centennial/Amarillo and tropical/citrus from Citra and Mosaic dry hops.

Pilsner malt (or Pale liquid malt if all-grain unavailable)

Flaked corn

Wheat malt

Carapils / Dextrin malt

Crystal/Caramel 10L

Columbus (or CTZ) - bittering

Centennial - flavor/aroma

Amarillo - late addition

Citra - late addition / dry hop

Mosaic - dry hop

American Ale yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1056, Safale US-05)

Irish moss (or Whirlfloc) - optional clarifier

Yeast nutrient (optional)

Brewing water (adjusted for a moderately soft profile; add gypsum & calcium chloride as needed)

Priming sugar (for bottling)

Place the pilsner or lager glass in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or fill it with ice and cold water for 3–5 minutes to chill quickly. If using ice to chill, discard the ice and water and dry the glass before pouring.

Chill glass (optional)

If you prefer a faint citrus accent, cut a lemon wedge and set it aside on the rim of the glass or serve on the side.

Remove the bottle cap from the Peroni using a bottle opener. Hold the bottle upright and steady.

Open bottle

Hold the chilled glass at a 45° angle. Begin pouring the Peroni gently down the side of the glass so the liquid runs along the wall. Fill until the glass is about three-quarters full.

Angle and pour

Straighten the glass to an upright position and continue pouring into the center to produce a 1/2–1 inch (1–2 cm) foamy head. Avoid overpouring to stop excessive foam.

Create the head

If you prefer less carbonation and a flatter pour, pour more slowly and avoid a direct stream into the center.

Wipe any drips from the bottle neck or glass rim with a napkin.

Garnish the rim with the lemon wedge only if desired. Traditional Peroni is served without garnish; the wedge is optional and for those who want a light citrus note.

Place the glass on a coaster and serve immediately while cold.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro (lager)

Lemon wedge (optional)

Ice (optional — for chilled glass)

Chilled pilsner or lager glass

Beer coaster

Chill a coupe or martini glass by filling it with ice water while you prepare the cocktail, or place it in the freezer for 5–10 minutes.

Add gin, blue curaçao, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and the egg white to a cocktail shaker. Do not add ice yet. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify and create a frothy texture.

Dry shake (emulsify egg white)

Open the shaker, add the ice (about 4 large cubes), reseal, and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is cold and you see good condensation. This chills and lightly dilutes the cocktail.

Wet shake (chill and dilute)

Dump the ice water from the chilled glass and strain the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe or martini glass to remove any small ice shards and ensure a silky foam. If desired, add one dash of angostura or orange bitters over the foam for aroma.

Serve

Express the oils of a lemon twist over the foam and drop it in, or float a thin lemon wheel on the foam. Serve immediately.

Garnish

blue curaçao

fresh lemon juice

simple syrup (1:1)

egg white

ice (for shaking)

ice (for serving)

lemon twist or wheel

angostura or orange bitters (optional)

Refrigerate the Heineken until well chilled (recommended 3–5°C / 37–41°F). If using a bottle straight from a fridge, let it sit upright for a few minutes to allow sediment (if any) to settle.

Chill bottle or can

If you prefer a glass, use a clean, dry pilsner or tulip glass. Rinse briefly with cold water and gently tilt the glass at about 45 degrees.

Sparkling Pear

Stella Artois

Thirsty Dog Labrador Lager

Fat Head Head Hunter Ipa