Jenn and I happened into a microbrewery in Athens the other day. Craft Brewery makes a light smoked beer which has an aftertaste that is just like smoked gouda. It was weird yet awesome; we would have been in danger of drinking too much if they cost less than 6 euro ($8) each. We got on a train directly after the bar so I had 12 hours to ponder over how to smoke a beverage. My solution: a modified water pipe (basically a hookah) replacing the tobacco with some sort of wood chips. Though I couldn't see any way of pulling the smoke through without bringing oxygen and thereby oxidizing the ethanol. Turns out that smoked beer is made by smoking the malts before fermentation. Probably a bit extravagant for me, but there are quite a few breweries in the states that do it - though they seem to prefer making porters.
I think I will try the method I envisioned though. I have about 3 gallons of (awful) apple wine that may taste okay as smoked apple vinegar. And how about some smoked soy milk or yogurt? Sounds a bit gross, but I bet that's what they said about the gouda.
-Jim
Posts
