Bottoms Up for Freedom of the Press!
As you might guess, we take freedom of the press pretty seriously. What's the oldsaying? "First they came for the journalists and I did nothing…after that, we don't know what happened." That sounds about right. Anyway, it's not all created equal—journalism—but if we might toot our own horns here a moment, we think of ourselves as the scrappy little guy who does important work for our community, and who probably deserves a beer to be made because of that.
And so, one is being made. Huzzah! Turns out John Rowley, of Rowley's Farmhouse Ales, is a big fan of the press as well, and he's put together a special brewing project to benefit SFR as well as our sister papers in North Carolina (Indy Week) and Oregon (Willamette Week). Those other (awesome) papers will get brews from Bond Brothers Beer Company and Oakshire Brewing respectively, and here in Santa Fe, Rowley leads the charge.
What kind of brew will it be, you ask? Well, it's called 4th Estate (obvs), and it's a dark quad. This means a high ABV (that's alcohol by volume, and quads usually run between 9.1%-14.2%) and a heady, rich flavor that pairs well with sunshine laws, government transparency and what we can all agree is the best damn food newsletter in the effing world, The Fork.
Anyway, the beer was brewed last Saturday and will need time to do its thing in its little barrel, but we'll remind you when it's ready to go and we'll point out that SFR gets a little bit of cashola if/when you visit Rowley and get a pint of said beer. Excelsior!
Click here to learn more about this bad boy.
Also
-While we're talking about Rowley, the folks behind the brews want to make sure you're getting as much out of your beer drinking as humanly possible with the upcoming Off-Flavor Class. Master brewer John Rowley leads the lesson with 12 samples meant to teach and delight the tastebuds. You'll need to call 428-0719 to make a reservation for the class, which falls on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6 pm. It'll only set you back $35 clams, by which we mean smackers, bux, samolians, dollars, etc.
-Meanwhile, over at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Restaurant Martín is serving up a special 3-course meal to benefit the garden as part of its Food For Thought series. Owners Martín and Jennifer Rios are scheduled to give a talk on the zero waste awesomeness of their eatery. You're looking at March 19 for the date and tickets run $175-$200 depending on whether or not you're a member. Some of the ticket is tax-deductible.
-If you're stumped for last-minute Valentine's Day plans, the Chocolate Maven is hosting a special high tea thing for lovers. We're talking rose petal tea. ROSE PETAL! Make a reservation here. No, seriously, you have to make the rezzie if you want to go. It'll allow you to select a time and everything.
-Sad news for foodies this week as The Fork has learned longtime New Mexican chef Martin D Anton passed away. Among Anton's many contributions to the Santa Fe foodscape are stints at Café Pasqual's, Santacafé and The Bull Ring. We wish healing and peace to Anton's friends and family.
More Tidbits
-In news you should read if you just plum weren't pissed off enough today, a restaurant in Liverpool (that's in England) is selling an 8oz "ladies' fillet." As in, steaks for girls. Give us a fucking break. Pardon the language, it's just … yuck. The Fork would like to take this time to remind you that the trend of gender-based products is weird and bogus. To quote Ringo in Yellow Submarine, "Liverpool can be a lonely place on a Saturday night. And it's only Thursday morning."
-Remember how Chipotle got slapped with all those child labor infractions? Well, they're totally making up for it (yeah, right) by kicking off a program called Guac Mode, wherein people who join their loyalty rewards program (an absurd thing for an effing burrito chain) by Feb. 20 get free guac for the month. Hurry, we guess? Or, like, don't support businesses that overwork children?
-Over at McDonald's, the Shamrock Shake is coming back. Huzah! Remember to write all your Shamrock Shake cards, and don't forget about the Shamrock Shake parade.
-In entirely more interesting McDonald's news, has anyone else been watching the McMillions documentary series on HBO? It is downright riveting, Fork fans. The short version is that the Monopoly game at McDonald's (you know the one) was actually undermined by this super-intense fraud ring. Was it connected to organized crime? How much did McDonald's know? How did the FBI investigate the case? We're loving it. Sorry, sorry. It's just right there.
-Lastly this week, NPR reports that scientists have revived ancient date trees from 2,000-year-old seeds. We like this as fans of dates, and also of weird science stuff. They named one of the trees Methuselah, too, so that also rules. Anyway, it's apparently a big deal because these would have been similar dates to the sort Jesus himself might have eaten, so…know that.
Finally
In the print edition of SFR, certified gluten fan Cole Rehbein introduces us to Bread Shop, the bread bakery of one Jacob Brenner. We tried the bread, it was amazing.
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A Totally Scientific Breakdown of The Fork’s Correspondence
Number of Letters Received
21
*Nothing helpful.
Most Helpful Tip of the Week
…
*Like we said…
Actually Helpful Tip
Zip.
*Yeah.
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Scientifically yours,
The Fork
