Good Ale.

Tonight was First Night, for the official tasting of my first batch of homebrew.

It was fantastic!

Definitely a bit stronger than the usual ale, after the first glass I had a nice bit of a buzz going.  The flavor was good, rich and full and just a hint of bitterness at the very end of a long swallow.  I love a good brown ale, and this certainly qualified as a GOOD ale.

It called for pub food, so I made a batch of Mexican Potato Nachos.  If you're looking for a good nosh to go with a good beer, you should definitely try these.

Mexican Potato Nachos

You'll need a half dozen or so medium potatoes, scrubbed and slice thinly like round chips (I used yukon gold potatoes); olive oil, salt, pepper, one pound of ground beef (or whatever meat or meat substitute you want to use), one can of black beans, drained and rinsed; a packet of taco seasoning, a cup of water, shredded cheese, salsa and assorted toppings such as diced tomatoes, onions, olives, sour cream, etc.

Toss the sliced potatoes with a slosh of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread in a roughly single layer on a large cookie sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until brown and crispy.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large skillet and add beans.  Stir in taco seasoning and water, simmer until thickened.  Take potatoes out of oven, cover with meat mixture.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and return to oven for a minute or two until cheese melts, all gooey-delicious-bubbliness.  Serve hot, with garnishes as desired piled on top.

As I mentioned earlier, this goes really well with a nice, cold beer.  I recommend sharing both the beer and the pile o' nachos with good friends, which is a wonderful way to spend the evening, any way you look at it.