Food/Drink 7.16.20

TRY THIS WEEK: Barbecue Plate @ Wayne’s Smoke Shack

Dangit, Wayne’s is good. It’s Texas-style barbecue served up simply — on a platter — with your choice of sides and sauces. Most meats will sell out by early afternoon, so get there early to have your pick of the menu. We opted for slow smoked pork shoulder, St. Louis ribs and candied pork belly. The ribs have a tremendously textured and smoky-flavored bark with tender meat falling off the bone. The pulled pork shoulder is succulent, almost juicy. But, wow, the candied pork belly is as good as it sounds — slightly sweet, mapletinged bark with unctuous, melty, fatty meat on the inside.

Drink this: West Flanders Brewing Co.’s Holy Wit!

July 18 is St. Arnoldus Day, the celebration of the 11th-century bishop and a patron saint of Belgium brewers. Back in Arnold’s day, clean drinking water was hard to come by, making many sick. During one epidemic, Arnold, an abbot in Oudenberg, brewed beer (which is boiled and thus free of bacteria) and advised the locals to drink it instead. They complied, and Arnold saved lives, one pint at a time. To honor the saint, Brussels holds a parade every July. And since you can’t go to Brussels to partake, hoist a glass at Boulder’s West Flanders Brewing Co. Brewmaster Brian Lutz has been championing Flemish ales since the 1990s, and West Flanders pours a couple of his best: the Belgian-style Abbey ale, Angry Monk, and Trippel Lutz. But on a hot, dry July day, nothing quenches the thirst like Holy Wit! Cloudy orange with a soft, sparkling head, the mouth is full of carbonation, sweet orange, spicy coriander and creamy malt. It’s way more refreshing than water and downright life-affirming. The health epidemic may be different, but the advice remains: Don’t drink the water, drink the beer.

You want high-end Colorado-grown cider?

You got it. Colorado’s Snowcapped Cider recently released Gold Rush, made from coveted cider apples (Blanc Mollet, Ashmead’s Kernel, English Golden Russet and Dabinett) that were carefully cultivated and grown in 109-year old orchards. It’s pressed and slow-fermented for a semi-sparkling finish. Said owner Kari Williams, “These apples are not readily available to cider makers, and most orchards in the U.S. do not grow them. If they do, it’s a small amount. The varietals are from France and England, are estate-grown and sourced from one location.” Find Gold Rush and other Snowcapped Cider products at a Boulder County liquor stores using the handy tool at snowcappedcider.com/cider-finder.