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Top 10 Most Popular ES Posts of 2012

Another year gone by (ES’ sixth!) means another chance to look back at the very best in alcoholic desserts, sandwich porn, and food-related cursing debates we spat your way this year. Here are ES’ top 10 most popular posts of 2012.

10. Homemade Twix

twix

Gotta love that feeling of patting yourself on the back for making something homemade, but still getting to eat junk food.

9. 1-Minute Dessert: Sea Salt Chocolate Cherry Cake

DSC03193f

What’s better than dessert? Dessert made in a minute.

8. America’s Best New Sandwiches — 2012

Cauliflower 2

In 2012 our annual list became a qualifying event for the World Sandwich Championship. No joke. Get your nominations for our 2013 best new sandwiches list in now!

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Top 10 Beers for Christmas

Put down the eggnog. I know you”re only drinking it because of some ridiculous tradition that started before you were even a thought. Okay, now that you”ve come to your senses, perhaps this is the year you drink and offer beer to your guests instead (not the kind that looks like piss). Even though I”m still having a hard time letting go of the fall seasonal beers, the winter has plenty to offer. I tried to pick a variety of winter seasonals ranging from dark stouts to spicy ales and lagers. There”s something for everyone! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

*DISCLAIMER: This list is in no order. Try all ten, then decide what your favorite is!*

10. Sam Adams Winter Lager

(PHOTO: Sam Adams)

The Sam Adams Winter Lager is a tried-and-true brew that will not leave you disappointed. Sam Adams does lager well. They added a mix of winter spices and made the brew a bit darker (which makes it a tad bit sweeter in this case). The spices and the slight caramel flavor makes it an enjoyable fire to chug sip next to the yule log.

9. Troegs Mad Elf

(PHOTO: Troegs Brewing Company)

Just the name is enticing. Troegs Brewing Company has established themselves as one of the best craft breweries in the country. The Mad Elf and their Nugget Nectar have been my favorites for a while. Mad Elf packs a punch (11% ABV) and offers all the flavors I think of about Christmas: sweet, fruity, spicy. All packed into one swig that tastes great and gets you buzzed quick while dealing with that crazy family of yours.

8. Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale

We all know how I feel about this brew. Get a couple of six packs of this and put a couple bottles in the basement to compare to the next couple years” versions. The rest—drink with your friends and impress them with your knowledge of the brew!

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Cocktail O’Clock: 5 Thanksgiving Cocktails

Come on, America — Thanksgiving isn’t just an excuse to gorge yourself. It’s also a great reason to get sh*tfaced!

Check out these recipes for 5 Thanksgiving cocktails that have piqued our interest this fall…

1. The Spiced Cloud

In a shaker combine:
1.5 parts Gekkeikan Nigori Sake
.75 parts pear nectar

Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

2. Hunters on Holiday

In a shaker combine:
1.5 parts Jägermeister
.5 parts Don Q Anejo Rum
2 bar spoons of  leftover cranberry sauce (yes, cranberry sauce!)
.5 parts fresh lemon juice

Shake well with ice, strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon peel and grated cinnamon.

3. Nutty Pilgrim

2 parts Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey
1 part DeKuyper Hazelnut Liqueur or 1 part Kamora Coffee Liqueur

Garnish:
Orange Wheel

Build all ingredients over ice into a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a half moon orange wheel.

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Movember Eating: Top 10 “Manly Mo Foods”

Happy Movember! Don’t get me wrong—I’m excited for Thanksgiving, but this is important too. The Movember campaign raises awareness of men’s health issues (particularly prostate cancer and testicular cancer). Ladies have pink—us men have something a bit more permanent and…natural. That’s right, a mustache. Hopefully you’re noticing more men fashioning a stash recently; raising awareness and “changing the face of men’s health.” So next time you see someone with one, please say “Happy Movember.”  In honor of Movember and supporting the cause to raise awareness of men’s health issues, I bring you the top ten manly “mo foods” to feed men or to enjoy with men. Onward…

10. Deep Fried…Anything?

Really—what isn’t good deep fried? Pickles, Twinkies, hostess cupcakes (so sad, I know), snickers bars, even butter. I really don’t think there is much that is not better when battered and fried. Men enjoy fried foods—we all do. But more than that, odds are you are eating it on a stick and getting messy.

(Photo: BS)

9, Meatloaf

Elf has his main food groups, while us men typically enjoy our own three: meat, beef, and beer. Don’t ask about the logic, just trust me that it’s there. I love meatloaf. What’s better than tossing meet together, baking it in the oven, and slathering ketchup over it? Well…maybe Katt’s recent turducken of meatloaf concoction (which I’m pretty sure includes at least two of the three men’s food groups). (Note from ML: MAAAAAAM! THE MEATLOAF!)

(Photo: Katt Kasper)

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Top 5 Halloween Pinterest Recipes

Finally, Halloween is here! We’ve spent weeks dreaming about candy, cocktails, and all sorts of festive party snacks, but you know how it goes… the day hits and you realize you’re one recipe short, or you get invited to a last-minute shindig… never fear, we’ve got you covered. ES has been compiling the best, weirdest, and funniest Halloween ideas on our Endless Halloween Pinboard. Here are the top five most repinned discoveries we’ve posted (not counting our own amazing ideas and creations, which you can find collected here!).

5. Halloween Candy Bark
From Annie’s Eats

Butterfingers, Reeses Cups, M&Ms, honey-roasted peanuts, and toffee candy paired with both bittersweet and white chocolate? Sounds like a recipe for a massive amount of cavities… and a massive amount of Halloween happiness. Also good for post-Halloween when you need to use up all that leftover trick-or-treat candy.

4. White Chocolate Bones
From Inspire Co. / Spoonful

Here’s one that’s perfect for all the last-minute lazybones. (Get it? Sorry.) With only three ingredients, these bones manage to be sweet, salty, crunchy, and pretty cool looking.

3. Pretzel Spiderwebs
From Mom Endeavors

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Top 10 New Halloween Cocktails

We already told you what kind of beers to drink while handing out candy to the tots. But sometimes there are just SO many kids, and halfway through you can’t help but break out the strong stuff.

Be prepared. Don’t answer that doorbell until you’ve whipped up at least one of these 10 new Halloween cocktails.

10. Peaches and Scream

1.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon
.5 oz Cream
.5 oz Peach Purée
.5 oz Apple Butter Syrup
Pinch of Cinnamon Spice
Brown Sugar Rim
Peach or apple garnish

Muddle and strain over ice into a martini glass with a brown sugar rim. Garnish with a peach or apple slice.

From: W Los Angeles Westwood

9. Honey Boo Boo

2 oz. gin
¾ oz honey syrup
½ oz fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail and enjoy!

From: Brown Palace Hotel, Denver

8. Stormy Weather

1 1/2 parts EFFEN Vodka
1/2 part Triple Sec
1/2 part Lime Juice
3/4 parts Spiced Syrup (see recipe below)
1 dash Angostura® Bitters
Ginger Beer

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake. Strain and pour into a cocktail glass with ice.

From: Effen Vodka

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Top 10 Beers to Drink on Halloween

Other than eating half of it, what are you planning on doing while handing out Halloween candy? Hopefully you’re planning on scaring the crap out of kids. Or maybe popping in your favorite scary movie. Regardless, why not do that while drinking a seasonal brew?

I’ve sampled each of the beers listed (and then some) to create a lineup of the top ten beers to drink on Halloween. Rather than ranking them, I put them into my own categories in order for you to determine which would be your best pick. I suggest picking two (or three) solid choices that you know you will like. Then, take a risk and try something new! On to the research:

Sweetest Pumpkin Beer: Tommyknocker Brewery’s “Small Patch Pumpkin Harvest Ale”

ABV: 5%

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. That pretty much sums up this one. It smells like pumpkin pie and tastes like pumpkin pie. This is not for those out there that don’t enjoy sweets, particularly sweet beers. But for those who do, try it out. It’s a great dessert beer. It is medium bodied and has more of a sweet pumpkin taste than the spice taste that most pumpkin beers do. It’s a crisp, clear brew that’s easy (and sweet) drinking.

Spiciest Pumpkin Beer: Sam Adams Fat Jack Pumpkin Ale

ABV: 8.5%

You’ve heard about this one before, but trust me, it’s got all you want for a cool fall night. The brew offers a warming feeling with every sip–the same feeling in your stomach you get from a sip of Jack Daniels—while also delivering the sweet taste of pumpkin. You can taste the spices of cinnamon, ginger, and even the allspice together with pumpkin.

“Tastes Most Like Pumpkin” Beer: Southern Tier Brewing Company Pumking Ale

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