2012 Mud Bug Chug quote at every 30 minute mark. “Did you suck the head? Did you get any juice when you sucked it? Huh huh huh.” Yep, it was that kind of day, and it was perfect.
You might be asking. What is a mud bug chug? Apparently, it’s a crawfish boil. I’ve got a buddy named Doug. Doug, (who is on loan from Louisiana), just threw his 2nd Annual: San Diego Mud Bug Chug. Although the party followed the needed party norms. Good food, good drinks and good people. The food was a first for me, and epically fun. The drinks were illegally good, and the people were all lucky.
Hoppy SD
As hop heavy beers gain in popularity, it still isn’t the standard for American beer drinkers. San Diego has seen heavy growth in the craft beer world. In the meantime, the city has made a name for itself. Synonymous with quality, craftsmanship and originality, it’s climb has been steady and consistent. Hop heavy brews have become the distinct calling card in craft beer. “San Diego style Pale Ale” has become an actual term used to reference double IPA’s. This movement toward full-bodied flavor has made many casual beer enthusiasts accepting of bitter, complex brews.
To reiterate
A crawfish boil with 3 outstanding home brews is a culinary delight. All 3 flavors gave their own story to the day. The first beer was hi flagship IPA, coined Matrimony Ale. Originally created as a wedding beer for a friend. Matrimony Ale is classic, balanced, refreshing, and smooth. The other two beers had specific flavors geared toward the boil. They were a spiced ale and a smoked lager.
Gochugaru was the secret spice in the chile beer. Gochugaru is a distinct Korean chile pepper which gave a perfect amount of heat on the back-end. When I say back end, I mean on the finish, lol. The other brew was a smoked lager that tasted exactly like it was intended. Nice and smooth, with a bite of smoke that begged for a bug.
Pairing
To the unfamiliar, a food and alcohol pairing is deemed successful when both the food and drink are elevated. The intermingling unlocks hidden flavors, or, pulls known flavors to the forefront.
It was a classic San Diego summer day. Happy, people gettin’ down and dirty on a table of authentic American cuisine. Also, the communal savagery of ripping bugs apart for sustenance, is beautiful.
I get fired up when I know someone took the time to prepare something artisanal. Something with passion that can’t procured. The effort lets your guests know that you care about quality and happiness. Here’s some pics until next year, woot woot!
