Flying Bison, located at 491 Ontario Street, has become an integral part of Buffalo’s drinking culture. Open since April of 2000, they have since been spoiling us with high quality, preservative and additive-free beer produced by their twenty-barrel brewery.
Recently I visited with Tim Herzog, one of the founders and owners of Flying Bison. He was kind enough to furnish me with a few interesting recipes that utilize the unique flavors of Flying Bison’s lovely beers.
A note from Tim about cooking with beer (or any other alcohol for that matter), if you are a person that does not care for spirits or ale, please remember that the alcohol itself is the first thing to “burn off”. The beverage you are cooking with will add dimension to the dish, developing an entirely new flavor, but will contain none of alcohol’s usual side effects.
The first is a simple marinade that can be used to flavor all of the lovely meats you’ve been grilling this summer. I chose to marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts and portobello mushroom caps in a bottle of Aviator Red. Both were tender and delicious. The scent that wafted through the air during cooking proved to be quite mouth-watering for this cook and her guests. When Tim told me the recipe, he used measurements that were based on how many of us cook- “a little of this, a dash of that”. Here I have worked out a few precise measurements for those of you uncomfortable with anything else.
Flying Bison Marinade
*Meat, tofu and/or vegetables of your choice
*A bottle of Flying Bison’s Aviator Red or Blackbird Oatmeal Stout
*2 cloves of minced garlic
*1/8 cup of olive oil
*1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar
*1 large onion cut into thick rings
*Salt and pepper to taste
***Option: Feel free to add any of your favorite herbs (fresh or dry)
Combine and thoroughly whisk all ingredients with the exception of the onions. Place the meat, tofu or vegetables, along with the onions, in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours. You are now officially ready to grill. I chose to also grill the onion rings (yum!), but this is optional.
The second, and perhaps most out of the ordinary recipe that I have seen in a long time, is for Stout Brownies. For those of you too busy to make brownies from scratch, this is an ideal recipe. The flavor that the stout lends to the chocolate is complex, and you’ll find the two are very compatible.
Stout Brownies
*A box of Brownie mix (Tim recommends the brand that contains Ghirardelli chocolate)
*1 bottle of Flying Bison Blackbird Oatmeal Stout
Simply follow the instructions on the box, substituting the stout where it calls for water.
Could that be easier?
While I have your attention, I am happy to furnish you with some exciting news about things that are happening at one of our favorite breweries.
*For a number of years, the former Buffalo Brewing Company produced a local favorite, Buffalo Lager. Unfortunately, Buffalo Lager went out of production in 1996 when the company closed its brewery. Earlier this summer Flying Bison was proud to announce that they are now privy to the secret recipe, and will be brewing it for us on a regular basis.
*Recently, the folks at Flying Bison have kindly developed a six pack called the Brewer’s Ace Squadron Variety Pack. Each pack contains 2 bottles of Aviator Red, 2 of the new Buffalo Lager and 2 bottles of Barnstormer Pale Ale. Whether you’re a Flying Bison virgin looking to sample their wares, or an old-timer hoping to enjoy more than one of their line at a time, you’re now able to experience a range of fine brews with only a single purchase.
*Flying Bison and Slow Food Buffalo are offering a terrific opportunity to relish in some of Buffalo’s finest food. On August 13th, the brewery will host a magnificent meal. Lee’s Barbeque, Suzy-Q’s Bar-B-Que Shack, Adventures in Heat, Avenue Boys Smokehouse and Saltamonte’s will all offer some of their finest fair. Add a little Flying Bison beer and you may very well have magic! $20 tickets are available by pre-sale only. You can pick yours up at the brewery during regular retail hours.
*Fresh kegs. This is a relatively new concept that Flying Bison has made their own. A fresh keg is a single unit keg. Entirely self-contained, it requires no CO2 tank, and can be easily tapped by those of us who are not skilled in that area. All you really need is a bucket of ice! A very affordable, smaller alternative to the traditional keg, each keg holds approximately 24 pints of your favorite handcrafted brew. Fresh kegs can be purchased directly from Flying Bison at an extremely reasonable price.
*Perhaps the most exciting event is the upcoming Buffalo Brewfest, which will be held at the Central Terminal on September 16th. The festival will afford each of its fortunate patrons the opportunity to enjoy regional and international beers. Additionally, a sundry of tasty items will be prepared by Pizza Plant and Steel Drum. Tickets are currently on sale for $20 pre-sale or $25 at the door. They can be purchased at Flying Bison, Consumer’s Beverage, Premier Gourmet, Wegman’s and the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center. Why there, you ask? Because all proceeds will benefit them and the amazing work that they do in our community. Any questions regarding this, or any other Flying Bison news, can be directed to their office by calling 716-873-1557.
Try these beer oriented recipes; perhaps research a few others on the web. For those of you that haven’t cooked with beer before, you’ll find it an interesting and rewarding experience. And, just in case you didn’t know, you can pick up a fresh-from-the-tap Flying Bison growler at Consumer Beverage’s Elmwood Avenue and Transit Road locations.