January 6, 2013 · 1:02 pm

The Krispy Kreme Challenge Returns! February 9th, 2013

Krispy Kreme Challenge
The Krispy Kreme Challenge goes like this: Run 2.5 miles from the NC State Bell Tower on Hillsborough Street to the Krispy Kreme store at ther intersection of Peace & Person Street in downtown Raleigh. Eat a dozen original glazed Krispy Kreme donuts. Then run 2.5 miles back to the Bell Tower – all in under one hour.

No, you don’t have to eat the donuts if you don’t want to. You can eat one, all twelve, or none at all. It is your call. It is all done in good fun to raise funds to benefit the the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. The race started in 20o4 with just a dozen students from NC State. Over the years the race has grown in popularity and with more than 7,700 runners participating in 2012.

As you can imagine participants range in age and level of competitiveness. There are many college students in the race but their are plenty of families and older runners as well. It is good people watching too, as may people dress up in costume or have some sort of silly hat or shirt made up just for this race. Last year I had the pleasure of running behind a kid with a boom box duct taped to his back blasting his “theme music”. You never know what you might see, but chances are it will be entertaining!

Last year I ran in the race for the very first time but I only ate a few of the donuts. This year I am going all in and plan to eat the full dozen. There is a guy who lives along the race route who offers runners an “extra donut” to make it a full bakers dozen. I’m not sure if I will go that far, but will leave that to a race day decision.

DSC02088

Enjoying a post race donut last year!

I am already registered and if you are thinking of signing up I suggest you do it soon as last I heard 6,000 people have already signed up and registration will end once they reach 8,000. To register for the race visit the race website below.

Krispy Kreme Challenge Wesbite:
http://www.krispykremechallenge.com

Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/KrispyKremeChallenge

1 Comment

Filed under Events, Raleigh

Tagged as , , ,

January 4, 2013 · 10:06 am

Fullsteam Brewery Launches New Year-Round Beer: Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale

Page Skelton (left) and Sean Lilly Wilson (right)

Page Skelton of Cackalacky (left) and Sean Lilly Wilson of Fullsteam (right) –
Photo courtesy of Susan Dosier

One of the main goals of this blog is to get the word out and help support local businesses here in the Triangle. I also love to share news about local businesses working together. Especially when they are working together to create a new beer!

Fullsteam Brewery is one of my favorite breweries in the Triangle. Their dedication to quality craft brewing and commitment to community has had a huge impact on the revitalization of the Rigsbee Avenue area of Durham over the past two years. I  was only recently introduced to Cackalacky, but upon first trying the locally made sweet potato based  spice sauce at the TerraVITA Food & Wine event back in November I became a fan instantly.  So I am happy to share the news about the collaboration of these two great local operations to introduce a new beer for us all to enjoy!

Fullsteam Brewery and Cackalacky invite the public to attend the Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale Launch Party on Sunday, Jan. 27 from 3 to 5 pm at Fullsteam Brewery. See the official press release below for additional details.

Press Release – January 3, 2013

When Fullsteam’s new Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale (GPA) splashes into the NC beer scene later this month, Sean Lilly Wilson and collaborator Page Skelton are determined to pour up some fun.

It’s a beer to drink with friends, made by friends. Skelton and Wilson met each other through the Southeast Microbrewers Association more than ten years ago. The organization is now defunct, but the passion for beer and entrepreneurial bravado still burns brightly in both parties. This January, the Triangle will have the first chance to taste the lively new pale ale, spiked with ginger rather than spice sauce.

“This is a wonderful pale ale,” explains Skelton, the founder of Chapel Hill’s Cackalacky, Inc, known for it’s zesty sauce. “It’s nicely hopped—but not too hoppy. The beer has pluck and is incredibly drinkable. Our collaboration is about much more than the name. We brainstormed ideas for almost two years. We can’t wait to launch this great brew at Fullsteam and see where it goes.”

“Many of our beers have embraced our ‘plow to pint’ Southern agricultural mission,” Fullsteam’s Wilson explains. “The Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale is more light-hearted. We think it’ll bring North Carolinians together no matter where you went to school or which political party you support.”

WHEN CAN YOU DRINK IT? WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?

Fullsteam is currently brewing its first commercial batch of Cacklacky and plans to offer the beer in cans sometime this year. Fullsteam Brewery and Cackalacky invite the public to attend the Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale Launch Party on Sunday, Jan. 27 from 3 to 5 pm at Fullsteam Brewery. The launch is perfectly timed on National Kazoo Day Eve. Kazoo playing skills are not required for admission but you may be required to play one in order to leave. Fullsteam will donate half of all profits made from Cackalakcy Ginger Pale Ales sold that afternoon to Funds To Farms.

The first batch of Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale is fermenting away under the watchful eye of Fullsteam’s head brewer, Chris Davis. Visitors can see the brewing in action at Fullsteam Brewery, 726 Rigsbee Avenue in the D.I.Y. District in Durham. Beginning Jan. 27, the beer will be available only on draft at the brewery, but look for expansion later in the year through distribution channels in the Triangle, Charlotte, Washington D.C., and and Charleston, S.C.

ABOUT CACKALACKY AND FULLSTEAM

8339446537_0b513a3ec4_b

Cackalacky Spice Sauce
Photo courtesy of Susan Dosier

Page Skelton left his day job in corporate America to create Cackalacky, Inc. approximately 12 years ago. Today, his original Cackalacky® Spice Sauce is sold in all Fresh Market locations in the U.S. as well as hundreds of independent natural and specialty stores throughout the Southeast, including Costco, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and A Southern Season. Cackalacky Spice Sauce has been featured by Our State, Southern Living, NPR and The Food Network. Last January, Bon Appetit selected Cackalacky Sauce as a favorite Southern food product for the Dixie Pantry. www.cackalacky.com 

DSC04364

Fullsteam Brewery
Photo by TriangleExplorer

Fullsteam Brewery was founded in Durham, N.C. by Sean Lilly Wilson in 2010. The plow-to-pint brewery has drawn national attention for its passionate mission of creating distinctly Southern beers that celebrate the culinary and agricultural heritage of the South. Fullsteam has been covered by Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Our State, SeriousEats.com, BeerAdvocate, DRAFT, and GQ.com. Founder Sean Lilly Wilson was a 2012 James Beard Award nominee in the Wine & Spirits category, and the brewery’s persimmon beer, First Frost, is a finalist in the upcoming 2013 Good Food Awards. www.fullsteam.ag

Leave a comment

Filed under Businesses, Durham, Local Beers and Breweries

Tagged as , ,

December 20, 2012 · 1:34 pm

Larry’s Beans of Raleigh Introduces Their Awesome Cold Brew Coffee!

ColdBrewSmile (1)

Larry’s Beans Cold Brew Concentrate – Photo Courtesy of Larry’s Beans

If you have been following my blog for a while you have probably noticed I am a huge fan of the Triangle’s local coffee culture and that in particular I really Larry’s Beans Coffee.  So it shouldn’t surprise to anyone that I was pretty excited to learn that Larry’s Beans now sells a cold brew coffee concentrate!

If you are like me and new to drinking cold brew, the first thing you need to know is cold brew is not simply regular brewed coffee that is cooled and served with ice and called an “iced coffee”.  Cold Brew is made from a  different process. It is created by steeping grounds (from a blend developed specifically for cold-steeping) in cold water for 24 hours, a process that results in an extremely smooth, full-bodied, rich flavor.

DSC07312

Pouring out some Larry’s Beans cold brew concentrate at home!

The Larry’s Beans cold brew blend was created by Larson and chief roaster Brad Brandhorst.  “The idea was to create a balance of smooth sweetness and rich complexity that would really sing when steeped for 24 hours.  We chose South American beans with full-bodied chocolaty notes, then added African coffees for berry-like highlights.”  said Brandhorst.

The 67% lower acid content that makes cold brewed coffee taste so smooth also makes it easier on the stomach, especially for people who are sensitive to coffee.  Like all Larry’s Beans coffee, the Cold Brew is 100% Organic, Shade Grown, Fair Trade and roasted in its “green-o-vated” roasting facility in the Five Points area of Raleigh.

DSC07322

My cold brew drink!

I recently had the opportunity to try some of Larry’s cold brew and enjoyed drinking it with a little bit of milk over ice. The cold brew is in concentrate form and the bottle has recommendations that you mix one part cold brew to three parts water. I like my drinks a little on the stronger side so I mixed my cold brew concentrate with just two parts water (plus some milk). The result was a rich smooth chilled coffee drink with none of the bitter aftertaste I often experience with regular iced coffee.

The concentrate can be used to make not only iced coffee, but also hot coffee and cocktails. “It’s kind of like a mega-super-amazing way to make coffee quickly,” said Larry Larson, company CEO. Here are a few fun drink recipes you can use your cold brew to create!

Cold Brew Recipe Card

Larry’s Bean’s cold brew can be purchased online in a 3-pack on their website or you can purchase individual bottles at the following local stores where it typically retails for  around $11.49 a bottle:

– Taylor’s BP & Wine Store – North Raleigh
– Harmony Farms – North Raleigh Raleigh
– The Meat House – Cary
– Tyler’s Bottle Shop – Downtown RaleighTo learn more about Larry’s Beans and their environmentally roasting facility in downtown Raleigh check out their website and facebook page.

2 Comments

Filed under Coffee, Raleigh

Tagged as , , , ,

December 10, 2012 · 9:52 am

Picture of the Week: Ooh la la! Mini Eiffel Tower in North Raleigh!

photo (13)

North Raleigh Mini Eiffel Tower

I snapped this picture this morning in North Raleigh.  This mini Eiffel Tower is currently under construction on the corner of the Lafayette Village Shopping Center facing out towards Falls of Neuse Road.  I plan to go back and take another photo once it is completed.

Leave a comment

Filed under Picture of the Week, Raleigh

Tagged as , , ,

December 7, 2012 · 10:33 am

Picture of the Week! Banana Mobile in Downtown Raleigh?

3

So I felt the need to share more than just one picture this week in order to fully capture the sight I stumbled across last night. As I was driving home from downtown Raleigh yesterday I spotted this interesting automobile in the parking lot of the Krispy Kreme on Person Street.

2

Needless to say, this mysterious “banana mobile” drew a lot of attention and a small crowd had gathered as the driver was inside buying some coffee and donuts. Parents were taking pictures of their children in front of it and cars were stopping in traffic to gawk.

1

There was a passenger in the banana (it appears to seat 4), but onlookers were unable to get much information from her about the origin of the vehicle.

4

So for now, the the purpose of and origin of the banana mobile remain a mystery, but it sure made my night running across this. You never know what you will encounter while exploring the Triangle!

3 Comments

Filed under Picture of the Week, Raleigh

Tagged as ,