Entertaining

Brunch with The Briny Babe

Fall may mean cooler temperatures, but it’s still the perfect time to enjoy time spent outside. Besides spending the afternoon in an apple orchard, another great way to soak up the sun and breathe in the crisp, fresh air is to host a picnic, or in my case living in Portland, which means a coastal-inspired picnic. Joining me on the blog is Jacqueline, also known on Instagram as The Briny Babe. I couldn’t think of a better person to enjoy a seaside spread with. Considered an “oyster influencer” Jacqueline brought with her Empress Oysters as well as local caviar from SoPo Seafood and homemade cured salmon.

Although many equate picnics with charcuterie and wine pairings, don’t be afraid to switch it up during the fall season with flavorful local craft beer such as from Liquid Riot. They just released a lambic-style spontaneously fermented beer called LRV 3 Year Blend Vol. 1., which paired perfectly with our lineup of seafood and picnic sides.

While in the broad category of sour beer, this style of beer is known for its funky, fruity flavors. LRV is short for Liquid Riot Vessel, which is a custom-built double-decker oceanside koelschip that sits outside the brewery during the colder winter months where the wild yeast and bacteria naturally found in the ambient air inoculate in their fresh brewed wort overnight. Following the steps of traditional Lambic production (using the internationally recognized Méthode Traditionelle), they make a 3yr Blend by blending beers that have been spontaneously fermented and aged in oak barrels for 1, 2, and 3 years. The result is a truly unique tasting beer with an almost champagne-like essence.

No picnic is complete without a cheeseboard. We found that the Liquid Riot LRV 3 Year Blend paired really well with aged cheese like Gouda. A good rule of thumb for building any cheese board is to include both hard and soft cheeses. Of course, you’ll also want to add a mix of salty and sweet accouterments to accompany your cheeseboard like savory smoked salami and salty associated olives. I was able to stop at Rosemont Market on the way to our picnic to pick up all the charcuterie items we needed. Plus I couldn’t help myself and grabbed a beautiful floral arrangement to add a pop of color and visual interest to picnic blanket setup.