Weekends are treasured for having time to kick back, relax and, maybe, test out a new brew. We created our Adventures in Brewing program to help you do just that. Each month, we feature two outstanding brews with unique stories to match their unique flavors. One of our August brews is Pilsner Urquell. Give it a try and let us know what you think. Here’s the story.
This adventure begins in 1995 at the Sandlot Brewery in Denver, Colorado. Originally named Bellyside Belgian Wit, this brew gained its current name when someone said, “Something this good only comes around once in a blue moon!” And a brand was born. Blue Moon Belgian White is refreshing and medium-bodied; a Belgian-style wheat ale that is spiced with fresh coriander and orange peel for a uniquely complex taste. A slice of orange is the perfect complement, bringing out the natural spices and subtle fruit flavor.
Beer Characteristics
Cloudy white, opaque appearance, true to a Belgian Style White due to being unfiltered
Moderate sweetness with spicy wheat aromatics and subtle bitterness
164 calories and 13 carbs per 12-oz serving
Awards
One Gold, two Silver medals at the World Beer Championships 1995-7
2008 World Beer Cup Champion Brewery
Pairing
All salads; adding citrus and coriander to a salad is almost always desired
Mild turkey, chicken and pork dishes
Wheat Beers are considered by many to be the best all around beer with food
As both a proud mom and a body care product developer for the Whole Foods Market brand, I have always taken care to use gentle and effective body care on my 5-year-old daughter. It thrills me to announce that our new, reformulated 365™ Body Care products meet the Whole Foods Market Premium Body Care standard! I’m now able to use excellent quality and budget-priced hair care as well as shower gels and lotions on my very active and dirty little girl.
Recently I spent the week with my family enjoying the crystal blue waters of Lake Tahoe and the fresh forest scents. Our spread-out family makes a yearly trip to the area and it was a good time to try out our new, reformulated 365™ Body Care products. Whole Foods Market launched the new shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and lotions in selected stores throughout the country in July and we hope to have full distribution in all stores by the end of the summer. My family tested them out and loved the new products – and the price – and I know yours will too. Read the rest of this entry »
With kids heading back to school this month, school activities and fundraisers will start filling up the calendar. J. Leone wrote us with a request for a gluten-free recipe for brownies, always a crowd pleaser at school fundraisers.
I love a good food challenge. In addition to making a gluten-free brownie, I wanted to create a version with good protein, healthy carbohydrates and fiber – and, of course, it had to taste delicious!. With many gluten-free baked goods, you’ll find starches and flours in the ingredients that have virtually no fiber or protein, so I didn’t want to go that route. I needed a secret ingredient instead. Read the rest of this entry »
Nick Moless has been a team member for our global produce procurement office since 2001. He has purchased several commodities for Whole Foods Market including berries, hard fruit and row crop vegetables. Nick’s favorite fruit is the Adriatic fig.
One of the fruits I look forward to all summer long is the fig. The fig season is broken up into two parts. The first small peak, known as the breba crop, occurs in May. This fruit really just serves to whet our appetites until the second peak, which occurs in early August. The “fig” crop, as it is known, brings with it the largest volumes, greatest varietal selection and the best tasting fruit of the year.
Maywood Farms, which is owned and operated by the Steinacher family, is a grower we love at Whole Foods Market. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to visit this farm in Corning, California, and I learned all about their story. Read the rest of this entry »
Mid-August brings a funny blend of changes here at the Whole Foods Market national produce buying office. The breakneck pace of early summer long haul shipping slows somewhat as local production peaks and the whole country seems to go on vacation. The early summer harvest fruits like apricots have faded and the end of mid-season fruits like cherries and blueberries are on the horizon. While the season for some summer fruits and vegetables stretch into the fall, we reach a point where every produce buyer knows there are fewer harvest days ahead than behind us. Read the rest of this entry »
We all know kids are picky eaters, right? Let’s teach them a new way to be picky. Pick whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies along with healthy proteins. Impossible? Not if you give them choices and very tasty food.
A good place to start is by talking to your kids. Anytime is good but natural launching pad activities are when you are grocery shopping or cooking dinner. Get their brains thinking about what food does for us – how it helps us grow, keeps us healthy, gives us energy for sports, helps our brains learn and keeps us feeling good. Those topics easily transition into why it’s important to eat healthy foods and not stuff that gunks up our bodies. Read the rest of this entry »
What I wouldn’t give to be able to tour with the Dave Matthews Band. Oh yeah, the exciting locales and great music is seriously appealing, but what puts me right over the edge is the incredible food. Have you ever thought about what it takes to feed everyone involved with putting on these awesome shows?
Head chef for Dave Matthews Band Summer 2009 tour, Fiona Bohane, gives us an inside peek. Here’s Fiona: Read the rest of this entry »
Weekends are treasured for having time to kick back, relax and, maybe, test out a new brew. We created our Adventures in Brewing program to help you do just that. Each month, we feature two outstanding brews with unique stories to match their unique flavors. One of our August brews is Pilsner Urquell. Give it a try and let us know what you think. Here’s the story.
In 1842 in Plzen, a small town in Bohemia, a young Bavarian brewmaster named Josef Groll, using the finest local ingredients and a unique brewing process, created the world’s first clear golden beer. Before this, all beer was dark and cloudy. Today, Pilsner Urquell (literally ‘pilsner from the original source’) still employs a truly unique parallel brewing process. They are so committed to quality and tradition that a sample batch of beer is brewed using the original equipment and process and compared to the beer produced using modern equipment to make sure that they match up perfectly. Pale malt, delicate hops and the finest local Plzen water contribute to its deep golden color and full-bodied classic Pilsner taste of complex maltiness with a honey-nut and toasted grain finish.
Beer Characteristics
Spicy, floral hop bouquet with a hint of caramel and buttery aroma
Crisp and clean, slightly skewed to the pleasantly bitter side
156 calories and 16 carbs per 12-oz serving
Renowned Plzen soft water, the aroma of world famous Saaz hops and the parallel brewing process deliver unsurpassed product quality
Awards
In 2007, the Beverage Testing Institute of America rated Pilsner Urquell 93 out of 100, the highest score ever for a pilsner
Pairing
Spicy ethnic foods, shellfish or steak, especially peppercorn crusted or spicy marinated Artisanal cheddar, Muenster or Havarti cheese
As regulars of this blog know, we have a popular feature called Best Meals of the Week where readers and team members share our culinary creations. In honor of the kids in our families heading back to school – now or soon, depending on your state! – we thought it’d be fun and helpful to share our Kids’ Best Meals.
We’ve included a few from team members below, and we would really love to hear what your kids eat for breakfast, pack in their lunchbox or gobble down for dinner after a long day of learning! Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to Whole Story, the official blog of Whole Foods Market.
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We’re lucky to have a whole bunch of smart, passionate people doing incredible things in areas like organics, supporting local growers, green practices, fair trade, micro-lending and all kinds of food related stuff. We’ll use this blog to share some of the cool things going on around here.
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Weekends are treasured for having time to kick back, relax and, maybe, test out a new brew. We created our Adventures in Brewing program to help you do just that. Each month, we feature two outstanding brews with unique stories to match their unique flavors. One of our August brews is Pilsner Urquell. Give it a try and let us know what you think. Here’s the story.
