Ritual Tavern (not so weekly) Update

We've been hearing from a few people that we should post more updates.
It has been a while since we've chatted, so here's whats doing this
weekend. . .

Appetizer specials this weekend include a golden and red beet salad
with goat cheese, roasted yellow squash and yogurt mustard dressing.
Or try a bowl of sweet potato leek soup. The entrée special this
weekend is a Niman Ranch boneless pork loin with red wine jus served
with a sweet potato and parsnip puree and Suzie’s Farm organic broccoli and
chard. It’s a little early in the season, but we do have some organic
strawberries from JR Organics served with out famous shortbread
cookies and fresh whipped cream. Come by early: these berries are sure
to sell out!

This weekend’s cask is sublime, in a self righteous kind of way.
Brewed by Stone Brewing, Sublimely Self Righteous Ale is a Black IPA with
8.7%ABV!! Mighty tasty, you won’t even notice the alcohol.

This month’s Drink About has been postponed a week because of St.
Patrick’s Day Usually held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, Drink
About provides a free shuttle bus from Hamilton’s in South Park to
Blind Lady in Normal Heights with stops in at Ritual every 30 minutes
until 11:20pm. (first stop 7:20pm) Join us for Drink About on March
24th.

We’re gearing up for St Patrick’s Day best we can. In addition to our
signature Shepherd’s Pie and casked stout, we’ll have the Ritual
corned beef and cabbage. We’re corning/brining Niman Ranch beef briskets
without using that pesky salt peter* (In addition to avoiding high
fructose corn sweetener we like to avoid manufactured chemicals in our
food preparation.) Please join us for a plate and a pint this coming Wednesday March
17th.

Cheers!
from all of us at your Ritual :-)




*”Salt peter typically refers to the chemical compound potassium
nitrate, though it may also refer to sodium nitrate. Salt peter was
once collected from decomposing material, but today, it is generally
manufactured by treating sodium nitrate, mostly mined in Chile, with
potassium chloride and collecting the precipitate. Salt peter was one
of the ingredients of the first gunpowder, black powder. Today, it has
many uses in both the laboratory and the larger world.. . . . Sodium
nitrate, also called salt peter, shares many applications with
potassium nitrate. Both can be used to manufacture nitric acid, to
propel model rockets, and to increase the shelf life of meats and
other foods. Sodium nitrate is also used to manufacture glass and
enamel. Like potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate may increase one's
likelihood of developing cancer, but it also occurs naturally in leafy
green vegetables and may have some health benefits. A small study
conducted in Sweden suggested that the nitrates found in vegetables
may help lower blood pressure.”
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-salt-peter.htm