Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Mmm Beer - PubCakes!!

Work. Family obligations. Chores. Bills. Grown-up type stuff. Breaking a leg. Life always seems to get in the way of the things you want to do. For myself and the hubby, one of the things we want to do the most is just relax for a minute....and have a beer.

 

When I first started dating Scott, I was your typical girl in her early 20s, drinking a bunch of frozen frou-frou drinks or doing multiple rounds of hard shots between dancing like a maniac into the wee hours of the morning...on a Tuesday. I remember him asking me if I drank beer and I'm pretty sure I made a yuck face. Does hard cider count? I'm sure he made a yuck face that moment too. Shortly after, Scott was determined to give me a beer education.

So what does this all have to do with a baking blog? One trend in baking is to turn alcoholic drinks into cupcakes. I've seen margaritas, red wine, mojitos....you name it, someone has turned it into a cupcake. When I started seeing cupcakes using beer, I instantly became curious. Beer? Really? I had to find out for myself what a beer cupcake would taste like.

I found out about PubCakes a few months ago when they participated in The College Area Taste. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend because I was still recovering from the broken leg but I always kept it in the back of my mind to look them up when I was better. Since PubCakes is only a few minutes from our house, I decided we would pop over really quick and give Scott a little beer cupcake education.


PubCakes shares shop space with Treehouse Coffee Co.

On top of the counter, yummy cupcake flavors of the day sit under pretty
domes, waiting to be eaten.

Pubcakes rotates their cupcake flavors so be sure to check out their website to see
what's baking for the day. Pictured above (top to bottom):

Top Ten Cake: Karl Strauss® Tower Ten IPA, cayenne caramel, cherry, and ancho chilies
Beer for Breakfast: AleSmith® Wee Heavy, bacon, and maple cream cheese frosting
Stoned Portzilla:Stone® Smoked Porter, coffee ganache, and caramelized coconut

I love the way the cupcakes are displayed among a collection of bottle caps. From top to bottom:

Poquito Bandito: Negra Modelo® cake, Cazadores® Tequila and lime buttercream, and fried tortillas tossed in Tajin®
Super Pretzel: Bear Republic® Big Bear Black Stout chocolate cake, pretzels, peanut butter
 buttercream and a chocolate shell
Punkin' Vegan: North Coast Brewery® Old Stock Ale, pumpkin, and maple whipped frosting

Cupcakes come in 2 sizes.....Scott opted for the large ($3.50) Super Pretzel. He loves his chocolate and peanut butter combo! He enjoyed the cupcake but he is still doesn't get the whole pretzel thing.
I really do need to give him an education in salty/sweet.

I opted for the mini cupcakes ($1.75) and a glass of water (free)
Poquito Bandito and Stoned Portzilla.
I preferred the Poquito Bandito and if I could (which I cant *sad face*) I would eat their lime buttercream straight from the mixing bowl. Scott even enjoyed this one and he rarely ventures far from what he knows.

If you aren't a beer drinker, don't be scared to try PubCakes cupcakes. If someone didn't tell you there was beer in these, I don't think you would be able to tell. Who knows, PubCakes might turn you into a beer drinker. These were delish and I would recommend dropping by this cute little shop. Speaking of a "little shop" don't forget to visit the PubCakes website and VOTE for them in Chase/Living Social's Mission: Small Business. Although you can already find PubCakes cupcakes in a few few locations around town or visit their shop in La Mesa, by voting for them, they have an opportunity to win a grant to open a bigger shop. They're approaching their goal of 250 votes but why don't you take a few moments to push them right over the edge? I don't know the owners of PubCakes nor have I ever met them but I'm all for supporting local small businesses, especially when they make excellent cupcakes! I know how it feels to really want something really bad...even if it is just a moment to enjoy a beer.


PubCakes
7229 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours: Wed - Sat, 10:00AM - 7:00PM, Sun, 10:00AM - 5:00PM
www.PubCakes.com



*Cupcake descriptions are from the PubCakes website

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this! Even though I am not a beer drinker, I would love to try them I will be visiting these guys in the very near future!! Oh, and I voted for them too. :-)

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  2. I discovered Pubcakes at the Mission Hills Farmers Market. I dislike beer and wouldn't have normally tried them but I was feeling adventurous and they were offering free samples. They're wonderful! I didn't taste the beer but the flavors popped out of those cupcakes. And, they were exceptionally moist. Maybe that's also due to the beer.
    I haven't been to the store yet, but I'm planning on visiting it the next time I'm in the La Mesa area.
    So, even if you're like me and would rather drink Nyquil than beer, you really should try these. Move over, Sprinkles.

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