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Hazelnut Recipes, Beer, Food, and More Rule Fall 2016

Yes, the author of this particular may be a little partisan. I sit here with my hazelnut soy macchiato while a hazelnut-scented candle burns on the table behind me. You may call me a hazelnut junkie – and I will say “thanks, I know”.

Be that as it may, Fall 2016 happens to be the perfect season if you’re nuts about hazelnut! From recipes to fragrances, seasonal kitchen menus to seasonal craft beers, hazelnut is everywhere this season!

With so many ways to utilize hazelnut (as an ingredient, a scent, even a color scheme!), it can be daunting trying to cull through thousands of articles to find that perfect hazelnut recipe, brew or design. Don’t worry though, we’ve done it for you!

Here is your handy Fall 2016 Guide to The Best of Everything Hazelnut! From one “hazelnut-case” to another, I can’t wait to hear how you like the recipes, drinks, and seasonal scents/colors on our list!

Fall 2016 Guide to The Best of Everything Hazelnut

Best Hazelnut Beer: Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale

I won’t lie to you: I was initially a bit apprehensive about the prospect of a hazelnut craft beer. Two sips later, Rogue Ales made me forget my troubles. Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale is their take on a traditional brown ale that is so good, it’s nuts. (Sorry, last pun. I promise. I think.)

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale - the best hazelnut craft beer on the market. — Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale – the best hazelnut craft beer on the market.

If you like a beer with a malty finish, a modest alcohol content (5.6%), dark brown color and a note of hazelnut extract, this is the brew for you. Available in 22-oz. bottle, 6-pack and draft (where available), Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ale is a craft beer lover’s Fall 2016 go-to glass.

Best Hazelnut Blog: Riverbend Hazelnuts

The cool thing about the Riverbend Hazelnuts blog is how independent it appears. The articles are posted by Dan Johnson, a hazelnut grower, harvester and connoisseur from the American Midwest. His knowledge, candid photography and conversational tone make every article so interesting to read.

A sample of Dan Johnson's beautiful photography from Riverbend Hazelnuts' blog. (Photo: Dan Johnson) — A sample of Dan Johnson’s beautiful photography from Riverbend Hazelnuts’ blog. (Photo: Dan Johnson)

We highly recommend starting with the Introduction page and taking a slow, enjoyable walk through some of the articles.

Best Mass-Produced Hazelnut Coffee: BocaJava Hightide Hazelnut

This medium roast flavored coffee is made from Nicaraguan coffee beans, and offers a slightly more “gourmet” feel than other mass-produced hazelnut coffees. Coffee lovers know it’s hard to find a mass-produced flavored coffee that doesn’t taste artificial – or just “not quite like real coffee”.

BocaJava’s Hightide Hazelnut is the best store-bought hazelnut coffee we’ve found thus far – not too light or dark, just nutty enough without tasting fake, and a nice smooth taste and finish. Of course, the quest for exceptional hazelnut coffee (especially of the mass-produced variety) burns on, so we’d love to hear your suggestions as well!

Best Fall 2016 Hazelnut Color: Warm Taupe

As noted in past articles on this site, Warm Taupe (Pantone 16-1318) is one of the select shades on the Fall 2016 Pantone color report. A bit dustier than the average hazelnut, Warm Taupe isn’t a precise match – but for hazelnut lovers, it’s a wonderful way to incorporate the cozy brown hue into your home design color scheme.

Best Hazelnut Candle: Lorenzen Candle Co. (Etsy)

Lorenzen Candle Co. is a premium handcrafted soy candle company based out of Liverpool, NY. (We list Lorenzen’s Etsy page for convenience.) The store’s proprietor, Bobby Lorenzen Kaye, spend months perfecting each of my scents to ensure consumers get a candle with the perfect balance of hot and cold throw as well as burn quality.

The handcrafted line of Lorenzen Candle Co. products is tremendous, and the Hazelnut Candle is no exception. Unlike other hazelnut candles, there is no unnecessary artificial dye in this product. We also love the undertone of roasted coffee beans that fills in behind the hazelnut scent as the candle burns.

What are YOUR favorite hazelnut products of Fall 2016? Leave a comment!

Pantone Fall 2016 Color Trends Report Indicates Strength and Luxury

As with Summer 2016, each season’s palette of color trends is an indicator of where the design industry is headed (at least for the short term). And as always, world-class designers from every industry look to Pantone as the one source for forecasting the future of color.

Pantone brands itself as your guide for “accurate color communication”, and is the world’s foremost authority on accurate color matching and precision. Every year, Pantone releases its Official Colors for the year and for each season.

The Fall 2016 Pantone Color Report is here!

For Fall 2016, all indications point to a luxurious, strong palette of color. Unlike the bold, vivacious hues of Summer 2016, the Fall 2016 Pantone color trends report has a flair for the opulent. Color tones are more sedate than last season, but still exude the audacious, lush qualities of summer.

The Fall 2016 color trends palette is lush and “in your face”; an extension of the optimism put forth by the colors of your summer. Even the names of these colors (many of them new additions to the Pantone color system) embody strength and boldness: Sharkskin, Spicy Mustard, and Bodacious, to name a few!

Here is your official “list of 10” on the Fall 2016 Pantone color report:

• Riverside – Pantone 17-4028
• Airy Blue – Pantone 14-4122
• Sharkskin – Pantone 17-3914
• Aurora Red – Pantone 18-1550
• Warm Taupe – Pantone 16-1318
• Dusty Cedar – Pantone 18-1630
• Lush Meadow – Pantone 18-5845
• Spicy Mustard – Pantone 14-0952
• Potter’s Clay – Pantone 18-1340
• Bodacious – Pantone 17-3240

Blues and reds lead the charge into fall, with five total entries on the list. But don’t mistake these hues for sedate, staid offerings; each tone has an undertone of luxury and jewel-toned brightness that will spice up your personal style.

Whether it be a new take on your custom kitchen design or bath design, an update to your wardrobe, or any other design project you undertake, here are our 4 favorite colors in the Fall 2016 Pantone color report.

Fall 2016 Pantone Color Report: Our 4 Favorite Colors

Riverside (Pantone 17-4028)

One of the brand new colors in the Fall 2016 Pantone color report, Riverside has drawn high praise from color and design experts worldwide. Instantly adopted by iconic fashion designers like Gucci and Lacoste, Riverside seems to manage the impossible – bringing a warm, almost “sunny” disposition to a blue-gray hue.

Calm yet inviting, Riverside garners our vote for favorite new shade of Fall 2016. This is due largely in part to its capacity to be woven seamlessly into virtually any personal style, be it classic or contemporary, traditional or transitional. Riverside promises to be a shade of blue utilized in design for years to come.

Potter’s Clay (Pantone 18-1340)

It’s so rare to find a shade of red that works beautifully with the earth tones in your home or wardrobe, but Potter’s Clay is that rare exception. It evokes the idea of freshly polished, refined wood surfaces – a reddish-brown that’s anything but dull. Unlike a more subdued terra cotta shade, Potter’s Clay seems to have a natural “shine”, like a ray of sun glancing off the bark of a red maple leaf.

We are choosing to typify Potter’s Clay as an extension of red, but this isn’t your average garnet hue. Obvious notes of cedar, burnt orange and autumn maple leaves set Potter’s Clay apart from the other reds in this fall’s color report.

Spicy Mustard (Pantone 14-0952)

Want an exotic complementary color to the base elements of your Fall 2016 color design? Spicy Mustard is our choice. Another brand new addition to the Pantone color spectrum, Spicy Mustard is exactly what its name suggests – a tangy burnt yellow hue that immediately catches the eye without detracting from the rest of your design.

Spicy Mustard was a “pop” on the runway for fashion designers in their Fall 2016 lines, successfully drawing focus without blurring geometric lines and elements. Like the brightest yellow leaves of the autumn season, look to Spicy Mustard as a wonderful design option – both in your wardrobe and as an accent color in kitchen, bath, and home decor accessories.

Warm Taupe (Pantone 16-1318)

Warm Taupe may not be the most “exciting” of hues in the Fall 2016 Pantone color report, but it provides the calm and balance that weaves the 10 colors together. This is a neutral that doesn’t fade into the background like its brethren, however. Whether used by itself or in combination with the richer colors of the season, Warm Taupe still demands attention.

Alexander McQueen used Warm Taupe to dazzling effect on the runway, and home design specialists find its warm yet earthy hue a trustable focal point in custom designs. Warm Taupe is a timeless shade that will remind you of the cozy leather couch of your dreams or the most comfortable jacket you’ve ever owned.