Jam sessions are rarely as tasty as the ones we’ve been having since discovering Cleveland Jam’s spreads made with wine and beer. Pop the top off the Burning River Pepper Jam ($8) for a blast of hop and pepper aroma. Owner Jim Conti takes a beer-brewing by-product from Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s Burning River Pale Ale and mixes it with green, red, jalapeno, habanero and poblano peppers for a sweet, spicy and gooey jam perfect for cheese and crackers or sausage. If grape jelly is your gig, Conti also offers five varieties made from the sediment left at the bottom of wine barrels, including the sweet prominent grape flavor of the Rock and Roll Merlot ($8) or the semisweet, dry Shoreway Chardonnay ($8). “It’s not like your grandma’s jam,” Conti says. “It’s something to spice up your peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” Use It At Home: Slather the Burning River Pepper Jam on a burger bun for a sweet and spicy kick you won’t get from ketchup. 440-390-1170, clevelandjam.com
Food Lovers' Guide: Cleveland Jam
Owner Jim Conti spreads a little creativity onto your morning toast with these inventive jams made with beer and wine.
