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For anyone who missed it, I wanted to point you in the direction of a wonderful piece which appeared in Wednesday’s Chicago Sun-Times about why beer (not wine!) and cheese make an ideal match; it makes for a great Friday-afternoon-when-you-want-to-be-anywhere-but-the-office read. To quote the article a bit,

It’s a preference borne of passion, but there is a strong scientific basis for arguing beer’s companionship with cheese rather than wine, says Matt Parker, who ran the Lincoln Square cheese shop the Cheese Stands Alone for five years.

And my personal favorite excerpt:

“Wine and cheese are like neighbors, but beer and cheese are like family,” Parker says.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending a beer and cheese dinner, do yourself a huge favor and hunt one down (or throw your own). You’ll swear you’ve died and gone to heaven (I did)!

For beer & cheese pairing recommendations, check out this handy PDF, also from the Sun-Times.

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This is part six, the final post of a six-part series (click here for part one, part two, part three, part four & part five) on improving your beer drinking experience. While the series is written for Better Beer newcomers, it is advice that is beneficial to even the most seasoned beer drinkers out there. Cheers.

image by Diana Nevermind

I had the topic for part-six planned since, well, 6 days ago but it was the only one I hadn’t written yet. So I found it a tad ironic when I woke this morning to see an article in my RSS reader from today’s Washington Post entitled “Thinking Outside the Wine List” all about pairing beer and food together.

The concept of pairing beer and food is a relatively new one, or at least its popularity is. But Julia Herz, craft beer program director for the Brewers Association, said to The Post,

“We believe that tying beer to food is the way to keep craft beer sales growing.”

Or, as Garrett Oliver – the Brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewing Co. – says in his book, The Brewmaster’s Table,

I love wine and frequently enjoy it with my meals. But I’ve never enjoyed wine with all the types of food that I actually eat every day. A roast rack of lamb? Sure, I’d love to have a bottle of Burgundy (though I know beers that will match the lamb just as well). But how about Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Cajun cuisine, and American barbecue? I love this stuff too, and I don’t want wine with it. Yes, I’ve had all the wines that will supposedly match these foods. Guess what? They are a poor substitute for traditional beer. Why? Because spices distort wine flavors, turning white wines hot and red wines bitter. Because wine doesn’t refresh the palate the way beer does. Because wine has no caramelized or roasted flavors to match those in our favorite dishes. And because, even according to wine experts, there are many foods that are simply no good with wine.

But, if you’re new to pairing beer & food with one another, where should you begin?

• Match strength with strength. Obviously delicate dishes work best with delicate beers, and vice versa; strong foods call for strong beers.
• Find harmonies. Combinations often work best when they share some common flavor or aroma elements. For instance. the nutty taste of a brown ale accents cheddar cheese perfectly. While the dark, strong, roasted flavors of an imperial stout go hand-in-hand with chocolate truffles. The rich flavors of caramel malt in an Oktoberfest accent a roasted pork, and so on.
• Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, spice and richness. The characteristics of food and beer interact with each other in predictable ways. Put a little thought into what’s on the plate in front of you - taking advantage of these interactions ensures that the food and beer will balance each other, each giving you a desire for a taste of the other.
• Consider seasonality. Like light food and beer in the warm summer months or heavier beer in the winter, the beers and foods of a given season pair very naturally and suit the mood as well.

The truth is that practice makes perfect. You won’t get a pairing to be 100% accuracte on your first try but, before you know it, you’ll have the practice of pairing beer and food down to a science. The long and the short of it - don’t be afraid to try things out and seek new possibilities; the best pairings have yet to be discovered. As the Brewer’s Association reminds us,

All beer and food combinations should involve both of these principles. Some pairings will be more dependent on the contrasts, others on complementary flavors, but all should strive for some kind of balance. The chart at the left shows the important contrasting elements.

For more on pairing beer and food: read the list of basic food and beer style pairings from the Brewer’s Association’s website or their list of craft beer and food pairings specially designed for the holidays.

Also check out The Best of American Beer and Food, a book by Lucy Saunders, which covers both pairing food and beer and cooking with beer; The Brewmaster’s Table by Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver, which has been called “The best and most important book ever written on the subject of pairing food and beer.”; Beer & Food: An American History, by Bob Skilnik is “The first book that gives a historical look at why beer and food are truly partners in today’s kitchens”; and He Said Beer, She Said Wine:Impassioned Food Pairings to Debate and Enjoy — From Burgers to Brie and Beyond, by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head fame, is the first fully illustrated book on the market to give in-depth instruction on how to successfully pair both beer and wine with a wide variety of foods.

All of these and more are available from Amazon.com, so get started with your beer & food pairing education today!

Well, that does it for “How to Drink Better Beer”, I hope you enjoyed all six posts. Don’t want to miss out on any more of the great offerings from Blog About Beer? Subscribe to the RSS feed now!

Technorati Tags: beer, food, food & beer pairing, wine, Brewers Association

Popularity: 18% [?]

When you think of Valentine’s Day, what comes to mind? Roses; chocolate; diamonds; Hallmark; sappy love songs? Of course. But Beer? No? Well, it should! As “The Beer Goddess” Stacey Faba — owner of Pauly’s Specialty Bottle Shop in Lowell — Michigan explains,

“Jolly Pumpkin Brewery’s brown ale with its cocoa and spices is fantastic with a raspberry truffle… I’ll say it’s one of my happiest pairings of all. The chocolate just melded into the beer. It tasted like it belonged with the beer… Chocolate and beer is just a fantastic combination and the easiest pairing is dark beers, like stouts and porters, with chocolate… So when I do beer and chocolate pairings, I like to find things that wouldn’t naturally come to mind.”

Pairing beer and chocolate creates an entirely new flavor sensation, one that cannot be obtained by pairing chocolate with anything else. Says chocolatier Charles “Smitty” Golczynski, the executive chef at Michigan’s The Catering Co.,

“It’s actually easier to pair beer with chocolate than wine with chocolate,” Golczynski said. “Sometimes, the intensity of chocolate takes over wine and the acidity in wine, doesn’t balance right.”

So tomorrow when you’re curling up by the fire with a loved one and a box of Godiva Truffles, reach for a big bottle of Stout to go with (or better yet, make a plate of brownies from both). Happy Valentine’s Day!

[image by tinkermel]
“Here’s to beer and chocolate, the perfect match” [Mlive.com]

Technorati Tags: Valentine’s Day, Chocolate, Beer, Beer Pairing

Popularity: 17% [?]

Click to enlarge

I know those of you living in the Portland Metro Area have been deprived of great beer-and-food-opportunities lately (ahem…) so I figured I’d pass along the news of another one:

On February 23rd from 6:00-8:00pm join Bob Cannon (the bald, woolly brewmaster from the Sam Adams commercials) and Lee Gardiner, Bull Feeney’s chef,

“on a culinary journey exploring how different styles of (Sam Adams) beer enhance exceptional cuisine.”

Tickets are available at Bull Feeney’s (although I couldn’t find any pricing information) at 375 Fore St in the heart of Portland’s Old Port. FMI go to www.bullfeeneys.com or call 207-773-7210

Technorati Tags: Portland, Maine, Sam Adams, Beer, Beer Dinner

Popularity: 24% [?]

Just a reminder that the Beer & Cheese Dinner at Vignola in Portland is this Saturday the 19th. I just found out this afternoon that I have a couple of press passes to the event, so look for a complete re-cap after the fact.

It’s not too late to get tickets yourself - they’re only $25 but must be purchases in advance. This can be done through Vignola’s website.

If you’re going, leave a comment and let me know so we can meet up. See you there!

Technorati Tags: Beer & cheese, beer, Belgian beer, beer tasting, Portland, Maine

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With another 14 fresh inches of snow falling on Portland today alone, news like this certainly warms the cold soul. First, more details about the upcoming beer & cheese event at Vignola which was announced a few days ago (from the restaurants’ PR firm):

Rob Tod from Allagash Brewing will be on hand, as well as folks from Wicked Wine.  They’ll be pouring some excellent beers, many not widely available in the area. The cheeses on hand are an excellent selection of domestic and imported artisan cheeses, and range from firm, cow’s milk cheeses to some pungent, gooey offerings.

Vignola is certainly leading the way in showcasing beers that can hold their own with fine food, and this is a wonderful opportunity for people to experience these fine beers for the first time, or to expand their knowledge. 

Next, The Dogfish Bar & Grille (no affiliation to the beer of the same name) on Free St. in Portland is having their first beer dinner on January 29th. There will be a four course meal, accompanied by four beer tastings. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more info, call 207-772-5483 or visit www.thedogfishbarandgrille.com.

And lastly, at the Damariscotta River Grill, on Main Street in Damariscotta, Maine (about 45 minutes up the coast) - With help from Geary’s, Sheepscot, and Sebago, Chef/Owner Rick Hirsch is putting together a Maine Microbrew and Spirits Tasting on Thursday, January 24. Tickets are $30, reservations are recommended, and Rick will serve plenty of his excellent food to accompany the beers. According to Front Burner PR,

This event is another opportunity to sample many great beers in an evening (and live to tell about it!), and more importantly, to see that excellent beers are worthy companions to fresh, locally sourced food. Doesn’t have to be wine all the time!

So get out there — when you can navigate the streets safely (tonight I’ll be home with a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale) — and taste some great local food and even better local beer. Cheers!

Technorati Tags: Portland, Maine, Beer, cheese, beer dinner

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Just a quick note to all the Maine readers out there:

Vignola, which is located at 10 Dana St. in Portland’s Old Port is hosting its second annual Belgian Beer & Cheese Tasting party on Saturday January 19th from 2:00-5:30pm. Come experience 30 Belgian and Belgian-style Beers perfectly paired with 25 artisan cheeses from around the world.

The event is $25 (which is extremely reasonable, as these types of beer & food dinners are usually at least twice that) and advanced tickets — which can be purchased at the restaurant — are required.

Technorati Tags: Vignola, Portland Maine, beer, cheese, Belgian Beer

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I spent this Thanksgiving Eve Eve doing my own Beer & Holiday Food Pairing research, so I thought I’d do everyone else a favor and compile my findings in one place, so your search is more easily answered. I’ll start with an excerpt I found from Garrett Oliver’s–the Brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewing Co.–book, The Brewmaster’s Table, which I think perfectly sums up the argument for bringing beer, not wine, to any holiday feasts you have planned for the coming weeks:

I love wine and frequently enjoy it with my meals. But I’ve never enjoyed wine with all the types of food that I actually eat every day. A roast rack of lamb? Sure, I’d love to have a bottle of Burgundy (though I know beers that will match the lamb just as well). But how about Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Cajun cuisine, and American barbecue? I love this stuff too, and I don’t want wine with it. Yes, I’ve had all the wines that will supposedly match these foods. Guess what? They are a poor substitute for traditional beer. Why? Because spices distort wine flavors, turning white wines hot and red wines bitter. Because wine doesn’t refresh the palate the way beer does. Because wine has no caramelized or roasted flavors to match those in our favorite dishes. And because, even according to wine experts, there are many foods that are simply no good with wine.

The art of pairing food & beer is one which is difficult to master, but even tougher to screw up. Because of the many diverse flavors found in plenty of craft beers, its highly likely that at least one of those flavors will accent whatever dish you’re creating quite nicely. Besides, everyone and their mother will bring a cheap bottle of red to a holiday party; why not dare to be a little different–and in turn impress the daylights out of everyone else at the party–and show up with an intriguing craft brew, and the knowledge to back its pairing up?

The Gentlemen at beeradvocate.com were kind enough to compile a list of beer suggestions which perfectly augment each course of a holiday meal; here are a few of their suggestions,

For the Apéritif (before dinner) course, they suggest not burning the palates out early, but sticking to a light-bodied Pilsner or Lager. Think: Brooklyn Lager or Pilsner, Otter Creek Vermont Lager, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Victory Prima Pils, etc.

For the Hors d’oeuvre Hour, the Alström Bros suggest you,

Kick things up a notch with a moderate level of hops. The hoppy characters in Pale Ales will pair nicely with salads, a slew of cheese varieties, fruits, and many hors d’oeuvres, without overwhelming any flavors. But don’t go too bitter. 

Try Anchor Liberty Ale, Smuttynose Shoal’s Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale.

For the main course, which will undoubtedly feature some kind of poultry (or tofurkey!), stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, etc., try a higher alcohol Belgian-style brew, such as Allagash Grand Cru, Avery Salvation, Russian River Damnation, Ommegang Rare Vos. The alcohol in these beers will cut through the fat & starch common in this course of the meal, and will add nice sweet notes, which might be otherwise missing in this round. Or,

Another recommendation is to reintroduce more Pilsners and Lagers, as they will not only act as a palate cleanser in-between bites, but their lightness and spicy tones complement poultry and the contrast with gravies and stuffing is often welcome.

Finally, dessert! Not only the best course of the evening, in my opinion, but also one of the most fun to pair up. Big, hearty stouts & porters are often the best to try during this round. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Founders Breakfast Stout or Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout or Oak Aged Yeti, and Stone Russian Imperial Stout all work well. But be warned,

…the last thing you want to do is kill a beer with a pairing that is too sweet, so ensure that your beers are sweeter than your desserts.

These of course are not the only options for beer & food pairings — and half the fun of the pairing is in the experimentation – they’re merely suggestions. But what do you do if you can only bring one beer with you to the party? Oliver suggests,

Biere de garde is brilliant with turkey. And not just with the turkey - it is also brilliant with the turnips, the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, the potatoes, the whole darned thing. Biere de garde is the Thanksgiving beer. My sommelier friends rack their brains every year, trying to answer the constant nagging question everyone asks them - what wine is good with turkey? The answer, or course, is not wine but beer.

While I admittedly know very little about Biere de Garde, I certainly hope these suggestions have got your mind spinning and will help improve your otherwise mundane, wine-filled holiday meals (I know I’m excited to try some things out this Thursday). As un-original as it may be, I have to end this post the way the the Alström Brothers of BA fame ended their article, with a 16th century English proverb:

Wine is but single broth, ale is meat, drink and cloth.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

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According to a press release from Flying Dog Brewery, they will soon be one of many craft breweries participating in a national program called Craft Beer and Food for the Holidays–a free program organized by the Brewers Association–which highlights the ways in which beer styles complement many traditional American holiday foods.

The program (located online at www.beerandturkey.org) explores the pairings of ale with traditional American holiday favorites, a pairing frequently mentioned in reference to the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.

The web site was created in 2006 to encourage those hosting holiday celebrations to include craft beer in their holiday dinner menus. www.beerandturkey.org has information for beer and food enthusiasts who want to learn “what to drink” and “how to serve” craft beer at their holiday meals. There is also a database of breweries who have posted their holiday release beers and information on holiday dinners associated with the breweries.

According to the press release from the brewery, The Brewers Associates notes that caramelized and toasted grain flavors in many beers complement the flavors of roast turkey while herbal hop additions pair nicely with popular holiday seasonings such as sage. Furthermore, the carbonation, fruitiness and balanced bitterness of many craft beers allow them to stand up to creamy, butter-rich preparations like mashed potatoes, creamed corn and similar fare.

Julia Herz, Director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Brewers Association stated,

“Our country’s history is rich with stories of beer and food and craft beer picks up where wine leaves off. Many styles of beer both complement and contrast the food they are paired with, whereas wine mostly contrasts. The holiday dinner table is a very appropriate place for beer made from America’s small, independent and traditional brewers.”

[images via beerandturkey.com]

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The beer dinner pairing craft beer from Alaskan Brewing Co. with the cuisine of Comme Ça scheduled for Monday, Oct. 22, is being rescheduled to Monday, Nov. 5. The event was created as a fundraiser for California Paddle 2007, an expedition by extreme athlete Tom Jones to paddle the entire 1,250-mile coastline of California on a 12-foot board to combat plastic pollution in the ocean. Jones doesn’t want any distractions prior to completing his world record-breaking journey on November 4. The beer dinner, which is now scheduled for Monday, Nov 5, will still serve as a fundraiser for California Paddle 2007 as well as a celebration of Jones’ world record.

Contacts:

Amy Phillips, 907.780.5866, aphillips@alaskanbeer.com
Phiphi Tran, 213.925.7167, ptran@westboundcommunications.com

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