dinners “in no way lessen the value
of a great wine, but do illustrate
that great craft beer belongs at the
fine-dining table.”
Beer’s diversity of styles makes it
extremely versatile. Experts agree,
there’s no food that can’t be paired
with beer. Chocolate is a good
example, and stout pairs well with
it. However, stouts are certainly not
limited to dessert pairings. Cheek
recommends pairing Orlando
Brewing’s Eagle Stout with roasted
beef or grilled fish.
Pairing beer and food begins by
analyzing the flavor profiles of the
beer and the dish. When tasting
beer, Paton says, “Let it slowly
wash around in your mouth prior to
swallowing so your taste buds pick
out the flavors. If, for example, you
taste citrus, that beer will pair well
with food that pairs with citrus,
such as seafood or poultry.” (Note:
Those culinarians under the legal
drinking age should always assign
the beer tasting and analysis to an
older colleague.)
Brent Wertz, CEC, AAC, former vice
president of food and beverage
at Kingsmill Resort & Spa in
Williamsburg, Va., now executive
chef and vice president of food and
beverage at Nemacolin Woodlands
Resort in Farmington, Pa., suggests
beginning the pairing experience
by using the color of the beer. For
example, a light-colored lager
would be good with Brie cheese,
since the refreshing qualities of
the beer cleanse the palate. An
amber-colored English pale ale
pairs wonderfully with farmhouse
cheddar, because the cheese has
the body and fat content to balance
the traditional medium body and
hoppiness of the beer. Lastly, pair
a dark porter with an aged blue
cheese. Both are full-bodied, and
the cheese has enough character
to pair well with the roasted malt
notes of the porter. For the simplest
of all pairings, Wertz suggests
adding some beer to a dish. “Use
it for marinating, infusing or in a
reduction,” he says. Then serve the
same beer with that dish.
Beer in the kitchen
The recent popularity of food
cooked with beer is great news for
chefs, Wertz says. “It provides them
with a new medium to do their
magic and creates a wonderful,
curious buzz among their patrons.”
Cheddar and stout soup is a great
possibility for innovation, he notes.
“Make it new and exciting by
putting a spoonful or two of the
head from the beer on the soup at
the table in front of your guests. It
is a great presentation and adds
another nuance of flavor.”
Alex Carballo, executive chef of
Stone Brewing World Bistro and
Gardens, puts another spin on
cheese soup. He garnishes his
Garlic Cheddar and Stone Ruination
India Pale Ale soup with broccoli
tempura. The batter is made with
Stone Brewing’s Arrogant Bastard
brew. “The bubbles in the beer
create air pockets in the batter and
give it a nice crunch,” Carballo
explains. That same batter is used
for Spud Buds, garlicky mashed
potatoes made with ale, rolled into
a ball, battered and deep-fried.
The starter is served with Stone’s
Smoked Porter barbecue sauce.
The porter also is used to braise
wild boar baby back ribs. Smoked
cheddar bratwurst is made with
Arrogant Bastard and served with a
pale-ale spicy brown mustard. The
list goes on and on.
Cooking with beer has endless
possibilities and few rules. The
only real guideline, other than
compatibility, is to not overcook the
beer or it will become bitter. “It’s best
to keep the temperature between
120-140°F,” Carballo advises.
Beer also has a place in the pastry
shop, “whether it is in beer breads,
sponge cake or something as
simple as a beer float,” Wertz says.
Beer at the bar
Beer drinks are a house specialty
at Lucky Devils in Hollywood, Calif.,
where two variations of shakes
and malts are made with beer —
Guests at Brooklyn Brewery can enjoy duck with fingerling potatoes
with the brewery’s craft beer.
Brent Wertz, CEC, AAC, highlighted beer as a real element in fine
dining at a beer and food pairing media event in London, sponsored
by Anheuser-Busch in 2009.
