The Great Online Beer & Cheese-Off: Challenge Accepted!

In early March, Brookston Beer Bulletin posted the topic for the 51st Session: do a beer and cheese pair-off with Maytag Blue Cheese, Widmer 1-year Aged Cheddar, and Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

I easily found the Maytag and Cypress Grove cheeses at my neighborhood Whole Foods.  When I couldn't find the Widmer at Whole Foods or Draeger's, I went with a 3-year aged cheddar from Black Creek in Wisconsin.

As for beer, I decided to demonstrate how easy it is to pair beer and cheese by just going with whatever beer was already in my refrigerator, instead of specially selecting beers. Also, I decided to mix and match the beers and cheeses when I could to experience the different interactions on my palate.

Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale
Both the read ale and the aged cheddar had a sharp, bold bite.  I don't want to over analyze this pairing.  It was good!

This beer did not pair well with the Maytag Blue Cheese. When I washed the cheese down with the beer, there was an unpleasant bitterness on the back of my palate.

The Humboldt Fog was so creamy that the flavors were washed out when drinking this very hoppy beer.

Weyerbacher Heresy Imperial Stout
This was the first time I'd ever tried this stout.  Aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels, this beer was like a light, sweetened coffee. I'll admit, I was not excited to taste the blue cheese and then wash it down with this beer. Surprisingly, it was not a complete disaster, but the flavors cancelled each other out.  I had a similar reaction to the Humboldt Fog and Heresy: not bad, but not much flavor.

I tasted the aged cheddar with the stout, but it was a wreck on my palate.  I don't recommend this pairing.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat
This spiced ale had an aroma like apple cider and beer.  It was smooth and roasty throughout the palate, which I didn't expected.  I tried the Humboldt Fog with this one.  The beer cut through the creamy body and sourness, nicely leaving the palate clean for the next bite of food.

Stillwater Stateside Saison
This saison has a refreshing citrus aroma with a sweet yet crisp finish. When I tasted the Humboldt Fog, then drank the saison, I noticed that the beer brought out the sour in the cheese.

Mission St. Pale Ale
This light-bodied ale with a mildly floral hoppy aroma simply worked well with the Humboldt Fog.  It made the cheese feel more delicate.

2011 Craft Brewers Conference: Living Legends, Food Pairing, and Lots of Craft Beer

The 2011 Craft Brewers Conference in San Francisco kicked off with a POP! (literally) as we toasted to craft beer with Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. This is the first beer industry conference that I've attended so it's the first time that I've checked in at a conference registration and been handed a four-pack of craft beer with by packet. Still, there was work to be done and new ideas to explore in the midst of this explosive time in craft beer.

Pairing Food and Beer
There was a lively discussion about beer and food at the "Working with Chefs" panel, which featured Adam Dulye of The Monk's Kettle, Greg Koch of Stone Brewing Co.,  and Jared Rouben of Goose Island Brewpubs.

The past two years have seen the envelope pushed beyond the conventional pairing of beer and food. Porters and stouts are no longer just for desserts. Progressive brewpubs are trying break the expected standard of designing the meal from light to heavier. Instead, the panel advised brewers to start with a cleaner slate of possibilities. Afterall, the biggest wins in food pairing come from trying new things that you have never imagined. For example, multiple beers with one course causes different actions on the palate so that diner is constantly engaged throughout the course. As a result, portion control is a topic that needs to be discussed when planning the meal since you want to ensure that the diner can finish the course by washing down the flavors on the palate with a beer.

The panel tried to dispel the myth that the chef creates the food and then finds a suitable beer. Instead, the process should be collaborative.

There seems to be a common communication divide between the brewer and the chef as I often heard brewers ask, "What kind of language should I use when discussing this issue with the chef?" To that, the panel offered business-saavy advice: set a price for the dinner and say that you still want to make money.


Read more about the Keynote talk, General Session, and Sustainability talks that I attended at the CBC on my guest blog post on Beer 47:
http://beer47.com/2011/04/2011-craft-brewers-conference-keynote-and-general-session/#more-1846

*Thanks to Gemma Amor for the use of the beer mugs photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21763895@N05/2107941577/

Beer for Breakfast: Pairing Coconut Pancakes with CoCoNut Porter, Espresso Stout, Imperial Stout

A few weeks ago, I found a recipe for Coconut Milk Pancakes on The Endive Chronicles.  Despite pancakes conventionally being served for breakfast, I was inspired to pair these pancakes with beer. I immediately thought of Maui Brewing Co.’s CoCoNut Porter. When I went to my local liquor store to get the beer, I also spotted Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout and Santa’s Little Helper from Port Brewing.

The pancake recipe is very simple. I used kosher salt instead of sea salt because that’s what I had in my pantry.  Also, the original recipe makes a very thick batter.  I thinned it out by adding milk - tablespoon by tablespoon - and ended up adding three tablespoons of milk. I want to try less added milk next time to see if I get fluffier pancakes.  The end product is a sweet pancake so I did not find the need to make the Coconut Syrup recipe.

First, I tried the pancakes with the CoCoNut Porter, which paired beautifully.  Usually, when I’ve enjoyed this beer alone, it’s rather sweet.  Having this sweet pancake makes the beer taste less sweet and more bitter, which is refreshing in this pairing.

Next, I tried the Espresso Stout. This pairing was like breakfast: the sweet pancake made the espresso stout bitter like drinking black coffee or espresso with pancakes in the morning.

Finally, I paired the Santa’s Little Helper.  This imperial stout had an aroma of chocolate, caramel, pecan, and booze. The body was so syrupy thick that I tried pouring a quarter teaspoon onto the pancakes. This made the pancakes taste more bitter and astringent. As expected, this big stout stands on it’s own; meaning, the flavor is unchanged with food and even overpowers anything eaten with it.