Revolver Brewing, Granbury, Texas

Back in July of 2011, Revolver Brewing popped onto the social media scene on Twitter. Shortly thereafter, they closed on a property of just over 16 acres in Granbury, Texas, about 35 minutes southwest of Fort Worth. The Revolver crew chose Granbury to be closer to family, though one of the team members is originally from Houston.

I first saw the name Revolver Brewing on their TABC permit applications; they have since received those, along with TTB permits and all of the necessary Development and Compliance permits from the county for construction. I did a little investigating and emailed one of the founders, Rhett Keisler, about getting an interview. He kindly told me to be patient while they got everything together, and just when I thought they had forgotten about me, Rhett emailed me back answering all of my questions!

So, just who are these guys, in small town Texas, opening a brewery? Well, there are 3 employees right now, one of which may seem familiar to you. Grant Wood, Revolver’s brewer, comes to them from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams), where he worked for the last 16 years. Some of his accolades while at Sam Adams include being the team leader for their “High Alcohol Brewing Projects”, which produced the world record holding Millennium and Utopia beers. Grant is originally from Texas, and has decided to return home this week to get their brewery started.The third partner is Ron Keisler, Rhett’s father, an instrumental part of their team since the very beginning. Their operation is wholly financed by their family.

Revolver plans to open in the summer of this year, and of course, host tastings and tours out on their property. They are actually looking for a DFW sales rep if anyone is interested! Rhett wouldn’t divulge any of their planned beers, but I’m sure with the experienced people behind them we can expect great things. They have purchased a customized 30 barrel brewhouse and tanks from Silver State Stainless in Nevada. They don’t plan to package any of their beers for the foreseeable future. He did note that, “It would be wonderful for our customers to have the right to buy craft beer to take home from our brewery. Texas wineries do it every day and have proven that this model works. We appreciate advocacy groups like Open the Taps that push for reducing those restrictions.”

How does one decide to open a brewery? For many it is a mere pipe dream. Rhett explained that after graduating from the University of Texas in the late nineties, he took a trip to Munich with his brother and had a realization about, “not only to what beer could be, but the way it is locally produced and respected as a food source. Texans are now doing the same thing – they are thinking about their beer the way they think about their barbeque.”

Out of curiosity, I asked, “Why the name Revolver Brewing?” To which he answered, “The revolver pistol is an iconic symbol of self-sufficiency in the American West. We hope to bring a bit of that spirit to our little brewing company.” I can’t imagine anything better.

You can follow Revolver Brewing on Facebook & Twitter to keep up with their progress!

Luckily, I didn’t have to look too far.

As someone who has watched many a home brew session (hey, I stir and stuff!), I have had the pleasure of seeing the many wonders present at DeFalco’s, arguably Houston’s best (and now only?) home brew supply store. If you have ever been, you know the two most knowledgeable guys in the store, James McDonald and Andrew Byrd. Though, you probably know them as “Jimmy”/”Biddy Red” and “Horse”, respectively. These guys know their way around hops, malts, equipment and the brewing process inside and out. So naturally, being frequent guests of the old Moon Tower and friends with the management, when the opportunity came up to start a brewery on-site at the Moon Tower space, they were the first choice. If you have ever had the beer they have been home brewing for over 6 years now, you know this was a stellar choice in brewers. Although the home brewing community will be sad to lose their expertise at the store, I (and surely everyone else) am excited for their new venture into the brewing world, their passion.

James & Andrew, in their natural state.

One of the two new shipping containers being used to renovate the old space, to expand the kitchen and the tap wall to 42 taps, will be a walk-in cooler for cold storage. The brewhouse will be set-up in part of the office space, behind the old ordering counter. I wasn’t even aware there was an office. They have a 3 1/2 barrel brewhouse on order from Portland Kettleworks and are expecting delivery in mid-February. That’s definitely cutting it close to the planned February reopening. To go with the shiny new brewhouse they also have two 7 barrel fermenters, meaning that they will be doing double batches for their standard beers. They also have two 1/2 barrel fermenters for special one-off beers. None of the brewhouse is automated, every step of the process will rely on the manual know-how from James and Andrew, though I don’t think that should worry anyone.

James and Andrew will have 2 of the 42 taps to start off with. One will usually be their flagship “Second Ward Stout”, the recipe for which they are tweaking; they have even brewed a few special versions of the stout, including a vanilla whiskey version. The other designated tap will be a rotating brew, basically whatever they feel like brewing. They have been given the reigns to the brewing side of the new Moon Tower-Inn, and I am confident that this was a wise choice.

They definitely plan to have growler sales and even a special Moon Tower-Inn pint night every so often featuring their house brews. Even though James wouldn’t say who, they also want to do some collaboration brews with other local brewers (the list isn’t that long). Of course, they plan to have beer dinners, or regularly available pairings to go with the awesome hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches and whatever else they put on the new menu. With the expansion of the kitchen, I can’t see them not adding items to the menu. They are even putting in bathrooms!

For now, it looks as though the only thing holding them back is the construction and arrival of equipment. Though I was told permits are in place, I didn’t see anything with Moon Tower in the TABC database, so apparently the permits are under some secret name, or have yet to be filed. Either way, this addition to the Houston craft beer scene should be welcomed with open arms. Not only is Moon Tower-Inn a great hang out spot, and a perfect place for live music, they will soon feature house made brews by some of the most talented guys in our city. Hopefully we will have more information soon on their grand reopening. I tried to convince James that he needs a twitter to tell everyone what they are up to, but I don’t think he bought it just yet.

You can follow Moon Tower-Inn on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with their progress.

Shiner R&B- photo by Aktherine O'Brien (http://www.katherineobrien.com/)

Randy prepared a 5 course menu with 5 Texas beers from all over the state, truly a fantastic representation of styles and breweries from Texas. It was also quite impressive for a bar in Shiner, Texas, population +/-2,000. Randy works very hard to get great beer for his bar, and it definitely showed at the dinner. Before the dinner I finally got to try one of Shiner’s new beers from their Brewer’s Pride series, the Ryes and Shine Rye Lager. I first saw news about the new beer back in October on Beer News (where else?) and knew I would have to have it. It was delicious, the chocolate and rye malts gave it sweet, caramel flavors and was a full-flavored light beer. Shiner does very well in that category.

Shiner Ryes & Shine

On to the dinner…

1st Course:
Citrus Salad with poached red snapper, gulf shrimp, fennel | Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #11

Citrus Salad & DR11

You know you’re in for a treat wen the first beer of the night is Saint Arnold’s wildly popular Double IPA from their Divine Reserve Series. Saint Arnold is making this a year-round offering, to the delight of Houston’s hop heads. I am not a big fan of this beer, but I, admittedly, do not like most IPAs. However, the citrus and seafood in the salad helped to cut through the bitterness and I quite enjoyed them both together. The fennel didn’t give off too much licorice flavor, and the crunch was a nice contrast in textures from the soft fish.

2nd Course:
Homemade Späetzle with fried onions, local oyster mushrooms | Shiner Old Time Alt

Späetzle & Shiner Old Time Ale

Beside the Ryes & Shine I had before dinner, Shiner’s Old Time Alt is another beer I have wanted to try. It only comes as part of the family reunion packs which is unfortunate, because I would definitely buy a 6-pack of this alone. If you want to try it, you may need to get a hold of it sooner rather than later, as it’s run at the brewery is over. The pairing was perfect, homemade späetzle with a German style brown ale. The mushrooms gave the späetzle a very earthy flavor and the fried onions were a nice contrast in texture. It needed a touch of salt, but I tend to put salt on everything. The Alt has a great caramel flavor and is truly a session beer at 4.2% ABV.

3rd Course:
Chicken Fried Axis, sweet potatoes, kurant “gravy” | Real Ale WT3F?!

Axis & Real Ale WT3F?!

This was, by far, my favorite pairing of the night. When I first tried WT3F?! I wanted it to be sour, but the brettanomyces plays very well with the barrel aged Tripel. There are great grassy and citrus notes to balance the funk of the Brett and the creamy mouthfeel I expect from Belgians. Axis is a variety of deer, originally from India, but transplanted in Texas some time ago. The coolest part of Axis deer (besides eating it) is their antlers; there is a period of time when their antlers have velvet on them. Anyway, the Axis was chicken-fried to perfection. The meat was juicy and tender, some of the best deer meat I’ve had (don’t tell my father). The sweet potatoes and kurant gravy were great accents to the Axis, giving it a sweet flavor that went well with the WT3F?!.

4th Course:
Coffee rubbed, smoked Akaushi beef rib with balsamic reduction and bone marrow | Rahr & Sons Chicory Cask Winter Warmer

Akaushi Rib & Chicory Winter Warmer

Akaushi beef is Japanese Wagyū beef, and Randy gets this from someone locally. The ribs probably needed a bit longer on the smoker, though I don’t mind rare meat, and definitely were over-salted. The pairing, however, was great. The sweet, boozy, spicy chicory cask of Winter Warmer from Rahr paired well with the salt and richness from the beef. Bone marrow is always a treat, I smeared the fatty, creamy marrow on the Shiner beer bread that Randy has for patrons at the bar; it was an excellent accompaniment to the big, rich beer.

5th Course:
Vegan Crème Brûlée, chocolate covered bacon | Jester King Black Metal

Crème Brûlée & Black Metal

The crème brûlée might be the first vegan dish I have ever seen at a beer dinner, and probably the first dish I’ve had that was advertised that way. I definitely think the idea was good, but the execution was less than favorable. I didn’t taste anything that was remotely like crème brûlée, and I missed the crispy, caramelized sugar topping. Luckily, there was chocolate-covered bacon to save the day. The chocolate and salty smoky contrast of the bacon paired very well with the Black Metal on nitro. I love Black Metal; the graphics and label story are enough to buy a bottle without knowing it is a fantastic beer. Dark fruit, caramel, roastiness, molasses and chocolate notes combine for “face-melting awesomeness”, as Randy put it.

Beside the food and beer pairings, the demographic of the attendees had to be my favorite part of the dinner. I was the youngest person in the room (more so than usual!), it felt like I was at a beer dinner with my grandparents! Though many of them were admittedly just there for the food, they were at least trying the beers, which is definitely exciting. They know Randy very well and treat him like their son, supporting all of his ventures. Anyway, the dinner was excellent, as I expected, and I cannot wait to go back and visit again!

Brian and Jennifer Royo, the owners of No Label, were in attendance to talk to everyone about their brews and gave us a nice bit of information, No Label is acquiring more warehouse space soon. While this will probably push back their timeline for getting a bottling line installed, it will free up space for more beer! I feel like I have been watching No Label since their inception and entrance into the Houston craft beer scene and it has been great to see them be so successful; they have continued growing, brought on their assistant brewer, John, full-time, signed with a local craft distributor, and are venturing into new styles of beer.

The pre-dinner aperitif was a mug of warm Leprechaun cider, that was infused with cinnamon and nutmeg, and a warm gingerbread cookie by Bread & Batter, a local Houston bakery. The warm, spicy and just a touch of sweetness in the cider was a great pair for the soft gingerbread cookie. I have not ventured much into cider (the same goes for mead), except for the occasional snakebite, so I liked trying it warm, perfect for the chilly night we had in Houston.

1st Course:
Savory Fritter | No Label’s experimental sour (!)

Savory fritter & No Label's experimental sour.

We started the dinner with a wonderful savory fritter that had olives inside and topped with an herb-cream sauce. Though, when Brian said the beer was their first attempt at a sour, I couldn’t have cared less about the fritter. The pairing was fine, it’s difficult to pair foods with tart beers, but the cream sauce and saltiness of the fritter paired quite well with the beer. They did not use a traditional sour mash or any bacteria, Brian did not want to run the risk of contaminating their new system, but it was a great experiment. They used cherries and some lactic acid on top of their Ridgeback Amber ale. I would love to see them delve into this style more, and I have a feeling Jennifer may be able to convince Brian and John!

2nd Course:
Almond crostini, prosciutto, caramelized apple | No Label El Hefe Hefeweizen

Prosciutto Crostini & No Label El Hefe

I have had No Label’s hefeweizen many, many times, and after working out the bugs in their new system, it has stayed very consistent. Bananas. Lots of bananas.  The bananas went very well with the caramelized apples and almond bread. The spice and banana flavors mixed well with the slightly sweet bread and caramelized apples, and what doesn’t go well with a little cured ham? The almond crostini was made by Bread & Batter, and while I don’t like nuts (yes, even almonds) I didn’t get the chalky aftertaste that gives me an aversion to nuts in the first place.

3rd Course:
Potato and Bacon Puree | No Label Ridgeback Amber Ale

Bacon and Potato puree & No Label Ridgeback

I love potato soup, especially in the winter. The potato puree was warm and filling and had a nice contrast in texture and flavors from the bacon and onions. It paired very well with the Ridgeback amber ale, named after their Rhodesian, that has a great caramel and hop balance.

4th Course:
Marinated beet, carrot, cucumber and pickled cabbage salad | No Label Black Wit-o

marinated beet salad & No Label Black Wit-O

I’m not against beets, they are just not something I seek out while dining. That said, they were great. There was a definite spiciness to the marinade that was calmed down by the beer, though it would have been nice to have more marinade, as there were a lot of vegetables on the plate. The crunch of the vegetables was nice and went well with the crispy sweet potato straws. The heirloom tomatoes needed a touch of salt, but otherwise I was pleased with the mix of flavors and textures on the plate, though it felt a bit disjointed. No Label’s seasonal, Black Wit-O (a black wheat beer, if you want to categorize it somehow) was a good pairing for the spicy marinade. I love their seasonal, it is 7% ABV, but you would never know it. A great beer to teach people that a dark beer doesn’t necessarily equate to heavy or thick.

5th Course:
Slow roasted beef short ribs with spaghetti squash, tomato, figs and onions | No Label Pale Horse Pale Ale

Beef short ribs & No Label Pale Horse

As soon as I put my fork to the short rib, it fell right off the bone. It was tender, but could have used a little more salt (maybe this is me?). The spaghetti squash was cut to look like pasta and had the figs, onions and roasted tomatoes mixed in. The juices from the beef rib were great on top of the “pasta” and gave the meat the salt that I wanted. I was most surprised by how much I liked No Label’s Pale Horse. Previously it was a tad too bitter for my tastes, but we learned that Brian and John tweaked the recipe where the malts were concerned. They replaced the previous 2-row malt bill with Marris Otter, giving it a lovely, rich caramel and nutty flavor that balances out the hops nicely. I don’t generally gravitate toward pale ales ever, but this I will be drinking more of. It’s especially nice to have this style be so drinkable from a local brewery.

6th Course:
House made ice cream beer float | No Label Chocolate El Hefe Hefeweizen

Beer float & No Label Chocolate El Hefe

I was very excited to try No Label’s Chocolate El Hefe, a chocolate version of their hefeweizen. Brian and John used chocolate nibs in the brewing process and I think the end result is excellent. The aroma was like a roasted banana split with definite chocolate notes. The beer had the spice from their hefeweizen, but was balanced by the chocolate. The chocolate seemed to make the beer much creamier than the regular El Hefe as well. The house made ice cream melted into the beer before I got to try a solid bite of it, but the float was great. Spices, chocolate, with the effervescence from the beer and creamy ice cream made for a great dessert.

I was very impressed with the dinner, especially such an affordable one. I hope Ziggy’s continues to do dinners like this with No Label (and any other Houston brewery, for that matter) because it is a great to see local, available craft beers paired with great, comforting dishes. Thanks to Brian and Jennifer of No Label and Kevin and Chef Samantha Bryan of Ziggy’s for a great beer dinner, keep us posted on the next one!

]]> http://lushtastic.com/2011/12/08/no-label-beer-dinner-at-ziggys-bar-grill/feed/ 2 lushtastic 1stcourse 2ndcourse 3rdcourse 4thcourse 5thcourse 6thcourse http://lushtastic.com/2011/12/02/preview-buffalo-bayou-brewing-company/ http://lushtastic.com/2011/12/02/preview-buffalo-bayou-brewing-company/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:43:47 +0000 Leslie http://lushtastic.com/?p=4017 ]]>

Ever since I found out about Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company making plans to open In Houston, I have been following Rassul (the founder) and crew on their journey towards getting into production, securing the permits, and of course, taste testing some beer for them! I first spoke with Rassul back in June to get the story about the new brewery and his unique business model. He plans to have only two beers on the market at any given time; one flagship beer, the 1836 Copper Ale, and the other will be a frequently rotating one-off. Rassul spoke to a group of about 15 people last night at the brewery about not wanting to call these one-offs “seasonals”, as that implies a certain timing or certain style profile. Ryan Robertson, the brewmaster, was also on hand to explain his brewing processes, the “peculiar” ingredients they are using, and future beer plans.

We started off with their 1836 Copper Ale, their flagship beer. Not quite a session beer, at just under 6% ABV, but something you can definitely drink more than 1 of and not feel bad about it. It wasn’t too hoppy, had a nice balance between the malt and hop profiles, their version of a “light beer”. Truly a flagship, something you can drink year round.

Buffalo Bayou Brewing's Flagship Beer: 1836 Copper Ale

As a special treat, there were four food stations set up at the brewery, each with a different dish that incorporated Buff beer in their dishes, or was inspired by the flavors of the beer. First up was Matt Schlabach (of the upcoming City Acre Brewpub) with his 1836 beer bread topped with beef, pork, garlic, and jalapeno sausage (steamed in some of his own beer), beer mustard and homemade sauerkraut. He also had some pickled green tomatoes to pair with the brat. I love anything pickled, so of course this was a winner for me. The sausage was flavorful and the beer bread was fresh and soft. The mustard and sauerkraut went very well with 1836, a nice refreshing beer to cut the acidity and spiciness of the mustard and sauerkraut.

Buffalo Bayou Brewing 1836 Copper Ale & Matt Schlabach's Beer Bread and Brat

Next we tried Buff Brew’s Hibiscus wit beer. They took a very traditional wit recipe and added Hibiscus flowers and fresh ground ginger. I loved the aroma, the beer smelled like funky Belgian beer with a tropical flair, almost like it was going to be a little sour (a girl can dream!). Even if it wasn’t sour, it had great flavor, especially as it warmed up a bit, really letting the nuanced ginger and hibiscus shine through the heavy yeast and spice flavors. To accompany the hibiscus wit, Monica Pope had prepared a pickled shrimp dish with shaved beets, tarator sauce, and walnut macaroon. The acidity of the pickled shrimp and sweetness of the macaroon paired very well with the citrus notes of the hibiscus wit.

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Hibsicus Wit & Monica Pope's Shrimp and Macaroon dish

After the wit, we moved on to a side-by-side of sorts. We tried a Belgian Dubbel that Ryan made, then the same base beer, but with Brettanomyces added in during the early stages of secondary fermentation. When I think of Dubbel’s, I think about malty, spicy and slightly sweet beers; this was the case for Buff’s dubbel, it had a nice dark fruit, figs and raisins, characteristic, but it was hardly sweet. The 9% ABV was hidden very well, which is important to me in judging a beers “drinkability”. They aren’t trying to brew the quintessential dubbel and honestly, it would be hard to put any beer up next to the big boys in this category: Rochefort 8, Westy 8, Maredsous, etc.

The interesting part was tasting the same beer that had the Brett added to it. It played very well with the dubbel, not surprisingly. The Brettanomyces didn’t add a funky flavor (yet, I imagine the longer this beer sits, the funkier it will become) but rather, almost a sweet, citrus note that made for an interesting play with the spices. I want to see this batch of beer develop in the next few months and try it again.

While trying both of the dubbels, I snacked on [more than 1] of Ryan Pera’s crostin’s. He used a Texas goat cheese, Revival Market lardo, autumn squash purèe and a Hibiscus wit gastrique. The squash’s sweet and spicy flavor paired very well with the soft goat cheese, and what doesn’t go well with pork fat?!

Ryan Pera's Lardo & Goat Cheese Crostinis

Last up was a desert made with my favorite Buff beer, their Gingerbread stout. Rebeccas Masson, or Sugar Fairy as she is known on twitter, made a syllabub ( a cross between a mousse and a pudding), topped with crème fraîche, spiced caramel sauce, crunchy pearls, sea salt and nutmeg. It was so decadent, but the spice and carbonation of the gingerbread stout helped cut through the sweetness of the syllabub. I’ve been fortunate to now have tried at least 3 small batches of the gingerbread stout, trying to pay attention to the minor tweaks that Ryan and Rassul keep telling me about. This version was a bit less sweet than the previous version that I loved, but the body was ramped up due to the sugar he substituted in this version. I really liked this version as well, but i missed the aroma of a gingerbread cookie from the last version that I adored so much. Then again, they aren’t brewing beers specifically for me!

Rebecca Masson's Ginger Bread Stout Syllabub

Overall it was a great event, Rassul and Ryan are obviously passionate and experienced and they have a great support team over at the Black Sheep Agency. Aimee and Hannah did an amazing job turning a building under construction into a sweet little holiday set-up. Their business model is unique and I love to hear about their plans for being involved in the community. The location of the brewery is great as well, nestled in a sort of a half-residential, half-commercial part of town. The beers were excellent and I can’t wait to see their progress. The guys are waiting on a few more city inspections and installation of the brew house and fermenters, but hope to have beer on the market by the end of December, early January. Exciting times for craft beer in Houston, to say the least!

For a set of [better] photos, check out Ronnie Crocker’s blog, Beer, TX.

]]> http://lushtastic.com/2011/12/02/preview-buffalo-bayou-brewing-company/feed/ 1 lushtastic buff-color-logo 1836 1836 & cityacre hibiscus-popedish revival-crostinis sugar-fairy http://lushtastic.com/2011/11/22/vic-anthonys-north-coast-beer-dinner/ http://lushtastic.com/2011/11/22/vic-anthonys-north-coast-beer-dinner/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:24:50 +0000 Leslie http://lushtastic.com/?p=3390 ]]> The grand finale of Houston Beer Week was the North Coast beer dinner put on by Vic & Anthony’s, which is fitting because they have this whole beer dinner down to an art. [Check out previous V&A dinners I've attended: Real Ale and Midsummer Dinner]

First Course:
Point aux Pins Oyster with Finger Chile, Apple and Tarragon | Le Merle

After the news of red tide and no more gulf oysters this season, I was definitely excited to see the first course include Point aux Pins from Alabama. The slaw had a nice balance of heat and sweet between the apple and chile and the tarragon rounded it out with a nice herb note. The Le Merle is a Belgian farmhouse ale and was a great pairing for the oyster. It is light, slightly sweet from the familiar Belgian yeast, and has a nice effervescence. It allowed the oyster to shine and even seemed to enhance the flavors of the dish by adding some brightness.

Second Course:
Head on Shrimp, braised greens in a smoky creole broth | Scrimshaw Pilsner

The smoky flavors from the shrimp and the broth paired very well with North Coast’s classic pilsner. The shrimp were large, cooked perfectly, and had absorbed great flavors from the broth. The braised greens needed a bit of salt in my opinion, but they were a nice complement to the smoky and slightly spicy broth.

Third Course:
Rabbit sausage, dates, Foie Gras, Citrus Relish | Ruedrich’s Red Seal Amber Ale

Finally we started getting into the meat (literally) of the menu with the cured loin wrapped in a rabbit sausage/foie gras/date forcemeat, topped with a citrus relish. They paired this with the Red Seal Amber Ale, which does have a nice hop bite. Luckily, the citrus relish and the richness from the sausage and foie gras balanced out any hop bitterness. This was definitely my favorite dish of the evening.

Fourth Course:
Brazos Valley Blue Cheese Tart with Sorrel and pumpkin vinaigrette | PranQster Belgian Style Golden Ale

Next up was a blue cheese tart with cheese from a local producer, sort of like an intermission dish between the big rich meat dishes that round out the rest of the dinner. The stinky, tangy cheese tart paired very well with the light, sweet PranQster. The typical Belgian yeast characteristics complemented the cheese very well. The sorrel greens with pumpkin vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds on top was a nice contrast of flavors to the rich, creamy tart by providing some acidity and a touch of nutty sweetness that paired very well with the golden ale.

Fifth Course:
Bacon wrapped boar loin with pearl onions, new potatoes, mushrooms | Brother Thelonius Belgian Style Abbey Ale

For the most part, if you put bacon-wrapped anything in front of me, I will be a happy camper. This was definitely not an exception. The boar was surprisingly tender and the in-house made bacon gave it a nice smoky, maple taste. The pearl onions, chanterelle, and oyster mushrooms were lovely, having soaked up some of the rich sauce and flavors from the loin. This dish needed a big beer to hold up to the rich flavors, and “Bro-T”, as my favorite bar calls it, fit the bill well. Tom Allen, the founder of North Coast attended the dinner as well, and explained the story of Brother Thelonious (and the other beers too). Not only is this a great beer, but it supports the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz that benefits young musicians. I love drinking for charity.

Sixth Course:
Venison and Kidney Pie, root vegetables, pastry lattice | Old Stock Ale 2011

Old Stock ale is one of my favorite beers, it was one of the first non-Shiner craft beers I ever had and have loved it ever since. I was hoping to see a vertical of this, but I’ve been told I’m a dreamer more than once. The idea of lamb kidneys in a “pie” was a little much for some people at the dinner, but I loved the richness the organs brought to the dish. There was also some mashed rutabaga hidden under the venison and lamb kidney that helped balance the richness. Old Stock ale is actually pretty hoppy when it is fresh, but has a nice malt profile to back up the hops. This dish also needed a big beer to stand up to the luscious flavors of the pie.

Seventh Course:
Spiced Chocolate Strudel, brown butter phyllo, cardamom, cinnamon, gingerbread sauce | Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

And finally, dessert. The only way I usually enjoy Old Rasputin is on a nitro tap, since it makes it more creamy and seems to help with the combined hop and roasted malt bitterness that I’m not a fan of. Luckily right after serving the dessert, they pulled out a special little surprise to end the night with, North Coast’s Grand Cru/ Twentieth Anniversary Ale. I thought this beer paired much nicer with the very chocolatey dessert. The beer is brewed with agave nectar and a special Belgian yeast strain that give it some citrus notes. This combination seemed to help cut through the rich strudel, and enhance the cardamom and cinnamon spices.

Overall, another great beer dinner in the V&A books. The culinary team has a knack for pairing flavors well together and they do so with locally available beers. While I love going to beer dinners where we get to try rare, new beers, being able to pair an upscale menu with beers they have on tap, or that you can find locally really showcases their abilities. In my opinion, North Coast beers are very delicate, well-balanced beers and the dishes paired with them highlighted this and neither one overpowered the other.

This was a very unique dinner experience; the group of 25 or so sat at a huge community table that they brought to the upstairs of Grand Prize specifically for the dinner. Lyle and Joshua, the guys from The Modular food truck, paraded their dishes around before preparing the individual plates, truly proud of their selections of protein. From one bucket of beef bones and one of turkey legs to two suckling pigs, we definitely weren’t leaving hungry! This was also my first time to ever try mead, I was expecting every glass to be full of a very heavy, sweet liquid, but I was wrong. Almost none of them were cloyingly sweet, except for the last mead, the 2003 Boysenberry mead that was sticky and thick like syrup. On the contrary, they were like heavy champagnes, dry with a touch of sweetness, and as they are made from honey, that flavor was predominant in almost every glass.

The Menu:
First Course:
Bone Marrow, with Smoked Eel Toast and Parsley Salad
Paired with Redstone Black Raspberry Nectar, 8% ABV.

Bone marrow is so rich, salty, and buttery, so the dry, sweet mead paired well with the huge trough. The parsley salad and toast made a great sandwich-like vehicle to get more bone marrow to my face. This was definitely a decadent way to get the dinner started.

Second Course:
Turkey Leg Cassoulet
Paired with Redstone Traditional Honey Mead, 12%

I had the chance to have Duck leg cassoulet (bean stew) when Lyle was at Feast and this was basically a replication of that, but with huge turkey legs. The Turkey was tender and fatty, a classic “medieval” protein dish paired with Redstone’s classic mead, a great combination.

Third Course:
Bone-In Roast Beef, with Yorkshire Pudding
Paired with Redstone Juniper Mead, 12% ABV

Next was the roast beef dish, served with a side of mashed rutabaga and a salad. The rutabaga was very creamy and buttery, with a nice earthy element that complemented the mead and the super fatty, rich roast beef. This mead was very different from the previous ones, Redstone added juniper berries during fermentation and it is made with two kinds of honey- orange blossom and desert blossom. The juniper provided a spiced, piney flavor to the mead that was very different.

Fourth Course:
Whole Roasted Pig, with Roasted Root Vegetables.
Paired with Redstone Sunshine Nectar (Apricot Mead), 8%

Finally the course I was most excited about, the pork. Originally this was going to be the third course, but they wanted to give the piglets proper time in the caja (roasting box). After Lyle used a big machete to “butcher” the roasted pig, he asked the group if they wanted any special cuts, and then passed the head around for people to get cheek meat and brains. I definitely grabbed some cheek meat to go with whatever else they piled on my plate. The skin of the pig could have been a bit crispier, but the meat was tender and flavorful. The root vegetables on the plate were definitely an afterthought for me, but balanced out the slightly sweet characteristic of the apricot mead with a nice roasted earthy flavor.

Fifth Course:
Sticky Toffee Pudding, with Vanilla-Cinnamon Mead Ice Cream.
Paired with Redstone Boysenberry Reserve 2003, 13% ABV

Like I noted earlier, this was my least favorite mead, it was entirely too sweet and had the viscosity of cough syrup. The dessert, however, was killer. The ice cream made with mead was sweet but the vanilla and cinnamon helped keep it from being overwhelming. The sticky toffee pudding was moist and the toffee sauce was rich and complemented the cake well.

The atmosphere of the dinner was an experience in itself, beside trying mead for the first time and having a protein feast that kept me full for the next day and a half. I loved how excited the Modular guys were to share their passion for cooking and the fun of butchering the meat with us. They made a special effort to give the dinner a medieval vibe, from serving the bone marrow on broken wooden pickets to the old-looking, burned-edges menu, they made it feel special. The best and probably strangest part of the night was our “gift”, the knife we used to eat with all night was ours to keep. I’m not sure I’ve ever been given a gift at any dinner, much less a sharp utensil, definitely a nice touch.

I hope The Modular guys take on another challenge like this, but with beer!

Getting tickets for the dinner was a feat in itself, waiting on an email or tweet detailing where Kevin or Ben would be with a select amount of tickets on any given day or night, hoping they wouldn’t be sold out before you got there. The location of the dinner wasn’t even announced until 10 AM the morning of, though it did add a level of excitement. The location ended up being the Ashland House in Spring Branch. An interesting little place with trees growing inside of it, somewhere John suggested people take their grandmothers, though it seemed to fit the 50+ people, staff and band quite nicely. Everyone knew that Kevin and Ben were not going to hold back, both in their beer selections and in shit-talking at the actual dinner. Chefs Jones and Shepherd also went all out, each of them trying their teams beers blindly and having to pair dishes with them without even knowing what they were. They both managed to make excellent dishes that all paired well, making voting quite difficult for us.

We started with some passed appetizers and a beer cocktail. The first appetizer was from Chef Shepherd- a piece of pork belly on a skewer done in a Japanese style, then from Chef Jones we had a pork belly bahn mi and some Habanero chicken wings topped with queso fresco. I was not surprised in the least to see the two pork belly dishes, you really can’t go wrong with pork belly. After some postulating about what the beer and food could be and great live lounge music from the band they brought in, we finally sat down for the beginning of the epic battle.

Just a note- all of the pictures are arranged how our beers and food were on the table, Chef Jones and Ben on the left and Chef Shepherd and Kevin on the right; that’s also how I’ll be writing about them, even though they were served simultaneously.

1st Course:
L: Drake’s Aroma Coma with Peruvian Ceviche
R: Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza with Fried Butterfish

L: When the first course’s beers starting making their way around I was not in the least bit surprised to see an IPA, Drake’s Aroma Coma, coming from Ben. I was surprised that I actually liked it. It didn’t have the big, bitter finish that a lot of IPAs tend to have that just destroy my taste buds. The aroma would have you believe it was such a beer, but it had a great, clean finish, nice caramel notes, and a fruity characteristic. The Aroma Coma was paired with a Peruvian Ceviche prepared by Chef Jones. The ceviche had poached calamari, Cobia fish, a leche de tigre sauce (citrus, chilies, and habanero), white yam purée, cancha corn nuts and liquid nitrogen frozen pearls of Ahi Amarillo chilies from Peru. The pearls were like chile dippin dots! It was spicy and fresh, with great texture contrasts from the seafood, chile pearls and watermelon radish. The IPA helped to cut the heat from all the chilies used, a perfect pairing really.

R: Of course we were all excited to see the Jolly pumpkin labels floating around, they are a 100% barrel aging and bottle-conditioning brewery, meaning everything coming out of there has some level of funk and/or sour. The Oro De Calabaza is aged in oak barrels and has a funky champagne flavor profile. Light and dry, with a touch of tartness. This bière de garde was paired with a whole, fried butterfish, a bycatch from shrimping. It was served over a Thai papaya salad with fish sauce. The fish sauce was very powerful as the fish was very mild. The beer did go well with the pungency of the fish sauce in the salad, but I would have liked the fish to have more flavor.

Winner: Ben & Chef Jones

2nd Course:
L: Cascade Sang Royal with Pork Croquette, Sour Grapes and White Mirapoix Purée
R: He’Brew Vertical Jewbilation with Pork heart, Quail Egg Shooter and Coconut English Pea Purée

L: I hope you all can imagine my excitement in seeing Cascade bottle going around the room, even more so when I saw it was the Sang Royal, one of their sours I haven’t had. AND coming from Ben! I knew he’d come around eventually. The Sang Royal has dark fruit and funky notes in the aroma and is a delicious, dry sour with a very nice, tight finish. Super sour, but not overpowering pucker. Chef Jones paired a “pork parts” croquette, served over white mirapoix purée. Troy Witherspoon, the best bartender at Petrol (and fabulous cook) made sour grapes to go along with it and the purple mustard greens were soaked in the pickling juice. I wouldn’t have thought the sour grapes and greens would go so well with the sour beer, but it did, so well. The croquette was perfectly done, warm and gooey inside. I couldn’t stop thinking about many happy times in Amsterdam wondering around the city and eating veal Krokets from the FEBO vending machine. A croquette and a sour beer? Kevin and Chris hardly stood a chance.

R: John and I had the pleasure of going to Stone’s Oakquinox (all barrel-aged beer festival) earlier this year and got to sample the He’Brew Vertical Jewbilation. It is aged in rye whiskey barrels and has a huge, boozy flavor with some raisin/fig dark fruit flavors. This beer tastes just like it smells, raisins and booze. The beer was paired with marinated pork heart, that had been vacuum sealed and then grilled. It was laid over a coconut English pea purée and on the side was a quail egg shooter topped with “pork fluff” that resembled cotton candy, and was delicious! How could you not love pork cotton candy?  The egg was raw and there was some other ingredients accompanying them but I didn’t catch what they were, but it was spicy. There was also some chile lime salt sprinkled on the plate to scoop up with the pea purée and pork heart slices. The beer paired well as the big booze flavor helped to cut the spiciness of the dish and enhanced the richness of the pork heart. It was an excellent pairing, but I just couldn’t get over the Cascade and pork croquette.

Winner: Ben & Chef Jones

3rd Course:
L: Victory V-Twelve with Smoked Duck leg and Mushrooms on a Masa Cake
R: Firestone Walker Parabola with Venison Loin and Black Pepper Chocolate

L: Texas receives much of Victory Brewing’s beer line-up, but not the V-Twelve. I hadn’t even heard of this beer, a 12% ABV Belgian Quadrupel with that familiar Belgian yeast aroma and a sweet and funky taste. The balance between the hops and malts was great, though it leaned more in the hoppy side, no surprise. Chef Jones paired this beer with a pulled, smoked duck leg and mushrooms on top of a masa cake with a mole sauce. the sauce seemed more tomato based to me, not so much chocolate, but it was smoky and had a bit of heat to it. The Belgian definitely helped complement the smoke and richness from the dish, though the cake was a bit dry.

R: Kevin explained this beer with a joke, “Why not have a bourbon barrel aged Russian imperial stout half way through dinner?” (definitely not his exact quote, but something along those lines). This beer is BIG. In everything. It is sweet, boozy, roasty, chocolate-y, and has some vanilla, coffee, and dark fruit notes as well. Almost everyone saved some of this to sip on through the rest of the meal. I’ve had it before and was delighted to see it again. Chef Shepherd paired this beer with Venison loin that was just simply seared to a nice medium-rare and served over a black pepper chocolate sauce. It was a good move to keep the protein paired with this tremendous beer so simple. The meat was flavorful and tasted great with the chocolate and had just a hint of heat from the pepper. It paired perfectly with the beer.

Winner: Kevin & Chef Shepherd

4th Course:
L: Ballast Point Indra Kunindra with Thai Red Curry
R: Cigar City Humidor IPA (Jai Alai Cedar Aged) with Akaushi flank steak, Korean chile paste and sweet soy glazed salad

L: When John and I were in San Diego earlier this year we stopped by the Ballast Point brewery and attached home brew shop for a few beers before our sushi dinner, and I was very impressed with the offerings, but the Indra Kunindra was not one of them, unfortunately. This beer was made especially for Holiday Wine Cellar’s 46th Anniversary. It was originally the winner of their homebrew competition in 2010, then brewed by Ballast Point. From the brewery, It is “An India-style Export Stout brewed with Madras Curry and lime leaf [...] coconut, Cayenne, and Cumin”. This beer was so unique, possibly my favorite of the entire evening. It was light but rich at the same time, effervescent, spicy and a hint of citrus to balance it out. Phenomenal. Chef Jones probably slapped Ben when he tasted this, but the pairing was excellent. Jones prepared a Thai red goat curry served with fried rice puffs and peanuts. There was some latent heat to this curry and it was so rich and tasty. I was surprised that a beer like this paired so well with a similar profile in the dish, I would have thought a stout without those spiced would have helped to cut the spice of the curry, but the Indra helped enhance the flavors in the curry.

R: Cigar city makes some great beers, and in my opinion the Humidor IPA (cedar aged Jai Alai) is not one of them. It sort of tastes like drinking hoppy cedar bark that has been juiced. Or, perhaps, like licking a cigar box, if that’s your thing. People go nuts over this beer, so I am definitely in the minority with that opinion. It was paired with layers of Akaushi flank steak from Yoakum, Texas, that had been compressed together with meat glue (there is some fancy name for it, but I don’t remember) and then vacuum sealed. It was accompanied by a Korean red chile paste and a sweet soy glazed salad. The steak was tender and cooked a perfect medium-rare, the fat was rich and delicious, and it had an excellent caramelization on top. The Korean chile paste gave it a bit of heat and the salad complemented all of that with some sweetness and a touch of brightness to cut the fat. I couldn’t pick this as a winner because that beer is so offensive to me, though I am sure some did.

Winner: Ben & Chef Jones

5th Course:
L: Bruery Autumn Maple with Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie
R: Bruery Mischief with Caramel Popcorn purée, bourbon compressed honey apples and caramelized white chocolate

L: It was a funny coincidence that both Kevin and Ben picked a Bruery beer for dessert, neither of them knew the other’s beer selections. They are wildly different beers, and knowing the guys, I would have thought the selections were switched. I love the Autumn Maple, it has a sweet V8 aroma (that may turn people off, but not me) and is brewed with yams, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses and maple syrup and then fermented with their house Belgian yeast. This is truly a fall seasonal beer, on a completely different level than pumpkin beers. It is spicy and sweet and I hardly noticed the 10% ABV on this beer. It was paired with what Chef Jones called a deconstructed pumpkin pie, with a shot of pumpkin juice to go with it. I hardly touched the pumpkin juice, who needs it with Autumn Maple? The bottom layer was caramelized pumpkin flesh with a brown butter emulsion topped with a maple and dulce de leche cream that had gone through the liquid nitrogen. Stuck into this crazy pumpkin explosion was a chunk of pie crust. It was so decadent, the frozen cream started to melt and mix with the pumpkin and butter emulsion. I’ll never look at another pumpkin pie the same. Since Autumn Maple has no pumpkin in it, it paired very well. The spiciness from the yams and allspice, cinnamon, etc that the beer was brewed with matched very well with the sweetness of the dessert.

R: Kevin picked the Bruery’s Mischief, a hoppy, Belgian golden strong ale. Definitely an interesting choice for dessert. It is quite hoppy but is somewhat balanced by some sweet caramel notes, citrus flavors and has a nice, dry finish. Chef Shepherd paired this beer with a caramel popcorn purée with bourbon soaked compressed honey crisp apples and finished with some caramelized white chocolate. Pairing this spiced, hoppy beer with the salty popcorn purée and sweet apples was very well done, but it just didn’t stand up to the pumpkin pie explosion and Autumn Maple.

Winner: Ben & Chef Jones

Overall, Ben and Chef Jones won for me and for the group, though there was apparently some voter fraud. Really though, as corny as this will sound, we were all winners that night; 10 amazing beers paired with 10 exquisite creations from the best chefs in town, what a treat. Honestly, this is, by far and away, the most amazing beer dinner I have had the pleasure of attending. I’m not sure how anyone will top this, but they can sure try. The beers were all fantastic selections and the chefs worked some miracles pairing foods with the complex nature of all the beers we drank. I can’t imagine the work and logistics that went into planning an event of this magnitude and am super grateful to everyone involved for putting this together. Truly an experience that won’t soon be forgotten.

Since Mikkel is in town for various Houston Beer Week events, of course there had to be a dinner with Jester King! Jester King collaborated with gypsy brewer Mikkel earlier this year for Drink’in in the Sunbelt, based off of Mikkeller’s Drink’in in the Sun. During Houston Beer Week Jester King is hosting an “open brew day” out at the brewery where they will brew their second collaboration- “Ale”/“Malt Liquor” in TX Geek Brunch. This is another one of the beer geek breakfast/brunch series and the name pokes fun at Texas beverage labeling laws.

The dinner was at Haven, due to construction issues with Underbelly/Hay Merchant (as in they aren’t done yet). The menu was prepared by 4 (!) chefs: Randy Evans of Haven, Chris Shepard of upcoming Underbelly, Chef Jakob Mielcke of Mielcke & Hurtigkarl in Copenhagen, and Jean Philippe Gaston of Haven. Kevin Floyd, of Anvil and Hay Merchant, was there to explain beer pairings, aided by Ron Extract of Jester King and Mikkel of Mikkeller.

We started with some passed appetizers of steamed brioche with caviar, pretzel battered shrimp on a stick with beer cheese sauce dip, fish ribs, and one we didn’t get to try, trotter fritters. We washed those down with Draft Bear, Mikkeller’s Imperial Pilsner. I quite enjoyed this beer, it definitely wasn’t as hop-aggressive as some of Mikkeller’s beers tend to be.

1st Course:
Animal Farms Root Veggies with Louisiana Oyster Tartare | Mikkeller/Three Floyds BooGoop

Oyster Tartare with Root Veggies, paired with BooGoop

I had a chance to try BooGoop at the Night After Monsters event and I liked it once it has a chance to warm up. This dish was prepared by Jakob Mielcke, and he explained that even though this was a beer dinner in Texas, he would leave the steak to the locals, and went with a light, green first dish. The root vegetable were radishes and something else, and the oyster tartare was hidden under the arugula and creme. Usually if I am eating oysters, they are whole and come straight from the shell, so this was a little different for me. I didn’t get much of the actual oyster flavor, more of the meyer lemon that was added in mixed with the spice from the arugula.

2nd Course:
Crudo of Queen Snapper, Meyer Lemon Crème fraîche, Melon Crudo | Jester King/Mikkeller Drink’in in the Sunbelt & Mikkeller Drink’in in the Sun

Snapper Crudo & JK/Mikkeller Drink'in in the Sunbelt & Mikkeller Drink'in in the Sun

I was excited to try the Mikkeller Drink’in in the Sun, since I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it here on tap or on the shelves. The Mikkeller beer was grassier and a bit more bitter than the Sunbelt collaboration which was a bit more fruity. Both of the beers paired very nicely with the snapper, melon crudo and meyer lemon crème fraîche, in different ways. The melon crudo’s sweetness enhanced the grassy and fruit flavors in each of the beers, while helping to cut the bitterness as well.

3rd Course:
Alligator Sauce Piquante | Mikkeller 10 & Jester King Farmhouse Wytchmaker

Alligator Sauce Piquante paired with Mikkeller 10 & JK Farmhouse Wytchmaker

This is where our group got more excited about the food. Seafood is nice and all, but alligator sauce piquante? Yes, please. It was spicy and rich, and the alligator meat stood up very well in the big stew. They paired the piquante with Mikkeller’s 10, which is the culmination of his Single Hop series (he used the same base beer and made it 10 times, adding a different hop each brew) that is brewed with 10 varieties of hops. Since it had some age on it, the bitterness had mellowed out a bit and was drinkable for me. It was also paired with Jester King’s Farmhouse Wytchmaker, their usual rye IPA but using their home grown yeast strain that gives it a funky characteristic. The funk helps to balance the hops and once it warmed up, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Both of the beers were a good pairing for the very spicy and rich sauce piquante, it was nice to have something crisp and bright to cut through the heavy stew.

4th Course:
Venison Sausage, Veal Brat, fresh kraut | Jester King Berliner Weisse

Venison Sausage, Veal brat, Kraut paired with Jester King Berliner Weisse

Chef Chris Shepard prepared this course and described it as similar to dishes he will serve at Underbelly. They butchered the whole deer and cow in the process of preparation for this dish, exactly what he’ll be doing at his new restaurant soon. The venison sausage and veal brat were excellent. I thought the kraut could have used more of the sour element that kraut is famous for, though it was a nice contrast to the meat. Then there was the Berliner Weisse! I could have sat at Haven and finished off whatever was leftover of this beer. I love this style, a great intro to sours, as the tartness is very mild in this style. Ron Extract, of Jester King, spoke a bit about this beer, that while they brewed a Berliner, it was different, more yeasty and yogurt-y than the traditional style and hovers around 3% ABV. I had seconds of this beer and would have drank more for sure. I love Dogfish Head’s pseudo-Berliner, Festina Peche, and am very happy to see a Texas brewery taking on this style.

5th Course:
Akaushi Steak, sweet potato mash, mole | Jester King Farmhouse Black Metal & Mikkeller (Texas Ranger) Chipotle Porter

Steak, sweet potato, mole paired with Mikkeller Chipotle Porter & JK Farmhouse Black Metal

Finally a steak! Maybe I am spoiled from Vic & Anthony beer dinners where a full Kansas City Strip is par for the course, but I was definitely excited to see some steak. It was over a bed of creamy sweet potato mash and topped with a  spicy mole sauce. The steak was medium-rare to medium, a little too cooked for my taste, but not everyone likes practically raw meat. The mole was spicy and rich and made a nice contrast to the sweet potatoes. They paired this dish with Jester King’s Farmhouse Black Metal imperial stout and Mikkeller’s Chipotle Porter. I like the Chipotle porter on it’s own, but with the spice of the mole it was a bit overwhelming. The Farmhouse Black Metal, however was a delightful pairing. It was dry, effervescent and a nice complement to the rich steak, sweet potatoes, and mole. Farmhouse Black Metal is brewed with their version of a French saison yeast, giving it a subtle funkiness.

6th Course:
Pork Liver Pho | Jester King Das Wunderkind

Pho paired with Jester King Das Wunderkind

You couldn’t have paid me to care any less about the food on this course, not because it wasn’t good, but I was entirely too focused on the beer- Jester King’s “farmhouse table beer” that is aged in French Oak wine barrels with wild yeast and bacteria, at 4.5% ABV. This beer is tied for my favorite of the evening with the Berliner, but this one has a slight advantage because it is more sour. The sourness wasn’t mouth-puckering (which I am fine with) that turns some people off from sours. It is very approachable and I couldn’t be more excited to see a Texas production brewery making a beer like this. As soon as it’s in bottles, I will be drinking it frequently. Oh, yeah, the pho. Well I tried a bite of the liver and it seemed off to me, though I haven’t had a pork liver prepared in this manner. I consider myself an adventurous eater and will try anything once, but this liver just didn’t taste good to me. Luckily, I had the Das Wunderkind to take my mind off of the pho.

7th Course:
Fig Tart with sorghum ice cream and syrup | Mikkeller It’s Alive

Fig tart paired with Mikkeller It's Alive

At this point, I was completely obsessed with the Das Wunderkind and trying to score more of that and the Berliner, that this dish sort of escaped me. The fig tart was delicious, for sure, but I wasn’t overly interested in it. It was sweet, but not cloyingly so. The sorghum ice cream and syrup were also good, they provided a nice contrast to the fig tart. They paired the tart with Mikkeller’s It’s Alive, a Belgian wild ale brewed with Brettanomyces, that is funky but not the point of straight-up barnyard. I wouldn’t have thought to put this beer with dessert, but it actually paired well with the tart as it wasn’t very sweet.

This dinner was especially fun, having Mikkel and his crew plus some of the guys from Jester King sitting at a nearby table eating all of the courses with us. I also felt like the 4 chefs each showed us something different with their dishes while still making the pairings work. The beers for me were the stars of the show; I am excited to taste firsthand the farmhouse direction that Jester King is moving toward and hopeful for more collaborations between the two brewers.

Apertif:
Pagliacci cocktail and grapefruit dusted pork cracklins

Apertif: Pagliacci Cocktail & Pork Cracklins

After much Googling, we still couldn’t figure out what a Pagliacci is made with, but the waiter let us know it is: Gin, lemon, honey, bitters, and to make it a beer cocktail, they added Karbach’s Rodeo Clown Double IPA. I love gin and the lemon and honey helped to subdue the hop bitterness, so I really enjoyed this cocktail. The Pork cracklins were hot and salty, but I didn’t taste much grapefruit. I’m also used to more meaty cracklins with a harder outer shell, which these weren’t, but who doesn’t like fried pork?

1st Course:
Deviled wings, fennel salad | Sympathy for the Lager

Deviled Wings, fennel salad paired with Sympathy for the Lager

We started the dinner with deviled chicken wings on top of a raw fennel and apple salad with a healthy dose of a house blue cheese dip. The wings were so crispy, and there was a little bit of heat from the devil sauce. The blue cheese and apples were a perfect complement, but that’s pretty standard. The fennel had a strong licorice flavor in its raw state, which doesn’t do much for me. The Sympathy for the Lager is Karbach’s attempt at showing people that a light lager doesn’t have to be 55 calories and flavorless. Though the aggressive hop profile in this beer is too much for me alone, with the spice of the wings it was great.

2nd Course:
Kale salad, mint vinaigrette | Hopadillo IPA

Kale salad paired with Hopadillo IPA

My first response to this pairing was, “this is bold”. Pairing a vinegar dressing with Karbach’s very hop forward IPA may enhance the vinegar which wouldn’t be the most desirable as it is already a very strong flavor. I think this worked with the peppery kale greens, though. There were also house pickled red onions and croutons that gave the salad another dimension of flavor. Most people know I am not a fan of the IPA style, with the exception of a few, and I feel that way about Hopadillo with it’s six varietals and a dry hopping for that extra hop punch. The beer combined with the vinaigrette was almost too much for my poor palate, but on it’s own, the salad was delicious.

3rd Course:
Moules Frites | Weisse Versa Wheat

Moules Frites paired with Weisse Versa

They brought out the house made garlic aioli first, and after trying that I knew the frites part of this dish would be all I cared about. I love mussels, though the first round we had seemed a bit overdone and bland. They were poached in Weisse Versa and orange juice. The frites were twice fried to perfection, crunchy and salty, excellent vehicles to get the garlic aioli to my mouth. Moules Frites is classically paired with Belgian ales, so Karbach’s light wheat beer was an obvious choice. The bright citrus bite helped cut the richness of the aioli and frites. I was told the second round of mussels was much better, but I was too busy devouring the frites.

4th Course:
Pork Cheek Carbonnade, green salad | Rodeo Clown DIPA

Pork chek carbonnade paired with Rodeo Clown

For this course, they braised the pork cheek in Yule Shoot Your Eye Out, the beer pairing for the next course. The oh-so-tender pork was placed on top of what I believe was a baguette, which was perfect to sop up the carbonnade juices. The meat absorbed the elements of the carbonnade so well, it was very rich, so it paired well with the Rodeo Clown DIPA. Rodeo Clown is a 9.5% double IPA, some double IPAs are a bit more malty due to their ABV, but somehow Karbach just made an even hoppier, stronger IPA than their Hopadillo. The IPA was actually a good complement to the pork, it provided a nice contrast to the richness.

5th Course:
Croissant bread pudding | Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

Croissant bread pudding paired with Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

When I thought I couldn’t possibly eat anymore, they bring out bread pudding. They make the pudding with leftover croissants and plenty of butter. My picture sucks, but this was, by far, the best dish of the night. Some plates, like mine, also got a Makers Mark soaked prune that was sweet and boozy. The pudding was topped with a crunchy topping, maybe some sort of granola. I was too busy drooling over the perfect caramel sauce and flaky, buttery croissants to bother asking. It was paired with Karbach’s newest beer, Yule Shoot Your Eye Out, a winter ale brewed with fresh ginger, orange peel, cocoa nibs and spices: nutmeg, cardamom, allspice and cinnamon. The spices and chocolate malts in the winter ale played very well with the rich, creamy textures and flavors of the pudding. Simply divine.

Overall, this was a great dinner to showcase Karbach’s line-up and the variety of parings possible with their beers. It also gave me a better appreciation for IPAs paired with food, I don’t ever go that route. I had already been to Down House a few times before this dinner, and have always enjoyed the menu as well as growing beer selection, plus their decor and Darwin theme is irresistible!