Beer/Food Dinner

[JimC]

I am hosting a beer/food evening for some friends. What do you all think of this menu and pairings?

Appetizer
A cheese plate of asiago, soft goat and feta served with Pale Juniper
Gruit Ale (very acidic and tart with a lot of juniper berry taste and a bit of floral from some heather).

Main
Beef stew, green salad w/ raspberry vinaigrette and German seed
bread served with a Belgian Double Gruit Ale (bog myrtle instead of hops. Very subtle difference from a hopped double).

Desert
Chocolate espresso cake served with Imperial Oatmeal Stout (9%, almost barley wine).

 

[JonK331]

Sounds good except that the soft goat and feta will also be tart and acidic. I might go with something on the nuttier side with the Pale Juniper. I was the cheese buyer at an upscale grocery several years back and usually tried to contrast rather than match when doing pairings. I might try serving Manchego and Membrillo (nutty spanish sheeps milk cheese with quince paste on the side). THe salty nuttiness of the cheese paired with the sweetness of the membrillo would probably go really well with the acidic Juniper. Others that might work well are: Petit Basque, Comte, or an aged Gruyere. A sheeps milk brie type cheese such as Brebiou (sp?) might also work. Sounds like you have some really interesting beers going. Good luck!

 

[weirdboy]

I dunno I would rather have something that contrasts and balances the flavor rather than reinforces it.

e.g. the chocolate espresso cake with an imperial oatmeal stout just sounds like overkill. My mouth is already getting pounded by the cake, last thing I want is a roasty, syrupy drink to go with it. I'd rather have an english ordinary bitter or maybe a saison to help cleanse my palette between bites.

 

[JonK331]

Yeah that's what I'm saying, contrast rather than reinforce.

 

[JimC]

This is my first go at this sort of thing, and this is exactly the feed back I am looking for. Keep it coming, I am taking notes.

Perhaps some sort of fruity/fluffy/light desert with the stout? I am not opposed to manufacturing a beer custom built for the purpose and I should have the lead time to do so. Most of the food and all the beers are going to be homemade.

 

[Franzi]

Are your friends casual beer drinkers? If so, I don't think they'll like the gruit too much. I'll admit, I love beer and will try anything anybody offers, but gruit is just a little too out there for me. Tried it once, and I don't think I'd try it again.

 

[JonK331]

I don't think serving gruit is a bad idea, just don't serve it in a liter glass

 

[weirdboy]

I would do a sherbet or maybe lighter flavor of ice cream with the stout.

 

[JimC]

Are your friends casual beer drinkers? If so, I don't think they'll like the gruit too much. I'll admit, I love beer and will try anything anybody offers, but gruit is just a little too out there for me. Tried it once, and I don't think I'd try it again.

The gruits are very subtle/mellow. I have been working with myrtle, heather, etc for a while now and I have gotten to the point where I can make a gruit that most people find acceptable. The Juniper beer is kind of out-there but I have nothing but positive feedback on it. Most think it is some sort of fruity white wine. The double is very very subtle. Unless you were well acquainted with beer I doubt you'd even notice it was myrtle and not hops.

I suspect you had bad gruit, much like my first couple of attempts. Rosemary, way way to much rosemary....

 

[JonK331]

I was thinking a sherbert also for dessert. SOmething with a lower fat content to balance the richness of the stout. Maybe a raspberry with a thin slice of pound cake. You could even do a very small amount of bittersweet chocolate shavings and a little mint as a garnish. Can I come?

 

[JimC]

I was thinking a sherbert also for dessert. SOmething with a lower fat content to balance the richness of the stout. Maybe a raspberry with a thin slice of pound cake. You could even do a very small amount of bittersweet chocolate shavings and a little mint as a garnish. Can I come?

That sounds very good!

And yes, but I think you're in for a very long drive.