Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
If you want to learn about hops and on the side have a great meal while you are it, Beachwood Brewing has a deal for you. You get hop knowledge from renonwed brewmaster, Julian Shrago, who will get you involved with a “hands-on hop sensory experience where you’ll learn about 7 different hop varieties that we will blend as a group to create a truly one-of-a-kind IPA for the people!” Tickets on sale Monday 3/9
The official cask marque’d beers of Yorkshire Square Brewing are getting the beer dinner treatment.
Robert Bell, the Executive Chef of the restaurant Chez Melange along with YSB owner Gary Croft and Andy Black the brewmaster from Yorkshire Square have created a quite British take on the beer dinner.
Here are the pairings, “Mini Cornish Pastie that pairs incredibly well with the Early Door, an English pub bitter. Served next, is the Bouzy Scotch Egg paired with the Little Nipper Beer, a golden ale/blonde ale. The third tasting includes Mulligatawny, an English soup, paired with Yellow School Bus, an American style cream ale. Fourth, is an authentic Pork Vindaloo served with an extra special bitter, the Strongest Possible Language. Fifth, is the Lamb Shepherd Pie paired with the Double Mashed Export Stout. The night is then finished with a century old dish, Spotted Dick with vanilla custard and paired with an English Pale Ale.”
Tickets are $45 per person for the August 27th event (that is a Monday), plus tax and service, and are available for purchase by calling Chez Melange at (310) 540-1222.
My top three foods to pair with beer starts with burgers and pizza but BBQ is right there too. And you can sample two venerable Pasadena institutions beer and BBQ on October 18th starting at 6:30pm.
Craftsman Brewing and Brewmaster Mark Jilg is the beer half. The five-course dinner will be curated by Gus’s BBQ. The food will be paired with five Craftsman beers. Jilg will talk tasting notes, style, history and more for each beer.
Seating will be limited and purchasing advance tickets is advised.
Many beer and food pairing dinners will add a beer to the ingredient mix. And while that is novel in its own way, the new concept under the name Brewed Food is “going beyond using finished beers to utilizing yeasts for fermentation, wort, spent grain, hops, etc..”
And if that intrigues you then you may want to keep your eyes peeled for when Chef and Certified Cicerone Jensen Cummings brings his Brewed Food tour to Los Angeles and San Diego in May. At each stop of the tour “local chefs and brewers host an interactive workshop of beer yeast fermented foods and other brewing ingredient foods paired with beers.”
Basically, this approach turns the brewhouse into a pantry of sorts to inspire dishes to pair with beers. Considering that Chef Jensen was the National Hop Chef Champion of 2014 (which I did not even know existed) leads me to think that this might be more than beer dinner business as usual and might rejuvenate the craft beer dinner event in general.
What happens when you have a certified Cicerone team up with El Segundo hoppy IPAs? Well tomorrow night, Chef Anne Conness (who has also created two exclusive beers for the restaurant to compliment her cuisine.)will present three courses of spicy food at Sausal.
Course #1 – Goat Cheese Stuffed Jalapeño Popper Salad with Mango, Frisée, Endive, and Bacon (paired with El Segundo Brewing Co.’s Citra Pale Ale)
Course #2 – Pork Adobo Stuffed Tamale with Deep Dark Black Mole Sauce, Avocado, and Pico de Gallo (paired with El Segundo Brewing Co.’s Hop Plunge IPA)
Course #3 – Rancho Beef Short Rib with Cabbage Slaw, Hominy, and Cilantro (paired with El Segundo Brewing Co.’s Power Plant Triple IPA)
Dessert – Mexican Chocolate Truffles (for the table)
Reservations can be made in advance by calling (310) 322-2721.
If you want to get a sampling of San Gabriel valley breweries in one setting the the upcoming Congregation Ale House beer dinner will accomplish that goal.
The breweries on the list are: Sanctum Brewing Company, Progress Brewing, Claremont Craft Ales, Alosta Brewing Co, as well as host, Congregation Ales.
$49/person with limited seating.
The food and beer pairings are coming too fast to keep up, almost. Here is another one to add to the list….
July 28th, “Executive Chef Adam Levoe has created a scrumptious seasonal menu. Four courses + four beers. Here’s a sneak peak of the third course paired with Golden Road’s Almond Milk Stout.”
For Example:
Grilled skirt steak with parmesan potatoes, yellow corn, bell peppers, demi glace (non-vegan)
or
Summer vegetable polenta with summer squash, sweet peppers, heirloom cherry tomatoes and fine herb oil (vegan)
Check out the full menu, HERE.
As a member of the 2012-13 Beer Advisory Board for the Four Points Sheraton at LAX, I get to attend their beer pairing dinners and then make suggestions for their future beer dinners. Sweet gig, I know.
I have been to a couple events and now I really know that they know how to do it. The food is way beyond what you expect at a hotel (even the salads).
And you get quite a value for your money. A splash of Chimay Speciale, Uinta Sea Legs Baltic Porter and some beer from the newly anointed trappist brewery…
Plus great pairings like Heelch O’Hops and a burrito and much, much more.
This site will keep you updated on the March and April events so you will not miss out on the action at Four Points.
The events keep coming here in craft beer world and if you want to have a great dinner and sample some Firestone-Walker brews than I think I have the info that you need for a dinner with beer at the Federal Bar in North Hollywood….
You can even take the Metro Red Line and not worry about parking.
In one of my homework assignments over on FoodGPS, I implored people to sample some Smog City beers. Well, lo and behold, now you have a chance….
“To celebrate the culmination of American Craft Beer Week, Smog City Brewery and The Tripel are teaming up for a night of big brews and fantastic food. The evening kicks off with a cocktail beer hour, followed by a special four-course tasting menu created by Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts. Each course will be paired with a limited edition Smog City beer, all on draft. This special evening on May 21st begins at 6:30 p.m., and seating is extremely limited! For those unable to make the ticketed event, The Tripel will offer the special menu à la carte along with the limited selection of Smog City beers from 9pm to close.
Selection of Hors Oeuvres” The cost is $65.00
Little Bo Pils
Hot and Sour Cockle Soup with Saison Runnings,
Sweetened Egg Omelette, and Wood Ear Mushrooms
L.A. Saison
Black Bread with Rabbit Pâté and Pickled Icicle Radish
Sabre-Toothed Squirrel
Beet Pasta with Wild Boar Ragout and Porcini Mushroom
Oaked Penumbra Stout
House Made Box of Candies
Groundwork Coffee Porter