liquid assets
PINT TO PLATE
Craft beer pairing enjoys a renaissance.
WRITTEN BY MARC TIAR
PHOTOS AND PHOTO STYLING BY SHEA EVANS
When you ask the server what he recommends to pair with the entrée you just ordered, the assumption is that you’re ordering wine. There has been a shift in recent years, however. Slowly, as more varieties come to market, more producers open for business, and consumers gravitate towards local, artisanal, and independent products, people are discovering the potential for beer to pair well with cuisine.
No longer just your granddad’s light lager, craft beer — in all its many styles and flavors — is enjoying a renaissance. Barrel-aged stouts, IPAs, Belgian styles, barley wines, and sours are just a few of the choices available to the discerning drinker. Along with this explosion of choices has come a realization from restaurateurs and bar owners that providing a well-curated beer list to go along with their food menu is a welcome addition for customers. There even is certification available for the beer equivalent of sommelier, the Cicerone®.
With all these varieties to choose from, what beers taste best with a meal? Unfortunately, the old wine rules of red with meat, white with chicken or fish, go out the window when you have dozens of different styles of beer from which to select. There are, however, basic concepts to follow:
● Contrasts work well together. Like yin and yang, let the prominent flavors of the beer work with those of the food. A hoppy IPA cuts through a creamy cheese quite nicely.
● On the other hand, meet strength with strength. A heavy imperial stout would overwhelm anything delicate. You need a rich, decadent dessert to match that. Or consider a light, refreshing hefeweizen paired with a salad.
● Common flavors are a match made in heaven. The roasted, caramelized malt in brown ales or porters complement the smokiness and sweetness in barbecued meats.
● Remember classic pairings. There’s a reason bratwurst and German lagers still are served in Munich biergartens. Oysters and stout? Yes, indeed!
To showcase the vast selection of beers crowding the cooler today, as well as their own cooking and pairing skills, chefs and their employers around the country have embraced the beer dinner as a special event, attracting beer snobs and amateurs alike. The events are not just about a brewpub owner serving his everyday dishes with his beers. This is something special. Typically revolving around a particular brewery, beer dinners are designed to show off the brewery’s lineup and the chef’s ability to create a menu around those beers.
Fortunately, Reno-Tahoe restaurants — from casinos to the latest gourmet dinner houses — have joined this trend wholeheartedly and locals can enjoy beer dinners on par with the finest pairing feasts. More than two years ago, John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks welcomed North Coast Brewing’s founder and brewmaster to Restaurante Orozko for a multi-course feast with his brews. Last year, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno chefs took the added step of commissioning a house beer brewed by Mammoth Brewing Co. and invited brewery owner Sean Turner to host a wonderful meal at one of its restaurants, Bistro Napa (see related story on XX). (The seafood corn dog with a Belgian Tripel lives on in my memory.) Earlier this year, Campo in Reno hosted New Belgium Brewing and Old Granite Street Eatery in Reno created a five-course menu around Stillwater Artisanal Ales. In addition, on Sept. 8, Autumn Food & Wine Festival organizers offered a workshop on Belgian brews and cheese pairing at Northstar Resort. Clearly, beer has graduated from just an accompaniment to pizza.
Beyond all of these single events, the best examples of Reno beer dinners are found at 775 Gastropub in Reno. Boasting one of the largest beer menus in town, it’s no surprise that restaurant owner John Leniz offers an ongoing series of impressive beer dinners, featuring extraordinary beers from the likes of Stone Brewing, Deschutes, and Denmark’s Mikkeller.
While it won’t replace wine for all occasions, beer has come of age in the culinary world, both at home and when dining out.
Marc Tiar is a local beer lover, librarian, and family man. He hopes to help bring great beer to the masses through occasional freelance writing.
Resources
● Watch for upcoming beer dinners at 775 Gastropub in Reno (www.775gastropub.com) or ask your favorite restaurant owner to consider having one
● Watch for the Beers and Wines of the World class to be offered through Truckee Meadows Community College’s culinary arts program
● Local fall beer events include a Sam Adams beer dinner Sept 27 at Bistro Napa in Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno (www.Atlantiscasino.com/dining) and Canfest on Nov. 3 in the Reno Ballroom (www.Canfestbeer.com and www.Facebook.com/canfest), and Backwash homebrew beer gala on Oct. 20 at Siena Hotel Spa Casino (www.Backwashreno.org)
● For great craft beers to enjoy at home, visit Craft Beer Wine (22 Martin St., Reno, 775-622-4333, www.Craftreno.net) or Whispering Vine (3886 Mayberry Drive, Suite D, Reno, 775-787-9463 or 85 Foothill Road, 775-622-8080, www.Whisperingvinewine.com)
● For beer-style details and food-pairing tips (including a downloadable chart), visit www.Craftbeer.com
● For a beer and food matching chart, visit Brewers Association at www.Brewersassociation.org
● For details on professional beer-server certification, visit www.Cicerone.org
RECIPE
Spicy Sausage with Grilled Vegetables, Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Lager
(courtesy of Shea Evans, serves 2 large portions)
1 pound spicy sausage (such as spicy Italian)
2 to 4 baby leeks (or green onions), trimmed, tough outer leaves removed, halved lengthwise and rinsed thoroughly
1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 6 sections and seeded
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
High-quality olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar
Lager (such as Stella Artois)
Prepare the grill to medium-high heat.
Put sausages over direct flame. Brush vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to grill, turning occasionally until cooked through and slightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue grilling sausages until cooked through.
Divide vegetables and sausages among plates. Drizzle with high-quality olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Serve with lager.
Bockwurst with Apple Cider, Sautéed Cabbage and Leeks with Brown Ale
(courtesy of Shea Evans, serves 2 large portions)
1 pound bockwurst sausages
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 leeks, trimmed, outer leaves removed, rinsed thoroughly, and thinly sliced crosswise
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium apple, washed, cored, and sliced into thin, bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup apple cider
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Brown ale (such as Newcastle)
Prepare the grill to medium-high heat.
Put sausages over direct flame and grill until cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the leeks, cabbage, and apple slices and sauté until the colors begin to brighten and the vegetables and apples soften a little. Turn heat up to high and pour in apple cider. Cook over high heat, uncovered, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide cabbage mixture among plates. Top with cooked sausages and serve with the brown ale.
