Beer + Food + Providence X 2...

...is a winning equation. Or, to put it in common English, we had a couple of great beer dinners in Providence last week. Firstly, Kelly and I tried to duplicate one of our favorite beer experiences: a beer dinner at Julian's in Providence. The dinner with Stone last year was easily a Top 5 beer experience, so expectations were high for Dogfish Head this past Sunday.

Highlights from the six courses included Namaste and a Tarragon Peach Scallop Seviche -- I thought there was a little too much going on with the dish but it was one of Kelly's favorites. A 2010 Pangaea (8) with Spicy Asian Greens in Lavender-Honey Vinaigrette worked a little better for me, although the pepper encrusting the goat cheese was too spicy. The malt profile and 15% ABV in the 2010 Olde School (6) did a nice job cutting into the fat of the Chipotle-Pineapple Roasted Pork Loin.

Saffron Marinated Duck Skewers, a palate-cleansing Lemon Buttermilk Sherbert, and Rhubarb Raisin Tart were solid, but the beers theyand were paired with stole the show. Red & White (9), 2009 World Wide Stout (7), and 2007 Raison D'Extra (6) were all better than my first tasting. The 2010 Sah'tea (9) and 2008 Fort (7) weren't too shabby either. The narration was a highlight once again and made up for the slightly-too-slow pace for the evening. It was not cheap at $90 a pop, but not unreasonable either considering these were some of Julian's last kegs after Dogfish pulled out of the state.

La Laiterie at Farmstead on Providence's East Side has been highly recommended to me by several people. While they have only four taps, mini-kegs mean they are constantly rotating the selections. Of course, it is the ambiance and local artisinal menu that draws people in.

With good reason too. We started with a cheese board of cow and goat cheese. The soft, salty Cremont was one of the best we've ever tried. The grilled cheese was almost as good with more goat cheese, house-cured bacon, and braised fennel with a side of polenta fries and garlic aioli. To close the night we had a root beer float made with Maine Root soda, bourbon, and homespun vanilla ice cream.

McNeill's Warlord IPA (6), Southampton Double White, Mayflower Summer Rye (and a cider) were on tap, but oddly the bartender was unable and unwilling to tell me which brewer each beer was from. Amazingly, with only four taps La Laiterie could still vie for the title of top beer bar in town someday... if only they put a fraction of the effort involved in putting together a cheese board into formulating their tap list. Here's to hoping.

Beer Dinner Review

My birthday beer dinner last weekend was an unqualified success. If the pictures make you jealous, that is not the intention. Instead, this is meant to demonstrate that you don't have to drop $75-100 on a beer dinner... host one of your own! Course 1: The simplest course was one of the best received of the night. Goat, smoked gouda, blue cheese -- they all matched well with the Duvel for different reasons. Personally, the goat was my favorite. A delicate cheese for a delicate beer. Course 2: The idea here was that the earthiness of the mushrooms would mesh well with the earthiness of the farmhouse's yeast. More importantly, you needed a beer with a big flavor to hold its own with the mushrooms. It worked well.
Course 3: Here are the remains of our spectacular main course. The Allagash Dubbel was a little heavy for all of this food, but I thought the malty backbone was just what the pork needed. Not to brag but my Cherry Dubbel homebrew that followed held up well against this formidable opponent. Course 4: These chocolate truffle tarts served with whipped cream and raspberries were a huge hit, go figure. I was a little disappointed with the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, however. It tasted a little sour to me, but you still did get that chocolatey taste. This was a fantastic beer dinner, through and through.

Beer and cheese unite!

A super pairing for the big game
By JOSH SMITH February 2, 2011
http://providence.thephoenix.com/food/115239-beer-and-cheese-unite/

As disappointed Patriots fans, we're definitely going to need some quality beer and snacks to get through the Super Bowl this year. While chicken wings, pizza, or chips and dip will be served at most houses come kickoff, I'm opting for what I consider to be the ultimate Super Bowl snack: beer and cheese.

Of course, many of us have been taught that it's wine and cheese that go together best. Don't believe it. Truth be told, wine and cheese is a very unnatural marriage. The characteristics of each are such that rather than complement, you are reduced to creating pairings that contrast flavors. This is especially true for dry and red wines.

If you ask a cheese expert, they will grant that beer is a better match for several simple reasons. Historically, both beer and cheese were made on the farm, and even today the two craft industries bear a striking resemblance. Grain is the core ingredient in beer (malted barley) and cheese (via the cow's diet). And the two share many of the same characteristics. Think about some of the words used to describe both beer and cheese: earthy, nutty, grassy, toasty, musty, floral, and rich.

Thanks to this common ground, you have the ability to seek either contrasting or complementing pairings for beer and cheese. There are so many different pairings that can work, it seems at times as if you can't go wrong (though particularly intense beers and cheeses can clash). These are the general rules that I use:

• Fresh cheeses (like Mozzarella) should be paired with lighter beers (Pilsner, for example).

• Nutty and buttery cheeses (Gouda, Brie) should be paired with malty beers (Amber).

• Sharp cheeses (Cheddar) should be paired with bitter beers (IPA).

• Blue, pungent cheeses (Stilton, Gorgonzola) should be paired with strong, sweet beers (Barleywine).

Again, these are meant as suggestions rather than hard and fast rules. Given that this snack is going to be enjoyed alongside the Super Bowl, we'll pair our cheese with more sessionable beers. (Warning: while these beers aren't sessionable by the strict definition of containing no more than 5% Alcohol By Volume [ABV], they're all very easy drinking.) Here are some ideas:

FULL SAIL PALE ALE and Extra Sharp Cheddar: The sharpness of the Cheddar allows it to stand up well to the assertive, even brash bitterness of this hoppy Pale Ale. Full Sail fits especially well here as a flavorful, yet drinkable new arrival from the state of Oregon. As the one type of cheese I always have in the house, I've found that Sharp Cheddar tastes great with almost any kind of beer.

SOUTHAMPTON PUBLICK HOUSE DOUBLE WHITE and Dill Havarti: This is one of my favorite semi-soft cheeses for its rich, buttery flavor. The dill herbs have a tendency to upstage most beers, which is why I chose to pair it with this well-spiced, lemony Witbier. This is one of those beers that drink so smoothly you have to be careful or the 6.7% ABV can sneak up on you.

SHIPYARD OLD THUMPER ESA and Aged Asiago: As an aged cheese, Asiago is very aromatic and dry. The distinct nuttiness of the cheese allows it to complement a range of beers, especially those on the maltier side of the spectrum. And while porters and stouts work with certain cheeses, I think beers that are malty but not dark, like Old Thumper and other Extra Strong Bitters (ESB), ensure the cheese isn't lost amidst other flavors.

THOMAS HOOKER BLONDE ALE and Monterey Pepper Jack: As a beer connoisseur I'm required to tell you that spicy foods are not an ideal pairing for its tendency to dull one's palate. However, the spiciness of the pepper and the creaminess of the cheese is just too delicious to pass up. Instead, save it for the end of the night and pair it with a quenching lawnmower beer like Thomas Hooker. With snacks like this, you're going to feel like a winner no matter who prevails in the big game.

ProPho: Time for thanks

Giving beer a place at the table
By JOSH SMITH November 17, 2010
http://providence.thephoenix.com/movies/111674-time-for-thanks/

The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock nearly 400 years ago, shortly after running out of beer. Certainly beer was consumed the following year at the first Thanksgiving. So surely beer belongs at your own table this Thanksgiving!

But which one . . . or ones? Anyone who has walked into a package store lately understands this won't be an easy decision — the past few years the market has been absolutely flooded with quality craft beer from all over the world! (It's one of those good kind of problems.) The feast that is Thanksgiving isn't an especially easy meal to choose pairings for either. With so many different flavors present, you could go in a lot of different directions. Fortunately, beer is incredibly versatile and really quite easy to pair with food.

The general rule of thumb is that lighter foods require lighter beers, and heavier foods need something a little darker. (That said, sometimes it may be more appropriate to contrast flavors, highlighting the opposing characteristics in each.) Hoppy beers are more appropriate with bold or spicy dishes, so don't really work with the sweet and earthy nature of most Thanksgiving staples.

Now if your family is anything like my own, there is going to be so much fantastic food that you won't want to fill up on beer. For that reason, I recommend shying away from malty amber's and those few remaining Oktoberfest's. Also, I'm looking for beers that are fairly accessible since family gatherings are the perfect opportunity to win over new craft beer converts! While SIERRA NEVADA'S BIGFOOT BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE might go well with dessert, its intense nature is sure to scare away whoever you are sharing the bottle with. Beer is a great thing to socialize with and bond over, so be sure to bring enough to share.

So let's get to it. Personally, I'm planning on bringing three different beers with me to Thanksgiving, one for each segment of the meal. For starters, you'll want a light but flavorful beer to go with appetizers. A Belgian Pale Ale like DUVEL fits this description perfectly. Easily one of my five all-time favorite beers, Duvel is crisp, fruity, yeasty, and has a depth few can rival. This is certain to be a crowd pleaser. If Duvel's hefty price tag makes you hesitate, a hoppy pilsner like VICTORY'S PRIMA PILS makes a very suitable (and very sessionable) replacement.

Far more difficult is selecting a beer that goes with turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes (both regular and sweet), cranberry sauce, and all those other family favorite dishes. Conventional wisdom says to play it safe and complement the subtle nature of these dishes with a beer of the malty persuasion. I would recommend, rather fittingly, MAYFLOWER'S THANKSGIVING ALE. Now when I first saw this beer on the shelves it seemed a little gimmicky, but it does earn its title! With caramel and nutty malts and a hint of vanilla there is a delicateness and depth to this beer that complements the meal very nicely.

Ultimately though, Belgian beers work best given their high alcohol levels and renowned complexity. Alcohol does a good job cutting through fatty meats and starchy vegetables, and the beers ranging flavors are able to find a companion somewhere in the Thanksgiving smorgasbord. Take OMMEGANG'S ABBEY ALE. This superb Dubbel boasts a sweet, malty backbone, a robust 8.5% ABV, and flavors ranging from toffee to dried fruit to cinnamon. Slightly more approachable for the novice beer drinker might be a fruity and refreshing Farmhouse Ale, like SAISON DUPONT. And Duvel would be perfectly suitable here as well. When it comes to Belgian beer, you can't go wrong!

Dessert again presents a number of options: Stout, Porter, Fruit Beer, Lambic, Barleywine, or Winter Warmer come to mind. Dark beers go over well in my family, so I am probably going to bring the tasty YOUNG'S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STOUT or STONE's bold IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT. On the other hand, it's hard to beat pairing your pumpkin pie with SOUTHERN TIER's perfectly spiced PUMKING. There are some hard decisions to be made this Thanksgiving, but as long as you choose beer it should be an enjoyable holiday.

ProPho: Justified arrogance

Stone Brewing Company comes to Julian’s
By JOSH SMITH April 8, 2010

Stone is the country’s number one brewer. And they know it.

Stone’s popular ARROGANT BASTARD ALE insists, “You’re not worthy. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth.” Indeed, as an extreme brewer that amps up the hops and alcohol in most of its beers, Stone isn’t for beginners. But to serious hop-heads, this San Diego brewer deserves Beer Advocate’s distinction as best in class.

So Stone’s visit to the Biggest Little two weeks ago was kind of a big deal. Better yet, they were coming for a beer dinner at Julian’s, Providence’s premier craft beer destination. “Eclectic” best describes the motif, with brightly colored neon signs exclaiming nonsense like CHOP SUEY, the random chandelier, and a small TV in the bathroom playing classic cartoons on a loop. Julian’s also boasts rotating taps, elite Belgian beers, and food leagues beyond pub grub, with interesting ingredients and an obvious focus on presentation.

Now, as often is the case in the world of beer, food pairings are more of an art form than a science. In general, lighter beers go with lighter foods and darker beers with heavier foods. Hoppy beers tend to stand up better to bolder, spicier dishes. That said, where some want complementary flavors, others may seek contrast, highlighting the differing flavors in each.

For the eight courses of this beer dinner, Stone and Julian’s followed a simple progression: start strong and end stronger. We started off with one of my favorite beers, STONE’S IPA, and some pretzels . . . whole wheat pretzels, glazed with maple on top of arugula. The beer dominated this pairing, with the bitterness of the hops subduing the sweetness of the maple.

Honestly, I wasn’t especially excited for the next pairing: Stone’s red ale and chicken liver pate on rosemary foccacia bread. But I shouldn’t have written off the pate, as this flavorful, almost spicy dish was my favorite of the night. At 4.4% alcohol, LEVIATHAN ALE is almost tame by Stone’s standards and created a much more complementary pairing.

A very traditional pairing came next with an artichoke and asparagus salad and Stone’s Belgian option — the 2007 VERTICAL EPIC ALE. And then there was “Tres Bastardos”: three pork dishes paired with Stone’s Arrogant Bastard, DOUBLE BASTARD, and OAKED ARROGANT BASTARD. I was especially taken by the last of these, which was served with pork tenderloin glazed by the brewer’s Smoked Porter and served with a white bean and potato puree. Both the beer and pork had a depth and delicateness to them to make this a perfect match.

The boldest pairing of the night had to be my entrée of chili cocoa dusted ostrich and Stone’s 12TH ANNIVERSARY BITTER CHOCOLATE OATMEAL STOUT. The fact that the bitterness of this beer comes from bitter chocolate instead of hops really works well to accompany the spicy cocoa flavor of the meat. While this pushed the limits of how heavy a beer I would serve with this steak-like entrée, it worked. My wife equally enjoyed the alternative entrée of seared tuna and the dark and hoppy SUBLIMELY SELF-RIGHTEOUS ALE, its debut in Rhode Island.

But the heat of my entrée was nothing compared to dessert: Milk chocolate-crème caramel served on butterscotch chiffon cake, topped by habañero foam and toasted pistachios. And that habañero topping packed a punch! Of course, they finished with a strong beer for a strong dessert, breaking out rare bottles of the 2006 and 2009 IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT. This is the highest-rated of Stone’s beers, and the 2006 version had mellowed to a magnificently balanced, flavorful brew.

I think my wife’s favorite part of the night might have been the fascinating narration provided by Michael Saklad of Stone and Michael McHugh of Julian’s before each course. It had the feel of being a judge on Iron Chef America.

Undoubtedly, this beer dinner was a special occasion at $75 a ticket. But after enjoying every moment and emerging with an even greater appreciation for food and beer pairings and Stone Brewing Company, I’d like to think we proved that Arrogant Bastard wrong: we were worthy.

Beer and Cheese

I once said my tombstone would read: He liked cheese. I could live off cheese and crackers. I think I would rather lose an apendage than be lactose intolerance. So my promised research into beer and cheese pairings was not much of a chore. Beer Advocate divides cheeses into seven different categories, with their corresponding beer styles.

Buttery: Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss
Pair with- Doppelbock, Dubbel, ESB, Porter, Scotch Ale, Stout

Earthy: Camembert, Fontina
Pair with- Brown, Pale Ale, Porter, Saison, Stout, Strong Ale, Wheat

Nutty: Asiago, Colby, Parmesan
Pair with- Brown, ESB, IPA, Pale Ale, Saison, Strong Ale

Peppery: Monterey/Pepper Jack
Pair with- Blonde, IPA, Mild, Pale Ale, Rye, Witbier

Pungent: Gorgonzola, Limburger
Pair with- Barleywine, Dubbel, IPA, Lambic, Saison, Tripel

Sharp: Cheddar, Blue Cheese
Pair with- Amber, Barleywine, Pilsner, IPA, Lambic, Pale Ale, Tripel

Tangy: Brick, Edam, Feta
Pair with- Bitter, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, Strong Ale, Witbier

With this in mind, Kelly and I tried pairings with four of the categories that we eat most often.

Pairing 1: Buzzards Bay Pilsner & Extra Sharp Cheddar (Sharp)
the sharpness of the cheddar stands up well to the assertive / brash bitterness of this hoppy czech pilsner. this was the one cheese i always have available in the house and i think it accompanies most any beer perfectly fine.

Pairing 2: Terrapin Rye Pale Ale & Asiago (Nutty)
the asiago cheese is very aromatic and dry... which makes you quite thirsty. nuttiness of cheese does go nicely with breadiness of this rye pale ale. much more complementing than first pairing.

Pairing 3: Capital Blonde Doppelbock & Dill Havarti (Buttery)

the havarti is buttery but the dill in cheese kind of dominates. upstages this malty beer as well. still tasty though. next time i would try a buttery cheese with a classic english pub-style bitter.

Pairing 4: Avery White Rascal & Monterey Pepper Jack (Peppery)

the yeastiness of this witbier cuts spice of pepper jack well. i guess i wouldn't reccommend using too special of a beer with a peppery cheese like this for much the same reason that really spicy food kills your taste buds for sampling beer. enoyable nevertheless.

Verdict: i definitely liked the cheeses with characteristics that complemented the beers over the ones that had contrasting flavors. again though, i think this is more about personal taste. really, there is no going wrong with beer and cheese.

Beer 101: Food Pairings

This seems long overdue, but the truth is that I still have a lot to figure out about food and beer pairings. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that, as is often the case in the world of beer, pairings are more of an art form than a science.

In general, lighter beers go with lighter foods, darker beers with heavier foods. But sometimes a beer with opposing characteristics can highlight the differing flavors in each. Other guidelines include the fact that lighter beers tend do a better job of washing down spicy food, although hoppy beers can sometimes do a better job of cutting the heat. An even easier rule is the idea of keeping ethnicities together; German beer and brats, rice lager and Asian food, etc.

The important part, of course, is that you enjoy both the food and the beer together. Below are a few of my favorite styles with some common types of beer; Beer Advocate has an even more comprehensive list. So with that in mind, try cracking open one of these styles over your next meal.

Salad: most Belgians, Fruit Beer, Hefeweizen, Rye
Cheese: depends on type of cheese. Beer Advocate divides cheeses into styles: buttery, earthy, nutty, peppery, pungent, sharp, and tangy. I think I will do a tasting soon and make a seperate post of this. I'd like to try a beer dinner too.

Beef: Amber, Brown, Porter, Stout
Grilled meat: English Bitter, Porter, Smoked Beer, Stout
Poultry: Amber, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale
Seafood: IPA, Pilsner, Saison, Witbier

Chinese: American Lager, Pilsner, Rice Lager
Indian: American Lager, Czech Pilsner, Pale Ale
Italian: American Lager, Blonde, Pale Ale
Mexican: Amber, American Lager, Chile Beer, Wheat
Thai: Czech Pilsner, IPA, Rice Lager, Saison

Chocolate: Lambic, Porter, Stout

Dessert: Barleywine, Fruit Beer, Lambic, Stout

New states

As of my last complete rankings I have tried 872 beers from a staggering 271 different brewers. Nevertheless, these brewers only represent 30 of the 50 states. Wow, I've only tried beers from 60% of the country? Kind of unimpressive. To be fair, these states are largely in areas not known for their craft brew scene (the south and middle America) and are not available in New England. But still.

The states I am still seeking out are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Perhaps its time for a road trip.

Having a beer from every state is definitely a goal of mine (and not an easy one to achieve since by my count neither Wyoming nor the Dakotas have an actual brewery...) Visiting the Brickskeller in Washington D.C. next weekend and its 1,000 some beers should definitely help to shrink this number... In the meantime, here are a few new states.

Joseph James Red Fox
Bottle -- Beer of the Month Club
thanks goes to devon from drinkcraftbeer.org for bringing most of these out-of-town beers to a party a little while back. he got all of them from a beer of the month club -- something i am going to have to start looking in to... this is a russian imperial stout from nevada. coffee flavor, cola mouthfeel, with alcohol just below the surface. not bad.
Score: 6

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale
Bottle -- Shoreline Beverage, Huntington, NY
my first beer from hawaii. and it is a "Hawaiian-style pale ale." oh come on now, hawaii has three microbreweries but its own style of pale ale? seems unlikely. i found this to be a little scattered: biscuit malts, an odd touch of smoke in the middle, and quite a bit of the 6% abv. probably had more in common with a scottish ale than a pale.
Score: 6

Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA
22 oz -- Julio's, Westborough
a double ipa from idaho. didn't find this while in oregon but snapped it up as soon as i found it at julio's. clear organge color with latte head. hops are sweet, citrusy in smell and tangy, fresh, with a hearty bitterness in flavor. soft mouthfeel. very nice.
Score: 8

Millstream Colony Oatmeal Stout
Bottle -- Beer of the Month Club
from iowa. drinkcraftbeer inspired me to try to pair this with some chocolate. i thought it worked, but i suppose i would have liked a little more sweetness this being an oatmeal stout and all. oatmeal does impart strong smoothness though.
Score: 6

Millstream John's Generations White Ale
Bottle -- Beer of the Month Club

this was my favored of the two from millstream. a very nice witbier with lots of yeast and spice. very sessionable.
Score: 8

Schlitz
Bottle -- Chili Head BBQ, W. Bridgewater
finally tried this texas beer at chili head barbeque. real bitterness in flavor, but still crisp and smooth. i drank quite a few of these. almost on par with pbr (fitting since they are owned by pabst...) and far better than the macrobrews. try it.
Score: 5

India's Big Three

I love just about any kind of ethnic food, but Indian may be my favorite. And with a decent amount of spice, you need a couple of good clean beers to wash it all down. With that in mind, I thought we would put the Big Three Indian Beers head-to-head here. All three beers are owned by United Brewers, a large conglomerate out of Bangalore with over a dozen breweries.

Kingfisher Premium Lager
Bottle -- Punjab Cafe, Quincy
contract brewed in new york, kind of ironic. green bottle with bright label. off-putting initial flavor that i equated to licorice (while others on beeradvocate thought it was more of a metallic flavor...) eases to a more typical grainy/grassy beer though. can't say i enjoyed it.
Score: 2

Taj Mahal Premium Lager
22 oz -- Punjab Cafe
not exactly an appetizing pour with thin head and pale color. has that odd cooked vegetable smell / flavor found in some beers. mostly grainy with some crisp bitterness. washes down spice of indian food well enough, but not something to get excited about. i actually bumped this up a point from the taj i had while in india...
Score: 3

Leader of the pack:
Flying Horse Royal Lager
22 oz -- Punjab Cafe
rated this beer back in may, but here was the gist: "a lager from india. nice looking bottle actually, with date brewed and tasting notes on beer. taste is of light malts, grainy cereal or even corn." definitely my favorite of the big three indian beers.

Score: 5