Beer and Chocolate Pairings - Vancouver (BC) Canada Beer Tasting and Education

Beer & Food - The Next Big Trend?
Colin Jack, Just Here For The Beer Ltd.

With 2 events this month, I thought I would write a brief article about beer and food pairings. Beer is the most versatile alcoholic beverage when it comes to pairing with food, even more so then wine! Beer comes in a variety of styles, tastes and sizes. It is much more economical than other types of alcohol and if you don't like one particular beer, it is easy to poor it down the drain or put it in your fridge and use it as a marinade for your next steak.

The next time you head to a friends house for a nice diner, try grabbing a few different beers and try matching your beer with your food, you will be pleasantly surprised. These events showcase the versatility of beer and food pairings.

Beer & Chocolate? Who would think of such an odd pairing? Beer in my opinion is the best type of alcohol to pair with most foods, including chocolate. I had a chance to sample a wide variety of chocolate and match them with 5 different beers. You will have to wait to find out the chocolate and beer pairings, but here is a list of the beers that we used for the West Coast Chocolate Festival October 14 th & 15 th .

Hermann's Dark Lager (Vancouver Island Brewing)
Monty Python Holy Grail (Black Sheep Brewing)
Nut Brown Ale (Dead Frog Brewing)
St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (McAuslan Brewing)
Old English Porter (Okanagan Spring Brewing)

Pairing the beer with the chocolate was fun, but unfortunately it left my stomach a little upset. Until this week, I haven't had chocolate since July, add beer to the mix and it was a long night. Is there such a thing as having too much chocolate? My answer is YES!

Beer & Food Pairing - The Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts ( www.picachef.com )

The Beer & Food pairing at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts on October 4 th , 2006 was a real challenge for me. I wanted to pick some exotic products that most people had never sampled before, but at the same time pick some products that would match nicely with the menu.

Around 40 people attended the event and I was the host for the evening. Fortunately a couple of company representatives from 2 microbrews also joined me at the event to help answer some questions about the brews and talk to the guests.

The crowd was very mixed, with both young and old enjoying the evening. The evening was very fun and the dishes created by the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts were delicious, exquisite and memorable. Everyone who attended that evening left with a lot more knowledge and appreciate for beer, fine dining and the students and staff at the Institute. Here is the menu, with the beer pairings for the evening:

First Appetizer: Wild Flowers and mixed Greens in Lavender Honey Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese - paired with Russell Brewing , Honey Blonde Ale.
Second Appetizer: Cured wild Salmon and Halibut, Huckleberry Preserves and wilted Arugula - paired with R & B Brewing , Raven Cream Ale.
Main Course: Herb marinated Lamb Sirloin, Chanterelles, Watercress Puree and roasted Fingerling Potatoes - paired with Tree Brewing , Hophead IPA & Red Truck Beer Company , Red Truck Ale.
Dessert: Olive Oil Ice Cream and spiced Cherries with chocolate shavings - paired with Dead Frog Brewing , Nut Brown Ale
Après Dessert - Storm Brewing , Blackcurrant Lambic

The main course was the highlight of the night for me, especially the Lamb Sirloin and Fingerling Potatoes. A close second was the Olive Oil Ice Cream paired with the Nut Brown ale.

I also thought that the participants were very excited and had some excellent beer-related questions to keep me on my toes. The evening went way too fast and I had a great time and a great meal.

I look forward to the next special event and beer and food pairing evening, it is the new trend and here to stay!