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More Adventures with Beer and Food Posted: Thursday, June 28, 2007
By Michael S. Marsh
"We challenge you to think differently about beer," announced Craig Purser, the president of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, as he welcomed a variety of beer writers and distributors to 5 Ninth restaurant in Manhattan's trendy Meatpacking District.
It's becoming a common provocation in the beer world these days. The beer industry is intent on engaging beer consumers to see beer in a new light. It is encouraging beer drinkers to understand the nuances and ranges of flavors it provides, and to view beer not as the red-headed stepchild it's often perceived as, but as a product of quality craftsmanship that can offer the palate new experiences, especially when it comes to food.
Black pepper pork belly made with chili jam and stout. It was paired with Hex Nut Brown Ale from the Goose Island Beer Co. in Chicago.
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"For me, the idea of cooking and eating is creative," said Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster and vice president of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food. "Right now, a lot of people conduct their food life without really knowing what beer can do." But beer, he says, with its wide range of flavors -- from rich and toasty to light and delicate -- has the ability to turn an "ordinary dinner into something special." That isn't to say that wine doesn't have a place at the table. Instead, Purser and Oliver are encouraging people not to limit themselves by only drinking wine with a meal, especially when it means forcing a "wine to go where it doesn't want to go."
But where does one begin when pairing beer with food? "To have a successful match," writes Oliver in "The Principles of Beer and Food" chapter, "you'll want to match the impact of the beer [the strength of the beer's impression on your palate] with the impact of the food.
Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster and vice president of the Brooklyn Brewery.
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You don't want a beer that is going to overwhelm the food or vice versa." Oliver suggests stronger, darker beers, such as ales, with barbecue or spicy Mexican food, and lighter beers, such as wheat beers, with lighter fare. The key is striking a balance.
Once balance is achieved, the next thing Oliver suggests is to set the flavor hook, which he describes as "the part of the beer that matches, harmonizes or accentuates the flavors in your food." Flavor hooks are the rich, caramel flavors in a pale ale or amber ale; the roasted malt flavors of a stout or porter; the intense hop flavors of India Pale Ale or Bavarian Pilsner, and the fruit and spice notes of a wheat beer. While harmony between flavors is the aim, contrasting flavors can also produce excellent pairings.
With that, Oliver teamed with chef Dan Parilla of 5 Ninth to create a menu that would best represent how beer and food can complement each other. Parilla came up with six courses, many of which included beer as an ingredient, while Oliver selected a style of beer he thought would pair best with each.
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