I perhaps get a little too excited about beer dinners. I think they are the single most important type of event needed to improve beer’s status in the world of food and beverage. Any fine restaurant that wants respect from culinary elites has to take its wine list seriously, but almost none of them care one whit about beer. The remedy for this tragedy is for people to be exposed to how amazingly well beer pairs with food. Enter beer dinners.
So it goes without saying that I’m downright giddy about the beer dinner coming up on November 1st at 6:30pm at the Riverchase Country Club. This is an event Free The Hops is assisting with and it is organized by our friends at Pleasure Is All Wine in Pelham. Don’t be fooled by the unfortunate name; they have the best beer selection in Pelham as far as I know, and possibly the best from Pelham all the way south until you hit Montgomery.
I chose the beers for this and will be leading the dinner. Here is the menu for the event:
First Course: Gulf Shrimp on Baked Grits with Sun Dried Tomato Gravy
Paired with: Delerium Tremens and Ommegang Abbey Ale
Second Course: Baby Field Greens Salad with Wine Poached Pear and Blue Cheese
Paired with: Orval and Saison Dupont
Third Course: Braised Short Ribs with Pan jus and Roasted Root Vegetables
Paired with: Anchor Old Foghorn and Celebrator Doppelbock
Dessert Course: Individual Chocolate Essence Cake
Paired with: Great Divide Yeti and Lindemans Framboise
Note the two beers with each course, which of course means the servings of each beer will be half of a normal portion. This way you are able to taste an impressively large number of pairings.
The price (includes food and beverage) is criminally low at $45 plus tax and tip. Call Pleasure Is All Wine at 205-985-4760 to make your reservations.