Brewer’s Plate 2013: Pairings Galore

Where else can you find more than 50 craft breweries, restaurants, farmers, and artisanal producers–all independently owned and located within 150 miles of the city–under one roof at the same time? Brewer’s Plate did it once again at the National Constitution Center on March 10. Celebrating its ninth year, the one-of-a-kind tasting event hosted by Fair Food paired craft-beer with local gourmet food to satisfy the taste buds of eaters of all kinds.

Brewer’s Plate’s VIP experience this year was themed “Small Wonders – The BIG Taste of Small Scale.” An assortment of local artisans explored the world of homespun gourmet foods, small-batch brews, artisan cheeses, and niche farm products. One of the neatest opportunities was participating in a tutored tasting with Aimee Olexy, restaurateur of Talula’s Table & Talula’s Garden.

The interactive tasting featured the following:

– Freshly Made Ricotta: The sweet, milky, and rich ricotta (made with Bailey’s Farm milk) paired delightfully with the fresh granola, which added a tasty crunch, and the raw honey, which pulled all of the elements into a cohesive whole. Coupled with Troegs’ roasted coffee JavaHead Stout (the tasting started with dark and ended with light), the combination featured low acidity and a surprising richness.

– Amazing Acres’ Baby Bloomer: Not an extraordinarily pungent goat cheese, the fresh-aged pastuerized baby bloomer had a mild flavor and a relaxed texture. There was a particular density and chew to each bite.

– De-Glae’s Lanchego: The quintessential raw sheep’s milk cheese. An offshoot of the Spanish manchego, the 6-month aged cheese was solidly sharp. Pert red cabbage kraut and apple jam on the side added a new dimension. The pairing with Victory Brewing Company’s NATO IPA ranch beer–its floral nature derived from the whole flower hops used in production–illustrated a case where opposites attract.

– Spout Creek’s Ouray: Slightly dry and flaky, the cheese was paired with a sweet chunk of Talula’s snappy bacon brittle and smooth goat milk caramel. The Rapunzel Saison/Farmhouse Ale from Free Will Brewing Company added a bright citrusy crispness to the earthy and sweet flavors.

– Back to Back Blues: Mountain Top Blue from Firey Farms, a surface-ripened blue made with pasteurized goat’s milk, was chewy and creamy; Millwood Blue of Millwood Springs Organics was milky and smooth. A mushroom “hummus” grounded the tastes, while the White Monkey Belgian Tripel (aged in Chardonnay wine barrels and also courtesy of Victory) had a balanced character, its vanilla character and sparkling bubbles delicious.

In pairings, Aimee suggested combining body with body; she noted “it’s important to have the same mouthfeel.” Most importantly, we need to “eat with our minds” to fully appreciate pairings and food and drink in general.

This was not our last encounter with rich wedges of cheese…

Farm Fromage’s selection of artisan cheeses.

Cherry Grove Farm’s Havilah, Mt. Rose, and Jersey Shore Blue.

Fair Food Farmstand’s fresh robiola with wildflower honey, sour cherry jam, and rosemary olive oil on a baguette.

The Bent Spoon featured the most incredible and intricate flavors, easily becoming one of our top choices of the evening. With the following options on hand, it was impossible to go wrong (and no one will judge if you sample all three):

– Wort Ice Cream (above). The candied and chocolate-covered malt (thanks to a brew from Triumph) added a pleasant crunch to the creamy dessert (and elevated the flavor to our favorite of the three).

– Pear Belgian Blond Sorbet: Refreshing, fruity, and tangy, this sorbet contained organic pears, organic blood orange juice, organic blood orange rind, beer (Forest & Main), lemon juice, and salt.

– Chocolate Peppercorn Stout Ice Cream. Tired Hands stout added depth while the black peppercorns sent a light kick to the back of the throat.

Victory Brewing Company had more than just beer on tap. The three ice creams that Victory conjured up (Root Beer, Lemon Sichuan, and Golden Monkey) tasted just like their names suggest.

At this point, it might seem like a lactose intolerant would be at a disadvantage here. Don’t worry, there was plenty more than just dairy:

London Grill’s duck confit bahn mi with foie gras mousse, spicy mayo, pickled carrot and radish, cilantro, and kimchi. The tenderness of the duck was offset by the satisfying crunch of the pickled vegetables.

C19’s Venetian meatballs, made with 21-day dry-aged beef, parmesan, ricotta, and basil. Tony’s from Lady and the Tramp has nothing on these savory morsels.

Fork’s barley sausage braised in barley wine. The slightly salty barley complimented the sweet wine and faintly spicy sausage.

 

Brauhaus Schmitz’s smoked malt bratwurst sandwiches with beer braised sauerkraut and pilsner horseradish mustard.

Bar Ferdinand’s beer-cured salmon with mustard oil. The sharp bursts of salt from the fish eggs enhanced the silky, luxurious bites of salmon.

Cedar Point Bar & Kitchen’s grilled cheese and “pulled portabella” BBQ sandwich with apple slaw. Drizzled with Boxcar Mango Ginger “beer-up” sauce, this was messy and tangy goodness.

See Part II of our recap for more Brewer’s Plate food, drink, and fun!

— Nicole Woon and Katie Behrman