Ideas for Beer / Food Matching

[studio1]

I'm trying to design a 4 course menu that matches a NZ craft beer with each course. The theme for the food is: seafood / game / smoked.

I'm roughly thinking of the following four courses:

1) Bowl of light seafood broth - perhaps Japanese in style, with fish

2) Salad of finely sliced smoked duck breast & asparagus with finely chopped pastrami and orange sauce

3) Main of Hapuku fillet with Chorizo Sauce on Potato Gratin (or other starchy base)

4) Smoked Kingfish Pate, crackers, Cheese (ideas?) - probably matched with Emerson's Old 95

So any ideas on some beers I can match in?

[JoKing]

1) IPA
2) IPA
3) IPA
4) IPA - but Old 95 might cut it.

Otherwise:

1) Hefeweizen
2) Maybe some Smokin' Bishop - but might be a bit strong. Maybe a Scotch Ale instead?
3) IPA... especially if the Chorizo is Vindaloo
4) Old 95 will cut it.

[studio1]

haha. Yip, keen to get some Armageddon in there somewhere. Any brewers want to send me samples? This menu/recipe will be seen (with photos) by lots of people ;-)

[Matthew]

I was just thinking about doing a beer/food matching thread after an epiphany on the weekend (I'll get to that shortly...)

1. Agreed on a heffe or wit first. Maybe 3 Boys wheat if you had a touch of coriander to play off in the broth.
2. Belgian blonde or tripel which would match the orange sauce. Need a well balanced one though as you don't want a noticeably high ABV to overwhelm the salad. - Tuatara Ardennes?
3. IPA would be mint with the chorizo but be careful on too much hop aroma as your fish might get lost and shoved to the background.- What the heck... Armageddon?
4. Old 95

[Matthew]

Made a spicy Chorizo and chickpea soup on the weekend and had an Emerson's IPA with it. The two were born to be together with the bitterness cutting through the spice. The malt and hops balanced well with the paprika, cumin and coriander spice. I'll be doing it again that's for sure.

[Stu McKinlay]

1) Mata Artesian. Subtle dish needs a beer that can let the dish show through. Tuatara Helles would be second choice.
2) Mussel Inn Captain Cooker. This combo sticks out lie a sore thumb. Need I say more? Invercargill Smokin' Bishop second choice but it might be too big (very small servings, if you do).
3) Three Boys IPA. The beer is on form, hop spice will compliment the chorizo, the bitterness will cut through the gratin fat... it is not so robust an IPA that it will overshadow the fish. Epic Pale Ale the second choice.
4) Invercargill Pitch Black. Go with good fresh crusty bread (sourdough or a nice baguette) instead crackers. The melanoidin characters of both will compliment each other and the beer will not be overpowered by the pate (though I'd prefer a fruity duck pate and Yeastie Boys PKB instead). Dark beer, crusty bread and rich creamy white cheeses are always a great combo for me. No idea why the French don't make magnificent porters!? It's a match made in heaven. Three Boys Oyster Stout the next best option.


That was fun... and has got me thinking.

[Stu McKinlay]

Steeping Hops thoughts are superb - just looked at them after my picks. Plenty of options.

[Bambule]

Have to agree with you about 3 boys IPA, the one I had on Friday was as good as I've ever tasted it.

Can't add much more to the above apart from I'm in agreance, with the hefe/ardennes/IPA/ stout combo. I had a chestnut and chorizo soup with Emersons 1812 for my birthday and it rocked.

Couldn't help to add, went out to dinner on Saturday night. The main course was Chacroute Garnie, which is basically a steaming, glistening pile of pork small goods on a bed of sauerkraut. It was very intimidating, but deliceous. There was this beautiful silence in the room as I popped the cork on the Chimay Rouge, along with a few askance glances, beer drinking never seemed so rebellious. The match was great but I think a smokin bishop would have topped it.

[Matthew]

So many possibilities, might have to have two beers per course :P

[studio1]

Good suggestions guys - thanks. The 3 boys Oyster Stout - does go with the them - and I do happen to have a bottle in the cellar!

[Bambule]

Hey there, thought I'd put this one out there for some ideas. My wife's birthday; she chose the food, I have to match the beer (and cook). At present it looks like this:

* Apertif- Cantillon Kriek
* Pear with walnuts and gruyere salad- St Bernardus Wit (I have had someone suggest a brown ale though?)
* Pea and Prosciutto soup -Green Flash West Coast IPA
* Ducks Breast roasted with Pommegranate Mollases. Really stuck on this one. Pommegrante mollases is quite sweet yet sour so its tempting to throw a lambic in there but I feel it would be too intense. Any ideas, I'm thinking about a 3monts....
* Creme Brulee- Oatmeal Stout (maybe Emersons or Loast Coast 8 Ball Stout)

Open to ideas. cheers

[Mike Neilson]

Yeah West Coast IPA for all the meals. Man that stuff may be a little better than good homebrew, actualy doubt it homebrew's better.

[Bambule]

Damn hop freaks