Summer Beer Dinner

Last summer I hosted a beer dinner for a few friends and I enjoyed doing it so much I decided to make it an annual event. Last year's dinner featured all homebrewed beers, but this year I used commercial beers because I didn't have enough time to brew prior to the dinner. With so many world class beers available, it's almost too easy to have a great dinner. I just wish I could eat like this everyday.

The idea of the dinner was to feature Belgian-style beers produced by American breweries. To ensure a bit more variety I decided that I wouldn't feature any brewery more than once. Even though the beers were pretty adventurous, I had to keep the food pretty simple because I'm no expert in the kitchen. Summer cooking is perfectly suited for the novice cook, who doesn't know how to grill some steak and vegetables?


Appetizer – French Fries with Aioli
with Fleur from Goose Island Brewing Company

Salad – Arugala Endive Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette
with Calabaza Blanca from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Entree – Smoked Bacon Steak Kebabs with Wild Rice
with Abbey Ale from Brewery Ommegang

Cheese – Taleggio and Framboise Soaked Bellavitano cheeses
with Saison Rue from The Bruery
and La Folie from New Belgium Brewing Company

Intermission – Lemon Zest Sorbet

Dessert – Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce
with Raspberry Tart from New Glarus Brewing Company

I think the cheesecake and Raspberry Tart was the clear favorite of the night. My favorite part about that pairing was how similar the cheesecake and Raspberry Tart were, and how well they complimented each other. Both are sweet and tart (the cheesecake more sweet, and the beer more tart) and the flavor of the raspberry sauce with the beer was just perfect.

The rest of the pairings were good. I was surprised with how well the french fries and aioli worked with the Fleur. I was also a little disappointed with the Abbey Ale and kebabs. For me, the spiciness of the kebabs clashed with the dark fruit flavors from the beer. I still enjoyed it, but next time I would just use a more moderate marinade on the steak (or buy better beef so I don't have to marinade it). However, the Abbey Ale tasted great with the grilled vegetables and wild rice.

I really enjoy hosting these dinners. Having people try beers like La Folie for the first time and liking them is really cool to see. It's hard to go wrong with good food, good beer, and good company. I'm already looking forward to next year's dinner.