We're nearing the end of Kalamazoo Beer Week . . . a week focused on "building a relationship with craft beer." (Now, some of us already enjoy a very deep and personal relationship with craft beer . . . but what the heck. You can always go deeper.)
Last night, Tom and I had reservations to take part in the Beer Throw Down, sponsored by one of our favorite local restaurants -- Food Dance. The concept is simple: Two brewers go head-to-head in a food-pairings, blind beer tasting showdown. We eat. We drink. We vote.
Four courses of taste-exploding flavor! Specially created Food Dance courses . . . paired with beer from Arcadia and New Holland.
All of the "tasters" were seated together at long tables in a separate room. Even though most of us didn't know each other when we sat down, we were all pals before the night was over.
Beer does tend to bring folks together.
After the tasting and voting for each round was complete, the brewers talked to us about their beer selection -- a little bit about how it was made, and a little bit about why they selected that particular pairing. Fascinating!
The food was fabulous (as was the beer) -- and it was so interesting to experience the differences between two beers WITH food. Some people around me seemed to have problems choosing sometimes -- but I seemed to always have a clear favorite in every round. (I just gotta say . . . one beer - one that Tom voted for!!! - smelled like pee. I just couldn't with that one. But then . . . I am a wine drinker. . . so what do I know?)
Our final course . . . dessert . . . was beer floats!
Okay, then!
I could've voted for either, but in the end. . . I chose #2.
Fun night! And a great way for Tom to overcome his jet lag!
(In the end, the winner was New Holland Brewing . . . in a sweep. My favorites, every round, as it turned out.)
how fun! I think of beer as kind of a meal on its own. but having real "pairings" sounds like a great way to experience it.
Posted by: Mary | 01/18/2013 at 07:58 AM
Beer floats? As in ice cream in beer? Somehow that seems very wrong to me! o.0
Posted by: Marilyn | 01/18/2013 at 08:00 AM
That sounds like so much fun! Jo-Ann's son is brewing a special beer for us to bring to SPA. Wish you could be there to drink it with us!
Posted by: Carole | 01/18/2013 at 08:15 AM
Artisan beers are fun to taste and if I could drink beer this would be an event I'd love. As a wine drinker you have a discriminating pallet and can taste the subtleties of the brew. It sounds like a fun night!
Posted by: margene | 01/18/2013 at 08:42 AM
Seem to me like a oerfect way to spend an evening and get rid of jet lag in the process although experts claims alcohol is no good match to that lag.... But what do they know, we sufferers know much better!
A smell is a smell no matter what is our favorite drink, no?
Posted by: Rachel | 01/18/2013 at 09:26 AM
So fun...I was just considering a beer dinner at the local brewery here. Doug's not a big craft beer fan though, too bad Dan's not home! :-)
Posted by: Patty | 01/18/2013 at 10:00 AM
Must get some NEw Holland for Fireman he's taken good care of me this week!
Posted by: kathy b | 01/18/2013 at 11:33 AM
Oh, I wish we could do that -- it sound like such FUN!
Posted by: kmkat | 01/18/2013 at 01:17 PM