Just getting started, would love some help with pairings!
After a wonderful evening at Beer Bros. in Regina last week, I decided to host an appie style supper for NYE, and I'm trying to surprise my hubby with some interesting beer pairings. We are in Moose Jaw, SK, where variety is, well... lacking.
Here is my small NYE menu, with what I'm thinking on pairing (based on some googled articles). Would love some general suggestions, or multiple options - as finding specific brands might prove difficult!!!
7 Course Appie Menu
1. Hot and Sour Soup - Original 16
2. Crab Rangoons - Czech Mate Lager
3. Spicy Shrimp Pops -Fighting Billy Bock
4. Sweet Japanese Chicken Wings - Some sort of lambic, but having a hard time finding something...
5. Spicy Thai Shrimp Spring Rolls & Thai Fresh Rolls - Radeberger Pilsner
6. Caprese Salad - Erdingerweissbier OR Rickard's White OR Grasshopper Wheat
7. Chocolate Souffle - Old Engine Oil Porter
Any suggestions would rock!
J
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Thanks!! I have a much better idea of how to work this. I do have a question for you both - Would it be a good idea to play a little game with it, serving 2 beers per course, having the guests guess which beer is supposed to work with each course? I have 3 oz glasses that I'm using, so each guess would have 2 oz of each per course.
Your help is very appreciated!
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re: jaxgirl
jg: There is often no absolutely correct answer when it comes to taste and appreciation. A person may simply prefer one beer over another. If I can make a suggestion, you might do as you are suggesting and simply ask your guests which beer they prefer as a match. If you have "expert" tasting opinions for each beer, you can also tell each guest, either before or after tasting, what flavours and nuances they should expect to find. It can a bit educational for all, and a bit of fun.
Hope your guests have good palates. Have some mineral water as a cleanser between beers.
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vanderb
Dec 30, 2011 04:05 AM
I would agree that an asian beer would be a good choice with #1 or #2, perhaps a Thai Singha or a Chinese Tsing Tao. My pick for #4 would be a Jamaican Red Stripe, it's a little creamy (and in stubby bottles) and is a great foil for sweet and greasy. Unfortunately I don't know if these are available in Moose Jaw.
#6 I can't figure out, tomato, fresh moza, basil, EVOO... all that hits me is a really light white wine with lots of acidity, if there's a beer like that (not a Bud light lime) I'm having a challenge thinking of it.
Otherwise the ideas are all good and I don't think you can go too wrong with what you've proposed.
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Just a general suggestion, but it never hurts too much to take an ethnicl slant, and fer instance, match #1 or #2 with a Chinese beer, # 3 with Japanese, etc. I'd leave #7 as is though, sounds great.
Also, often you don't want to match, again, fer instance, sweet with sweet. Add a bit of heat to the sweet of #4 and a lager would be great.
