It’s time to put beer in its proper place. Brewery Ommegang has created an exciting new program for our customers – retailers, chefs, restaurateurs, and the consuming public. It’s called “Great Beer Deserves Great Food” and the idea is simple: Like fine wines, fine beers deserve their place at the best tables, and all talk of pairing fine foods with fine drink must include beer. The worldwide renaissance in fine brewing began in the USA, and today there are more styles and better-made beers than ever. Fine beer is at home with all sorts of fine food – from stinky cheeses, to roasted game, to the most elegant desserts. For flavors, beer styles range from tartly acidic, to citrus-charged, to dryly bitter, to deeply flavorful malty sweet. This flavor range is created by dozens of malts, hundreds of spices, and endless yeast strains that can’t be replicated by wine. Finally, beer is a brilliant palate refresher, exactly like champagne.
In the Twin Cities, we are striving to put a more intense focus on where food fits in the great food venues, on both sides of the Mississippi. We look to use our different visions of pairing food and beer other than just complementary. Great Beer Deserves Great Food looks at 5 different ways to pair food and beer:
- Simple pairing – The direct interaction between food and beer from taking a bite of the food and a sip of the beer.
- Incorporation – This is the utilization of beer in the cooking process.
- Mimicking – One of the most difficult pairings, mimic pairings are the act of matching the flavor profile of a dish with the flavor profile of a beer.
- Story Telling – Beer, like food, has a great history behind it. Not just how it was made, but why.
- Experimental – This type of pairing is the most fun by far. It is finding a way to make the beer the main star of a dish.
As food and beer are discussed, it is impossible to leave out some of the finest beer in the world, Belgian. The way food and beer are part of culture is vastly ahead of where we are today in America; however, we are making the right strides! While in America we make beer to pair with our food, Belgium makes food to pair with their beers. We at Duvel are extremely proud of our beers and our heritage, and that is why we also choose to celebrate Belgian Independence Week (July 13-22). This holiday commemorates the Belgians saying enough to the Dutch: Enough wooden shoes, enough tulips. And they celebrated their independence by doing what they do better than anyone – they had a beer festival. So, here in the Twin Cities we are doing what we can to celebrate these amazing beers that have graced us with their presence after long journeys overseas. Everyone is doing something a little different, which includes, but is not limited to, Duvel Art Glassware giveaways, flights, tap takeovers, Belgian / Dutch beer competition, feature brewery nights, and more! To join in on the festivities, here are a few participating establishments:
The Four Firkins, The Bulldog Lyndale, Surdyk’s, The Bulldog Lowertown, Amsterdam, Pig & Fiddle, The Muddy Pig, The Happy Gnome, Grumpy’s NE, Busters on 28th, Harriet Brasserie, The Devil’s Advocate, The Nomad World Pub, Blackbird Cafe, Town Hall Tap, Acadia Cafe, Muddy Waters, Heritage Liquor, Corner Table
Check out our local Facebook page and your local retailers to see what we have in store during Belgian Independence Week.