Beer party!

Move over wine snobs; beer drinkers are going upscale with a burgeoning number of craft breweries offering more variety. Dinners pairing beer with food dishes are showcasing the versatility and compatibility of beer. In Jackson, these dinners began about three years ago at Sal & Mookie's New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint.

Beer drinkers may be surprised to learn that beer goes with foods other than wings and hamburgers. Like wine, beer can be paired with a dish, such as brown ale with beef or a sweet stout with a chocolate dessert.He finds that people love to learn new things. That's why bringing the brewery owners and brew masters to host the dinners is such a hit.R&R will introduce the mini tubs of Aero, Smarties, Rolo and Toffee Crisp ice creams (rsp: [pounds sterling]1.29 per 220ml tub) into retailers next month to plug a gap for a more everyday ice cream treat that can rival premium tubs from the likes of Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs.Co-owner Jeff Good said, "We are known for the quality of the experience. Real beer makers and/or brewery top-level officers come and talk about their products. Then these beers are paired with excellent food from our kitchen. We serve family style and consistently get comments that the dinners are fun, informative and wonderful."The list of Great Taste Award winners issued by the Guild of Fine Food features almost 30 businesses from the region as gold award winners.The first beer events at Sal & Mookie's were beer tastings with light appetizers. These usually sold out at 20 to 40 guests. The organizers noticed guests were having so much fun they wanted more and were asking questions about foods to serve with beers. Now the beer dinners accommodate from 80 to 120 guests and are always sold out.Robertson and Drennan say the dinners are also a great value. Held on a night when the restaurant is closed, diners enjoy beer with five or six food creations by chef Dan Blumenthal along with education and entertainment at a reasonable price.R&R has teamed up with DVD rental service Lovefilm to raise the profile of the product throughout October, with Potz-branded DVD envelopes, advertising on the Lovefilm website and money-off vouchers for members."Just as all Merlots do not taste the same, the same thing goes with beer. Each beer company has its own way of creating a style of beer. Because of this, the food pairings can vary from company to company. It is an exciting adventure to see the different styles that are out there and fun to see what others have to offer.""With most competitor products positioned more than three times higher on price, the range is a unique addition to the category and will enable consumers to cater for the individual taste and preference of every family member.""The shelf-ready packaging will really stand out. It has traditionally been difficult to get right in frozen because of the need for robust material," she said.A group called Raise Your Pints is trying to change that state law and has established a website, raiseyourpints.com/.Drennan says Capital City Beverages got involved because the dinners are a great opportunity to showcase the craft beers it distributes. "The people who attend are generally craft beer drinkers, but they often have not tried all offered by the brewery. It is a great sampling opportunity,'" he said. "We want people to leave more educated about the beer offered at the dinners and beer styles in general. There are many y ways to compliment your meal with a beer.""Sometimes it's hard pairing beer with food, but it just depends on what beer you're working with. For instance, a stout porter is a good rich, dark, coffee-tasting beer. You would not want to pair this beer with a light sea bass dish," Robertson said. "The beer would over power the cleanness of the sea bass and the flavor would be lost. This would go great with meat dishes with gravy or barbecue.The guild's annual awards are regarded as the food and drink industry's Oscars.(missing text)Robertson was inspired to begin the events because of his passion for great beers."Our guests are diners ages 21 to 60. Everyone loves what we do with the beer dinners," Robertson said. "The dinners are a fun time when anywhere from 80 to 100 guests can come and socialize. I have noticed that beer is less intimidating than wine and liquor. A lot of people are afraid of wine because they feel they don't know enough and don't want to be embarrassed by this lack of knowledge. With liquor, many people are intimidated because they can't differentiate between brands. With beer, people are more open. It can be a thing of class, or just a way to enjoy a beverage with dinner."Drennan notes that beer dinners and craft beers are growing trends across the country.Retailers would be able to put the Potz range on long-term multibuy promotions and "create an accessible fun 'pick 'n' mix' experience at the fixture", said Charlotte Hambling, senior marketing manager at R&R.

(missing text)

Author: Lofton, Lynn