Beer or Wine with your Lunch?

The day has arrived. Four beers go head to head with four wines. The Blind Monk has chosen the beers, Virginia Philip Wine Shop has chosen the wine, and guests will decide which pairing they like better with a delicious four-course lunch prepared by City Cellar. We now present the beers…

 

Ayinger “Brau-Weisse” – Bavarian Hefeweizen

 

Named for the city of Aying in Bavaria where it is brewed, Ayinger is one of the most renowned breweries in the world, specializing in outstanding examples of traditional German styles, such as its hefeweizen Bräu-Weisse.  Hefeweizens are perhaps the most recognized of the family of wheat beers, which are known for their quenching, refreshing character, and cloudy golden appearance.  Fruit and spice notes of banana, clove, bubblegum and vanilla characterize the style.  For this particular pairing, the garlicky, herbaceous nature of the dish, should match up very nicely with the native flavor components of the beer.  The  Bräu-Weisse in particular has subtle citrus elements of lemon and orange, which should work well with this dish, as traditionally prepared Italian cannellini beans often prominently feature lemon as an ingredient.

 

Brasserie d’Achouffe “La Chouffe” – Belgian Strong Golden Ale

 

Another brewery named for the place it is brewed, the Achouffe brewery is recognized by their iconic gnome mascot, featured on each of their labels.  Their flagship beer La Chouffe is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale, one of the quintessential styles in the Belgian Strong Ale family.  Strong Golden Ales are indeed stronger in alcohol and golden in color, with an almost wine-like complexity and richness.  Loads of bright fruit and floral notes dominate the aroma and flavor, backed up by a subtle hoppiness and some pleasing spice notes from spice additions as well as the distinctive Belgian yeast.  With this pairing, look for the interplay between the delicate tree-fruit notes of the beer and the mildly sweet character of the lobster, and between the spice notes of the beer and the salty, savory elements of the squid ink.

 

Westmalle “Dubbel” – Belgian Trappist Dubbel

 

Westmalle is one of the eight Trappist breweries, which means it is brewed in a Trappist monastery by monks, and uses all of the proceeds from its beer sales to support the monastery and its charitable work.  The beautiful, chestnut brown colored Dubbel is just about the perfect example of its style.  Along with the traditional floral, fruity, spicy character imparted by the Trappist yeast, the darker malt content adds wonderfully rich dark flavors of plums, raisins, figs, caramel, rum, toffee and chocolate.  The fatty, savory, succulent flavor of the duck confit, especially with the accompanying dark berry flavors in the sauce, is one of the best possible pairings for this beer, as the flavors of each wrap around and enhance each other, creating an end result that is even greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Dogfish Head “Indian Brown Ale” – Hybrid Scotch Ale/IPA/Brown Ale

 

In the ever-expanding American Craft Beer scene, perhaps no other brewery has made as much of a splash in recent years as Dogfish Head, gaining renown for their experimentalism and outstanding quality.  A classic example of this is their Indian Brown Ale.  One of their oldest brands, Indian Brown Ale is a hybridization of three different beer styles: an American Brown Ale providing a subtly roasty chocolate malt base, a Scotch ale to impart a fullness of body and a rich deep caramel undertones, and an India Pale Ale to add well balanced hoppy aromatics.  Because of it’s hybrid nature, it should interact beautifully with the trio of cheeses in a couple of different ways.  As IPAs in general work well with sharper cheeses, the hoppiness of this beer really lights up the sharp tang of the pressed cheeses.  Likewise, the toasty, caramelized flavors of the brown ale delightfully consort with the creamy richness of the cheeses, creating the same comforting combination of flavors found in a grilled cheese sandwich.