2015 Brewer’s Tasting Dinner

I am a little late in getting a few posts up, so please bare with me.  Over Father’s Day weekend, Joe and I went to the Oregon Garden’s Brewfest.  It was amazing!  And the night before we attended the 2015 Brewer’s Tasting Dinner.  Before the dinner started, we split a Double Mountain’s IRA and joined a group of other beer bloggers at a table.  We sat with PDX Beer Geek, Fresh Pints and our new friend, Adam and his wife.  Adam’s company was in charge of all the graphic stickers at the Oregon Garden’s Brewers Festival.  Like this:

But let’s talk about the food!

First Course:

Humboldt Fog, aged Pecorino, chicken liver mousse crostini, and semolina crackers. Paired with Ex Novo Brewing Company’s Apricot Gose. The beer was light and sweet, with hits of coriander and featured Jacobson Sea Salt.

Second Course:

Grilled peach with blue cheese and warm pancetta vinaigrette on grilled zucchini. Paired with Crux Fermentation Project’s Double Cross With Cherries. This dark strong Belgian ale was surprisingly light given it’s 10% ABV. This was my favorite course all together.

Third Course:

Smoked salmon salad with shaved fennel, snap peas, Savoy cabbage and citrus vinaigrette. Paired with Wild Ride Brewing’s Indy Session IPA. This beer featured five different hops.

Fourth Course:

Basil ricotta gnocchi with herbed brown butter and parsley pesto. Paired with Buoy Beer Company’s Oregon Garden Lavender Saison. The lavender in this beer was actually grown at the Oregon Garden. The food in this meal made the beer better, while the beer with this meal made the food better.

Fifth Course:

Beer-braised short rib, herbed polenta, and collard greens. Paired with Ecliptic Brewing’s Capella Porter. I loved this coffee beer! The collard greens were too spicy to enjoy (and I love spicy) food, which just left my taste buds dying for water – not beer.

Sixth Course:

Strawberry, lemon and orange cupcakes. Paired with Vagabond Brewing’s Lemon Strawberry Wit. Since I don’t eat strawberries, I passed on this beer, but Joe said it tasted like a shandy and was mildly tart. The cupcakes lemon cupcake was pretty good, but nothing compares to last year’s cake!

All it all it was a great evening.  I can’t wait for the 2016 Brewer’s Dinner!  It should also be noted that Joe and I split an Emily’s Red Ale by Seven Brides with lunch the following day, before heading into the beer festival.

Have you been to the Oregon Garden’s in Silverton?  What did you think?  Have you ever been to the Oregon Garden’s Brewfest?