At the 2014 Oregon Garden Brewfest, I went to my first Brewer’s Dinner and loved it. This dinner made me want to be a foodie. The food was so good and the beer just made the whole meal amazing. The only down side was choosing a place to sit. It was like high school all over again. I might have whispered to Tiffany, “This is my nightmare.” Are we cool kids or not? Where do we sit? Clearly, I need to attend more of these events so I can learn a thing or two about seating arrangements. I also loved that each brewery had their Brewmaster stand up and say a few words about each beer.
Here is what we ate and drank:
First Course:
Featuring Golden Valley’s Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Geistbock.
Hazelnut crusted goat cheese fritters garnished with micro greens and a lemon tarragon vinaigrette. This was so light and refreshing for being fried cheese.
Second Course:
Featuring Rusty Truck’s (my favorite brewery at the OGBF) Simcoe CDA.
Smoked sausage potato cake topped with garlic and stone ground mustard aioli. This was also delicious snack, like a crab cake and less of a potato latke.
Third Course:
Featuring Bridgeport’s Mettle & Mash Ginger Hibiscus Saison.
Red baby dandelion leaves tossed with boursin cheese, shaved pickled red onion, candied walnuts and dressed with a ginger / sesame vinaigrette. This meal was completely overshadowed by the (tied) best beer at the Brewer’s Dinner. Seriously, mind blowing delicious beer. I love fruit beer and I love ginger. I.was.in.heaven!
Fourth Course:
Featuring Salem Ale Works’ Juniperus IPA.
Linguini pasta tossed with sautéed garlic, shrimp, laurel and juniper berries in a white wine butter sauce. To quote Tiffany “All the shrimp for me, because Jenna doesn’t eat them, all the beer for Jenna because I can drink it.” Tiffany is allergic to Juniper / pine (debatable), so I got to drink her beer sample and I’m not a big fan of shrimp so she got to eat all my shrimp.
Fifth Course:
Featuring Cascade’s Honey Ginger Lime.
Pork confit inside half an artichoke topped with a honey, ginger, sake sauce. This was the (tied) best beer at the Brewer’s Dinner. Another phenomenal beer. Really sweet, so I’m not sure if this would make a great pint of beer, but it makes a great couple of samples. The sauce was a great dipping sauce for the artichoke. I’ve never dipped artichoke in anything other than butter. It was fun to try something new.
Sixth Course:
Featuring Stone’s Stone 2014 Old Guardian Barely Wine.
Chocolate turtle torte with hazelnut and sea salt crust. While I’m not a big fan of barley wine, the torte’s sea salt crust was amazing. I had another glass of Cascade’s Honey Ginger Lime with in and was in heaven. The best way to end a fancy dinner, with a girl’s (other) best friend, chocolate!
Ever been to a Brewer’s Tasting Dinner? What are your tips for attending one?
For the record, this was a media trip, but seriously, I had a blast!
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