This poster may be downloaded and printed for personal use.

This poster may be downloaded, printed and used in a business (ex: liquor store, beer bar, restaurant) only if it is printed in its entirety. 

No modifications to the poster, suggestions or designs may be made.

You may use this beer pairing poster graphic on a website or in any other document only if it links back to:
http://www.hopheadsaid.com/pintsandpairings.html 

I am really excited about this event. This inaugural event will feature beer, food, beer, #beerpairing panels and more beer ... right up my alley. Come and join me and a bunch of fabulous breweries and other beer geeks on May 17th!

General Admission Tickets: $100 includes food, beer, wine and panel discussions.

VIP Tickets: $200 - includes special hour prior to event start time with passed apps by Circa, tastings of Sam Adams Barrel Room Collection and a special presentation by Pacific Gravity Home Brew Club in addition to food, beer, wine and panel discussions.

Tickets can be purchased here.

“The Art and Craft of Beer Pairing” –  This panel will be teaching our crowd the art of beer pairing – beer isn’t just for swilling in the backyard while grilling dogs, it’s a hand crafted, sophisticated beverage, that is meant to go with food.  The flavors that craft breweries are achieving these days are varied and complex, and these panelists will teach you how to pick just the right ones to go with your next meal. Whether you have prepared a slow braise of lamb shank or just grilling in the backyard, you will be armed with the knowledge of how to pick the best beer to go with your next meal.


Panelists:
Ting Su – Co-Founder of Eagle Rock Brewery
Christina Perozzi – Goose Island Educator
Cyrena Nouzille – Co-Founder of Ladyface Ale Company
Anne Conness - Executive Chef and Partner of Simmzy's and Tin Roof Bistro

“Fun with BEER!” – Cook with it!  Marinate a steak!  Wash your hair!  Fix your lawn!  These are just the few fun things beer is good for besides giving you a buzz (or, while it’s giving you a buzz).  Don’t just drink it, play with it!  Our lively panelists will show you how to really make beer the star of your next party.  Or, your next bath…


Panelists:
Greg Bechtel – Bon Vivant at El Segundo Brewing Co.
Mike Simms– Owner of Simms Restaurants
David LeFevre – Chef of MB Post and Fishing With Dynamite
Rich Marcello – Co-Owner of Strand Brewing Co.
Nikki Martin – Host of Grill Next Door and Food Network Star

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA  – The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce is introducing the First Annual Bite at the Beach food and beer pairing event brought to you by Stella Artois. The event will premiere on May 17, 2014 from 2-7pm at the MBS Media Campus in Manhattan Beach. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased through the Manhattan Beach Chamber’s website.

In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Shawn Burgert, a local wine expert, travel guide and photographer and videographer, who is also know as the Wandering Wino. 

This is the last installment featuring the Wandering Wino and it is a fun one.  We couldn't decide on which dessert to try so we tried two.  Wolf Creek's dessert menu changes each week but you will certainly see some version of their bread pudding and carrot cake on that menu again.  

For more Wolf Creek dessert, beer pairing suggestions click [HERE]

Shawn's favorite beer pairing for the carrot cake is the Howlin' Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. The banana and clove spices present in the the beer are natural complements to the spices found in the cake and the frosting.

As for the bread pudding, Shawn's pairing pick is the Desperado IPA, an American style India Pale Ale with big hop flavors and bitterness. His favorite aspect of this pairing is how the hop (flavor and bitterness) contrast against the sweetness while the malt flavors resonate with the sweet, bourbon flavors in the bread pudding.

Jason had a favorite beer and a favorite dessert for this session and that combination was the Desperado IPA, an American style India Pale Ale with big hop flavors and bitterness, paired with the carrot cake. Part of his enthusiasm for this pairing is the way both (beer and dessert) were transformed when they mixed on the palate.

The beer's pronounced  bitterness was balanced by the carrot cake's sweetness while the cake's spices and sweetness also changed the beer's hop flavor.  The hop flavors became grassy -in a pleasant, freshly mown lawn kinda way- and took on a tangerine flavor.

I had a favorite dessert and favorite beer, as well.  My favorite dessert pairing was the carrot cake paired with Rebel Rye, an American rye ale with a solid malt base (slightly sweet, caramel-like) that balances the assertive hop flavors and bitterness.  

The malt sweetness of the beer resonates with the sweet carrot cake (cake and frosting) while the rye flavors and carrot cake spices resonate with each other, too. These resonating layers make it hard to tell where the cake ends and where the beer begins. But before this pairing can get too cloying, the alcohol and carbonation do their job and cleanse the palate.

The next time Wolf Creek has a Belgian beer base, bread pudding (or any other bread pudding) you will want to try their Wild Angels Dubbel Trubbel, a Belgian-style Abbey Dubbel full of dark fruit and caramel sweetness. The Belgian yeast profile will resonate with the Bourbon flavors and the dark fruit and caramel flavors in the beer will certainly resonate with the bread pudding.

In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Shawn Burgert, a local wine expert, travel guide and photographer and videographer, who is also know as the Wandering Wino.

This entree comes prepared three different ways:
1. Topped with your choice of melon salsa
2. Topped with fresh tomato-basil balsamic mixture
3. Blackened - Cajun style

All three versions are served with grilled marinated vegetables and baby red potatoes.

Shawn's pairing pick for the tomato basil option is the Rebel Rye, an American rye ale  with a solid malt base (slightly sweet, caramel-like) that balances the assertive hop flavors and bitterness.  He liked this pairing because the malt sweetness also helped balance the acid from the tomato basil topping.

When it came to the melon option, Shawn preferred the Howlin' Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. The natural fruitiness of the beer resonated with the melon and created a unifying base layer.

Shawn's pairing pick for the Cajun option is the Desperado IPA, an American style India Pale Ale with big hop flavors and bitterness. Desperado resonated with the cajun spices and accentuated them momentarily before the malt flavors and alcohol could soothe and cleanse his palate.

Jason's pairing pick for the melon version was Rebel Rye, an American rye ale with a solid malt base (slightly sweet, caramel-like) that balances the assertive hop flavors and bitterness. He liked how the melon flavors and the malt flavors resonated with each other, creating a unifying base layer. This sweet base layer also accentuated the hop flavors and bitterness.

When it came to the blackened Cajun version, Jason pick was Midnight Howl, a black IPA with a crisp, citrus hop flavor, pronounced bitterness and subtle roasty notes. He really enjoyed the way the beer accentuated the paprika and how the entree changed the flavor profile of this beer. The roasty flavors of the beer became more chocolaty - think Tootsie Roll- as he was eating the Cajun version.

My pairing pick for the tomato basil option is the Midnight Howl, a black IPA with a crisp, citrus hop flavor, pronounced bitterness and subtle roasty notes.  I enjoyed the way the hop flavors of Midnight Howl, lend a citric note that helps brighten the tuna seasoning and resonated with the tomato toppings.  Another bonus to this pairing is how the beer added an interesting but very subtle smokey layer to the entree.

My favorite pairing for the Cajun version is the Golden Eagle, a blonde ale with a crisp, clean malt flavor and refreshing hop bitterness. The malt profile of Golden Eagle helped contrast the Cajun spices before its mild hop bitterness and medium light body refreshed and cleansed the palate.

If stouts are too roasty or Cajun is too spicy for you, then I have a seemingly counterintuitive pairing suggestion for you.  Try the Full Moon Stout, a light quaffable stout full of roasty flavors with this entree.  The stout mellows out the the Cajun spices which in turn contrast against the roasty notes in the beer.  This is a great pairing if you are looking to experiment with either stouts or Cajun spices. 

In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Shawn Burgert, a local wine expert, travel guide and photographer and videographer, who is also know as the Wandering Wino. 

Fire Grilled Fresh Artichoke (seasonal): Served with roasted garlic aioli and balsamic vinaigrette

Shawn's favorite pairing for this appetizer was the Howlin' Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. He liked how the beer took on the role of a white wine when it was paired with the peppery (lots of ground pepper added), vegetal components of the artichoke and soothed the palate.  The beer's malt flavor and mouthfeel also contrasts the freshly ground pepper on the artichoke. The yeast component of the beer also resonates with the freshly ground pepper creating a resonating base layer between the two.

Shawn also enjoyed how the lemony balsamic vinaigrette added a welcome contrast to the beer. The vinaigrette and the beer combined to make a new and exciting beer "cocktail".

Jason had two pairing suggestions for this appetizer.  

First, he liked how the garlic aioli mixed with the Howlin' Hefeweizen. Together, the beer and the aioli mixed together to create a vanilla wafer/cream pie flavor. 

Second, Jason like how the garlic aioli mixed with the Full Moon Stout, a light quaffable stout full of roasty flavors.  When the beer and the aioli sauce mixed together they mimic a smooth milk stout texture that highlights the subtle licorice flavors that are usually hidden in this beer.

I usually enjoy dipping and maybe even over dipping in sauces but I liked this appetizer more as is, without any of sauces.  My favorite pairing for this appetizer is the Rebel Rye, an American rye ale  with a solid malt base (slightly sweet, caramel-like) that balances the assertive hop flavors and bitterness.  The hop bitterness and the rye notes in the beer accentuate the freshly ground pepper while the hop flavor resonated with the vegetal nature of the artichoke.  The sweet caramel-like notes resonated with the slight caramelization of the artichoke sugars (a result from the grilling) and balances all the spice notes before you swallow.  

One of the best parts about being a beer writer is I get the opportunity to travel around the country, visit breweries, drink lots of great beer and eat lots of great food. It gets even better when breweries invite me to write about food pairings that feature their beers.

Every other month,  I write a beer and food pairing series featuring the Wolf Creek Brewery and menu items available at their restaurants. However, this series wouldn't be as rich and educational if it weren't for all special "guest palates" I bring with me to these pairing sessions.  My guests and their palates broaden my flavor knowledge and vocabulary and help me discover new beer pairing options with each bite.

This current Wolf Creek Pairing Series features Shawn Burgert, a local wine expert and wine travel guide.  Shawn, AKA The Wandering Wino, brings a unique wine experience and palate to this series that helps me better understand a wine geek's language.  If you are a cross drinker, you need to visit Shawn's website for a list of all the can't miss wineries in SoCal and the Central Coast.

After 10 years in the restaurant business and loving wine, beer, and spirits along the way, Shawn launched his wine traveling website, Wandering Wino. Shawn does video production, wine writing, and photography by trade, but needed a place to share his passion of the wine trail.

Shawn has said: "Anyone snobby about wine quickly forgets the fact that at the end of the day, wine is a grown crop from a dirt field, made by farmers fueled by God's weather. I would rather be dubbed a wino than a connoisseur, and my inherit ability to speak fluent sarcasm makes it all the more fitting."

There is $100 on the line in this giveaway and two different ways to win $50 in gift certificates good at any Wolf Creek location!

On Tuesday, April 8th I will be sitting down with two good friends for another #beerpairing session at Wolf Creek Brewery and Restaurant in Calabasas. 


This is how you could win $50 in WC gift certificates:
1.  Leave a comment below that includes your favorite beer pairing for the Appetizer and Entree we will be enjoying.
2.  If you picked the same beer as I did (for either item below) your name will go into a the drawing for a $50 gift certificate to WC.
3.  I will pick one winner for the appetizer pool and one winner from the entree pool. 
4.  You may only win in one category. 
5.  Follow the conversation with #HHSWC. We'll be posting pictures and maybe even giving some hints as to our favorites.  #unfairhastagadvantage 

If I asked you to make a short list of America’s historical brewing cities, which cities would you include? I’m guessing Milwaukee is at least on that list, if it wasn’t the first city to come to mind. If  Milwaukee wasn't on that list, it will be, after you read Brewing in Milwaukee written by Brenda Magee. 

Brewing in Milwaukee  isn't the usual brewery or brewing highlight pictorial. Magee truly understands that brewing can’t be separated from history and lays the ground work for Milwaukee’s rich brewing history by starting in 1673 with some of the earliest written records of the American wilderness.  These early maps and illustrations help describe why explorers, hunters/trappers and eventually brewers found this region so inviting

Using historical illustrations and photographs, Brewing in Milwaukee begins its exploration of Milwaukee’s brewing history when three separate, unincorporated settlements merged to create Milwaukee on January 31, 1846.  From this point, Magee uses immigration, transportation and census records to illustrate the explosive growth of Milwaukee and its brewing culture. 

Within 20 years, Milwaukee was becoming a brewing powerhouse and by 1890 it was being referred to as “the beer capital of the world”.   Public and private records as well as photographs help to explain how Milwaukee earned this reputation. These records and Magee’s thoughtful organization also illustrate how that reputation drew the rich and powerful from all over the world to Milwaukee in hopes of turning big profits, by opening a brewery.

The interconnectedness of the Milwaukee breweries was perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this book. Breweries in Milwaukee merged, were bought out and sometimes married together, in order to create bigger, more powerful companies. I won’t spoil that teaser, here; you’ll have to read the book to find out who married who, to create what!

As with all brewing history, Prohibition ruined or nearly ruined every legal, operating brewery before its repeal in 1933. A long lasting consequence of prohibition is that today, Milwaukee is better known for its world-dominating-multinational-conglomerate-independent-brewery-swallowing-macro-brewery than its rich brewing history.  However bleak, the post-prohibition brewing history is, Magee closes the book with a hopeful chapter about Milwaukee’s craft beer renaissance that highlights the burgeoning, local craft beer scene.  It’s quite apparent that some of Milwaukee residents are digging deep into the past and channeling their historical brewing roots in an effort to reestablish Milwaukee as “the beer capital of the world”.

Brewing in Milwaukee, $21.99, Arcadia Publishing.  Available at local retailers, online bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing