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Food pairing suggestions for Valencia Honey Wheat from Wolf Creek Brewing Company.   Photo Credit: Gary Coon Beer Judges (top row) Erin Peters (AKA The Beer Goddess), Lisa Wickenden (Beer Specialist for Wine Warehouse) Zachary Rosen (Certified Cicerone) and Joby Yobe (owner Barrelhouse 101)
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 In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Chris O'Neal, beer geek a staff writer for the VCReporter, and Bec O'Neal, beer specialist for Whole Foods Market in Oxnard, CA. Learn more about these guest palates HERE.  Heaven and Hell Cake The dessert menu is always changing, but Heaven and Hell cake is on a regular rotation so if it isn't on the menu when you visit, you have another reason to come on back. Layers of devil's food cake and angel food cake with thick chocolaty mouse-like layers to hold it together are covered with a thick chocolate frosting.  Bec's favorite pairing for this cake seems a bit counterintuitive. She really liked the Howl'n Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. On the surface you might think this beer couldn't hold its own but the yeast flavor powers through the chocolate and adds a clove spice note that complements all the different aspects of the cake.  Chris preferred the Punkinweizen - WC's seasonal hefeweizen brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar and pie spices. He appreciated the way the cake helped to neutralize the beer's sweetness and allowed the pumpkin spices to shine through.  Jason's favorite beer pairing may seem a bit counterintuitive, too. He picked Desperado, an American IPA full of citrusy hops, as his favorite pairing for this dessert. He noted there was a slow, balanced transition between the cake (sweet) and the beer (bitter), and he also appreciated how the beer took on a herbal tea characteristic as it cleansed the palate.   In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Chris O'Neal, beer geek a staff writer for the VCReporter, and Bec O'Neal, beer specialist for Whole Foods Market in Oxnard, CA. Learn more about these guest palates HERE.  Ale Mac N' Cheese Pasta Shells tossed in our housemade cheese sauce with gorgonzola, jack, brie and our I.P.A.; topped with crispy bacon, parmesan croutons and gorgonzola crumbles  Bec's favorite beer pairing for this appetizer is Wolf Creek's Yellowstone Pale Ale. Yellowstone is a full bodied pale ale with a big citrus hop profile and a touch of caramel sweetness to balanced the finish. Bec appreciated how the Ale Mac 'N Cheese and the Yellowstone matched intensity -neither out covered up the other- and the malt flavors complemented the subtle smoky flavors in the bacon. Lastly, the beer's hop profile cleansed the palate leaving it refreshed for another bite of this rich appetizer.  Chris' pick for this appetizer is the Timberwolf Bourbon-Oaked Red Ale. Timberwolf is a West Coast style red ale with a full body, lots of caramel malt flavors and balanced by a huge citrus hops profile. This particular version is also aged with Buffalo Trace Bourbon soaked oak. Chris liked the way the malt resonated with the bacon and cheese mixture and how the hop profile accentuated the the sharper cheese flavors.  Jason picked Timberwolf, as well. His favorite aspect of the pairing was the way in which the mac and cheese resonated with the bourbon flavors and helped the bourbon's vanilla and hazelnut notes shine through.  My favorite beer for this pairing is the Midnight Howl Black Ale. This is a hybrid beer that is best described as an IPA mixed with a stout. The beer's hop profile resonated with the gorgonzola accentuating the sharper notes of both. Also, the smoky nature of the beer resonated with the bacon accentuating that wonderful bacon aura we all love.   In addition to the regular #beersuggestioneers, this series features the palate and tasting experience of Chris O'Neal, beer geek a staff writer for the VCReporter, and Bec O'Neal, beer specialist for Whole Foods Market in Oxnard, CA. Learn more about these guest palates HERE.  Calamari Lightly fried in our ale batter & served with roasted garlic aoli & horseradish cocktail sauce  Chris' favorite beer pairing for this appetizer is Wolf Creek's flagship IPA, Desperado. This American IPA is packed full of citrusy hops which is why Chris liked this pairing so much. He appreciated the way the hoppy citrus profile contrasted against the fried batter and seafood.  Bec's favorite calamari beer pairing is a seasonal offering from Wolf Creek called the Punkinweizen. WC's Howln' Hefeweizen is the base beer but it is brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar and pie spices. Bec appreciated how this appetizer helped to round out the beer and gave it a heavier body.  The Punkinweizen was Jason pairing pick for this appetizer, too. He liked the way the beer's malt and yeast profile resonated with the sweetness of the batter which helped the subtle calamari flavor become more apparent.  I picked Desperado as my favorite beer pairing for this appetizer because it is a fantastic example of a complex pairing. The malt profile of Desperado resonated with the batter and surprisingly, helped the calamari flavor pop while the hop profile helped to accentuate the black pepper spicing in the batter. What makes it complex is the citrus hop profile contrasted against the sweetness and along with the ABV helped to cleanse and refresh the palate.   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 season (you know, winter, spring summer or fall type seasons) 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 Chris O'Neal a staff writer for the VCReporter and Bec O'Neal, a beer specialist for the Oxnard Whole Foods and my pints&pairings co-host Jason Hendrick.  Click image for Instagram feed. Chris O'Neal is a staff writer for the VC Reporter who enjoys reporting on the gaming world and writes one of my favorite columns, 5 O'clock Somewhere. 5 O'clock Somewhere covers the the local (and sometimes international) drink scene. Can you believe 5 O'clock Somewhere is responsible for our friendship!? In fact, that is how we met. We got together to drink some beer and talk about beer geeky things and recorded the session for a VC Reporter podcast. Podcast can be located HERE.  Click image for Instagram feed. Bec O'Neal is a beer specialist for Whole Foods Market in Oxnard, CA. What does that mean? Well, she's the one you talk to if you are looking for just the right beer or if you need a beer pairing suggestion. Bec maybe 1/2 my age, but she has some serious beer knowledge. She started her beer career working as a beer educator for Brew Dog, she is a Certified Beer Server and she is the brains behind the blog The Hop Zealot, a beer guide to Ventura County.   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. ALTERNATE PAIRING OPTIONThe 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. ALTERNATE PAIRING OPTIONIf 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."  This series explores the beer pairing options available at the Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewery. My tasting partner for this session was Jason Hendrick, founder of Everybody's Hungry and my co-host on pints&pairings. Feel free to comment on any of these pairing suggestions, especially if you had another beer pairing in mind. The Dessert
The desserts at Wolf Creek are always in rotation so you may not have the opportunity to try this exact dessert. This is a 6 layer cake with coffee cream dividers and a healthy dose of toffee bits sprinkled on top. The cake is served with side of whipped cream and fresh fruit. If this dessert isn't available the beer pairings below will work with other desserts that have a coffee and/or toffee focus.  Jason's suggested beer pairing for this dessert is Wild Angles, a rich Belgian-style dubbel that is lightly hopped and full of sweet malt flavors. Wild Angels' subtle caramel-like flavors -hiding just behind the sweet malt flavors- resonate with the toffee topping of the dessert while the Belgian yeast profile (a touch spicy) helps to cleanse the palate and add an interesting complexity to the cake. While this beer pairs well with the cake it doesn't pair so well with the berries and cream.  My pairing suggestion is the Howlin' Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. You will want to let the beer warm up just a bit before you power through this pairing so order it ahead of time or warm it up in your hands. When the beer is cold this pairing doesn't work as well because the banana and cloves are masked by the cold and the esters are still being held in suspension and the elevated carbonation levels cleanse the palate too quickly. As the beer warms and looses some of its carbonation, the beer will coat your palate more and will allow the banana and clove notes to mingle with the dessert as you chew and add a new layer of complexity to this dessert. The Howlin' Hefe is also a great pairing for the berries and cream. The bananas and clove add another flavor component to this dessert making it more interesting than it was before, which is what a good beer pairing should do. 
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