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Wolf Creek Pairings Series: Orange Cashew Chicken

2/21/2014

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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 Entree

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Orange Cashew Chicken ~ 
Crispy sautéed chicken with cashews, broccoli, snow peas, and carrots tossed in a spicy orange ginger sauce and served on a bed of white rice; topped with green onion & cashews



This dish is full of color, flavor and textures and a great entree for those who crave a little spicy heat.  The red pepper flakes and ginger do build up over time so you will want to keep that in mind when you pick your beer pairing.

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Jason's favorite beer pairing for this entree is the Howlin' Hefeweizen, a traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana. He enjoyed they way the beer's fresh, slightly tart wheat flavors resonated with orange glaze and the effervescent carbonation cleansed the palate.

As Howlin' Hefe warms, the banana esters (aromas you can taste) become more prominent which add another layer of complexity to this pairing.  The beer's mouthfeel also becomes a little heavier as the beer warms. The heavier mouthfeel is a welcome sensation as it helps to balance the spicy heat from the entree.

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I really enjoyed the Surfin' Monk, a hopped up Triple with sweet orange peel and cumin, with this entree.  The beer's sweet malt flavors and orange peel resonate with the entree's spicy orange glaze, but they also contrast against the ginger and red pepper flakes and help balance the spicy nature of the entree. The Belgian yeast notes resonate with the ginger in the orange glaze accentuating their herbal qualities.  


Alternate Pairing Option

Rebel Rye, an American Rye Ale (similar to a pale ale) with a solid malt base to balance the assertive hop profile (flavor and bitterness) and the spicy rye notes, is a great pairing for this entree, too.  The hop bitterness and rye flavors accentuate the spices in the entree momentarily before the carbonation and alcohol can cleanse the palate.  The hop flavor also resonates with the broccoli and creates a new and surprisingly, pleasant vegetal layer to this pairing. 
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Wolf Creek Pairing Series: Taos Egg Rolls

2/21/2014

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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 Appetizer

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Taos Egg Rolls

Spicy grilled chicken, red onion, corn, cilantro, cheese, avocado & roasted peppers lightly fried & served with spicy avocado cream sauce and chipotle ketchup. 

This SoCal fusion incorporates all the great herbs, veggies and fruit that makes life here so wonderful and the side sauces give you the opportunity to spice up the egg roll, if you are so inclined.  The avocado sauce isn't an aggressive heat by any means, but it will add another layer of creamy complexity to this appetizer.  The chipotle addition gives the ketchup a decidedly Asian flair and does a nice job of balancing its sweetness.

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Jason's favorite beer pairing for this appetizer is the Winter Wonderland,  a winter seasonal filled with nutmeg, cinnamon and sweet malt.  This is one of those surprising pairings that come out of nowhere -really, who pairs a winter warmer with Asian food?  Well, we did and we were rewarded for it. Depending on the order of consumption you will get two very different tasting experiences.

1. Try tasting the egg roll first, then sip the beer.  The egg roll pulls out a hidden smokey note out of the beer and adds another layer of complexity neither had as solo bites.

2. Try sipping the beer first and then taking a bite of the egg roll. This sequence accentuates the sweet malt, cinnamon and nutmeg flavors that are found in the beer.  

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My favorite beer pairing for this appetizer is the Surfin' Monk, a hopped up Triple with sweet orange peel and cumin.  The hop profile in this beer helps the spicy heat of this dish explode, momentarily before the carbonation and the alcohol content cleanse the palate.  The malt sweetness resonates with the sweet wonton and corn (accent flavors in the egg roll) and creates a base layer that brings the beer and this appetizer together.  The cumin in this beer helps to dry out the finish, and it also adds one more layer of complexity to this appetizer. 


Alternate Pairing Option

Rebel Rye is an American Rye Ale (similar to a pale ale) with a solid malt base to balance the assertive hop profile (flavor and bitterness) and the spicy rye notes.  This pairing is all about taking the flavors in the egg roll and kicking them up a notch.  If you would like a little more spice, Rebel Rye's hop profile and spicy rye notes will do that for you - no sauces needed. The beer cleanses the palate nicely and its dry finish leave you wanting another bite and another drink.
A word of caution: One of the best parts of my job is being totally blown away by unexpected beer and food combinations (ex. Winter Wonderland and egg rolls).  On the other side of the coin, I do come across pairings that just don't work, from time to time.  Midnight Howl, a black IPA with a crisp, citrus hop flavor, pronounced bitterness and subtle roasty notes, is my goto beer at Wolf Creek. If I'm only going to be drinking a pint, THAT is the beer I'd pick.  However, Midnight Howl is NOT the beer you should pair with this appetizer because the egg roll accentuates the subtle roasty notes in the beer to an unpleasant ash-like flavor.  Save Midnight Howl for another appetizer or entree. On the bright side, I just gave you and me, a perfectly good reason to have two beers with dinner!

Seasonal Spotlight: Surfn' Monks Triple

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SURFN' MONKS TRIPLE - 9.5%
A So-Cal Belgian Triple Ale is brewed with Belgian Candi syrup, dried sweet orange peel, cumin, American hops, and Belgian Yeast. The result is a deceivingly strong ale with big, juicy citrus flavors, complex fruit flavors from the yeast, and moderate bitterness from the hops.


Surfn' Monk isn't a cloyingly sweet triple with a lot of alcohol heat or one of the crazy over hopped American-style Belgian tripels that miss the mark on balance.  Surfn' Monks Triple does have a subtle orange juice flavor and a well balanced hop profile.  The cumin helps to balance the sweetness and dry out the finish.

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WOLF CREEK PAIRING SERIES: Beer Cake

12/16/2013

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This series explores the beer pairing options available at the Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewery.  Every other month, I will be posting beer pairing suggestions for three different Wolf Creek menu items.

My tasting panel Dream Team includes Jason Hendrick, founder of Everybody's Hungry and my co-host on pints&pairings; and Lisa McKinnon, a staff writer for the Ventura County Star.  Lisa and Jason are serious foodies and bring wonderful palates to the panel.  

Feel free to comment on any of these pairing suggestions, especially if had another beer pairing in mind.

Dessert Pairing: Beer Cake*
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The dessert menu is always changing so you'll want to act fast or you're likely going to miss this opportunity.  

This is a dense, super rich, flourless chocolate cake, but what makes this cake so special (like it needed anything else) is that Wolf Creeks's newest seasonal beer, Winter Wonderland was incorporated in the recipe. You can see that the cake comes with fresh whipped cream and berries which also open up all the pairing opportunities, as you will soon read.


*Please excuse this bad instagram photo, for some reason I didn't get a picture with my DSLR. 


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Perhaps the best discovery of the night was made when Jason tried the whipped cream by itself with the Howlin' Hefeweizen. Howlin' Hefeweizen is traditional style German wheat beer full of clove spices and banana.  Pair them together and BOOM, banana cream pie!  

The Howlin' Hefeweizen is also the perfect pairing with the side of berries that also comes as a side to the Beer Cake.


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Lisa really enjoyed how the Midnight Howl resonated with the dark chocolate flavors in the cake. Midnight Howl is a black IPA, with a crisp, citrus hop flavor, pronounced bitterness and subtle roasty notes. The citrus hop flavors resonate with the sharp bitter chocolate flavors creating a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor.

While we were enjoying all the different combinations that this wonderful dessert can provide, Lisa reminded us of a really important tasting rule. Well, its really more of a guideline, but you know what I mean.  While we were picking apart the cake and enjoying the individual components and the various combinations, Lisa reminded me of an important tasting technique. If you are trying to find the perfect pairing don't be afraid to break down the elements on your plate and try each one separately.  This is a great way to discover the individual flavors of the dish and how a beer can impact each element.  This technique works really well with a full set of tasters in front of you.


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One of the great things about this dessert is it is made with beer. This particular version of beer cake is made with Winter Wonderland, a winter seasonal filled with nutmeg, cinnamon and sweet malt.  The spices in this beer make it a great pairing or any holiday dessert.  Winter Wonderland is the perfect pairing for this dessert because it is incorporated into the recipe. Expect all kinds of resonating flavors in this pairing but most of all sit back and enjoy how the spices, both in the beer and in the cake complement the dense chocolate flavors.

If you can't get the BEER cake made with Winter Wonderland, these pairing suggestions will still work because most of these pairing suggestions play off the cake's rich chocolate flavors. 


Alternate Pairing Option
Full Moon Stout, a medium roasty, light quaffable beer, is a great pairing alternative for this dessert especially if you love chocolate.  The roastiness of this beer resonates with the chocolate flavors of the cake, making them taste like a dark chocolate (think 70% cocoa) momentarily before the beer cleanses your palate.  
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WOLF CREEK PAIRING SERIES: Chicken Ravioli

12/14/2013

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This series explores the beer pairing options available at the Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewery.  Every other month, I will be posting beer pairing suggestions for three different Wolf Creek menu items.

My tasting panel Dream Team includes Jason Hendrick, founder of Everybody's Hungry and my co-host on pints&pairings; and Lisa McKinnon, a staff writer for the Ventura County Star.  Lisa and Jason are serious foodies and bring wonderful palates to the panel.  

Feel free to comment on any of these pairing suggestions, especially if had another beer pairing in mind.

The Entree
Picturecreamy sun-dried tomato
Chicken ravioli* with tomatoes, mushrooms & spinach in garlic-white wine sauce OR in a creamy sun-dried tomato pesto sauce with fresh basil& tomatoes.

*There are two sauce options for this entree. For this pairing we chose the creamy sun-dried tomato version.




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Jason's favorite pairing for this dish is the Midnight Howl. Midnight Howl is a black IPA, with a crisp, citrus hop flavor, pronounced bitterness and subtle roasty notes. Jason really enjoyed the way this IPA's pronounced bitterness develops some nuttiness when mixed with the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.


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Lisa's favorite pairing for this dish is the Midnight Howl, as well.  The roasty notes add a new layer to the entree and the hop notes help cleanse the palate after each bite.  


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My favorite beer pairing for this dish is the Autumn Amber. Autumn Amber has a subtle malt sweetness that is balanced by a crisp, refreshing hop presence.  

Autumn Amber's malt notes resonate with the creamy sun-dried tomato pesto sauce.  The crisp nature of the beer does a great job of cleansing the palate after each bite as well.  This is a seasonal beer so don't delay, go try this pairing before it's too late.


Alternate Pairing Option
The Howlin' Hefeweizen is a perfectly acceptable alternative if you missed your chance to try the Autumn Amber pairing.  This pairing revolves around, and resonates with the sweet notes found in the beer and the sundried tomato pesto sauce not to mention the mouthfeel of both.  


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Wolf Creek Pairing series: Guacamole & Brie Crostini 

12/12/2013

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This series explores the beer pairing options available at the Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewery.  Every other month, I will be posting beer pairing suggestions for three different Wolf Creek menu items.

My tasting panel Dream Team includes Jason Hendrick, founder of Everybody's Hungry and my co-host on pints&pairings; and Lisa McKinnon, a staff writer for the Ventura County Star.  Lisa and Jason are serious foodies and bring wonderful palates to the panel.  

Feel free to comment on any of these pairing suggestions, especially if had another beer pairing in mind.

The Appetizer
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 Guacamole & Brie Crostini 

Toasted sourdough baguette, topped with homemade guacamole, melted brie cheese and sundried tomatoes, served with a chipotle dipping sauce.


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Jason's favorite beer pairing for this appetizer was the Midnight Howl, a black IPA, with a crisp, citrus hop flavor, pronounced bitterness and subtle roasty notes.  

He especially enjoyed how the rich, saltiness of the brie and creaminess of the guacamole contrasted with the peppercorn notes of the hops. Jason also appreciated how the spicy heat in the chipotle dipping sauce highlighted the citrus aspects of the beer.


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Lisa's suggested beer pairing for this appetizer is the Midnight Howl, as well. She enjoyed how the roasty notes resonated with the smokey nature of the chipotle dipping sauce and how the hops (both flavor and bitterness) amplified the chipotle spice momentarily. 



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I picked the Midnight Howl as my favorite pairing for this appetizer, too and for all the reasons as above.  I would also add, if the beer is too hoppy for you that you should take a bite of the crostini first. The brie and guacamole will coat your palate and mask the initial burst of Midnight Howl's aggressive hop flavor and bitterness.  

The Midnight Howl comes in at 8.8%, so watch yourself while you are enjoying this beer. 


Alternate Pairing

The Full Moon Stout is a wonderful pairing alternative for this appetizer. This beer has an incredible roasty flavor that resonates with the chipotle and actually makes the dip seem a little more smokey. It doesn't have any of the hop flavor or bitterness found in the Midnight Howl and the roasty notes lighten the body and dry out the finish making it a light, quaffable beer.
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Wolf Creek Partnership

11/7/2013

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I am really excited to announce a new partnership with Wolf Creek Brewery.  

Every other month I will be visiting Wolf Creek with a group of other beer geeks and foodies and we will be exploring the different beer and food pairing options available.  After each one of these visits I will write a feature article about the beer pairing possibilities.  The most exciting part of this partnership for you will the gift certificate giveaways!  Each month I will be giving away $100 in gift certificates so you can explore our pairings or create your own!  


The first giveaway will be happening soon!

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