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