Well crafted Double IPA's are no strangers to the Best of Show round, so it isn't any surprise that King Tide from Island Brewing Company was one of three beers that made it to the BOS round in the inaugural beer competition for the 21st Annual Casa Pacifica Angels Wine, Food & Brew festival. 

Island Brewing is no stranger to the accolades, either.  Visit their website to see a complete list of their award winning beers which include gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup competitions.

Food Pairings for
King Tide: Double IPA

Kevin
Greek Cuisine: Lamb
Italian Cuisine: charcuterie/salamis
Vegetarian Cuisine: Grilled Asparagus
Cheese: Camembert, Humbolt Fog Bleu, Matag Bleu


Jason
Italian Cuisine:  Alfredo & grilled fish

Description from Island Brewing Company's website: 
On the odd chance you don't already know it, your new favorite beer has arrived here at Island Brewing Company. The King Tide, as we are calling it, has many beautiful things about it, the glinting and gorgeous copper color, that delicate lace producing head, the inscrutable Double IPA regalness. We're talking about 85 IBUs with Centennial and Zythos hops surging in to buoy your taste buds. The 9.8% ABV is sure to have you rummaging through some interesting parts of your brain, and sharing the finds with your friends. 

Among the uber-beer geeks, there is some discussion about Session IPA's.  Is it a true stye or just hopped-up APA?  Jason and I discuss the origins of the word session and how it applies to this new and super-hip beer style.

Semantics aside, Jason and I dive head first into Firestone Walker's session IPA called Easy Jack.  This hop forward (bitterness and flavor) beer is light and refreshing, but will hold it's own against a variety of flavorful cuisines.

Food Pairings for
Easy Jack: Summer Session IPA


Kevin
Indian Cuisine: Anything with potato
Italian Cuisine: Pasta
Jewish Cuisine: Knish
US Cuisine: Burgers
Cheese: Stilton

Zach
Indian Cuisine: Savory dishes
Thai Cuisine: Chicken, lime curry
Dessert: Carrot, raison, honey and cinnamon salad

Andrew

Chinese Cuisine: Orange Chicken
Italian Cuisine: Chicken Marsala
Mexican Cuisine: Street tacos
US Cuisine: Thin crust pizza

Jason
Japanese or Thai Cuisine:  bamboo shoots with a sweet/spicy glaze

Best of show round, discussions.

This is the 21st year of this annual event and to celebrate its coming of age, beer has been "officially" included in the title of the event.  Casa Pacifica Angels Wine, Food & BREW Festival kicked off its 2014 festival with a commercial beer competition on May 3rd.

To make the introduction of beer something really special, we added a commercial beer competition to the mix to highlight local and regional breweries. We thought this would be a great way to bring attention to the growing craft beer movement and give you a chance to explore new beers or beer styles and plan your beer tasting experience once you step through the gate. 

What makes this competition something special is the judging panel was asked to provide food pairing suggestions for each of the beers that were entered into the festival.  Below you will find their food pairing suggestions for Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company's, Paradise Rd. Pilsner. You might not be able to find all of their food pairing suggestions at the festival -some of them are pretty exotic- but use the suggestions as a guide to enhance your beer experience

Food Pairings for Ladyface Ale Companie's IPA

Kevin
French Cuisine: Cassoulet
Greek Cuisine: Loukaniko sausage
Japanese Cuisine: Grilled eel
Mexican Cuisine: Chicharrones 

Jason
Other: Grilled sweet peaches with a honey drizzle and mascarpone /basil garnish.

LADYFACE® IPA - ABV 6.9%
An adaptation of an English Pale Ale reflecting indigenous ingredients and West Coast flavors. Moderately hopped, showing a citrus hop character with medium-bodied balance.

The Judges
Jason Hendrick, Zachary Rosen, Andrew Carter, Kevin Prat

The #beersuggestioneers hit it big with Double Trunk from The Dudes' Brewing Company. We have some awesome food pairings and one non-food beer pairing for this GIANT beer.

Pairing Suggestions:
1. Quinoa salad with beets, goat cheese and pine nuts.
2. An EPIC movie, but you have to listen to the show to find out which one.
3. Popcorn

General Beer Pairing Suggestions:  
Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican, Indian Curry  

Examples:  Pliny the Elder, Furious, Hopsickle, Hop Slayer

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Snifter

From the Dudes' Website: 
They say an elephant never forgets. When it comes to this double IPA, you won't either. This gentle giant certainly has mad hops, but ferments out dry so it's not too malty on the finish. Clocking in at 10.8 percent ABV, it's definitely not for the timid mice amongst you. Put on your trunks and dive in.

If you think all DIPA's are alike then you haven't tasted Saint Archer Brewery's offering. This DIPA has all kinds of tropical fruit, melon and bready aromas and flavors.

Food pairings suggestions:  
1. Rosemary Focaccia 
2. Pastrami sandwich on rye with baby greens
3. Pungent/earthy cheese

General Beer Pairing Suggestions:  
Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.   

Examples:  Pliny the Elder, Furious, Hopsickle, Hop Slayer

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Snifter

Aroma: Lots of tropical fruit, grapefruit, pine, and a hint of wet earth.  As it warms melon notes become apparent. 

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange with off-white head that leaves a nice lace

Flavor: Bready malt with a hint of rye-like spice and complex tropical hop flavors.  As it warms melon notes become apparent. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body

It's time for another IPA and the pints&pairings #beersuggestioneers are ready to dissect the aromas and flavors of Saint Archer's IPA.

Food pairings suggestions:  
1. Lemmon zest scones
2. Swiss steak with sautéed or caramelized onions

General Beer Pairing Suggestions:  
Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.   

Saint Archer IPA

Examples:  Titan,  Stone IPA, Two Hearted Ale, 11th Hour IPA 

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Pine resin hits first followed by a nice bready malt aroma that almost covers up a wonderful herbal hop aroma. 

Appearance: Pours a dark golden, straw color with a thick white head that laces nicely.

Flavor:  Piney floral hops abound with an accretive  bitterness that finishes some citrus zest.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body

The #beersuggestioneers embark on a flavor adventure with this IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.  The 61 Minute IPA is a truly unique beer that engages our #beerpairing senses.  

Food Pairing Suggestions:
1.  Wine washed rind cheese
2.  Mild/sweet tomato sauces
3.  Nuts: Almonds, Hazelnuts
4.  Grilled peaches

61 Minute IPA

BJCP 14: IPA

Other Commercial Examples: 

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Tulip, Snifter

Appearance:  Pours red and full red in the deepest part of the snifter.  White head with little retention.

Aroma: Grape must with some sweet malt notes. Very little hop aroma.

Flavor:  Grapey flavors meld wonderfully with the malt and hop components of this beer.  Very little hop flavor and almost no hop bitterness. 

Mouthfeel: Medium with lots of prickly carbonation that help to lighten the mouthfeel. 

The #beersuggestioneers enjoy IPA 395 from Mammoth Brewing company. IPA 395 is a truly unique beer that incorporates juniper and sage which lends itself to some really exciting pairings.

Food Pairing Suggestions:
1.  Mushroom and cream sauce dishes.
2.  Double cream brie (ex. truffle brie)
3.  Tangy sauces (horseradish, mustard) to resonate with the juniper flavors.

IPA 395 - Mammoth Brewing Co.

BJCP 20: Imperial/Double IPA

Other Commercial Examples: 

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Tulip, Snifter

Appearance:  Beautiful dark amber/copper color with a thick creamy head.

Aroma: Sage and juniper are front and center followed by copious amounts of tropical hop aromas. Subtle sweet malt and fruity esters become apparent as the beer warms.

Flavor:  The sweet malt flavors are balanced by juniper (softened by the sage flavors) and the hop flavor and bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-heavy with lots of prickly carbonation that help to lighten the mouthfeel. 

pints&pairings beer suggestioneers tackle Wookie Jack, a delicious rye, black IPA. A quick google search gives us some insight into the name as we ponder the name. We come up with some great dessert pairings and a "blow your mind" chili pairing suggestion.

Black IPA food pairing suggestions: 
1. Spoonful of peanut butter.
2. Char grilled meat.
3. Baked sweet potato.

Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Examples:  Sublimely Self-righteous Ale, Pitch Black IPA, Black Racer

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Snifter

Appearance: Black bodied ale, thick and very creamy light tan head. 

Aroma: Big blast of citrus, tropical, zesty and general West Coast IPA hops up front. Toasted oatmeal, roasted cracked grains and general roast in the background but not overshadowed, supports hops well.

Flavor: Fresh citrus, orange peel, pine, floral and fruity hops are blended superbly with the deep roast malts. Caramel, oatmeal, rye spice, burnt grain and some sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Silky, medium bodied.

pints&pairings' beer suggestioneers let the beer do the talking, or rather the Imperial IPA induced impairment do the talking. I make fun of session beer, beer geeks and Jason provides the food pairings.  We can all be happy that he is around to save this show.

Basic food pairing suggestions for DIPA's
1.  Beef stews
2.  Spice cakes
3. Pecan toppings (spiced or sweetened)

Hop Slayer Double IPA by Wild Onion Brewing Co.

Examples:  Pliny the Elder, Surly Furious, Moylan's Hopsickle

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Snifter

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas. 

Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.

Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.

Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

pints&pairings beer suggestioneers enjoy a classic example of an American IPA.  Crow Peak's 11th Hour IPA brings happiness to both of us. We also talk about the vanishing regional differences in American IPA's

Basic food pairing suggestions for American IPA's:
1. Pepper Jack cheese.
2. Smoked salmon.
3. Mexican Cuisine

11th Hour IPA by Crow Peak Brewing Co.

Examples:  Titan,  Stone IPA, Two Hearted Ale

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°

Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas. 

Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.

Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.

Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

pints&pairings explore the original light beer and talk about how the IPA creation mythology is seriously flawed.  We taste and enjoy the classic English example, Samuel Smith's IPA.

Pairing Suggestions for English IPA's
1. Cheddar cheese.
2. Fish and Chips.
3. Indian cuisine.

Serving Temp: 45°- 50°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Jason and I get warmed up before we take on all three subcategories of IPA.