Beer Celebration

The dining room at Ingredients Cafe was transformed into a beer hall for our first beer-pairing dinner, June 26. Chefs Ben and Tony created a four-course tasting menu to complement four artisan beers produced by Rush River Brewing, a company based in Wisconsin. Both Dan Chang and Nick Anderson, founders of Rush River, attended the dinner and introduced each beer before they were served. As they explained the finer points of the brewing process, their casual sense of humor set the whole room into rounds of laughter. Currently, Rush River beers are only available in kegs. They are all unfiltered, which means they are full of flavor enhancing sediments. These particles settle to the bottom of the kegs, where the taps are, so the first pints poured from a freshly tapped keg usually have a proportionately higher sediment content than those poured later. Nick kept a sharp eye out for any beers that looked a little too cloudy and had them replaced so all the patrons could experience the beers at their very best.
Glinting flashes of lemon awakened our palates during the first course of the meal: Grilled shrimp with lemon, summer melon and crispy bacon vinaigrette. The large shrimp arrived at our tables still on their charred skewers. The lemon was zested and drizzled around the plate in highlighter yellow swirls. Matchstick-sized slices of cantaloupe countered the smoky shrimp. This was probably the best summer salad I have ever had. The lemon accent was repeated in the Small Axe Golden Ale. This wheat-based brew had a slight bite and a citrusy tang of its own, which we were allowed to amplify by squeezing a lemon wedge into the glass. Smokiness became a theme for the dinner and made its next appearance in the smoked chicken perogies with braised cabbage and basil brown butter. The butter sauce made our mouths pucker with a balsamic vinegar bite that invigorated the chicken. It also was echoed by the tang of the beer, Bubble Jack IPA. If the last beer tasted like lemon, this one carried a strong orange peel note along with its traditional hoppy bite.	Grilled shrimp with lemon, summer melon and crispy bacon vinaigrette
Juicy slices of grilled sirloin created the focal point of the third course. Piled atop a sweet corn polenta cake laced with tarragon and floating in a horseradish cream sauce, the meat was what many grill masters dream they could create on their own backyard barbecue. It had just a hint of char and the flavorful pink center. The guys from Rush River rolled out their flagship beer, The Unforgiven Amber Ale, to pair with the main course. It had the rich coloring of a cream soda and a well rounded flavor. It’s no surprise this is such a popular beer. They said the secret was the addition of more hops after the fermentation period. Plus, the yeast they use was custom made for them, so it would be unlike any other beer in the country.	Smoked chicken perogies with braised cabbage and basil brown butter
For dessert, you could go two ways. Since the beer was Lost Arrow Porter, a smoky, coffee-like beer, likely accompaniments were rich cheeses and luscious chocolate. Chef Tony decided to let us try both. Like boxers waiting in their corners before the bell, our plate consisted of gooey slabs of triple cream brie with a griddled French toast point and apricot chutney on one side and a dollop of chocolate mousse with candied walnuts and caramel sauce on the other. We were able to sip and sample, back and forth, which was fun. Next month, we will return to our regularly scheduled wine-pairing dinner, 6:30 pm, Tuesday, July 31. Please join us.	Tripe cream brie with mini French toast, and chocolate mousse with caramel and candied walnuts