I am an odd duck when it comes to beer and food. For most of my adult beer drinking life, I’ve never enjoyed drinking beer with a meal. The flavor of the beer seemed to always conflict with my food. It wasn’t until a few years ago at a Bell’s beer dinner at Magnolia’s Mill that I learned if the beer complements the food – the experience is sensational.
As craft beer becomes more popular than ever, beer dinners are thriving as a way for beer lovers to try new brews paired with sweet and savory dishes in an interactive, social setting. Beer dinner prices vary depending on the spread. Some events are family style while others are more intimate. As an avid beer drinker and food lover, I’ve attended soirees ranging from the impromptu pairing of beer with finger food to the Executive Chef’s seven course meal. The bottom line is that it’s pretty easy to find a dinner that suits your particular style.
Beer dinners are not only fun, they tend to be pretty educational. Typically, a representative from the brewery is on hand to educate guests about each beer served as well as the history of the brewery, how the beer is brewed and many other tasty tidbits. It’s a great opportunity to have your questions answered and maybe learn something new.
Two of my favorite spots for enjoying an evening of beer, food and great company are Magnolias at the Mill and Tuscarora Mill in Loudoun County.
When I called Shawn Malone, Managing Partner at Magnolia’s at the Mill in Purcellville, VA, his first response was, “I love beer dinners!” Truth is – Shawn loves everything about beer dinners from choosing the beer to writing the menu to meeting the guests. “It’s just fun.”
Magnolias approaches beer dinners in one of two ways. The first format is the traditional beer dinner which features beer from one brewery. Shawn tries to focus on the style of beer that the brewery is known for. (for example, at an upcoming Bell’s dinner, four stouts will be paired with four different types of chocolate terrine) The second (and the one that got Shawn really excited) is the beer dinner with a theme. Magnolia’s has hosted theme dinners ranging from Christmas beers paired with comfort food to “Hop Head” dinners to cheese dinners pairing cheese with beer. To Shawn, beer dinners provide the opportunity to show off beers at their very best because food has the ability to make beer even better.
When asked WHY beer dinners have become so popular, his immediate response was, “What’s not to love?”
While educating guests on the beer being served is important, Shawn expressed that the explosion in beer popularity has made it more challenging to secure brewery reps and brewers for dinners. “It’s getting more and more difficult to get real brewers and brewery owners to dinners, although we do make it a priority. I try to spend more time talking to people about the beers myself, but that just is no substitute for talking to someone who is intimately familiar with the beer.”
Shawn also pointed out the difference between wine and beer dinners. Back in the day, the expectation was that beer dinners would be a dumbed-down version of a wine dinner. But Shawn and his chef decided that beer dinners could be a lot more fun. First, beer is a lot more forgiving than wine. There are a lot of fundamental rules about cooking with wine such as being cautious with acidity or spiciness. But beer is much more flexible to cook with. Second, the taste of beer comes through in food tremendously well, so it’s easy to tell what type of beer was cooked into the dish.
“Go ahead and get the beer in the food,” Shawn advised.
John Daniel, General Manager at Tuscarora Mill Restaurant in Leesburg, VA, has been in the restaurant business for 19 years. “We have beer dinners down to a science,” Daniel explained. “Tuskies” hosts 12 beer dinners per year ranging from 30 – 75 guests featuring breweries like Bell’s, Stone and Flying Dog. “We’re fortunate to be able to have brewery reps attend our dinners and educate about the beer being served,” Daniel said. “We like educating our guests about beer.”
When a beer dinner is in the planning stage, Daniel explained that the brewery sends sample beers for Chef Patrick Dinh to taste and pair with his dishes. He often creates sauces using the beer to include with the meal.
Tuskie’s facility boasts two kitchens, so beer dinners can be prepared independently from the regular dinner service. The restaurant also has several banquet rooms in addition to the main dining room so that beer dinner attendees can experience the beer without distraction. Reservations for beer dinners at Tuskie’s almost always fill up quickly.
While Tuskie’s beer dinners typically focus on American craft beer, it hosts at least one Belgian beer dinner each year.
Tuscarora Mill Restaurant: 203 Harrison St. Leesburg, VA; 703-771-9300; www.tuskies.com.
Magnolias at the Mill: 198 North 21st St. Purcellville, VA; 540-338-9800; www.magnoliasmill.com.
Getting the Beer in the Food
Last December, Flying Dog Brewery released a deliciously witty cook book entitled “Dog Chow” with eight recipes featuring a Flying Dog brew.
While I’m not a great cook by any stretch of the imagination, I found this cookbook extremely easy to follow and the recipes were tasty. I took a stab at the “Raging Bitch and Chips” which features Flying Dog’s Belgian-Style IPA. The beer brings a nice maltiness to the beer-batter and the chips were excellent. The “Doggie Style Mac & Cheese” (made with Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale) was super simple to make and the hop-forwardness of the beer really complemented the cheddar cheese.
Chef and beer lover, Wendy Willis, from Cristina’s Café in Strasburg, VA, has these helpful tips for creating your own dishes using your favorite brews:
Remember that like all liquids, beer cooks down which will enhance the flavor of the beer. Taste the beer before you cook to ensure the pairing is a good match.
Don’t cook with a beer that you wouldn’t drink. If you don’t like it in a glass, you probably won’t like it in your dish.
If you want to include the beer’s aroma in the dish, don’t boil it. Boiling dissipates the hop oil that creates that wonderful hoppy smell. Instead try a splash after reducing the heat.
There are a variety of ways beer can be used in cooking including baking, poaching, frying, braising, marinating, deglazing, grilling and in sauces. Experiment, explore and enjoy!
Looking for some beer dinner options? Our area brew pubs (Dogfish Head, Capitol City, Rock Bottom, Gordon Biersch, Mad Fox, Sweetwater, District Chophouse) all have beer and food pairings on the menu. The locations below have also hosted beer dinners. Check our beer calendar for current listings, there are more locations than we can list.
Bilbo Baggins
208 Queen St., Alexandria, VA; 703-683-0300; www.bilbobaggins.net
DC Bread & Brew
1247 20th St. NW, DC; 202-466-2676; www.breadandbrew.com
Granville Moore’s
1238 H St. NE, DC; 202-399-2546; www.granvillemoores.com
Meridian Pint
3400 11th St. NW, DC; 202-588-1075; www.meridianpint.com
Ramparts Tavern & Grill
1700 Fern St., Alexandria, VA; 703-998-6616; www.rampartstavern.com
Restaurant 3 Bar and Grill
2950 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA; 703-524-4440; www.restaurantthree.com
RFD
810 7th St. NW, DC; 202-289-2030; www.lovethebeer.com
Smith Commons
1245 H St. NE, DC; 202-396-0038; www.smithcommonsdc.com
Bier Baron
1523 22nd St. NW, DC
202-293-1885; www.bierbarondc.com
Birch and Barley/Churchkey
1337 14th St. NW, DC; 202-567-2576; www.birchandbarley.com
Pizzeria Paradiso
3282 M St. NW, DC; 202-337-1245; www.eatyourpizza.com
