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 I got a last-minute invite to a Beer Dinner hosted by Bj's Restaurant and Brewhouse yesterday, and decided to check it out. The menu featured items from the BJ's regular menu paired with a diverse selection beers from the Flanders region of Belgium. In general, the food was no match for the beer, but there were a couple of very nice pairings. Here's my report:
Before the dinner began, we were treated to a brand new Belgian Tripel released by Papago Brewing in Arizona (the beer is actually brewed in Belgium, by Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.) called Oude Zuipers, which roughly translates to "old drunk" or "old boozer." The beer was strong, at 11% ABV, with a coppery color and a sweetish, slightly spicy aroma and flavor. The Alcohol was noticable but not overpowering, which was nice. Our second beer was Brugse Zot, a Belgian Blonde (or pale, depending on who you ask). Slightly hazy, with a dry finish, this beer seemed a bit plain initially, but developed nicely as it warmed in the glass. It showcased soft Grainy sweetness with fruity Esters including pear and a hint of banana. The Bitterness was just there to balance things out, which it did perfectly.
Next up, we had Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps paired with BJ's own Nit Wit, a Belgian-inspired witbier. This was one of the better pairings on the menu, with the spiciness of the shrimp and the tartness of the sweet & sour-like sauce playing off the coriander and sweetness of the witbier. As we rinsed our glasses, they began to bring out our next pairing, a Sesame Chicken Salad with Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale (also brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.). While the beer was fantastic -- a wondeful, complex balance of sweet, nutty Malt and sour lactic and acetic Fermentation -- the salad was completely overwhelmed by the complexity and intensity of the beer. I would have rather paired this beer with some nutty cheese or a sausage dish. We had a little break, in the form of a palate cleaser-- Petrus Aged Pale Ale. Brewed by Brouwerij Bavik, Petrus APA is described as a pale version of the local traditional brew, Flanders Red or Oud Bruin. After fermentaion, it is aged in oak barrels for up to 3 years. It was indeed pale, deep gold in fact, and showcased a moderate sourness on top of a dry, bready, biscuity malt base. The bitterness was fairly high (by Belgian standards), and by the end of a small sample my mouth was puckering a bit. I mean that in a really good way though, and my palate indeed felt refreshed. Without too much delay, the next pairing was announced and served -- Southwest Deep-Dish Pizza paired with Poperings Hommel Bier, a Belgian IPA brewed by Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V. Seperately, I liked both of these items quite a bit. Unfortunately, they just didn't marry well (except the few bites with big chunks of tomato), though it seems like a completely logical choice. The pizza was buttery, cheesy and savory with just the barest hint of spice; while the IPA was herbal and citrusy, with a bit of cotton-candy like hop flavor and substantial Caramel sweetness. All in all, these were two tasty things that were definitely not tastier together. I'd rather see this paired with a tomato-basil salad or something like that, with strong herbal character to match that of the beer, plus bright acidity to balance the sweetness of the beer. After a short breather, they brought our final dinner pairing: Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Gulden Draak, a Dark Tripel from Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. (yep, them again). My initial reaction to seeing pot roast follow pizza on the menu was something like, "That is bad-ass." By the time we arrived at this point I was more like, "Really?" They weren't at all shy with the portions. Anyways, this pairing was another that fell a little flat. The rich, complex spicy and malty character of this beer begged for something a little more interesting than a pot roast (which was no slouch, as far as pot roasts go). Finally, we came to the end: BJ's Famous Pizooki® (a.k.a white-chocolate macadamia nut cookie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) paired with Troubadour Obscura (a mild stout brewed by the Brouwerij De Musketiers). The stout was awesome-- rich chocolate, nutty bread, dark fruit, soft spice, brown sugar, and caramel, without sharp roastiness or Black malt acidity -- while the Pizookie was something else. First off, the Pizookie was called a Pizookie. It's a friggin' cookie. With ice cream. It doesn't need a cute name that you can register and put the little "®" symbol next to on the menu. Ok, I'm just being grumpy. The cookie with ice cream was pretty good. The ice cream alone went really well with the stout, but the cookie was just too sugary and pretty much laid waste to the palate (and the blood-sugar level). All in all, it was a great time. The beer was excellent, the food was pretty dang good, and the service and atmosphere were great. Everything went smoothly, there was more than enough beer (even the servers were able to sneak a taste or two, I believe), and it seemed that everyone had fun, even if the table in front of me didn't seem to be a fan of sour beers (they dumped WAY too much good beer). I was puzzled by a few of the pairings, as well as some of the menu choices. I mean seriously: who needs pot roast AND deep-dish pizza in one meal? Furthermore, who needs a palate cleanser after a light salad, but not after a deep-dish pizza (or pot roast for that matter)? I think they just wanted to slip another beer in there and "palate cleanser" seemed like a good excuse. Who can argue with that?
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