Have you heard? Beer and cheese is the new wine and cheese. You probably have heard, since I’m usually a latecomer to culinary trends.
Anyway, next month I’m throwing a pre-holiday beer and cheese party, and I recruited my friend Clair–beer judge and brewer extraordinaire–to help with the pairings. First requirement for such an undertaking? Research!
Tria is a fantastic Philadelphia tapas bar that “celebrates the fermentation trio of wine, cheese and beer:”
Sadly, almost all wines, cheeses and beers sold in the United States are bland, insipid products churned out by scientists in factories. Tria’s mission is to bring to you only the good stuff: wines, cheeses and beers crafted by artisans, as in the past, before the Wonder Breadification of our food supply.
As I review the notes from this mission, I understand why my career as a food critic never took off. In my defense, this conversation happened towards the end of the evening, after several strong beers.
Clair: Try this. It’s J.W. Lee’s 1999 Harvest Ale.
Becky: 1999? This beer smells seriously rancid.
Clair: Just taste it!
Becky: Fine.
Becky: Holy shit, that’s awful!* What did you think?
Clair: Very reminiscent of a port wine. I taste licorice, anise, caramel, and toffee. The alcohol is very evident, the hops are virtually non-existent, probably as a result of the 5 year aging. Very drinkable.
Becky: Not. So how ’bout this gouda? It rules. Five year gouda good. Five year beer bad.
Clair: How’s the gouda with the Ommegang?
Becky: Intellectually, I understand how the Ommegang compliments the gouda. However, this is my tasting note: 🙁
Clair: I say that this beer is rich, fruity, and aromatic.
Becky: Uh, okay. I wish they would change the music because Coldplay makes me cry.
Clair: Yeah, kind of like Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell album. “Two Out of Three” is a heart-wrenching song.
* In fairness, beer geeks seem unanimously enthusiastic about the Harvest Ale, so I’m sure it’s not really awful. Barley wines just aren’t my thing.
Skeptical about the whole beer and cheese idea? Internet to the rescue!
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