This script is from the second season of Beer Notes, which you can listen to at beernotes.org.
In a 2015 Wall Street Journal article “The Connoisseur’s Way to Pair Food with Beer,” William Bostick states that “many of today’s craft beers are as complex, as revered, and sometimes as pricey as fine wines… So it should be no surprise that beer has moved in on wine’s domain of white tablecloths.”
This week on Beer Notes, we’ll be discussing craft beer and food pairings.
Begin with general knowledge, and there is no better place than the Brewers Association’s Beer and Food pairing course, available free at CraftBeer.com.
There are downloadable courses for the professional and the enthusiast, plus videos and additional resources including an interactive tasting worksheet, as well as a beer tasting mat to keep your beer samples and tasting notes organized.
You will learn the history of craft beer and how to taste, pour and present beer. You will learn about flavor profiles and how to identify subtleties and off-flavors in beer. The course guides you through several tastings and makes pairing suggestions.
Try a Baltic-style porter with a milk chocolate bread pudding,
A German Style Hefeweizen with Maryland Blue Crab dip,
Or an imperial IPA paired with Pork Chops and Apple relish.
Then, leap into the unknown and start combining your favorite craft beers and foods to create that memorable “Oh my!” moment that you can then share with your friends and family. You will be the hippest entertainer on the block.
For Beer Notes, this is Anne Neely.
