2024 was a dynamic year of sharing stories within the craft beer world, and we’d like to raise a pint to all of you who read along. As we’re looking ahead to everything that 2025 will bring (readers: we’d love to hear from you about what you’re curious about this coming year), we’d also like to take a moment to look back at some of the stories and people who defined craft beer in 2024, and hopefully, will shape our future. (And yes, we are aware it is February. We got a slow start to 2025 just like everyone else.) So let’s get to it, shall we?

When it comes to looking ahead, no one’s planning for the future more than Doug Goettsch at Big Grove Brewery. We visited him in Iowa to witness everything he’s built in the past decade. His Golden Triangle (you’ll have to read the piece!) consists of beer, food, and hospitality. It’s a trifecta that we here at CraftBeer.com also spend a lot of time thinking about. Yes, we love beer, but we also appreciate all the things it pairs well with, the people it touches, and the places it takes us to.

Joshua M. Bernstein ate tacos in Yakima during hop harvest, finding Mexican food so good it closed the deal (he also answered the enduring question of why we stand for sitting on the most uncomfortable barstools). Aaron Goldfarb inserted craft into the beer can chicken conversation, and explained why we’re all wearing our Lager Lager Lager hats with honor. David Nilsen went afield and foraged for wild beer adjuncts. We paired beers with the likes of hot chicken, burgers, and ice cream, for the sake of research.

In New Orleans, Courtney Iseman traded craft cocktails for, you guessed it, craft beer and found the bayou’s best new breweries. And Buffalonian Anna Hezel joined the Bills Mafia, profiling the rise in Buffalo Pils(ners).

Beer has an earnest way of reaching beyond the glass, as detailed in Breana Lai Killeen’s piece about how The Women of Beer in Vermont banded together, and in another article by Iseman describing how another group of people found pride in what they do. An excellent article about AAPI beers by Jasmine Arielle Ting portrayed communities who put their true selves into what hits the shelves.

It can still be a struggle sometimes to get your beer brewed and out there. Mickey Lyons wrote about how to navigate the beer label bottleneck, and as a Detroit native, conveyed what we’ve learned from Motor City’s brewing history. We launched a new column called The New Nobles, shouting out the new hop cultures around the country, with Fred Cullin writing the first installment about the state of Michigan.

To close out the year, Jerard Fagerberg brought us song in this wonderful collective of beer choirs singing (and sipping) together in harmony and hymns. So why don’t we all toast to our shared interests, and find something more interesting to talk about … over craft beers, of course.

Cheers!

We went to our esteemed writers to get their picks for things to kick off a new year of beer. Here’s what they’re looking forward to and will be sipping on in 2025. 

David Nilsen

FUN FIND:

Somerville Chocolate Hops Dark Milk Chocolate Bar

This chocolatier operates out of Aeronaut Brewing’s facility in Somerville, Mass. This decadent bar is laced with Mosaic hops for something totally unexpected.

BEER OF THE YEAR:

Seedz Brewery Shark Pils

I had this beauty over the Fourth of July weekend on their shaded patio, and it was sincerely one of the best German Pilsners I’ve ever had—dry and snappy, but bright and full of life.

Jasmine Ting

FUN FIND:

Anyone who’s watched Will Ferrell’s Netflix documentary, Will & Harper, will understand why this beer can puffer is absolutely hilarious and absolutely essential. Would highly recommend getting matching coats for you and your beer bestie!

BEER OF THE YEAR:

I’d go with the Jolli Beer Peach Mango Lager.

Jerard Fagerberg

FUN FIND:

• Hooray for Craft Beer by Em Sauter
• Beer Cards (Kickstarter)
• Beer Tarot Zine
  • Alternative: Subscription to Final Gravity zine
• Stanley Beer Stein
• Beer caramelizer

Joshua M. Bernstein

FUN FIND:

Perhaps I’m a bit biased here (guilty!), but I’m super proud of the revised 10th-anniversary edition of The Complete Beer Course. It’s a road map that helps both new and experienced drinkers understand the past, present, and delicious future of beer.

BEER OF THE YEAR:

In Columbus, I’m stocking up at Seventh Son and Columbus Brewing.

Courtney Iseman

FUN FIND:

Zines published by David Nilsen and Melinda Guerra under Bean to Barstool are such a fun discovery for any beer lover—you can find educational content like David’s “Pairing Beer & Chocolate”; insightful (and award-winning!) stories from some of the most brilliant beer writers connecting beer to travel, personal memories, culture, trends, and more in various “Final Gravity” issues; and I do have my own “Beer Tarot” zine I’d recommend for those with mystical leanings.

BEER OF THE YEAR:

The California West Coast IPA from Progression Brewing Company in Northampton, Mass. It was the platonic ideal of a WCIPA with all that bracing bitterness supported by some satisfying malt.

Michael Harlan Turkell

FUN FIND:

These have been on my wish list ever since I reported our beer and ice cream pairing story, so I wouldn’t mind sharing a pint of any of these beer-infused ice creams from Goldbelly.

BEER OF THE YEAR:

A welcoming can of Big Grove’s Easy Eddy and its many iterations (e.g. West Eddy, Royal Eddy, Freezy Eddy…)

The post Cheers to Beer in 2025 appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

If you’re feeling the same way and ready to look back on 2023, we suggest starting off with this article about cocktail beers. Grab a Sazerac or barrel-aged Old Fashioned and settle into that winter mood. We’d like to suggest a little So What from Miles Davis to round out your reading experience.

If you’re like us and always ready for some recipes to try before the end of the year, consider starting a batch of cinnamon rolls. These little bangers are even portioned out in individual mason jars. Nothing says thanks for coming over (when are you leaving?) like cinnamon rolls in their own carryout container.

Maybe you’re craving something warm for dinner, a little braised hug. Something you can set and forget or let simmer while you last-minute shop or end-of-year clean. Or you could be like us, put it all off, and open a beer or two. There will be time for doing things the day after you make our version of Coq au Vin with a brown ale.

Sometimes it just feels like certain meat recipes need a new twist. If that’s been on your mind, head back with us and read up on Smoke and Beer. There’s a sweet spot for smoke, food, and beer. For us it starts with a beer, this article, and what you really should be doing if you’re cooking turkey later this year.

Hosting family and friends this year? Go you! And you should definitely plan a brewery night. Check out your local breweries and see who’s upping the experience with game nights. Get out there and compete and when you lose it won’t be to your cousin who keeps reminding you how they won.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth—and who doesn’t?—check out this gingerbread stout cake. It screams “add whipped cream or ice cream and sit by the fire with a stout.” It wouldn’t be mad at being served for brunch or having a slice cut off as you walk by, either.

Daydreaming like Clark Griswold staring at his new pool? Pour a pint and pick an island from this article that provides yet another reason to go island hopping when you need a winter break. No one will judge if you start packing now.

If, like us, you can’t wait to get into the the great outdoors next spring and summer, consider daydreaming about that first beer at the end of your hike, river trip, trek, or drive with this little number. Remember: there is no better sip than that first sip after conquering the wild. We won’t judge if it’s just a local park trail, either. You got out there and crushed it!

Looking to add to the options in your holiday beer fridge? Consider the Imperials. There are some big, bold flavors in here that want to be invited to your holiday sweater party.

You might catch us taking a break from holiday music and hitting some highlights of 2023 by prepping to the grooving swing of Jungle, chilling out with Teddy Swims, or making the entire room sing along to Fast Car, Tracy or Luke’s version. Whatever you have on, turn it up, pour a pint, and cheers to 2023.

We can’t wait to share more stories, recipes, communities, and breweries with you in 2024.

Signing off for the year here,

— Adam, Jeb, Sarah, Rachel, Jill, and the entire team at Craftbeer.com

The post Cheers to a Year in Beer appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Considering the bounty of all that comes in spring, I’d like to suggest a pairing word for the season: Simple.

• Simply sautéed asparagus with a saison.
• Simply roasted beets with a wit beer.
• A simple salad of tender greens with a pilsener.

To keep it simple, limit yourself to no more than three or four ingredients and let your palate open up to the flavors of spring.

As an example, might I suggest you stop reading right now and put in front of yourself a shaved piece of Parmesan reggiano cheese and a pint of pale ale? Go ahead—it’s OK, I’ll wait.

Alrighty! Welcome back. Now that your palate is happy, let’s carry on.

Once you taste a pairing as simple as Parmesan with pale ale, your palate will begin to think of another word: Balance. The balance of the malt to the hops, of the nuttiness in the cheese to the carbonation in the beer, of the pop of the hops to the creaminess of the cheese.

There is something to be said for the chef or brewer who achieves balance. Simple and balanced pairings are often overshadowed by attention-grabbing, show-stopping, over-the-top, palate-wrecking dishes and beers. But in both the craft beer and the culinary worlds today, there is a general drive toward balancing the palate. In pursuit of the perfect pairing, chefs are now more likely to simplify—to take something off the plate—instead of over-indulging and overworking the pairing.

Today, chefs are highlighting the blissful simplicity of a vegetable in the height of its season, meat raised by the most caring hands, a fish caught by a small boat. All of these ingredients, when sourced properly, demand that the hands that cook them highlight their simple, clean flavors.

Achieving simplicity and balance takes focus, dedication, and perseverance. It means finding and creating relationships with the best possible ingredients to make the simplest bite or sip shine on the palate.

Now, to be clear, I am not saying that any beer or dish that is over-the-top or complex in plating lacks these qualities. I am saying: Let’s give some much-needed attention and recognition to what is often overlooked and underappreciated.

When a chef dips the freshest radish in butter and garnishes it only with salt, she’s not taking the easy way out. It is done to highlight a radish served at its best possible harvest time. It is done to tell a story, bridging relationships from farmer to chef to the diner’s palate. And when that simple radish, harvested at the perfect time, pops with a gentle sweetness and is paired with a saison that pops with hints of pepper…well, then that story turns into a moment, a complete experience. And as simple and balanced as that moment is, it is exactly what the first harvest of spring is about.

Here are some simple and balanced pairing suggestions for your palate to seek out this spring:

• Asparagus and prosciutto paired with a saison or farmhouse ale
• Roasted beets and fresh feta paired with a wit
• English peas and mint paired with a pilsener
• Ramps and goat cheese on toast paired with a pale ale
• Grilled spring onions and crème fraiche paired with an IPA
• Spring lamb and fava beans paired with a brown ale
• Fresh ricotta and radish paired with a tripel
• Radishes dipped in butter paired with a saison

The post Spring Means Simple and Balanced appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Ooof. OK. Let’s pause here for a minute on the Hallmark movies, whole nut displays no one ever eats, and fruit cake. Let’s talk beer. And let’s make your holiday season — wait for it — legendary.

Now, we are not talking getting lost in staring at the label to avoid conversations, lecturing your uncle and cousins on IPA (they don’t care), or adding six different beers to your cranberry sauce recipe (don’t) type things. We are talking flavor, stories, experiences, memories, and some damn good pairings you may never have thought of.

So, grab your stein all frothed at the top, settle into your chair while sugar-plum sours and gingerbread ales dance through the air and spruce tip beers crackle by the fire. Suit up (put on a sweater) and read on for winter-warmer cheer.

Let’s be honest with each other. Very few of us deviate from the damn good (or not) holiday recipes, friends, and family traditions we already have. Yes, there is a small percentage of folks who try new recipes and move it around year to year. Good on ya and add some of these to your rotation. For the rest of us out there, let’s find some new flavors by switching up what we drink with what we eat.

The below styles, some familiar, some maybe not as much, can be used in so many ways with so many winter and holiday recipes to bring out new flavors, aromas, tastes, and “aha” moments.

• American IPA
• Berliner weisse
• Porter
• Barrel-aged stout
• Tripel
• Dubbel/brown
• Wild or sour ale
• Smoked beer (rauchbier)
• Bière de garde

American IPA

OK. Here we go. Let’s get this out of the way now: Do not give this to your friend, aunt, or second cousin who is new to beer. Read on for the styles for that. This is for those who want to bring some life to your palate in a new way. Stay clear here. Hazy IPA can work but it is heavier on the palate and you have some heavy food. So, what does the IPA do? Use the hops to add some herbal and citrus notes to anything you roast. Want to brighten those green vegetables? Take a sip after a bite and you’ll ask why they changed the recipe. They didn’t, you just added some citrus to it. Got some heavy gravy mouth going on? Use the carbonation to scrub the palate and push the hops into a burst of aroma that refreshes you and lets you keep going.

• Pairing short list: Any green vegetable cooked any way; gravy or heavy sauces; roasted meats.
• Go out there: Try an IPA at holiday brunch dates with your favorite brunch item, from biscuits and gravy to French toast.

Berliner weisse

Someone says Champagne. You bring Berliner weisse. It’s light and bright, and it’ll wake you up and cleanse the palate. Someone says fruit salad. While you want to say no, bring a Berliner weisse. Use the low alcohol here to ease your way into dinner, cleanse the palate, and prepare to overeat.

During dinner, use the gentle tart notes to keep you going, to add some brightness to fruit or fruit sauce or cake, and believe it or not, to moisten up any over-cooked turkey, chicken, pork, or fish (yeah, you’re great at cooking but it happens).

This beer will bring anyone to the table and keep them there. Use it to start off and go or if you hit the slow middle think of this style as your digestif. A little bubbly, a little tart, refreshing, and palate cleansing and you are back in the game.

• Pairing short list: Grilled fish, any winter fruit, and angel food cake.
• Go out there: Ordering Chinese food at some point? Crack one open here and let the texture cool the heat of the Sichuan peppercorns.

Porter

Let’s change this up this year. For the traditionalists out there, this is your go to for sweet potato, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and those crispy onions on top of a green vegetable (you know who you are). So let’s play off the fact that these are usually lower alcohol (think 5-7% ABV max), have some great roasty and toasty notes and a good amount of carbonation to do some serious palate cleansing.

So, this year try the porter with the lighter dishes and see how it brings out a touch of earthiness. Try it with the turkey (especially the skin) — the roasted malt will add a new level of richness. If you’re one of those people who grill your turkey (first off: high five) second, oh yes, to the porter here. A little smoke flavor on the turkey and a porter and all your red-wine-loving friends and family will come over the dark side (and by dark we mean porter).

• Pairing short list: Roasted meats, grilled vegetables, root vegetables, beets, and salads.
• Go out there: Anyone else love peanut butter blossoms? Give the gift of porter with your holiday cookie share this year.

Barrel-aged stout

Big bottles, holidays … It. Is. On.

OK, what to do here: Most times, this easily floats to the end. Loosen the pants, serve the dessert, pour the snifter. Here’s the thing, though: these are usually big. Now, yeah, we get it. Fireplace, big beers, barrel aged, fall-asleep-type things. So, let’s bring this forward a bit and put it at the table. Barrel-aged beer and raw or cooked root vegetables? Oh yeah. Let those rich flavors combine with the earthiness and slight sweetness of the vegetables. Roast rack of lamb, standing rib rack (baller), grilled pork, smoked salmon, say you? Barrel-aged stout, say us.

Any big cabernet fans out there? Try this with that and let that barrel-aged flavor run right in there with the meat and you’ll think you cooked your dinner in a barrel (don’t actually do that; bad idea). In all seriousness, bring your big beers out early, warm them up to room temperature, and serve with the main event. Treat it like a big red wine and you are sure to discover some new notes in the beer and the food. One of the best things about pairing a big beer like this style early on is that you’ll discover so much more than barrel-aged flavors and dark malt.

• Pairing short list: Rack of lamb, parsnips, celery root, sweet potatoes.
• Go out there: Having steak tartare this year? Do it. It’s a cool pairing reaction.

Tripel

This is a little harder to find but so, so worth it. The carbonation, the Belgian candy sugar, the gentle malt notes. This is a game-changer for holiday get-togethers. From start to finish, if you have to have one beer, this is it. Be a little careful here, as this is usually a higher ABV player. But oh the flavors!

What to do: Roast turkey, duck, pork — tripel adds sweetness and cleanses the palate. Those green vegetables, particularly Brussels sprouts — tripel lifts them up off the palate and can make even the most overcooked green vegetable taste bright and fresh. Need a little zip to your fruit cake? Take a sip here. Got a lot of butter on your palate from potatoes or just because you like butter? Take a sip and scrub that palate and while you’re at it, get some amazing notes of herbal delight from the beer. Dessert: apples and tripel. There is a balance there that just says, “I’ll take a second slice.”

• Pairing short list: Apple anything, duck, Brussels sprouts.
• Go out there: Make this your midnight-toast beer on New Year’s Eve.

Dubbel/brown ale

If you like pinot noir, this is your jam. Both of these styles work in almost the same way: the dubbel is little sweeter, with a little more alcohol, but they both do the same thing. Make everyone happy. This is a main-event beer. Salmon, blackberries, roast pork, steak, brisket, do it. What you are going to get here is some amazing tie-ins for those of you who take that mixed bite as well (come on, we all do it).

So, bring a dubbel or brown ale in and watch this magic happen on your palate. It adds to the roast in the proteins, breaks up the fat off the palate, elevates caramelization to toasted bread amazingness notes, and deepens the fruit notes of anything fruity. Want a lighter finish to dessert? Bring this out with pie and all of a sudden you just won dessert. And with a lower ABV, you just refreshed some palates too. Congratulate yourself here.

• Pairing short list: Salmon, duck, goose, blackberries, anything on toast.
• Go out there: Take on making porchetta and drink one while you make it and serve one with it.

Wild/sour ale

Wildly popular (no pun intended) and someone will bring one, so here’s what to do: first things first is to identify if it is a fruited sour or a wild ale. Got fruit? Then look to this to zip up your palate, liven up your vegetables, and add some zip to your desserts with nuts. No fruit? Just some wild? Look to your roasted or grilled meats to bring out some incredible notes of funk and add some richness to the bite. This can be fun with crispy things on top of those green vegetables and will easily cleanse away any sausage fat on Italian night (try baked ziti). Bring this into dessert to wake up the palate a little here. Apple pie is the natural choice for some lively palate cleansing fruit notes that almost rival the shot of vinegar at the end of dinner for a digestif. Go richer like a torte or pecan pie and find yourself cleansing the palate a bit with the carbonation and bringing forward the holiday spice flavors.

• Pairing short list: Anything game bird, tortes and cakes.
• Go out there: Chicken liver pate with berry compote. Oh. Yeah.

Smoked beer (rauchbier)

The smoked beer category encompasses a wide range of styles, from wheat ales to robust porters. Most commonly found are moderate strength darker lagers. Quite a few have said drinking one of these is like liquid bacon with a kick. So, just like our good friend barrel-aged stout, let’s move away from like-from-like here with one notable exception. If you haven’t burgered and smoked beer’d yet, go try it. So, on to new things here: going Italian, specifically pizza or pasta night. Yup, break this out and let the smoke notes go right to the noodle or the dough. I’d recommend a cream sauce or white pie to start and then move into that red sauce joint feeling. Staying on the Italian theme: cannoli. Holy cannoli and smoked beer. The whipped ricotta just works wonders here. Move that whipped ricotta up to an appetizer with some lettuces and dried fruits for a unique salad and bring the beer with you.

• Pairing short list: Cream sauce pasta, cannoli, ricotta.
• Go out there: Cheesecake. I know, not out there. But. Damn.

Bière de garde

Ah, oui oui. Cassoulet, lamb, sautéed chicken, or pork with mushrooms and garlic. Bière de garde loves herbs. Fresh herb sales go off the charts during the holiday season. But seriously, when was the last time someone said to you, “Oh, I taste that fresh thyme in there”? I know, right? Get on it here with bière de garde and highlight those fresh herbs you not only patiently cleaned and picked but splurged on. Anything mushroom on the table? This is your beer. Leftovers? Roast-meat sandwiches? Pop one of these and brighten that sandwich palate up.

• Pairing short list: Beans, shellfish, mushrooms.
• Go out there: Lobster or king crab.

So, that’s what we’ve got to close the curtain on 2021. Go out and try new things, both food and beer. Pay attention to what you taste and enjoy the experience of beer. And, if you found any of this a bit odd or not up your alley, just drink whatever you feel like drinking. Ultimately, it’s about the experience, the story, and the memories that craft brewers put in every keg, can, and bottle they brew for all to discover and enjoy.

Cheers!

The post ‘Tis the Season to Be Beery   appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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(READ: Water, the Lifeblood of Beer)

A solid malt base balances the bitterness of good hop-forward craft beers. Because hop varieties are so widely varied, these beers cover a wide range of flavors: citrus (Cascade), pineapple (Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo), pine (Simcoe), and tropical fruits (Nelson Sauvin). These are bright beers that work as palate cleansers.

Hoppy beers with little or no malt structure can clash with some seafood, imparting a metallic flavor. Malt-forward beers with hops like ambers and some barley wines, have a bit more caramelization to them and pair well with earthy mushrooms and fatty meats. Assertive styles like fresh hops and imperial IPAs, which are intensely flavorful, can be upwards of 100 International Bittering Units (IBU), past the point at which most people can perceive bitterness. Some of these beers can certainly overpower dishes, but the fattier the food, the better for these intense hop profiles.

(CHART: Beer & Food Pairing Guide)

These beers are piney, deeply citrusy, herbal, and floral. They work with foods that need a bit of competition on the palate; think spicy, fatty, acidic. Anything that could use a little bitterness to offset a powerful flavor falls into this category. The hops do here what carbonation does in a lighter style, taking over the duty of cleansing the palate of any overwhelming and intense flavors.

Some Hoppy & Bitter Beer Styles

• Amber
• Barley Wine 
• ESB
• Fresh Hop
• Imperial IPA 
• IPA
• Pale Ale

Try these hoppy and bitter beer styles with a dish like braised pork shoulder in adobo with pickled vegetables. You can find the recipe on CraftBeer.com.

This article has been reprinted from “The Beer Pantry: Cooking at the Intersection of Craft Beer and Great Food” by Adam Dulye with Michael Harlan Turkell. Copyright © 2018 by W&P. Published by Dovetail Press. 

The post Hoppy and Bitter: The Misunderstood Beer Styles appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Pair that Hazy IPA

As the hazy IPA boom hits, so too does the pairing of this new beer style. Look for crisp and bright produce such as English peas, asparagus and artichokes to complement the mouthfeel of the hazy as well as the softer yet brighter pop of the hops. Green onions, ramps, scapes and spring onions can bring out the bittering hops a bit more. Careful, though, as you will want to cook these (light up that grill!) and use them to accompany cuts of meat and fish.

(COOK WITH BEER: Find Recipes)

Finish with Acidity

As cooking turns to fresh produce and simple techniques of grilling, sautéing and even raw preparations, acidity is coming in to finish the dish. You’ll find it in everything from a squeeze of lemon over mixed greens, fresh grilled fish, shellfish and even tomatoes to the gentle touch of vinegar. Fruit-based vinegars are great for finishing dishes from apple to pear and even cherry.

Marinating something for the grill? Add some sliced lemon to chicken and fish or lime to red meat just before grilling and finish with a fresh squeeze while the meat rests.

Beer wise, look to pair pilsner, kolsch, pale ale and IPA with acidity and let the pop from the acidity highlight the hops.

Churn Your Own Butter or Find Local Craft Butter

This is easier than you think and it can also be a fun group dining activity. Fresh churned butter is creamier, smoother and richer than the blocks at the store just like ice cream made fresh. Use it to finish dished or spread on warm bread.

For the group task, put 1 cup of room temperature heavy cream into a quart container and seal the lid tightly. Shake vigorously and constantly for 20 minutes. NO STOPPING. You will see the cream go through the whipped cream stage (i.e. the taste testing stage) then break. Little clumps will be floating in a cloudy liquid (note: this is now buttermilk). Strain the clumps out and then rinse gently with cold water to remove any excess buttermilk. Season with salt, mix gently and serve!

For the easier version sub out a food processor for the handshaking method and do not fill the processor more than half full.

Want to make hop butter? Add 1/8 teaspoon of whole cone or finely ground pellet hops to 1 cup of butter.

(SEASONAL BEERS: Find New Beers for Spring and Summer)

Mushrooms, Mushrooms, Mushrooms

Morels

The grand king of spring. These are only around for a few weeks and may come with sticker shock, but a fresh morel is well worth the price. Simply sautéed with butter, fresh herbs and garlic is one of the best ways to prepare. Add morels to pasta dishes with a little parmesan cheese, a roast chicken or grilled beef steak.

Porcini

Also called cepe or bolete, is best grilled or broiled and can be added simply to salads with arugula, served on their own or added to a rich cream sauce for an indulgent bite.

Hen of the Woods

Also called Maitake, these mushrooms have a light and feathery texture and are best sautéed or fried. Their hearty flavor comes through in risottos or served on their own with an aioli based sauce for dipping. These mushrooms can be quite the showstopper with their feathery appearance and height when used whole.

Beer wise, look for mushrooms to add a punch of umami to your palate. Let these boomers sing with a brown ale or porter this summer. For a lighter pairing go towards a hoppy and bolder pilsner and let the carbonation play off the umami.

(LEARN: Big List of Beer Schools)

Fermentation, Preservation, Pickling 

Let’s face it: spring and summer are here and gone all too fast to capture all the flavors. And within that you might miss cherries, plums, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, fresh shelling beans, grapes, blackberries, blueberries … the list goes on and on. One way to capture these ingredients and save them for a cold winter day is to preserve them through fermentation, preservation or pickling. All of these take a careful hand, and at all times, everything must be as clean as can be and the fruit at its highest quality. If you preserve bad fruit you will just be eating bad fruit later on.

The New York Times recipe section, as well as countless books, has some great tips for preserving the bounties of spring and summer. Research the one that fits what you want to preserve and the method and get to stocking your fall and winter pantry with some of the bounty of spring and summer.

Timut Pepper

If you haven’t heard of this one, no worries. This pepper from Nepal has a little kick to it and surprisingly a grapefruity note that leaves a gentle tingling sensation on the palate. The big citrus notes make this a great pepper for craft beer from saison to pilsner to pale ale and IPA. The timut pepper is related to the Szechuan peppercorn which explains the kick. Use on fish, finish a salad, use in brines and rubs or just add a little bit to that fresh butter.

Cauliflower

Wait. What?! Yes! As 2018 sees the rise of more plant-based dishes on menus, cauliflower is in the right spot to leap into the lead. Cauliflower offers an excellent substitute for meat, is great grilled whole, fried in place of chicken wings (keep the hot sauce for dipping!), and even shredded to replace rice in dishes. Beer pairing wise, look to the hazy IPA for a softening bitter pairing or go with a kettle soured beer to play off the light malt flavors. If you fry the cauliflower, look to beers with big bold hops or rich amber ales to join the nutty aroma of the cauliflower.

The post 7 Summer Food Flavor Trends and Beer Pairings appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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It’s National Beer Day. As the rest of the country wakes up and begins to check social media, hundreds of posts are going out celebrating craft beer, defining craft beer, capturing a moment of the movement of independent beer. At 167 West 12th Street we arrive to unload coolers carrying a five-course meal celebrating National Beer Day at the James Beard House.

We arrive — at the James Beard House — with craft beer.

(RECIPES: Cook with Craft Beer)

On-site Preparation Inside the James Beard House Kitchen

While beer pairing dinners have been happening for decades, and years ago we proved to ourselves that beer is at the top of the pairing food chain, we must also take note that there is still a lot of work to be done. To climb to the top and then to stay at the top means to never stop. Never stop imagining new styles, new flavors, new pairings, new techniques. As many brewers are doing this, the chefs who just arrived at a tiny kitchen in New York City are working to do the same on the food side.

Coolers are unloaded, stations claimed, ovens turned on. Note: Don’t turn the grill on until absolutely needed otherwise it will get unbearably hot.

Prep begins. Crackers for the smoked trout go into the oven. Purees and grains hit the stoves, mackerel is taken out of its cure and put to gently rest. Lists are written and a schedule reviewed. We need all hands ready at 6 p.m. The reception starts at 7 p.m.

Shortly before doors open, the brewers arrive — Fremont Brewing Company from Seattle and Maine Beer Company from Freeport, Maine. The beer is checked, properly cold and fresh and a cheers is had by all.

To climb to the top and then to stay at the top means to never stop. Never stop imagining new styles, new flavors, new pairings, new techniques.

Guests begin to arrive. The arrival at the Beard House is special. You walk through the time-honored kitchen, past the chefs plating and into the atrium to begin your evening. Dinner is called and guests are seated.

First course is a go. Eighty plates hit the pass. Ricotta down, stone fruit to follow, toasted polenta down. Garnish, behind you. “Yes, chef. Thank you, chef. Next course, chef.” We work as a team. Even though we have never cooked together before there is a silent understanding of what must be done, behind, back, around – “Here, chef. Like this, chef. Yes, thank you.”

(LEARN: Beer and Food Tasting Tools and Worksheets)

Presenting the Beers

While we work in the kitchen Matt, Dan and Sara from Fremont and Maine Beer Co. are at work upstairs in the dining room ready to present a 100 percent brett beer right out the gate. How does this go over with the diners?

“What is brett?” several diners ask. “What are these flavors?” they say.

Pale ale is next. “How do these hops interact with the dish?” they ask. “I never knew I liked bitter like this!” says one guest.

IPA comes next. The reigning American beer style. It fits into the menu where maybe a pinot noir would be if this was a wine pairing. The dish is bold in spice and big on flavor. The IPA rises to the dish, carbonation reacts on the palate and smiles of discovery flash around the dining room.

We finish with a blended barrel aged beer with notes of the famous Rusty Nail cocktail. Chocolate in many forms hits the table. Not too heavy, just right and the beer lingers as the chefs come up from the kitchen.

We all stand in front of the group. We give a brief introduction: Thank you to the James Beard House for having us. Thank you for being here.

(LEARN: CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course)

The dinner, while simple in form (arrive, eat, taste, drink, pair, depart) has done so much more. You see, it’s from this small kitchen in New York City that American cuisine is defined, directed and created. To cook here is to say we have arrived! Here is our contribution to defining this cuisine. To cook here with craft beer on National Beer Day — that shouts to all we have arrived.

The dinner over, all head out for the evening, and the chefs and brewers gather for a last glass. We head back to Colorado, Washington, Maine, Illinois and Pennsylvania the next day. But for now, a brief moment to stop and recognize that in defining American cuisine, one cannot do so without independent craft beer.

The post A Chef’s Thoughts from the James Beard House Kitchen on National Beer Day appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

King Salmon

While the catch coming in this year is quite a bit smaller due to the West Coast drought three years ago, King Salmon is still worth seeking out if you can. King or Chinook will have a beautiful orange color and a very soft flavor with more fat than Wild Coho. The Coho is a good substitute if the King proves elusive.

This year, experts said they now recognize fat as the sixth taste and flavor. The King salmon is a great way to understand the concept. Salmon and Coho are also great transition ingredients for the seasons.

If you’re still craving that last of the summer gose or radler, look to a tartare with cucumber and a little jalapeno. Ready to transition into a fall saison? Pan roast or oven bake your fish with a little onion or citrus. Are you ready to move on from the gentle tart styles of the summer and craving some fresh hopped IPAs? Grill the salmon with the skin on and bring in some late summer heat from a relish with peppers to pop the hops and the salmon.

(COOK WITH BEER: Find Hundreds of Recipes)

This Fall’s Cuts of Meat

The shoulder tender, oyster steak, and flat iron and the new fall burger. There are only so many rib eyes, strip loins and tenderloins around. And as the trend of dry aging hits full stride, there is a huge influx of great cuts of meat that have long been overlooked coming into play this fall. Each one brings in a different flavor, cut, and size, but most are well suited for grilling, roasting and slicing.

You can make the best of these cuts of meat by keeping it simple with some salt and pepper — maybe add a fresh salsa verde along with a Marzen or brown ale to bridge over from summer to fall. Oh — and that “new” burger technique – well, it’s not new per se, but it does work well with beer. The last few years have seen thick patties, but now you’ll notice the trend swinging back, way back, to using two thinner patties. This gets more grill flavor, more Maillard reaction surface area and ultimately creates a richer flavored burger. Go to your roastiest porter or stout here or bring on the double IPAs twice the Maillard can take twice the hop and twice the roast.

Heirloom Grains and Malted Grains

Farro, spelt, millet, quinoa, amaranth, rye, emmer and many more are coming front and center in recipes and dishes this season. Thee grains are easier and easier to find at markets and online, so it’s high time for you to add a little grain into your repertoire.

If you’re looking forward to fall’s rye IPAs and black IPAs, then look no further than adding some grains into recipes. Think about replacing arborio rice in a risotto with a grain. Cook them low and slow with a braised chicken dish, or simply boil off and then sauté with some onions, garlic and fresh herbs.

If you’re feeling really adventurous seek out one of the about 40 craft maltsters in the US right now and add malted spelt, farro, quinoa, barely – even malted corn if you can find it — into your recipes. The malted grains add a depth of flavor to the dish that will pull the malt bill front and center on your palate. And the bonus is when you go to rinse the grains before cooking, your kitchen will smell like you just mashed in.

(READ: Grain Trust: Craft Malt, Craft Beer and What it Means to be Local)

Ice Cream and Fall Flavors

Beer and ice cream have long been friends, but this year, there are new techniques to try. Adjustments to the fat levels, incorporating fruit bases and new base ingredients like cream cheese are all bringing new pairing reactions to ice cream.

While no one can deny a double scoop on a cone is a good summer treat, look to move the ice cream to the side a bit in this transitional season: Let it play cold to a hot dish; use the creaminess to coat the palate a bit; bridge flavors in dishes and look to ice cream to become your fall dessert garnish.

Are you ready for some fruited sours? Bring on the sherbet. Maybe you need that last summer refresher look to a wit and sorbet with a little citrus garnish. Ready for the fall spiced beers? Bring on the richest vanilla you can find.

Housemade Condiments

Run as fast as you can to the market right now and grab some great last-of -summer tomatoes. Get your ketchup on. Get some mustards curing. Ever wanted to make kimchi? Now’s the time. Late summer leading into fall is the season you should stock your pantry, including stone fruit jams and marmalades and pickled beans.

Acid

Whether vinegar or citrus based, a touch of acid can take most dishes to the next level. Bartenders are adding vinegar to cocktails, much like a dash of Woodruff to a Berliner Weisse.

So how does this play into food during this transition season? Try a quick marinade on pork chops or chicken before grilling with a touch of vinegar. Finish with fresh lemon and the first bite’s flavor will transform on your palate. Beer wise, adding vinegar pops the hops to the front and balances the dish’s bitter with the fat. Want to really pull out the hops in a pilsner this fall? Try a dash of champagne vinegar and olive oil over a lightly grilled fish. Want to really pull out the deep fruit in a New England style IPA? Then look to take the extra time and add some stone fruit to a base vinegar (think champagne or apple cider) and let that sit for a bit before using a little to finish grilled or roasted pork chops, chicken breast or even corn on the cob.

(READ: 75+ Popular Beer Styles)

Lighter Desserts for Late Summer and Early Fall

While many people are gearing up for the classic tastes of pumpkin, spices and richer fall desserts, there is a trend gaining momentum of chefs looking to finish a meal with a light and refreshing bite. Think about that last bite and sip waking you up a bit as opposed to lulling you into a food and pairing coma.

So what do you do beer wise here? While the wit beer was the kickoff beer of the summer, I offer up to you the wit as the closer for the fall. Grilled fruits, sorbets, meringues, even a pound cake with lightly marinated fruit can be a lighter ending than chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. Yes, there is always room for chocolate, but look to open up new flavor discoveries in some of your favorite wit beers by sliding this style down to dessert. With the wit coming in at the end, your palate is relaxed and bit tired. Let the carbonation and the gentle yeast notes awaken your senses and bring out fruity aromas and delicate notes of fruit, salt and gentle spice.

No matter what new flavors you end up exploring this fall, keep these ideas top of mind. Simple is the new complicated. If you’re thinking of adding a few extra spices, ingredients or techniques to dish, think again and focus on highlighting what a pork chop, a roast fish, corn, onions, squashes, potatoes and tomatoes should taste like. Sometimes the simpler you go in preparation brings out the more complex pairing, and allows your palate to wander a bit more between two to three flavors as opposed to eleven competing ones.

Cheers to a great fall.

Save

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The post This Season’s Fall Cooking Trends and Beer Styles to Match appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

On the other side, the IPA’s strong flavors can elicit negative reactions from beer drinkers who are new to craft. IPAs can also be train wrecks in pairing.

(LEARN: 75+ Popular Beer Styles)

How can the beer style every beer drinker seems to want turn palates away from beer?

Let’s give the IPA, and those who are trying it for the first time, a little help so they have a better chance of enjoying this now iconic beer style.

Ditch the Word ‘Bitter’ When You Talk About IPAs

First off let’s start with descriptors. Stop saying bitter. Let’s get on the same page as spirits and wine descriptors. Words like pine, lemon peel, orange zest, rosemary, thyme, floral — any of these give even the most inexperienced beer palate a better chance of understanding what they are going to taste instead of bitter.

Alright, now let’s get some food in here to make the palate really enjoy and appreciate what an IPA can do (that neither wine or spirits can).

Here are some culinary pointers on how to discover more than “bitter” in these five IPA styles.

(READ: 11 Summer Beers for People Who Appreciate the Classics)

How to Pair 5 IPA Styles

East Coast IPA

Use your grill for proteins with this style. Get some fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, chives and dill. Finish a dish with a little lemon. If you’re making a salad dressing, sub out the vinegar for fresh lemon juice. All of these culinary techniques contribute to balancing the palate where this IPA style hits the hardest, which calms the palate. Instead of tasting bitter you taste the notes from the hops, the balance of the malt and the gentle scrubbing of the palate.

Need some fat here if it’s a bit over hopped? Turn to olive oil and allow it to push the hops to the aroma area of the mouth and keep the palate in check to enjoy the next bite.

West Coast IPA

Two words here: Maillard Reaction. This is essentially the browning of proteins. Think roasted chicken, a crusty loaf of bread, a great sear on a steak.

So why does it work with these IPAs? The Maillard Reaction is actually the same process malt goes through. In fact, the number one flavor identifier for Maillard is “malty.” West Coast IPAs are commonly associated with backing down on the malt a little bit, so using the Maillard Reaction brings it right back up to balance the flavors.

(READ: 5 Activities to Take You from Beer Beginner to In-the-Know)

Session IPA

A common misconception is that session IPAs are easier to drink. In the case of ABV they are, but in every other way they are not “lighter.” 

To bring out the best qualities of a session IPA, turn to acid in the kitchen: fresh tomatoes, zest from lemon or oranges, finishing a dish with a little bit of great vinegar whether it be sherry or champagne (or even beer vinegar if you have some).

This little bright flavor burst not only highlights the flavors in a dish but also primes the palate for the lower gravity in the beer and helps push the notes that are in the beer to all the right places on the palate. Try making a watermelon and tomato salad and soak the watermelon in a few dashes of vinegar for about 20 minutes and you’ll see exactly what we mean.

Imperial IPA

Imperial IPAs have bigger and bigger flavors — more cowbell, please. You’ll find intense hop aromas, big flavors and often some palate numbing effects.

When pairing a beer style this intense, fat is your friend. (And as a friendly culinary reminder: flavor ain’t free, so please use some fat.) Maybe you have a seared chicken breast? Throw a tablespoon or two of butter and some fresh herbs in the pan during the last few minutes and baste with a spoon. Are you roasting some potatoes? Serve it with a side of aioli for dipping pleasure. If you have grilled fish, take some fresh herbs and maybe even some capers and add this to the aioli.

Fat is key here. You need to protect and preserve your palate to enjoy all the flavors in the food and the beer. A little fat goes a long way in bringing out some of the most complex and deep flavors that many never get to taste in a big imperial IPA.

One final note: Do you want some dessert? Vanilla ice cream, cream cheese frosting and carrot cake do wonderful things with this beer style.

(READ: So You Want to Be a Beer Judge?)

Black IPA

Say hello to braises, hearty stews, confit proteins, caramelized onions, blue cheese and friends. Taking a few flavor notes from the world of stouts allows your palate to explore what deep, dark roasted notes can do when combined with a bigger dosage of hop in black IPAs.

The main difference in the use of fat in these dishes is that the primary ingredient has a well-marbled flavor to it. Look back above to the imperial IPA real quick. Do you see there we accented lower fat items with a bigger source of fat? With black IPAs, we are taking richer fat items and going straight to the pairing source of darker malts. A well-reduced sauce, an amazingly tender braised protein, a rich creamy blue cheese all have the chance to overwhelm the palate on their own. When paired with a black IPA, the hops come in and act as little scrubbers along with the carbonation and lift those heavy flavors off the palate.

So what role did the food play? That heavy coating lulled your palate into a quick nap so that the hops came in nice and slow and hung around long enough to bridge into the dark roasted malt flavors that sync right up with the richness of these ingredients.

Combining these culinary ideas in the kitchen and your glass is sure to help people who had a rough first experience with the IPA find the best this beer style has to offer. Cheers!

The post Stumped on How to Pair IPAs? Try These Tips appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

At the event, you’ll agree that Savor has the feel of an intimate affair. But in the background, as chefs, how do we plan for a beer and food pairing event on a large scale? We crowdsource it — and you can take some of the same principles and apply them to a beer pairing dinner at home. Here’s how we do it.

(MORE: Mark Your Calendars for American Craft Beer Week 2017)

Crowdsourcing Beer and Food Pairings

In mid-February, we gathered more than 50 palates (i.e. people) to taste over 145 beers from small and independent U.S. craft brewers. We asked our guinea pigs to provide some thoughtful, detailed notes on the experiences that hit their palates.

Most of the articles and reviews you read about beer speaks to how true to style the beer is: Which hops were used? What is the ABV? While all of these notes are important and relay key information about a beer, none of them write a menu, none of them tell a story, none of them create an experience.

So in order to get the information we need to create a menu, we need to coax flavors, moments and experiences from our tasters. We take an entirely different approach to tasting.

Beer Pairing is About Experiences on the Palate

For some die-hard beer judges and beer drinkers alike this may take a bit of work convincing your brain to not judge a beer, but rather taste a beer.

You see, it’s the first thing that pops into your head that we as chefs writing this menu want. I don’t care what you think about it as an IPA, a pale ale or a sour beer. Instead, as a chef, I want to know what popped into your mind first. It’s a bit like watching the old Ghostbusters flick. Who thought of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man? Yup, that’s what we want.

What did that first smell, that first sip do to your palate? Where did your mind take you? What memory came to you?

(MORE: 51 Great American Beer Bars, according to CraftBeer.com Readers)

Crowdsourcing Beer and Food Pairings at Home

There are a few ways to try this at home. First, have someone else pour you a beer and not tell you what it is.

Don’t approach it by trying to figure out what the beer is. Approach it from what the beer reminds you of: Could you be sitting outside on a hot summer day? Does it make you think of hearty beef stew? Does it bring up memories or smells such as flowers, fresh cut grass, the ground just after the rain, snowmelt, perfume trail? The list can go on and on, and most importantly, there is no wrong answer.

Taking what you experience in a beer and transforming those experiences into a dish is how we get new pairings, new dishes, new experiences.

Next, and probably most important, don’t listen to what anyone else tells you they smelled, tasted or thought. The power of persuasion can take over what you may perceive, and it is key to not miss your own pairing moment.

When someone says “lemon,” your brain thinks lemon — and even if you, yourself don’t perceive lemon, just because someone said it, you are more likely to agree with them than to find a new flavor profile.

The key for chefs in a crowdsourced tasting (ours netted over 1500 individual comments on the beers tasted) is this: believe in the crowd. Take in what everyone says. Look at the keywords of each sentence. If you see lemon five times, chances are some form of lemon in the dish will work out well and highlight some great notes in the beer.

Trust your crowdsourced notes whether they be from three palates or 50. If the tasters are truly writing down the first thing that comes to mind you’re sure to find some new pairings.

If you plan on being in the D.C. area on June 2 or 3, come stop by and try some of the dozens of beers paired to some 55 different dishes and stations. We would love to have a beer with you and see what you taste first.

The post Chef Adam Dulye’s Secrets to Planning Beer and Food Pairings for Savor 2017 appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

As we leave the quick cooking technique of grilling, it’s a good time for a refresher on the what and why’s of the lower, slower more prep intensive recipes that bring about fall flavors. Here are three techniques to help you make that transition this season.

(SEASONALS: Fall Beers That’ll Trigger Nostalgia)

3. Don’t be afraid of the heat

When you go to sear or sauté your vegetables, meat or fish, make sure you wait until your pan is hot enough to develop some color. All too often flavor is left sitting out in the cold by using a cold pan. If the heat is not there at the start of the cooking process then the added bonus of flavor development, caramelization of sugars, Maillard reaction and more will be left outside looking in on a plate with less flavor. Medium high heat is what I’d recommend to get a good solid warm up on your pan. It may take longer than you think; be sure to test it with a piece or two before throwing everything in.

Also, remember not to overcrowd your pan. Overcrowding will turn sautéing into steaming as the steam has no space to escape a crowded pan.

2. Take it low and slow

Simmering is a technique similar to boiling, in that it cooks food through heating water or stock rather than a dry heat method of in an oven or a hot pan. It cooks the food gently and slowly, allowing it to maintain its structure in ways that are impossible with boiling. If you’re cooking fish, simmering allows it to stay in one piece. If you’re cooking meat, simmering keeps it tender and moist instead of drying it out like boiling, which, while faster, actually hardens the proteins and makes a very dry final product.

(COOK WITH BEER: Our Favorite Pumpkin Beer Recipes)

The simmering process actually begins with bringing whatever liquid you’re cooking with to a boil, then reducing the heat until only the occasional bubble appears on the surface every few seconds. Chefs debate over a perfect temperature, but almost everyone can agree it must be below 200℉, and can range from 180 to 190℉. All technical numbers aside, in reality, it’s the lowest possible setting on your range and in many cases the lowest setting combined with the offsetting the pan to a side of the burner.

1. Make time to brine

Ah yes, the question of to brine or not to brine proteins. Brining is an often overlooked step in recipes that when used properly ensures a better final product and ultimately a better pairing for the final dish.

No matter how you cook your meat, moisture loss is inevitable. When you begin to cook meat, heat causes proteins in the fibers to unwind — the culinary term is “denature” — and then they join together with one another, resulting in some shrinkage and moisture loss. In most cases, any protein can lose up to about 30 percent of its weight during cooking. But if you brine the meat first, you may only lose up to 15 or 20 percent. 

(WATCH: Fast Cars and Slow Beers)

Brining enhances meat in several ways. First and quite simply, muscle fibers will absorb liquid during the recommended brining time. Yes, some of this liquid gets lost during cooking, but since the meat is essentially liquid heavy at the start of cooking, it ends up juicier than if you did not brine.

Of all the processes at work during brining, the most vital is the ability of salt to denature proteins. When salt dissolves it causes some of the proteins in muscle fibers to unwind and essentially become larger. Water then gets trapped between these proteins and then when the meat cooks the proteins bind together. Yes, this is what happens anytime you cook meat, brine or no brine, but the key here is the salt in the brine unwinds more proteins, creating larger areas for moisture to stay during cooking. Remember two key things in brining: Reduce your salting after brining and always, always, always pat dry any meats once removed from the brine.

You can wrap all this up into one brining, searing, slow and low process fall recipe with the perfect pairing for fall. I suggest the American brown ale and a rendition of the classic French dish of Coq au Vin using American brown ale.

Go forth. Enjoy fall. Cook it well. Pair it great.

Cheers.

The post 3 Fall Cooking Techniques You’ll Want to Perfect and Pair with Beer appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

So as we turn to cooking, eating, drinking and being outside as much as we can, look for these 11 summer ingredients for some new seasonal pairings.

1. Radish

Not everyone loves radish, but with French breakfast radishes, watermelon radishes, and the store market favorite of easter egg radishes (note: easter egg is not an actual variety of radish, rather it is a bouquet of varieties with different skin colors) their popularity is gaining. The crisp and cool bite of a chilled raw radish when paired with a pilsner or kolsch, match perfectly to the herbal hop notes and the high carbonation. Add some thinly-sliced radish to your salad and crack open a kolsch or pilsner to start the meal.

2. Tomato

I know, I know: everyone waits for the summer tomatoes, so why list it here? Well, with all the varieties out there now, there are some great pairing moments to be had. Take your small sweet 100s, teardrops and cherry tomatoes, and stay light and crisp with saisons and pilsners. Take your big heirloom varieties, slice them thick, sprinkle with salt and let them sit for a few minutes and then crack open your favorite IPA. Picked at the right time the bigger, fatter tomatoes can stand up to the boldest of hops with a natural sweetness and meaty texture.

3. Little Gem Lettuce

If you haven’t jumped on the little gem train yet, get on before it’s too late. Little gems resemble little heads of romaine or red lettuce. They have a great crunch and are packed with lettuce flavor. Simply cut them into quarters, trim just a little off the base (trust me — keep most of the core there), it’s packed with a great lightly sweet flavor and crunch. Go light with a vinaigrette and pair up to some saisons and pilsners, or bring on the creamy vinaigrette and bacon with your pale ale.

4. Wild Caught King Salmon

This may be the hardest one on the list to track down but well worth the hefty price tag and time spent seeking it out. Cooked simply with salt on a grill or a plancha, king salmon sings with IPA. This is a great pairing to showcase how versatile an IPA actually can be with food and complement the natural flavors of salmon in season. Keep the skin on if you can, and get it nice and crispy on the grill or plancha for some extra flavor.

5. Peaches

Peaches are another summer favorite everyone is waiting for, and this year the surge in popularity of the gose style is waiting with us. The little addition of salt to the palate makes your palate water even more than just from the peach, and the dry finish makes each bite seem like the first bite.

6. King Bolete Mushroom

The king of mushrooms, the king bolete or porcini, cep or penny bun as it can be referred to, is a very meaty and delicious mushroom. July and August are great months to try and seek these out as they are a bit easier to find at markets. If you go to find your own, make sure you either have a guide or know what you are doing. Mushroom identification takes time and skill. Simply slice down the length of the mushroom and sauté with butter and salt, and bring some umami onto your palate. You can pair it with a pilsner to a pale ale, an IPA, or even a summer evening treat of a brown ale.

7. Cucumbers

Get your quick pickle on this summer. Just as acid is hitting up beer style trends this summer, so is the idea of quick pickling. Go for some lemon cucumbers, Persians, or Armenian cucumbers, slice them thin and use a little vinegar to brighten them up. Look for saisons to bring out the subtle melon hint of cucumbers and the carbonation to pop off the subtle addition of acid.

8. Fresh Shelling Beans

Like garbanzo beans in your salad, you can enjoy cannellini beans. Have you cooked them when they are fresh? Most shelling bean crops are harvested when the pods and beans inside are dry, just before the pod shatters, and then typically sold as a dried product throughout the year. But you can find some of these varietals in their fresh state at the farmers market during the late summer. They require very little preparation (gently boil in salted water for only a few minutes) to taste delicious and are perfect on their own in a salad or add to a pasta dish. The fresh flavor of the bean pairs perfectly with the grain notes of a well-made pilsner.

9. Blackberries

Perfectly sweet and tart, blackberries are the perfect summer addition to salads, cheeses, grilled meats and fish such as salmon. Using blackberries in a dish opens up the palate to new pairing flavors by adding a burst of sweet, tart and jammy flavor. Look for herbal or piney hopped IPAs to be tamed a bit by the blackberry, or try with a saison for a slightly tart finish.

10. Sour Cherries

While most people are familiar with the sweet red Bing cherries or Rainiers in summer, it is my opinion that the real find for your palate is the sour cherry. Sour cherries are hard to come by, hard to keep and worth seeking out. Look for Montmorency and Morello varieties in July. Unlike their more common sweet cousins, sour cherries, also known as tart cherries or pie cherries, are a little too sour for most palates to enjoy raw, but pair them with a gose and it’s a sour, tart, refreshing bite for your palate. Sour cherries make excellent pies and preserves and pair well with anything from vanilla ice cream and gose to roast duck and IPA.

11. Halibut

Along with king salmon, halibut is another great find for the summer. Try a crudo with a little citrus and pair it with a pilsner or kolsch for a crisp, clean, cold summer pairing. Grilled or sautéed halibut can stand up to the hops of a pale ale and bring out bright citrusy hop notes that make the classic halibut garnish of lemon appear on the palate without actually using lemon.

The post 11 Summer Ingredients You’ll Want to Try with Beer appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Whether dining out, attending a pairing event or simply cooking dinner at home, look for these 10 things to breathe new life into your pairing palate.

1. Gose

If you enjoy fresh chèvre or yogurt, you’re ready to try a gose. The surge of this almost-extinct beer style back into our glasses is the perfect answer to light, refreshing, slightly sour beers. More accessible than its barrel aged counterparts, gose is making a statement on beer lists and in pairings. Look for it to start off a meal as an aperitif, or pair with fresh cheeses, asparagus, and light desserts like a coconut or ricotta cake.

2. Salt

As cooking trends are becoming cleaner and simpler, salt is playing an important role in how palates react to food. Finishing salts are taking their place as an ingredient in many dishes, and when done properly, prime the palate for a heightened taste of the ingredient the salt is riding on. Look for salts like Jacobsen’s sea salt. It’s harvested out of Netarts Bay, Oregon, and has some of the largest flakes around. Using finishing salts on dishes increases not only the first bite of the dish, but also calls to attention the center of the palate for the first sip of what it is paired with.

3. Simple

There is a revolution happening in our kitchens. If you asked almost any chef five years ago what the basis of American cuisine is, you would most likely hear something along the lines of French. Now we are seeing the true debut of American cuisine — and it is simple, ingredient-driven plates. It’s no longer what technique you used, but it’s how you highlighted what that ingredient is and how it is meant to taste. Likewise, look to simple pairings. In fact, if it seems almost too easy to taste what the pairing is, then you just had your first simple pairing. How nice was that?

4. Heavier to lighter

Traditional pairing practice of lower alcohol beers to higher alcohol beers is no more. Look for lighter courses throughout the finish and dishes and pairings that leave the palate awake, alert and relaxed after finishing a meal.

5. Hops

Hops have always been on the top of so many other lists, and now it’s food’s turn to take them on and prove that hops can pair with light fish, raw fish, gentle dishes and, yes, even dessert and chocolate. Yes. Chocolate! Don’t just go out there and grab a Snickers and an IPA. That won’t work. It has to be done right, like a milk chocolate and toasted almond mousse with an IPA that has a dominant cascade profile.

6. Blind style

So often we hear the line, “I had a bad IPA once, I don’t want an IPA.” Well, trained staff are finding a new tactic to get beer on the table. The language servers use when welcoming you has changed from, “Can I get you a beverage?” to “What are you looking for? Something crisp, clean and minerally for this hot day? Let me bring you something to try.” By going this new route, you have no idea if a cocktail, wine or beer was just described. Many restaurants are using this to get new palates to beer by talking about flavor profiles rather than style names.

7. Large format by the glass

As more and more brewers are turning to larger format bottles for their one-offs, special releases, and beers meant to be aged, more and more bars and restaurants are choosing to open these bottles and sell them by the glass. It’s a natural progression. If a 750 ml bottle of wine is available by the glass, so should a 750 ml bottle of beer. Bonus staff training tasting if the whole bottle is sold by the end of the night as well.

8. Acid

Just as salt is seeing an increased use as an ingredient, so is acid. Finishing a dish with a hint of acid has long been used. Now look for in-house and one-off specialty vinegar to be in play. While sherry once dominated the finishing vinegar space, look for barrel aged vinegars, fruit vinegars, honey vinegars and, yes, even beer vinegar to add that final burst of flavor on your dish.

9. Vegetable-focused

Plates are not necessarily getting smaller — maybe that will become a trend for next year — but what is changing is the size of the protein on the plate. What traditionally was thought to be 6-8 or more ounces is now becoming 4 ounces. Coming in to round out the plate are multiple vegetables, fruits, beans and seeds. While it was common to see one to two vegetables on a plate, the trend is turning towards three to four or more. This means chefs are adding more cooking techniques to a dish, and more flavor to the plate, all while balancing the new plate as it should be — with less protein.

10. Balanced

From a balanced plate to a balanced drink, operators are now looking at every aspect of the overall experience to win guests’ return visits. Guests enjoying a great dish is no longer a guarantee they’ll come back; it’s the overall experience. You may not remember everything you ate or drank, but you know deep down inside you want to come back, and come back often. This is what defines a successful restaurant or bar today.

Think of a dining experience as a table: A flat top with four legs. For the palate, those four legs are made up of the food menu, the beer list, the wine list and the cocktail list. For the remaining senses, those four legs are made up of service, atmosphere, value and satisfaction. If all of those “legs” are balanced, then your table is level and you will seek to repeat the experience. If one component is off, the table is leaning and inevitably something slides off.

So where can you find this experience? Look to great community-focused restaurants in your city to be following these trends, as well as setting new ones. You can also train and educate yourself and your staff with the CraftBeer.com Beer and Food Course to get you on your way.

See you at the next beer.

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As brewers experiment with more and more beer styles, the old adage of matching lighter styles with lighter dishes is evolving. The next challenge is to match flavors according to where they will hit the palate. A lighter style such as Kölsch can cleanse fat when paired with acid; a big barley wine can work with raw apple. Intensely hoppy beers can be paired with a dish that holds the hops back so you can taste the malt.

Pairings are diving deeper as we go beyond the simple concept of matching light to light and heavy to heavy. As we explore this further, here are some common culinary components and how they can change your palate’s perception during a food and beer pairing.

Fats

Think of fats as a blanket for your tongue. Fats lay down a base layer of protection that blocks off the first few seconds of anything the palate comes into contact with next. This can work to your advantage in the case of beers with higher ABV, intense hops, or barrel aging, easing the palate into the stronger flavors from the beer.

Be cautious with lighter beer styles. For easy reference, the lighter the style, the more balanced the fat should be. Consider using vegetable-based oils such as olive oil or grapeseed oil in place of butter in food served with lighter beers. Butter and richer animal fats can stifle hops to the point you can no longer taste them in lighter styles. With the recent trend in tropical notes in hops as well, butter and richer fats can change those intriguing papaya, melon, grapefruit, and citrus notes into pithy, hostile, and harsh flavors. Conversely, if you are trying to pair foods with a beer that has intense notes of roast, smoke, barrel aging, or alcohol heat, a heavier hand with the fat can help your palate find the more delicate notes in the beer.

Sugars

An important property of sugar is that it can intensify tastes and aromas. A small amount of sugar added to a dish can amplify the sour or bitter notes from beer on your palate. It can also enhance the savory taste of vegetables and meats without making them sweet. The reverse is also true with sugar—a bitter or salty style of beer will lower the perceived sweetness on the palate from a sugary dish. One example that illustrates this well is the classic pairing of carrot cake and IPA. The sugar in the cake makes the carrots taste sweeter and enhances the hops, while the bitterness of the IPA tones down the sweetness of the cake on the palate.

Vinegars/Acids

Vinegar is used in many culinary applications from pickling and vinaigrettes to finishing sauces and marinades. Vinegars and acids are great palate cleansers and work well to concentrate the palate on the flavors in beer. Take, for example, pairing pickled vegetables with a hoppy beer. The acid from the vinegar occupies the sides and roof of the mouth, while the hops are settled on the tongue. Using acids and vinegars to finish dishes can also lighten their impact on the palate, making way for more complex notes to emerge from the beer.

With a rich duck confit, a simple finishing with a touch of apple cider vinegar will break the fat off the palate faster and make way for the flavors of the beer to emerge. Be careful with higher ABV beers and intensely hop-forward beers as vinegar acts to dry out the tongue, intensifying the initial impact of alcohol dryness and hop bitterness on the palate.

Chefs take all of these elements into consideration when creating pairings, but the best piece of advice may be that if a pairing works for you, go with it. Don’t miss your own pairing moment trying to change something for the sake of change or searching for something you don’t taste. Happy pairings to all.

This article was originally published in the November/December issue of The New Brewer.

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Small and independent craft brewers are pushing the boundaries of beer styles, flavors and quality at a pace that has never been seen before. While craft beer bars are keeping up with this quick pace, chefs and restaurants are on the hunt for craft beer knowledge that’s specifically tailored to their industry — especially about creating craft beer lists that pair with their menus.

Navigating the World Wide Web

The easiest (and most frustrating) answer out there is: “Just Google it!” And yes, chefs and restaurateurs out there are Googling “craft beer” and hitting search.

The first few results that pop up are from companies and organizations who have paid dearly for Google ad space on this search term. After that, it’s mostly a hodge-podge of websites for local establishments, beer-by-mail clubs, industry news and reviews and hopefully a few educational sites like CraftBeer.com.

But let’s face it: not many of us ever make it past the first few search results. At a quick glance, you might easily assume there’s not much information on beer and food out there. Some establishments, therefore, feel they’re already ahead of the curve and can keep pouring everything in the same frozen glass. (But let’s forgive them; they know not what they do.)

Ok, so you’ve spent your five minutes on Google. What’s next? How about reading a book on the topic of craft beer, so you head to Amazon and type in “craft beer.” At first, these results are encouraging. There’s The Complete Craft Beer Course, by Josh Bernstein; Tasting Beer, by Randy Mosher; The Oxford Companion to Beer, edited by Garrett Oliver.

But when it comes to titles that speak directly to chefs and restaurants, the top hits seem to put the beer-food relationship in a small, outmoded box: Cooking with IPA, Bar Bites with Beer, The Beer Chili Bible … these don’t really identify with the food today’s creative, craft beer-loving chefs are serving.

So now you’ve found some great introductions to craft beer and have gathered a little more information, but frustrated chef and restaurant operators still haven’t found many answers.

What’s missing, or at least harder to find, are the voices of those who are confidently breaking new ground. Where are the small and independent chef-driven restaurants who can talk about how they pair craft beer to their menus? Where are the chefs who can explain what has worked for them, and how they have updated their menus to pair with craft beer? Where are the restaurants that have complete beverage programs in place for wine, cocktails and craft beer, who can share how they execute their program? And, most importantly, where did these pioneers find the most complete information to educate staff on how to order, store, pour and pair craft beer?

With so many new people embarking on the culinary road to pairing and serving craft beer, education and awareness for the beverage is becoming more and more important. While there is plenty of craft beer information out there for the dedicated researcher, it often assumes a prerequisite understanding of esoteric brewing terms like IBU, ABV, Plato, OG and FG. This does not represent what the average guest at the table wants to hear when they inquire about a craft beer. In fact, these terms will more than likely overwhelm guests, and drive them away from craft beer — and therefore push an operator away from increasing its craft beer offerings.

CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course

To answer the call for craft beer resources tailored to chefs and chef educators, the Brewers Association wrote and published the free CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course. This course is the first of its kind to approach craft beer through the combined eyes of a chef (that’s me!) and a Certified Cicerone® (CraftBeer.com publisher Julia Herz).

At about the same time as the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course was published, several of the top culinary and hospitality schools began promoting education around craft beer and food:

• The Culinary Institute of America (Hudson Valley, New York) built a brewery on its campus and integrated craft beer into all degree programs.
• Cornell introduced craft beer into its hospitality management course.
• Denver’s Metro State partnered with Tivoli Brewing Co. to create a program for hospitality students.
• Several culinary schools across the country began enthusiast courses pairing locally sourced, sustainable cuisine with craft beer.

What we are seeing is the new history of craft beer and food being written in our lifetimes. As more and more chefs embrace what craft beer can do for their menus, culinary schools are responding by adding educational opportunities for the next wave of chefs and restaurateurs. Publishers are looking for books that embrace everything that craft beer can do with food, and guests are getting more comfortable than ever before with trying new craft beer pairings.

Cheers to the culinary schools that are preparing our next generation of chefs and restaurateurs to give craft beer the culinary respect and rightful place at the table it deserves!

And for everyone out there wanting to learn more about craft beer, we at the Brewers Association and CraftBeer.com will be here to guide you through style changes, draught quality guidelines, glassware selections, and best practices for ordering, storing, serving and pairing — everything that supports your craft beer menu.

The post Bringing Craft Beer to America’s Culinary Students appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

The SAVOR 2015 journey started in January with a lottery selection process for participating breweries and their beers. Once the beers were selected, each brewer sends two beers to Brewers Association home offices in Boulder, Colo., for a tasting session. This year, we received 130 beers for the tasting and notes on the remaining 22 that had not been brewed yet.

The Tasting

We divide the beers into two tastings and invite 15 or so palates to each tasting. We are not looking for beer judges here, rather culinary thoughts, flavors, memories, stories, and anything that will help us work toward a final menu. Everyone arrives and we cover the ground rules: no cell phones, no judging, no wrong answers, write down what first comes to mind, try and write with words we can read—and go.

As everyone winds their way through, flavors are noted and when a palate challenging beer is reached, help is called in to offer more opinions. As we move along, any challenging beers or palate moving beers are saved for possible later tastings with food. After a short break, we reset the room and begin round two with new palates. Once we get through round two, we collect all the tasting notes and head back to plan the menu.

Beer and Food Pairing Discussions

The planning room includes: three chefs, a few cookbooks to reference, music and some more beer. In the next eight hours, we will go through each tasting sheet, highlight words and phrases, and by 2 a.m. we’ll have a 46 item-menu written for the 152 beers we are working with for SAVOR.

First, we start with broad groups like fish, meat, vegetarian, cheese and dessert. Then we move to the hardest and most fun part of the day, writing the menu. SAVOR truly starts with a blank piece of paper. Someone says salmon. Okay, how about some honey with the salmon? We need acid too, how about some lime? Okay, the honey-glazed salmon goes into the mix. What’s next? How about some game this year—venison. Okay, what beers need some iron?

Flipping through the tasting notes, we find some memories: eating summer corn on family’s front porch; a beer after working in the yard on a hot day; cinnamon rolls baking in the oven; burnt marshmallows at a campfire. We take those memories and think about foods that personify those memories: grilled corn, pickled vegetables, melon, toasted meringue.

All of these go into components for dishes. We repeat this process until we have 50 or so menu items. We then go through and remove a few that don’t line up with the overall flow. Once we get to 46, we call it a night just before 2 a.m.

Planning the Room

The next day, we look over the SAVOR menu one last time. The next step takes place on a large table. We spread out the individual tasting sheets and put each beer with a menu item. We balance the menu across the room. No two styles for the same dish, no two menu categories for the same brewer, no dish repeated more than three or four times.

Once we get everyone paired up, we start making tasting notes for each brewer so they know the how and why we created each pairing. We push the envelope for pairings quite a bit, espeically where we know the brewer will take a huge leap with us. For example, mushrooms and arborio rice with a barrel-aged imperial stout—we’re looking to take our guests palates and the pairings in unexpected directions.

Once all the pairings are made, we sync up with our caterer in Washington, D.C., who will execute the preparation and serving of over 100,000 bites of food. That’s correct, we serve over 50,000 pieces of food each night of SAVOR.

As SAVOR gets closer, we start sourcing the products and lining up our final counts for each dish. A test run trip is taken to D.C. to run through some of the more challenging pairings. A few tweaks are made to flavors and garnishes, salt levels and caramelization of proteins. Once this is done, we are set to go into the prep stage of the menu.

SAVOR Day-Of

As SAVOR arrives, just as we wrote the menu in one day, we now set up and execute first night in one day. Building three kitchens on site, placing beer and setting the room for 2,000 guests to mingle with craft beer and food all takes place before 5 p.m.

Similar to a restaurant, right before we open the doors, we do line up. Taste your food, know your pairing, a few housekeeping rules and it’s almost time to go.

Once the doors open, 2,000 guests come through ready to try this year’s craft beer selections and menu. Some new pairings are found, some experience new beer styles, some guests realize they do actually like a beer style they thought they did not.

After six months of work, seeing just one guest have a truly great moment and create their own pairing story with craft beer and food makes it all worthwhile.

The post Writing One Of the World’s Largest Beer & Food Pairing Menus appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Walking in the front door, all your senses go on high alert. Sights, sounds, smells — everything is on point tonight. You can feel it: The energy that says you should be here tonight, maybe even every night. This restaurant is on its game. There’s something to learn here.

You are greeted warmly, as if a guest at someone’s home. You take in the wood beam ceilings and rich, warm lighting as you’re ushered past the bustling bar, then you pass an open kitchen full of chefs in choreographed dance. As you’re seated, you’re presented with tonight’s menu, plus three —three? — yes, three beverage lists: cocktails, wine … and craft beer.

Cheers to Great Beer Lists

Let me be the first to say “thank you” to all the restaurateurs who give craft beer the same respect as wine and cocktails. To those of you who offer craft beer pairings right there on the menu, next to suggestions for craft cocktails and wine, cheers! You are leading the way toward creating the ultimate dining experience.

To those of you thinking about adding a craft beer program, may this be the year you stop thinking and start doing. And to all the hungry, thirsty patrons out there, may the next time you eat out feature mouthwatering pairings that show your palate what craft beer can do.

I’m often asked how a restaurant goes about creating a craft beer list. Typically the folks asking fall into two camps. On one side, there are the establishments that have already started to grow their lists, but are struggling to decide what to offer. They’ve usually done some research into how the popularity of craft beer and great food has grown, or are responding to the desires of their guests. On the other side, there are establishments that might be curious about craft beer, but have not yet committed to growing their lists; they may not even have realized the benefits a good beer list can provide.

So how does a restaurant in the latter category become convinced that it’s worth offering a better lineup of craft beers? First and foremost, it has to see that craft beer matches up with the vision. The goal of every chef and restaurant is to tell a story through food, drink and atmosphere in order to give guests an experience and a memory that they will seek to repeat. If a guest desires something, and the restaurant can provide it at the same level as everything else it does, then there is not a single successful operation out there that will not try its hardest to fulfill that desire.

The catch, however, is “at the same level.” No chef or restaurant will serve something that is outside their vision, their concept, their story — nor should they. So it may take some convincing to help them see how craft beer fits in. Luckily, beer is such a versatile beverage that it really can fit in anywhere.

Focus on Styles, Not Brands

To answer the question of how to build a beer list, I started by thinking about how I order drinks myself when I go out to eat. I don’t ever look for a specific brand of anything, be it spirit, wine or beer. Instead, I think of the style of beverage I want to have and how it will complement my meal, and then look for an option that meets the flavor profile I’m going for. And that’s the key to growing a craft beer list: give your guests plenty of options.

Starting your list with specific brands or specific beers is limiting. From a culinary perspective, brand doesn’t matter — all that matters is how a beer will help to create a particular experience on your guest’s palate. So a more powerful approach is to start with a strong base list that includes a number of different styles (you can always add a favorite or popular brand later on).

I suggest that restaurants beginning to serve craft beer should start by offering the following eight styles. These will form the foundation of a very solid craft beer list that can grow alongside the establishment and its customers.

Foundational Beer Styles

1. American amber ale
2. American brown ale
3. American India pale ale
4. American stout or English-style brown porter
5. American pale ale
6. German-style Pilsner or German-style kolsch
7. Belgian-style saison or farmhouse ale
8. American wheat or Belgian-style wit

With these eight styles, any restaurant with any menu can be sure of two things: first, that no matter what kind of beer a guest is in the mood for, there will be something on the list they’re excited to see; and second, that the restaurant can begin to pair craft beer on the same level as its other beverage programs. From there, the craft beer list can grow to continue to meet the desires of the restaurant and the guests coming through the door every night.

Deciding exactly which craft beers to bring into a restaurant can be tricky. With so many craft breweries out there producing great beer, sorting through the options can be intimidating for many restaurants. But knowing that their guests want a craft beer experience, many establishments are happy to take on the challenge of expanding their craft beer lists.

So the next time you go out to eat, may everything line up just right to give you an amazing experience — and may you have a local craft beer resting in the glass next to your plate. If you don’t, encourage the restaurant to beef up its craft beer list before your next visit. Cheers!

The post How to Build a Better Beer List appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Over the past few months, I have been talking about this issue with chefs and brewers at several events and dinners. Both the restaurant industry and craft beer industry are growing at a pace never seen before. It’s a great time to be cooking and a great time to be brewing, but it seems we all share a common concern: finding qualified, driven and committed employees to fill our kitchens and brewhouses. Passionate and loyal candidates are a rarity among the legions of maybes, no-shows and short-timers.

So what role should formal culinary training play in our desperation to find a few good cooks? There has been a lot of debate and controversy over this topic. Hypotheses offered. Studies done. Graphs, charts and pictures compiled. Yet no one has the right answer, and there is a very good reason for that: Everyone learns differently.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of options for getting your foot in the door of  a kitchen or craft brewery. Universities are beginning to announce brewing degrees, culinary schools are adding craft beer to their curriculum, and established chefs and brewers are actively looking for new employees. In fact, right now due to the growth of the culinary brewing industries, there is a shortage of staff in almost every state…so deciding what kind of training is right for you is all about figuring out how you learn best.

But first…

Find Your Passion

If you’re reading this thinking “I might like cooking,” or “Gee, it could be fun to be a brewer”—stop reading right now. Don’t quit your day job. In fact, make your day job your career.

If you’re going to make it as a cook or a brewer, you need to know beyond a doubt and without hesitation that this is your passion—the only thing you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life.

I cannot emphasize this enough. In the last five years, the food and craft beer industries have been glorified by the media. If you’re doing this on a lark, or because you want to be on TV and become rich and famous, you’re probably doing it for the wrong reasons.

So: On to the learning part. How do you learn best?

Three Ways to Learn to Cook and Brew

Right now, due to the rate of new establishments opening, the most common hiring method seems to be grabbing whoever has the most enthusiasm—even if they have zero experience. If you can demonstrate passion beyond belief and your work ethic is second to none, this direction would probably work for you. You’ll work your way up the ladder—and it all starts with the worst hours and the worst duties.

But remember this as you work your way up: You can never successfully manage what you yourself cannot do. So get in there and learn how to do everything from the ground up. Open your mind, become a sponge and absorb everything around you. Trust me, you’ll need it all later.

Note that his method of learning only works if you land yourself in an establishment that believes in teaching, training and growth. If you’re just used for basic labor and are not learning or being offered the chance to learn, move on until you find your true learning home.

1. Hit the Books

The merits of academic culinary and brewing programs have long been debated. If you respond well to structured learning and want to have a thorough understanding of the history of cuisine and why cooking works the way it does, then school may be for you. Look for a well-thought-out program with trackable measurements and goals. A well-rounded and respected program will give you the foundation to begin a great career.

One of the biggest misconceptions about graduating from one of these programs is the idea that on graduation day you magically become an expert professional. Let’s be clear on this: All a school or program can give you is a degree. The titles of “chef” and “brewer” are not bestowed from on high; only your colleagues can elect you to those roles. There is nothing worse in our industry than throwing around a title or achievement and expecting automatic respect. Anyone can call themselves a chef or a brewer, but to truly understand what it means to be one and have that tile mean something only happens when those you work with call you chef or brewer.

2. Become a Stage

French for trainee, apprentice or intern, “stage” is the culinary term for someone undergoing a trial period of learning in a kitchen. As a stage, you will be guided and observed by a member of the team. Staging can take place over a  single shift or last several months.

For those wanting to travel and study under chefs in many regions, staging around the world has long been a great way to learn the industry. You’ll need to be flexible and willing to do whatever comes up during the time that you stage, but over time you’ll learn from more experts and meet more contacts than any LinkedIn database could ever give you.

3. Follow Your Palate

So, those are three ways to learn this world of cooking or brewing. Which way is the right way? Only you can know for sure.

One thing that’s certain in both the culinary and brewing worlds is to trust your palate. If it works for you, whether on the palate or the plate, learn from it and grow. Then try something new, because no matter how long you’ve been cooking or brewing, you’ll never be done learning and growing. Remember: Each of us is only as good as our last service, our last plate out of the kitchen, or our last beer out of the tank.

Cheers,

Adam

The post Do Cooks Need to Go to Culinary School? appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

We’re going to be talking quite a bit, so I thought I’d start off by introducing myself. At the simplest level, I am a cook. So how did I get here, blogging about craft beer and food?

I have worked in restaurants since the moment I was old enough (14, to be exact). I went to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. I spent some time cooking in France–and got my ass kicked. I have cooked professionally across the western U.S. in Portland, Aspen, Vail, Boulder, Denver and San Francisco.

In the early learning stages of my career, the focus was on wine. Every restaurant was hosting wine dinners, we met vintners, and read huge wine lists (often more like wine books). Then one day, on top of Vail Mountain, I had my first “craft beer and food pairing moment”—a conversion experience that turned me on to pairing food and craft beer. It takes moments like these to bring that internal engine to a grinding halt and change direction.

At Taste of Vail that year there were representatives from more than 30 restaurants and 50 wineries on top of the mountain—as well as one, single, lonely brewery. Being in Vail, I opted for my dish to have a bit of a mountain feel: roasted venison with huckleberry and sweet potato.

There were over 1,000 people walking around, eating and drinking all decked out in snow pants ready to ski…plus the sun was out. At over 10,000 feet elevation, it felt hot. Like sweating-on-a-Saturday-night-service-on-the-line, going-down-in-flames hot.

About halfway through the event, someone handed me a beer—Steamworks BrewingCo. Steam Engine Lager (thanks KO!). It brought out notes of richness and iron in the venison and connected the huckleberry and the potato back to the meat in a way that no wine could have. It cleansed my palate, refreshed my energy and created the moment that spurred a huge change in my career as a chef.

I began doing beer dinners, meeting and working with as many breweries as I could. I learned how beer is made and saw that much of the brewing process can be mimicked in the kitchen. I experimented as much as possible with pairing beer and food, pushing my palate, trying to find complex reactions that the simplest of ingredients could pull forward. I found my palate worked really well for pairing craft beer and food. At the same time, other chefs across the country began having their “craft beer moments” as well. Craft beer lists began popping up in chef-driven restaurants.

Then I met the Brewers Association. Together we created the Farm to Table Pavilion at the Great American Beer Festival. The first year we had six chefs and six breweries participate and we were handing tickets out to anyone in the hall who was willing to come back and see what we were doing. This idea of craft beer and food pairing began to take off. In 2015, we will have 21 chefs and breweries in the pavilion and the back hall has turned into a vibrant room full of amazing craft beer and food pairings.

In 2012 I opened Abbots Cellar in San Francisco, arguably one of the more competitive food cities in America. Abbots opened with a craft beer list of 22 draughts, two cask engines, and over 100 bottles. I changed the menu every day. I wrote a tasting menu paired with craft beer every day. Abbots got reviewed and made it onto the Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants list two years in a row. The restaurant even got a nod from the James Beard Foundation. It was amazing to introduce people to craft beer through pairings, and to watch so many guests have new “aha” pairing moments.

And now here we are in 2015. A new year for craft beer and food. A new year for new pairings and new experiences.

I have the humbling honor of being invited to quite a few craft beer events this year, where I’ll be cooking and continuing my own ongoing craft beer and food pairing education. I will share as many of those stories I can, as well as the stories of other chefs and their craft beer moments.

I look at craft beer from the kitchen side of the glass, and it offers a different point of view. You notice the reactions that happen on the palate—both the ones that don’t work, and the ones that really do. You pick apart the dishes that fail. You savor the feeling of sending the last dish of a five-course dinner out from the line, and you dread the gut-sinking moment when only four of five coolers come down the baggage carousel at Denver International Airport. And of course there’s the moment when you learn that even chefs sometimes look for recipes on Google.

I’ll do my best to translate my experiences into this blog. Should we meet at a restaurant, bar, or craft beer event, I hope to raise a glass with you and hear about your own “craft beer moment”, whether it happened in a Michelin-starred kitchen or in your own backyard.

Cheers,

Chef Adam

The post Pairing Beer & Food: My Aha Moment appeared first on CraftBeer.com.