Earlier this year, I finally did something that’s been on my wish list since moving to our new home in Colorado. I organized a gathering of some of the women working in the beer industry locally. This led to a collaborate brewing project, which got some attention around town.
It’s been a year since we moved to Colorado. As an appropriate anniversary marker, I published my first article about my new local beer scene on the Beer Drinker’s Guide to Colorado. While I’m still getting to know all of the breweries, this year’s World Beer Cup gave me 37 reasons to be proud of my new home.
I admit it, I’m a big nerd for a good flavor profile, whether that’s a meal, a cocktail, a beer, or even coffee. One area that I haven’t been so well versed, though, is pairing flavors together.
Although I claim that I do
n’t drink beer while I’m eating (I’ll enjoy it before or after a meal), beer and food pairings have always appealed to me. A well-thought-out pairing has the ability to enhance a meal in a unique way. So, last month, I decided to begin exploring the topic by learning the basic principles and thinking more consciously of complimentary flavors (and mouthfeels).
To get inspired, I reached out to some local beer-industry people, who I knew were doing their own experimentation with pairings. I posted the result of these conversations on DC Beer (read A Winter Beer Pairing Primer).
Those conversations gave me some basic pairing guidelines and ideas for how to approach food in the coming winter months. To practice, I now select a beer that I think will pair well with one of the meals I eat each day. Even if I have a meager selection in the fridge (or I’m not drinking), I consider what I’d enjoy pairing with the meal in front of me. I then assess what I like and don’t like about the pairing I chose, which helps me refine my selections in the future.
My favorite pairing to date? It’s hard to say, but I had a particularly good time sampling a flight of farmhouse and pale ales, looking for the perfect mate for a wild mushroom pizza.
Which beers and foods do you best like together?
The front hall of the Heurich House. Photo by Pat Padua. Courtesy of the Heurich House Museum.
I recently wrote an article for a local blog about one of the more unique beer events in DC. Earlier this year, the Heurich House Museum began pairing historical tours with monthly beer tastings. This programming is unique because of its ability to juxtapose the historical brewing industry of the DC area with the new one.
The museum preserves the Victorian home of Christian Heurich, owner of the Heurich Brewing Company. When the brewery shut in 1956, it was the last operating brewery in DC until new craft breweries began to open in the district two years ago. Actively running the brewery until his death at 102, Heurich was apparently the world’s oldest brewer.
The conservatory at the Heurich House. Photo by Pat Padua. Courtesy of the Heurich House Museum.
According to the museum, the house is the most intact Victorian home in the country, was the city’s first fire-proof house, and was very modern for its time. I found the tour both fascinating and revealing of the culture at the time.
For me, this site is a hidden gem of DC beer appreciation. I recommend it to anyone interested in local beer or local history. The History and Hops beer events occur every third Thursday. The next one is tomorrow, with Heavy Seas Brewing Company.
If you want to learn more about beer judging or what I get up to in my spare time, read my recent article for DC Beer.
After writing the article, I spent most of Saturday at Mad Fox Brewing Co helping with the Spirit of Free Beer homebrew competition and serving as a steward for a team of certified judges in both the morning and afternoon sessions. It was a fun day of geeking out over beer with fellow brewers. I was in the bar by 7 a.m. to help set up and left after the winners were announced around 5 p.m.
I love to help out at this event because it’s a great opportunity to learn something new about beer and brewing. Not only did the judges pass a certification process to demonstrate what they know, most of them are also experienced brewers.
As a result of this year’s event, I’d like to deepen my understanding of a few different beer styles and practice brewing them. I will also be paying more attention to the fermentation and attenuation of my batches. I currently fit in my brewing chores around my busy schedule, estimating when/if a batch should be racked to a secondary fermenter and when to bottle. As a result, I sometimes let a beer sit longer than necessary until I have time to do something with it. Greater diligence here is one place I believe I can improve my beer.
Enjoy some photos and read the article to learn more.
All entries are labeled and packed according to beer style
Cases of entries filled two pallets, which were stored at a local brewery prior to the event.
All judges grade and share feedback through a score sheet.
Judges and stewards enjoy a bit of breakfast before the morning session begins.
A colorful mini best-of-show round to determine the top three in the specialty category.