Beer Lover’s Guide To Holiday Eating
By Kraig Torres at December 24, 2009 | 12:41 pm | Print
Stressed out by the upcoming holiday rush? You, my friend, need a beer. Better yet, how about nine beers…paired with food. Really good food. Holiday food! Let your friends at Atlanta Cuisine walk you through the ultimate combination of food and drink that will make your neighborhood sommelier blush with embarrassment that he/she couldn’t come up anything even close to this good. So put away your corkscrew and celebrate the holidays with the beverage that counts — beer!
10am - Go time. Hit the kitchen for breakfast and food prep. Whip up some buckwheat blueberry waffles with fresh berries on top. Mimosas? Heck no! Sparkling French Cider, of course. Cidre Bouche Brut du Normandie is the ideal compliment to the grainy sweetness.
12:30 pm: Game time – Turkey in the oven, working the kitchen. No time for lunch, but instead its snack time: baked Brie and warm French bread. It’s afternoon and safely beer o’clock. Perfect pairing: Belgian golden — My choice: Holy Mackerel Golden Ale.
1:30pm – I’m still hungry. Sure, I’ve been snacking on uncooked green beans and (cooked) bacon, but I feel the need for crudités: carrots, celery, pears, peppers all with a fresh crumbled blue cheese dip. This will kick any beers ass, except…a nice lambic. Or….Unibroue Ephemere — the apple essence and intense tartness will compliment the pungency of the bleu cheese.
2:00pm - that was quick. Lunchtime — Luckily someone other than me is in the kitchen and has crafted some Crab Puff Pastry to tide us over until dinner. It’s IPA time. With the blustery North wind blowing down from Canada, I stay north of the border with Dieu du Ciel’s Corne Du Diable
4:30pm - Finally – dinner is served. First course: vegetable broth based 6 mushroom soup with shredded green onion and red pepper. We need a soft beer to match — amber ale. But, ambers are boring, except….Jolly Pumpkin La Roja with it’s Belgian yeast creating that clovey complexity to the amber malt.
5:00pm - Main course – Turkey, andoille stuffing, spuds, green beans with bacon, Jack Daniels sweet potatoes. Look at the flavors — look at the round flavors, the fat. Calling all browns! Only the maltiest will do: Tilburg Dutch Brown is the answer. Only…one beer isn’t enough. As seconds roll onto my plate, I need a big beer to finish ‘em off. I know — a Belgian Quad. Gouden Carolus Van Du Keizen Blaw is the answer. One of the biggest of the Belgian Quads, it can stand up to any starch-heavy menu, low spice menu.
7:30pm - My belt is unbuckled, the football is over. It must be time for dessert. Luckily, we’ve made two: Traditional pumpkin pie and Dutch apple and plum crumble. Pumpkin pie pairs nicely with a marzen – wait, is there a pumpkin marzen? I’ve got it — the Terrapin Pumpkinfest. Fleshy pumpkin flavor over the light malt Oktoberfest base makes the perfect match with the creamy sweetness of the pumpkin pie. The crumble requires a deeper, plum-ier taste — Wiezenbock? Maybe. But what about a wheat stout? Haandbrygeriet Dark Force Imperial Wheat Stout combines the plum-like character of a wheat bock with the chocolate and roasty goodness of a Russian imperial stout. A perfect combination.
There we have it — nine beers and one holiday. It looks like we will all be on a diet after all the indulgence. Make sure to have plenty of friends and family at hand to enjoy this feast. Have a safe and tasty holiday!
Kraig Torres is the Chief Hophead at Hop City Craft Beer and Wine, Atlanta’s only craft beer specialist. Hop City carries over 1,500 different beers, 1,000 wines and home brewing supplies. Hop City is located at 1000 Marietta St in the Brickworks complex – at the corner of Marietta St and Howell Mill Rd, next to 5 Seasons Brewery. 404-350-9998 www.HopCityBeer.com Hop City Craft Beer and Wine is proud to be Citysearch’s Best Wine Store in Atlanta for 2009.
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