Pairing food with booze is an age-old tradition birthed from the hallowed halls of kings and queens; but nowadays it’s standard — shallow even — and a resounding noise reverberates like old Wendy’s ads (no really, ‘where is the beef?’). In hopes of modernizing the shit, and elevating our beverage of choice (BEER) above the tradish (fucking grape juice), we have made a point of pairing our food with beer for the four years since someone was dumb enough to give us an online password. Now we’re putting our money where our mouth is!
This weekend ye old Hot Knives will be presenting from the bully pulpit our ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of cheese and beer pairing at the Los Angeles Craft and Artisan Beer Appreciation League’s (…whoooh, deep breath…) First Annual Craft Beer Fest. So. Many. Caps. Here’s the deal: 15 California breweries will be pouring 2 handcrafted beers each while we, and several other beer-friendly restaurants and caterers sling free gourmet grub. On top of our cheese power point, some of the region’s coolest beer peeps will be scattin’.
Craftsman Brewing Co.
Telegraph Brewing Co.
The Bruery
Hangar 24 Brewery
Blind Lady Alehouse
Port Brewing Co.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
TAPS Brewery
Green Flash Brewing Co
Ballast Point Brewing Company
Stone Brewing
Sierra Nevada Brewing
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Coronado Brewing
So what cheeses will we be cutting? Glad you asked grasshopper, because we have a little game for you. We’ll name the dairy and the beer and you try to pair them. Watch our brain-logged brains try to come up with tasting adjectives describing the characteristics of each. The first person who comes up with the pairings we feel are most appropriate will get a free ticket to the Craft Beer Fest L.A., which we’ve sold out pre-sale anyway.
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA
Green Flash Trippel
Cana de Oveja: Soft Ripened Ewe’s Milk from Spain.
Tastes: bright, lemony, slightly sour, and because of its age its super milky.
Promising Pairs: wheat beers, Belgian triples, lambics and sours.
Chaubier: Washed Rind Semi Firm Cow/Goat blend from France.
Tastes: slightly acidic, slightly swiss, meaty but smooth.
Promising Pairs: pale ales, IPAs.
Beemster X.O: 3 Year Aged Cow’s milk from Holland
Tastes: deep; butterscotch with umami pop rocks.
Promising Pairs: stouts, porters, anything aged in oak.
Fourme D’ambert: Wine and Mold Injected French Blue. Cow’s Milk
Tastes: sweet, salty, funky and smooth.
Promising Pairs: scotch style, porters, strong ales.
So, people, what’s the pairy?
Is this a trick question? I want to try the combination of all of them! Here goes nothing… crossing fingers for the free festival pass!
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale with Beemster X.O.
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine with Fourme D’ambert
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA with Chaubier
Green Flash Trippel with Cana de Oveja
fucking funny video, brothers.
Close but no cigar Ben!
The game is still open people!
well, it was fun while it lasted. What a thrill.
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale with Fourme D’ambert
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine with Beemster X.O.
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA with Chaubier
Green Flash Trippel with Cana de Oveja
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale – Fourme D’ambert
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine – Beemster X.O
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA – Cana de Oveja
Green Flash Trippel – Chaubier
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale with Chaubier
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine with Beemster X.O.
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA with Fourme D’ambert
Green Flash Trippel with Cana de Oveja
Cana De Oveja – Lagunitas Gnarley Wine
Chaubier – Ballast’s Big Point IPA
Beemster X.O. – Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale
Fourme D’ambert – Green Flash Trippel
Bluebeery Cough Drop!
Fuck, I think Sean’s got it. Just for the sake of switching something up, I’m gonna go:
Oveja – GF Trippel
Dambert – Ballast IPA
Chaubier – Lagunitas
Jeepster – Stone XI
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous – Fourme D’ambert
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine – Cana de Oveja
Ballast’s Big Port IPA – Chaubier
Green Flash Trippel – Beemster X.O
Nothing doing yet! (We swear, we DO actually have the authority to give you a ticket…)
We’ll keep monitoring it today to see if anyone comes up with the sacred pairs.
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale = Chaubier
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine = Fourme D’ambert
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA = Beemster X.O
Green Flash Trippel = Cana de Oveja
is there a rule against multiple guesses?
At this point, we’re open to a second guess. But two’s the limit! And the deadline is tonight!
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale – Beemster X.O
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine -Fourme D’ambert
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA – Cana de Oveja
Green Flash Trippel – Chaubier
Not yet dudes!
Remeber grasshoppers, sometimes the best pairing will be one of clash not consiliation…
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale with Cana de Oveja
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine with Fourme D’ambert
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA with Chaubier
Green Flash Trippel with Beemster X.O.
oooh, Sean. That was going to be my next move. I’ll wait now.
it’s only fair after you took my next move.
OK, here’s my second guess:
Cane Sugar with Salt Museum
Burnt Basil Pot Brownies with Curried Bacon
Butterscotch Hand Soap in my Eyes with Lemon Curd
Blueberry Cough Drops with Grassy Creme Fraiche
stone – fourme
lagunitas – chaubier
ballast – beemster
green flash – cana
stone – chaubier
lagunitas – fourme
ballast – cana
green flash – beemster
Hey thanks so much for your writings. Where do you get a lot of your food from. I unfortunately do not live in LA, and have had a hard time finding some items. I can not even find f…ing butter. Where do I begin the hunt
stone – cana
lagunitas – beemster
ballast – chaubier
green flash – fourme
stone – fourme
lagunitas – chaubier
ballast – cana
green flash – beemster
stone – cana
lagunitas – beemster
ballast – chaubier
green flash – fourme
stone – chaubier
lagunitas – beemster
ballast – cana
green flash – fourme
Okay, the pickin’s are gettin’ slim, but here goes #2…
Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale – Cana de Oveja
Lagunitas Gnarley Wine – Beemster X.O
Ballast Point’s Big Eye IPA – Fourme D’ambert
Green Flash Trippel – Chaubier
you’re all winners to me!
especially dave for using our bizzaro desciptors. but your not there yet: some promising guesses though.
The ladies are closer than the gents…
hopefully continuing the trend. here’s my two guesses:
stone – chaubier
lagunitas – cana
ballast – beemster
green flash – fourme
stone – fourme
lagunitas – cana
ballast – beemster
green flash – chaubier
Last ditch effort:
Stone – Cana
Lagunitas – Chaubier
Ballast – Fourme
Green Flash – Beemster
Hope I’m not too late:
Stone – Cana
Lagunitas – Fourme
Ballast – Beemster
Green Flash – Chaubier
Stone – Cana
Lagunitas – Chaubier
Ballast – Beemster
Green Flash – Fourme
Ding ding ding!
Jonathan, you rolled the dice (what combinations that weren’t left…errrm) and got it right. It technically WAS too late, but we’re feeing chipper. You get a ticket.
That is if you can get us your full name by 10 o’clock in, oh, 2 hours. If so you’ll have your name on a will call list. Good luck! Please email: press@lacabal.org
So which of those two was the correct combination?
Dut-dut-duh-dahhh…
Stone Sublmely Self Conscious Ale – Cana de Oveja
Lagunitas Gnarleywine – Fourme d’Ambert
Ballast Big Eye IPA – Beemster XO
Green Flash Trippel – Chaubier
Again, that’s just our opinion.
It was great meeting both of you at the Beer Fest! In case you don’t remember, I was the one harassing Alex about sending him blog links or something…. uh, yes, I guess that’s what happens when you drink beer for 5 hours straight! But anyway, my friends and I had so much fun, and we hope this is the first of many future LACABAL festivals!
I agree with Lake, this was one of my favorite videos, Dudes. Nice work.