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Host Your Own Beer Dinner

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Welcome!

You may be asking "What is a Beer Dinner?" 

A Beer Dinner is typically a four to eight course meal where a different style of beer is served with each course.  Each beer is specifically paired with that course by the chef because the taste and flavors of the food and beer compliment each other.

Beer Dinners make for a great night out with friends, but can also be a great night entertaining friends at home.  We have everything you need to that right here.  Scroll down to see two great Beer Dinner menus, prepared by our Chef, Scott Clagett.

We invite you to visit our website beerdinners.com for more information.  Here, you will be able to look for Beer Dinners being held in your area or even review one that you have recently attended.

 We also invite you to visit the Flying Dog Brewery website.

Tips and Ideas for Hosting Your Own Beer Dinner

  1. Choose a theme for your Beer Dinner. Themes can be chosen based on holiday and seasons.
  2. Divvy up the work. Ask each of your guests to bring one of the courses and the beer it is to be paired with.
  3. Talk about the beer and food pairing. Have each person participating in the Beer Dinner talk about what flavors stand out to them.
  4. Vote on the favorite course of the night. After a few Beer Dinners, you'll be able to have a "Best of Beer Dinner".
  5. Encourage creativity. Have each person coming to the dinner bring their own beer and food pairing and see what they come up with.
  6. Write down the complete menu from the Beer Dinners you attend. Keeping track and taking notes of the pairings will help you create your own menus in the future.
  7. Share! Email us your Beer Dinner Menus, Pairings and Tasting Notes and we'll post the best ones on the website for all to try. Email us at alphamail@flyingdogales.com.

Nine Rules For a Beer Dinner

Courtesy of Jason and Todd Alstrom of BeerAdvocate.com

  1. Offer a window of time - Most beer dinners are on a schedule, which means everyone has to keep up with the pace. We recommend providing attendees with a window. Make it comfortable. Allow them to make reservations and enjoy their dinner at anytime, at their own any pace. If you have openings, offer the beer dinner to walk-ins if your resources allow.
  2. Keep it informal - Beer dinners can get slowed down by too much talking in-between or during courses by the featured brewery or host. Drop the speech. Make it more personal and interactive by visiting each table. Start by thanking them for coming, then talk about the pairings and invite any questions.
  3. Five courses, five beers - This combination tends to work best. Offer a soup, appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. Keep the portions small and the beer no larger than half pints. This offers great variety, while boosting the perceived value. Offering half pints will provide a nice balance between enough beers for the pairing without pushing any tolerance limits.
  4. Pairing Beer & Food - For those of you who are bound to the wine pairing school of thought, think of most ale as red wine and lager as white wine. Though it honestly doesn't matter, this might help to convert some taste buds. Other tips: try a selection of contrast and complement, or keep sweet with sweet, or tart with tart. However try to keep your beer sweeter or tarter than the sweet or tart food on the plate. The more hop bitterness the beer has, the heartier or livelier the dish needs to be to hold its own, however don't overwhelm palates or dishes by destroying what the chef is trying to achieve. Of course you could throw all of this out the window and just have some fun! Checkout Beer 101 for more tips.
  5. Cook with beer - Add another depth to the beer dinner by infusing some of the featured beers into the dishes, like adding them to bases or creating tasty reductions. Cuisine à la bière is always a big hit.
  6. Make the menu approachable - While you can't cater to everyone, it's always best to offer a varied selection of meat and vegetables dishes so you don't exclude anyone and provide some interesting diversity of flavors. Cambridge Brewing Company typically offers a vegetable-based soup, a choice of 2 or 3 salads and 3 or 4 entrees with a wide range of meat and vegetable dishes to select from, and 2 or 3 desserts. Not only does this make for a very exciting menu, but it'll also generate more interest.
  7. Make the price reasonable - We've seen all-inclusive prices from $35 to $100. The magic number for us is: $45 (not including tip). Just under $10 a course, and it's not $50, which is a breaking point for many. Any lower and something suffers, be it the menu or your wallet, and any higher you run the risk of being too expensive. An exception to this might be a fine dinning restaurant, where patrons are comfortable with getting gouged.
  8. The most successful beer dinners don't make any money
    Sounds odd, but it's true. If you're throwing a beer dinner to just make money, don't - the profit margin is very tight. First and foremost, beer dinners are great promotional and educational tools. Use them as such and we guarantee repeat business, which is where you'll make your money in the long run.
  9. Have fun with it - If you're not having fun, then it's not worth your time.

Beer Dinner Menu #1 - "Spicy Dog" - 1st Course

Pork and Shitake Dumplings with Shredded Carrot, Cucumber, and Chili Lime Sauce served with In-Heat Wheat

1st course
Pork and Shitake Dumplings with Shredded Carrot, Cucumber, and Chili Lime Sauce served with In-Heat Wheat
1 pound ground pork
4 tablespoons chopped ginger
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
½ bunch scallion chopped
1 tablespoon Allspice
2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
¼ bunch of cilantro chopped
½ pound shitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
1 pack wonton wrappers
1 egg, mixed
2 carrot, peeled
1 cucumber

Sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon scallions chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
2 lime, juiced
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar/white
1 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons soy sauce

-Remove stems from Shitake mushrooms and discard.
-Chop shitakes roughly and sauté in oil for three minutes until cooked. Set aside to cool.
-Place ground pork in bowl; add ginger, garlic, scallion, allspice, chili garlic sauce, cilantro, and soy sauce. Mix well. Mix shitake mushrooms in with pork mixture and set aside.
-Grate cucumber and carrot with large hole cheese grater into a separate bowl and set aside. Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.
-Place one wonton wrapper on a clean surface in front of you. Place 1 teaspoon of pork mixture in the middle of wrapper. Dip your finger in the egg and run around the outside rim of the wrapper and seal by taking one corner of the wrapper and placing it on the opposite corner and pressing together on the seam with your fingers. Repeat as necessary. 20 should be enough for 10 people.
-Bring a pot of water up to boil and carefully put the dumplings into boil for five minutes.
-To serve: Place the cucumber and carrot in the middle of the plates. Place two dumplings on each plate and spoon the sauce around.

Tasting Notes: The acidity and spiciness of the sauce and dumplings pair well with the light, malty flavor of the In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen. The beer cools the chili spice while the lime in the sauce gives the beer a sharp finish.

Spicy Dog, 2nd Course

Poached Pear Salad, Mixed Greens, Pecans, Blue Cheese with Old Scratch Amber Lager Balsamic Vinaigrette served with Old Scratch Amber Lager

1 pound mixed greens
5 pears, peeled
1½ cup sugar
4 cup water

¼ pound salted roasted pecans/walnuts
½ pound blue cheese (good quality)

Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Old Scratch Amber Lager
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

- Bring water and sugar to boil and add halved and peeled pears.
- Drop the temperature down to a low boil and poach for 10-12 minutes or when a knife pierces the pear easily.
- Strain liquid and set pears aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, mix honey, balsamic vinegar and Old Scratch Amber Lager. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking or mixing with a fork.
- Season with salt and pepper.

To Serve:
- Add mixed greens to bowl, add vinaigrette and mix to coat greens.
- Add small mound of greens to the center of each plate.
- Take pears and scoop out seeds with a small spoon and place pear on top of greens.
- Crumble Blue Cheese evenly over the salads, add pecans and drizzle remaining salad dressing around the plate.

Tasting Notes: The Old Scratch Amber Lager vinaigrette has a rich, malty toasted nut and honey flavor and ties the beer together with the sweet pear, toasted pecans, and blue cheese. The flavors compliment each other without taking away from each other.

Spicy Dog, 3rd Course

Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale Steamed Mussels with Chorizo, Roasted Peppers, Bay Leaves, and Lemon served with Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale

3 pound fresh black mussels
½ pack fresh thyme
1 bunch green onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic chopped
6 bay leaves
1 pound chorizo sausage (best quality)
2 whole roasted red peppers, sliced
2 bottles Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale
4 tablespoons butter
2 lemons, cut in ½ and juiced
1 baguette, cut into 1" slices for toasting
4 tablespoons olive oil

-Heat oil in large sauté pan or soup pot and add sliced or crumbled chorizo sausage.
-Cook three minutes add garlic, thyme branches, bay leaves, peppers, green onion, and then add mussels.
-Add both bottles of the Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale and cover with a lid to steam for five minutes. Remove cover and check to see if mussels are open, if not cover and cook longer.
-Drizzle olive oil on the cut baguette and toast in a 350 degree oven for seven minutes. When mussels are ready, add butter and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
-To serve: Divide mussels and sausage among the ten bowls, add the toast baguette and ladle the broth over the mussels and serve.

Tasting Notes: Steaming the mussels in the Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale gives a strong herbal flavor while the fattiness and the spice of the chorizo gives the broth the rich flavor and the lemon juice at the end balances the slight bitterness of the broth and compliments the beer.

Spicy Dog, 4th Course

Road Dog Porter BBQ Pork Ribs, Bok Choy with Roasted Shitake Mushrooms, and Apricots served with Road Dog Porter

2 ea baby back pork ribs
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons black pepper
1 pound bok choy
¼ pound shitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Road Dog BBQ Sauce
1 cup Road Dog Porter
1 cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
½ cup onions, chopped
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons regular or grainy mustard
¼ pound dried apricots, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

-Start with the barbecue sauce. Heat all the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Cool.
-Preheat oven to 350. Cut the racks of ribs in half crosswise. Mix cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together. Spread evenly over the meaty part of the ribs. Coat with ½ the BBQ sauce and lay the rib pieces, meat side down, in an 11" x 13" baking dish. The pieces will overlap slightly. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the meat pulls away from the ends of the bones and the ribs are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. You can bake the ribs up to three hours before you grill them and leave them at room temperature. Or you can bake them the day before and keep them refrigerated. Bring the refrigerated ribs to room temperature about one hour before you grill them. Remove the ribs from the baking dish but reserve the cooking liquids adding back to the Barbecue sauce. Grill the ribs, brushing them with the remaining sauce, until they're browned and heated through, about 10 minutes.
-To serve: Cut the ribs into single bone servings. Heat up oil in sauté pan. Sauté bok choy and shitake mushrooms adding 3 dashes (tablespoons) Soy Sauce and sauté for 4 minutes. Divide bok choy mix among ten plates. Place two pieces of rib on each plate and pour remaining sauce of ribs.

Tasting Notes: The Road Dog Porter gives the BBQ sauce a deeper, richer flavor which gives the ribs a complex and almost smoky coffee flavor.

Spicy Dog, 5th Course

Chili Roasted Shrimp with Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Watercress, Mango, Avocado, Citrus and Jalapeno served with Snake Dog IPA

20 each u-10/12 fresh shrimp
2 teaspoons Chili flake
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

3 sweet potatoes
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup milk

1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped fine
¼ bunch cilantro chopped
1 red pepper, chopped small
1 lime, juiced
1 tangerine, peeled and segmented
1 bunch watercress

-Preheat oven 350 F. Place whole sweet potatoes in oven for 35 minutes or until soft. Peel shrimp and discard shells, toss with olive oil, chili flake, paprika, and cumin. Set aside to marinate until ready to cook. Meanwhile place avocado, mango, jalapeno, cilantro, red pepper, lime juice, and tangerine in a bowl. When sweet potato is cooked, let cool for 5 minutes and then carefully peel and place in bowl. Add vanilla, maple syrup, butter, and milk and mash with a whisk or a fork until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set oven at broil and place shrimp on a pan to broil for 3-4 minutes until firm to the touch and cooked through.
-To serve: Place spoonful of mashed sweet potato on the center of each plate. Place two shrimp on top of sweet potato, place small bunch of watercress across shrimp, and top with mango and avocado salsa.

Tasting Notes: The Snake Dog IPA has a very hoppy nose with floral and citrus notes that compliments the sweet and spicy shrimp. The sweet, spicy, and citrus flavors in the dish help to smooth out the hoppy finish of the beer.

Spicy Dog, 6th Course

Pan Roasted NY Strip with Roasted Cipollini Onion, asparagus, and a Double Dog Cambonzola Cheese Sauce served with Double Dog Double Pale Ale

4 12 oz. NY Strips
1 pound Cipollini onions/1 bag pearl onions
1 bunch asparagus
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
4 ounces Cambonzola Cheese/ Blue Cheese, cut in cubes
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup Double Dog Pale Ale
2 tablespoons butter

-Preheat oven 350F. Cut the ends off and peel Cipollini or Pearl Onions and place in bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in oven for 25 minutes or until they are soft and caramelized. Bring a medium sauce pot of water up to a boil. Cut the ends off the asparagus and add to boiling water for 4 minutes. Place in bowl of ice water to stop the asparagus from overcooking and set aside.
-Trim the fat off the edges of the NY Strips and cut across into thirds to give 10-12 portions. Place a large sauté pan with 2 tablespoons oil to get smoking hot on burner. Season steaks and carefully add half the steaks to the pan. Let cook for two minutes and then flip for another two minutes and set aside. Let pan reheat for two minutes and add the rest of the steaks. If you want to cook the meat more place in oven to bring up the temperature. Save the pan that you cooked the meat in and pour off the fat from the pan. Add garlic and Double Dog Double Pale Ale to the pan scraping up any bits. Reduce by half and then add mustard, red wine vinegar, and the cheese. Whisk the cheese into the sauce to melt smoothly and add butter, salt, and pepper.
-To serve; Heat a pan with 2 T butter to melt. Add asparagus and Cipollini Onions to warm and season with salt and pepper. Add two asparagus to the center of each plate. Slice the meat into four slices and place on top of asparagus. Pour cheese sauce on top of steak and add 2 to 3 Cipollini Onions to each plate.

Tasting Notes: The Double Dog Pale Ale is a heavyweight beer with a super hoppy flavor that helps to cut through the fattiness of the beef. The Blue Cheese sauce for the beef ties the dish together and the cheese and mustard smoothes out the finish and makes a beautiful sauce.

Sicy Dog, 7th Course

Salami and Fresh Goat Cheese with Horn Dog Barley Wine mustard fruits, Watercress and Crustini served with Horn Dog Barley Wine

1 log salami (artisanal quality)
2 logs Goat Cheese 12 oz
1 baguette
3 tablespoons olive oil
watercress
pecans (optional)
2 pounds mixed fruit (apples, peaches, pears, apricots, citrus)
3 cup honey
1 lemon
½ cup mustard seeds
½ cup Horn Dog Barley Wine

- Preheat oven to 350.
- Wash and dice all the fruit. In a casserole dish, cover the fruit (first the ones which take longer to cook) with water and add one tablespoon of honey, the grated rind and the juice of a lemon. Cook the fruit for 30 minutes over medium heat. Remove from fire and cool.
- In a second casserole, warm the Horn Dog Barley Wine and the rest of the honey; reduce the syrup by one third and mix in the mustard. Remove from heat and cool.
- Combine the fruit (not drained) and the syrup. Mix well and refrigerate.
- Slice the baguette into rounds ¼" thick and place on sheet pan drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake for 6-10 minutes until brown and crusty.
- To plate: Slice two or three slices salami, slices two rounds goat cheese per person, and divide among plates. Add crustinis, watercress, pecans, and a tablespoon of mustard fruits to the center and serve.

Tasting Notes: The classic Italian mustard fruits are given a lot more depth with the addition of the Horn Dog Barley Wine rather than white wine. The sharpness of the goat cheese and the peppery watercress are smoothed out with the rich, malty Barley Wine.

Spicy Dog, 8th Course

Gonzo Imperial Porter Molten Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

6oz dark chocolate (70% Cacao, sweet) chopped
1¼ stick butter
3 large egg whites
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup Gonzo Imperial Porter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 packs blackberry or raspberry
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 pint vanilla ice cream

-Preheat oven to 450.
-Place chocolate and butter in a metal bowl over a pot of boiling water to melt. In a separate bowl whisk eggs with sugar until pale yellow about 10 minutes. Once chocolate and butter are melted, let cool slightly and then gently fold into the eggs and add flour until just mixed. Add Gonzo Imperial Porter and vanilla being careful not to over mix.
-Meanwhile place ½ blackberries, sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3, transfer to a blender and puree.
-Prepare muffin tin or individual ramekins with oil and flour to prevent cake from sticking. Fill the pan with the cake mix up to ¾ full. Place in oven and bake until the sides are firm and the top just starts to crack, about eight minutes. (You can fill just one pan and practice baking to see how long it takes until it cooked on the outside but is runny in the middle.)
- To serve: Gently cut around the outside of the cakes with a knife and turn out onto a plate. Mix the remaining blackberries into the sauce and place around the cake. Place a scoop of ice cream on each plate and serve.

Tasting Notes: The Gonzo Imperial Porter in the chocolate cake recipe adds a deep, malty flavor with coffee aromas.

Beer Dinner Menu #2 "Off the Gonzo Grill" - 1st Course

Grilled Calamari, Chickpeas, Watercress, Lemon, and Peperoncini with In-Heat Wheat

½ pound fresh calamari, tubes only
½ bunch watercress/arugula
1 can Chickpeas
1 jar peperoncini, coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch parsley
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lemon, juiced
¼ cup EV olive oil
salt and pepper

-Heat grill to medium temperature. Cut calamari lengthwise, and drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper, set aside. Add chickpeas to a bowl and mix in onion, peperoncini, red pepper, parsley, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
-Grill calamari for 3 minutes each side until charred slightly. Place 2 tablespoons chickpea salad to each plate, add 5 sprigs watercress and divide calamari among plates. Garnish with olive oil and lemon wedge and serve.

Tasting Notes: The In-Heat Wheat is complimented with the chickpeas, while the smokiness of the calamari gives dimension. The lemon and peperoncini balances for a smooth finish.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 2nd Course

Watermelon Gazpacho with Chili Marinated Shrimp over Grilled Bruschetta with Tire Bite Golden Ale

10 u-16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 baguette
6 ½ pound tomatoes, cored and cut with an X on the bottom
2 1 pound watermelon, 2 cups coarsely chopped, 2 cups small diced
2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded, 2 cups coarsely chopped, 2 cups small dice
¼ cup sherry vinegar
3 teaspoons EV olive oil
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
½ cup cilantro chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
salt and pepper

-Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes and cook 30 seconds until skin is loosened. Place in bowl of ice water. Peel tomatoes, cut in half and squeeze out seeds through strainer collecting the tomato juice in a bowl. Coarsely chop tomatoes to make 4 cups while small dicing the remaining tomatoes for garnish.
-In a food processor, puree tomatoes, tomato juice, 2 Cups coarsely chopped watermelon, 2 Cups coarsely chopped Cucumber, and process until smooth. Add sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and chill.
-Mix small diced tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and jalapenos in a bowl, mix, and reserve.
-Cut baguette across into ¼ inch rounds. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and grill the shrimp and bread 3 minutes each side.
-Place 4oz soup in each bowl, place one grilled bread in the middle, top with the shrimp and place 2 teaspoons of the small diced garnish around each bowl and serve.

Tasting Notes: The Tire Bite Golden Ale is enhanced with the fresh and spicy flavors of the gazpacho and the rich sweetness of the shrimp.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 3rd Course

Grilled Peach and Crispy Proscuitto with Herb Ricotta Cheese, Curry Cashews and Old Scratch Peach Coulis with Old Scratch Amber Lager

6 ripe peaches, pit removed and cut in quarters
4 slices proscuitto, sliced thin
1 qt Ricotta cheese
¼ pound cashews
½ bunch watercress/arugula
3 teaspoon curry powder
1 bunch chives, sliced thin
1 bunch basil, small chop
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 bottle Old Scratch Amber Ale
¼ cup champagne/white wine vinegar
3 teaspoon honey
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper

-Heat oven to 300 F and heat grill to medium.
-Drizzle olive oil on peaches and reserve. Place proscuitto on sheet pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy and reserve.
-Toss cashews with curry powder and olive oil and place in oven for 10 minutes, until toasted. Reserve.
-Mix the Ricotta cheese with the herbs and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
-In a blender add 1 peach (rough cut), Old Scratch Amber Lager, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil using a whisk until all the ingredients are emulsified.
-Grill the peaches on medium heat until slightly charred and soft.
-To serve: place one spoonful of Ricotta cheese on each plate, top with two peach pieces, place 4 sprigs of watercress on the peach, add pieces of crispy proscuitto, and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve.

Tasting Notes: The lightly sweet malty flavor of the Old Scratch Amber makes a great vinaigrette which is enhanced by the saltiness of the proscuitto and the sweet smokiness of the peaches.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 4th Course

Grilled Chicken Summer Rolls with Mango and a Lime Peanut Dipping Sauce with Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

2 ounces dried cellophane noodles
1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
2 limes, juiced
3 tablespoons peanuts, crushed
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
6 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons sesame oil
10 8½ Rice Paper wrappers
4 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded
1 bunch fresh mint
½ bunch cilantro
2 carrots, peeled and julienne
1 mango, peeled and julienne
4 tablespoons sugar

-In a medium bowl, cover cellophane noodles with hot water and let stand 30 minutes, drain and cover with a damp towel until ready for use.
-Heat grill to medium. Season Chicken with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through. Let cool and thinly slice.
-In a bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, limes, peanuts, honey, and sesame oil, reserve.
-Soak 1 wrapper in bowl of hot water until pliable. Lay the wrapper on the cutting board and blot dry. Place 1 small handful of lettuce on the bottom third of the wrapper. Top with some of the chicken, noodles, mint, cilantro, mango and carrots. Roll up the wrapper, tucking in the ends as you go. Cover with a damp towel. Repeat with remaining wrappers and ingredients.
-Cut each roll in half and divide among plates, serve with dipping sauce.

Tasting Notes: The Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale has a slight bitter edge which is perfectly balanced with the sweet and sour peanut dipping sauce.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 5th Course

Grilled Sausage, Jicama and Apple Slaw, and Scottish Porter Apricot Mustard with Road Dog Porter

1 pound Garlic Pepper Sausage( substitute your favorite)
½ pound Jicama, peeled and julienne
2 apples, peeled and julienne
1 small red onion, julienne
3 celery branches, julienne
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 dried apricots, soaked in warm water
½ cup spicy mustard
¼ bottle Road Dog Porter
salt and pepper

-Heat grill to medium and cut slash marks into sausage to prevent the sausage from splitting on the grill. Grill sausage for ten minutes rotating to grill all sides.
-Mix jicama, onion, apple, celery, vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
-In a food processor blend apricots, mustard, and Road Dog Porter until smooth.
-Slice sausage into equal pieces and divide among plates, place jicama and apple mixture on plates and 1 T of mustard and serve.

Tasting Notes: The grilled sausage is complimented well with the Road Dog Porter Mustard that adds a spicy sweet flavor to the beer's finish.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 6th Course

Grilled Ground Lamb Skewers, Couscous Salad, and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce with Snake Dog IPA

1 pack 4" wooden skewers
1 pound ground lamb
3 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cumin, ground
1 tablespoon coriander, ground
¼ pound couscous
2 cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 small red onion, small diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 tomatoes, small dice
2 lemons, juiced
¼ cup EV olive oil
1 pack fresh mint, chopped
1 pack fresh dill, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 pint sour cream
1 pint plain yogurt
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper

-Place aluminum foil on ¼ of the grill so the wooden skewers will not burn. Heat grill to medium.
-In a bowl, mix lamb with shallots, ½ mint, 2 T garlic, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and 3 t salt and pepper. Roll lamb into 2 inch long patties and skewer. Place on grill with the wooden skewer over the foil and grill 6 minutes while turning to cook evenly.
-Bring 2 cups water to a boil and pour over couscous in a bowl and cover for 5 minutes.
-Uncover couscous and fluff with a fork. Mix in 1 cucumber small diced, onion, parsley, tomatoes, ½ mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
-Mix yogurt, sour cream, 1 cucumber shredded, red wine vinegar, paprika, and salt and pepper.
-Divide couscous between plates, place to lamb skewers on top, and drizzle cucumber yogurt sauce around. Serve.

Tasting Notes: The slight spicy characteristics of the Snake Dog IPA are complimented by the spicy lamb skewers. While the cucumber yogurt sauce cools the spicyness and adds a refreshing finish.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 7th Course

Grilled Rockfish, Littleneck Clams, Grilled Fennel, Pickled Roasted Peppers, in a Pale Ale Lemon Broth with Double Dog Double Pale Ale

2 pound rockfish filet and cut into 10 portions
20 littleneck clams
2 bulbs fennel
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
2 yellow peppers
¼ bunch thyme
¼ cup sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 lemons
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 bottle Double Dog Double Pale Ale
salt and pepper

-Heat the grill to medium.
-Place whole peppers on grill and roast all sides until blackened. Remove from grill and let cool.
-Cut the tops off the fennel and cut into 6 equal parts. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill until slightly charred and the fennel is soft (about 12 minutes).
-Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper, olive oil and place on grill. Cook three minutes per side.
-Peel the peppers under running water. Slice into strips and place in bowl with vinegar, sugar, and 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper.
-Heat a sauté pan to medium. Add olive oil and littleneck clams. Sauté 3 minutes then add grilled fennel and Double Dog Double Pale Ale. Cover and steam until clams are open. Finish broth with fresh thyme chopped, lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper.
-Divide fennel broth among bowls, and add two clams to each. Place piece of rockfish on top of fennel, and place one tablespoon of pepper mix on top of the fish.

Tasting Notes: The hoppiness of the Double Dog Double Pale Ale adds a herbal flavor to the broth while the lemon and butter smooths out the finish. The pepper relish goes well with the smokiness of the fish and cuts the bitterness from the beer.

Off the Gonzo Grill - 8th Course

Gonzo imperial Porter Float with Chocolate Covered Cherries

1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 pound fresh cherries or strawberries
8 oz dark chocolate
3 Gonzo Imperial Porter

-Take the cherries and cut a small x in the bottom of each and gently remove the pit.
-Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in plastic or glass bowl. Place in microwave and cook at 50% power for two minutes, stirring to make sure chocolate melts evenly.
-Dip cherries into chocolate until well covered and place on a plate and put in freezer until ready.
-Scoop two big scoops of ice cream into beer glasses, Pour Gonzo Imperial Porter to the top. Garnish with chocolate covered cherries and serve.

Tasting Notes: The vanilla ice cream adds to the creamy richness of the porter while the chocolate covered cherry accents the malty characteristics.

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While a bit more relaxing, thankfully this beer dinner at Pourhouse didn't tone down the flavour...
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http://www.beerdinners.com

More information on Beer Dinners - reviews, where more...1 point

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Beer Ratings, brewer, brewpub, bar, beer reviews and more

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Flying Dog Brewery

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  • pompom210 Apr 26, 2011 @ 10:29 pm | delete
    Ma' Dogs! ;O)

    Thanks for sharing what, to me, is a novel idea! :O)

    I'm vegetarian, & would have liked even more nods our way, but your hearts are clearly in the right place, & you certainly counselled others to be inclusive. Good advice!

    The way you described it, a beer dinner certainly sounds exciting! Something to look forward to.

    Excellent lens! :D

    Sunshine & Blessings,
    Giovani
  • 20webhosting Apr 1, 2011 @ 10:00 am | delete
    Great lens! you have put very nice information in this lens.
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FlyingDogBrewery

The Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog was originally started in 1990 as a brewpub in Aspen, CO.  Today, Flying Dog beers can be found in 46 states... more »

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