“Beer dinner”, the words just roll so nicely off the tongue. Beer … dinner …
So when Jeremy Good, co-owner and head brewer at Cowaramup Brewing, invited me along to the brewery’s 7th annual beer dinner I would have been a fool to say no. And I ain’t no fool.
Jeremy hosted the evening with the aid of an empty pint glass and a knife to rattle around in it, boys and girls you should remember that for the next time you have to do speeches at weddings. It gets attention, trust me.
Over five dishes matched to Cowaramup beers we all quickly warmed up over what was a very cold and foggy Saturday night.
Brie Arancini with Rocket and Dijon Dressing + Cowaramup Hefeweizen
A nice gentle pairing to start the evening with the soft, almost sweet flavours in the beer not overpowering the arancini.
Salmon Sashimi with Asian Slaw, Capers and Wasabi + Cowaramup Lightsign Summer Ale
Refreshing with low to mid bitterness, Jeremy hoped the Lightsign would act as a good compliment to the sashimi. The sweetish fresh salmon went well with the fruitiness and soft spices of the Lightsign. The wasabi was very mild but then again if it had been any stronger it would have thumped the beer. For me the only part of the pairing that didn’t quite gel were the capers; the saltiness seemed at odds with the beer but outside of that capers and salmon are joy together.
Porkerhouse Medallion with Sweet Potato Mash + Cowaramup Special Pale Ale
I must confess I thought this was a typo when I read the menu but low and behold a nice little pork dish landed in front of me. The Special Ale Ale had a lovely spiciness that was an easy compliment to the pork and mushroom sauce.
Indian Goat Curry with Wild Rice + Cowaramup India Pale Ale and Cowaramup Pilsner
Jeremy chose the India Pale Ale to compliment and the Pilsner to cleanse. Special guest chef and supplier of the goat was Shane Blount from the local Cowaramup Butchers, incidentally I think their tagline “meats to please you” is simply amazing.
Gabriel Chocolate Surprise + Cowaramup Porter
Chocolate and porter … it’s hard to go wrong there and a great way to end the night.
“They say all good things must come to an end … but I’ll have a drink when I get home”, and with that Jeremy closed the evening.
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Big big thanks to Claire and Jeremy for having me along to the dinner. See you next year!
