Drinking a beer is as old as humankind itself, but why relegate it to just your glass? Here, three area chefs changing the way we consume beer.
Adam Guess, chef de cuisine at Death in the Afternoon, is making good use of the restaurant’s collaboration with Upper 90 Brewing Co., tucked away in the basement. “The brewery lends itself to customizing the restaurant’s craft,” said Guess. “What better way to amaze a special party than with a glass of beer made specifically with them in mind?” Watch for Guess’ hearty, whole-grain, German-style Treberbrot bread made with spent grains from the Upper 90 Kölsch.
Hungry beer drinkers are in luck at Perennial Artisan Ales. Pairings come naturally to head chef Brian Moxey, whose eclectic dishes swimmingly complement Perennial’s releases and often include beer as an ingredient. “I’m in love with our Saison de Lis,” Moxey said. “We’re doing a smoked trout tartine right now that I think is delicious with that beer.”
Executive chef Andrew Fair of Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. has scoured vintage cookbooks, magazines and videos to augment the brewery and Biergarten’s European-inflected menus. Never one to waste a good brew, Fair uses it in the food – UCBC Apotheosis and Bushelhead cider recently figured into the kitchen’s house-made sausages, and Zwickel is used to batter brandade beignets. And that marvelous rotating poutine? Whatever’s new on tap at the brewery frequently goes into the pan to make the gravy.
This article appears in Guide to Beer 2015.