Beer and food: The odd couple?
Can beer ever partner food as comfortably as wine does?
One of the more innovative suggestions to have arisen from the trade's beer and food brainstorm is the idea of a beer sommelier.
Any restaurant worth its fancy rock salt has among its front of house staff a tail-coated "guru of the grape" with a French accent, adorned with a silver tastevin, and with a glint of disdain in his eye.
Yet few restaurants provide diners with a beer boffin? Adorned with a silver hop or mash fork around his neck, they could proffer some tip-top tableside drinking advice and wax lyrical about the finer subtleties of a Californian pale ale or a delicious dark and creamy porter, monsieur.
While it may seem a step too far for some, the fact remains that if beer and food are to successfully marry, the relationship will require the widespread blessing of sommeliers, chefs and others at the sharp end of the restaurant and bar business.
As professionals who work constantly with flavours and whose senses are acutely aware of the myriad of tastes and aromas, sommeliers and chefs are better placed than most to evaluate the benefits of beer with food.
To this end, Flavour decided to book a table at three first-rate restaurants. With a selection of bespoke beers in tow, we sat down for a chow-down and a drink-up with sommeliers and chefs to see whether beer and food is a match made in heaven and not, as some cynics suggest, dreamt up by the marketing departments of the beer companies.
We then asked them to come up with dishes to showcase the various characteristics and flavours of the chosen beers.
The Restaurants:
The Saint, Brighton
Alexander Cadogan (AC),owner and chef A modern bistro serving food with a heavy French bias and a strong Mediterranean influence.
La Trompette, Chiswick, London
Matthieu Longuere (ML),head sommelier A multi-award winning French restaurant that specialises in classy country cooking. Renown for its superlative wine list and knowledgeable sommeliers.
Boxwood Cafe, Knightsbridge, London
Marc Botes (MB),head sommelierGordon Ramsay's interpretation of a New York café housed in the Berkeley Hotel has won many plaudits for its first-rate yet informal cuisine.
On beer and wine:
ML: It's interesting because the complexities of flavours found in beer are equal to those found in wine. The only difference is ageing. Beer is at its best when it leaves the brewery, but wine can be laid down and improved with time. Beer is very filling and so the beers that are less quaffable, strong in flavour and served in smaller glasses are more suited to serving with food.
AC: The grainy, spicy and hoppy flavours really complement North European cuisine. Wine gets lost with spicy food whereas beer can more than hold its own. You're looking for harmonies and contrasts and you need to meet power with power, but still try and avoid overtaking the respective flavours.
MB: Flavours that beer has that wines don't are hoppiness, bitterness and different levels of sweet, spice and fruit. I wouldn't be reluctant to offer beer instead of wine. If people want it I'll serve it and hopefully have something to tell them about it.
On price and margins
ML: Price simply isn't a concern. We can charge £6 for a beer if it's a bit special. If something is quality, restaurants should feel confident in charging what they like.
AC: The margin is not an issue as there's no reason why you can't apply the same mark-up. If it's a good quality restaurant, people will be willing to experiment and if it's displayed properly with tasting notes and served by knowledgeable staff then why couldn't Bellevue Kriek sell for £7 or £8 or for the same price as a cocktail?
On Beer to Dine For, 5 per cent ABV
Brewer's description: A golden ale brewed by Suffolk brewer Greene King and specifically designed to be drunk with food.
ML: It goes well with strong flavours and spices because there wasn't anything to oppose the strong essences of the food and it really cleansed the palette.Suggested dish: Crisp sea bass with mashed potato and red pepper marmalade.
AC: It was a nice summery beer but it looks like it's been designed specifically for All Bar One. I don't like the name - it suggests it's gimmicky rather than quality. Suggested dish: A starter of saffron-infused red mullet with taboulet and harissa sauce.
MB: I was not too impressed. It's rather flat and plain and not much of a finish.I can't see it taking off. Suggested dish: Moules mariniere.
On Innis & Gunn, 5.3 per cent ABV
Brewer's description: A flavoursome Scottish oak-aged bottled ale which is matured in whisky barrels for 77 days. It is naturally carbonated which gives it a light effervescence similar to champagne.
ML: It works brilliantly with cheese because its taste profile gives the impression of tannins. It's smooth, strong and has a good character. With chicken liver and foie gras terrine it makes a spectacular combination. Suggested dish: Terrine de campagne with foie gras.
AC: It's a strong beer with strong flavours so the food needs to step up. You could make a great pork sauce out of that, and pairing it with some smoked fish would be delicious.Suggested dish: Haggis in a cabbage parcel on a braised lentil stew.
MB: It's really good, our preferred beer of the lot. It's rich, strong and smoky.Suggested dish: Anything chargrilled. Veal or any white flesh fish and a cream-based sauce.
On Duchy Originals Organic Ale, 5 per cent ABV
Brewer's description: A premium quality organic bottled ale, brewed to Duchy Originals' recipe using barley harvested from Prince Charles' Home Farm at Highgrove.
ML: It had a lot of personality, almost too much. It risked overtaking and overpowering the food. Cheeses, black pudding and game are some options we came up with.Suggested dish: Game dishes, venison and kidney or a Beef Wellington.
AC: It's very wheaty and grainy which would make it ideal for winter stews and game. Pork belly and crackling would be spot-on. Unlike wine, pork is good with a lot of these beers.Suggested dish: Pot roast grouse, truffle mash and kale.
MB: Spicy, fruity and nutty and very strong. Combine it with red meat.Suggested dish: A Moroccan tagine-style beef or lamb dish cooked with spices, dates, apricots, raisins and nuts.
On Bellevue Kriek, 5.3 per cent ABV Brewer's description: A Belgian lambic fruit beer made by macerating fresh cherries in the lambic which gives a burgundy hue and a refreshingly fruity taste to the beer.
ML: It worked best with desserts but little else. Suggested dish: Black Forest Gateau or a chocolate fondant.
AC: Goes really well with duck, goose or foie gras where the sweetness cuts through the fat. Alternativel
