Last week a coworker had told me that the Red Avocado Restaurant was hosting a six course beer pairing dinner. Needless to say Carl and I were stoked. The dinner started at six and we met in front of the restaurant. The Red Avocado is located on East Washington Street in the basement of an old house. To compensate for their lack of windows the concrete walls are painted key lime green, the effect makes the whole place feel like a brightly colored wine cellar, it felt cool and clean. We were seated in the back room at a small table. The sound of acoustic guitar wafted through the air. After a short wait the first pairing was served. As they brought the beer and food one of the owners told everyone about the first course explaining how and why the dish was selected. He also explained that all of the beer served that night was produced by the Brau Brothers Brewery in Lucan Minnesota.
The dinner started with the Brothers Strawberry Wheat which was paired with a mixed green salad with lemon vinaigrette and toasted cashews. The beer had almost no head and what was there disappeared quickly. We noticed color variation between the glasses but they both reminded us of straw with some gold tones. The aroma was true to the name smelling of sweet strawberries and wheat; it was a rich smell, very nice. Our first impression of the taste was that it was like creamy strawberry soda. It was not very complex but it was delicious and light and it paired very well with the lemon vinaigrette on the salad. The beer became a part of the flavor in the salad, enhancing it by adding a sweet note. The pepper and cashews rounded out this pairing by adding the perfect spicy and savory tones. (Pair A-)
Next up was the Old 56 Premium Light Ale paired with Herbed Shitake mushroom canapé. The beer’s head retention was, again, not very good. Its color was light lemon with a floating yeast cloud. The nose was light and malty, slightly tart and sweet with a citrus acidity. The taste started out malty then made a quick change to a tart lemon flavor. It was a simple brew, nicely carbonated and it went down easy, leaving a nice tart flavor around the mouth. The mushroom canapé was phenomenal. It transformed the beer into a wonderful companion full of grainy wheat and yeast and the beer did a good job clearing the pallet between bites. Overall the effect was like watching the steam rise from the rich earthy soil in the woods on a crisp rainy autumn day. (Pair A)
Brau Brothers 100 Yard Dash Fresh Hop Ale was up next paired with a white bean pate and pita. Weak head retention seemed to be a trend with this Minnesota brewer. The fresh hop ale had a nice copper color though, and the nose was very nice. Its aroma was complex mainly consisting of the grapefruit smell of Cascade hops, strong like an IPA with hints of fresh grass and malty undertones. The taste began with a nice composition of full sweet body and tart hops. The acidity grew towards the middle and then the malt dropped off allowing the tart hops flavors to take over, beautiful! Its taste was tart herbal bitterness and as it went down and it lingered pleasantly in the top back part of the mouth. When paired with the pita and pate however the beer overpowered, and only added slightly to the grainy pita. A beer with dominant hops flavors like the 100 Yard Dash should never be paired with a mild dish like this. (Pair D+)
Next up was the Sheephead Double IPA paired with an orange coriander root vegetable. This time the head stuck around a little longer a good medium retention. The color was a solid light brown and the nose was faint and subtle yet complex. It consisted of a warm malty base with fruity hops on top. The taste started with a bit of hops on the tip of the tongue, the bitterness remained as the flavor became a wide savory malt. As it finished the malt died off and left just the bitterness of the hops. The dish wonderfully complemented the beer by filling in all of the gaps. It enhanced the sweetness of the malt and carried the acidity and bite of the hops. A wonderful combination. (Pair A+)
After a short break they delivered the Scotch Ale together with chipotle barley pilaf with roasted red peppers. Again the head had medium staying power, better than the first three. The beer was a slightly opaque nut brown in color and its aroma was rich and sweet with raspberry. The beer also had a slightly alcoholic smell. The taste started out light and smoky then sweet malt entered developing the smokiness into a wonderful after taste. The pairing was ok but the Scotch Ale did little to help the pilaf and worse the pilaf stripped the ale of its smoky flavor. (Pair B-)
To finish the dinner the Red Avocado presented Brau Brothers Cream Stout paired with a chocolate cup cake with coffee frosting. Surprisingly the head on the stout was very light and diminished quickly. The color was very dark and mostly opaque with slight red and brown tones and the nose was rich like dark coffee with a definite sweetness. The flavor surprised us again, it was light and creamy with a mild coffee bitterness almost like a weak, creamed coffee. The carbonation added to the texture of the beer. The combination with the cup cake was good. The stout lightened the heavy (and delicious) cup cake while the cake filled in the beer, giving it more body. (B+)
Before we left the owner who had announced the pairings came to our table to ask how we liked the dinner. He told us that this was their first beer pairing. We asked him to make a habit of it. Overall the Red Avocado had done a fantastic job providing the perfect ambiance, food, and beverages to make any ones night a true pleasure. Till next time beer lovers and market mavens alike. Prost!
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