Beer Me a Beer

It's been a bit of a tough week. And not least of all because of an interaction I had with a patron late on the other afternoon. (Note to the general public: maybe don't yell at someone in front of her staff when she's indubitably correct, and then certainly don't curse in front of children. Probably not a good idea.) So by the time I got home, I wanted nothing more than good food, good drink, and good company.

Good thing we were having dinner with some awesome friends!

Hollie is the bar manager at The Black Squirrel--recently home of my kick-ass Thirty Flirty Fab birthday party--and really knows a thing or two. You can always count on her to bring some amazing small-batch beers and help you enjoy them in a way you never knew was possible. (I love my friends...) So, Jake cooked, Hollie brought the drink, and Adri and I joyfully went along for the ride.

Our food-and-beer pairing menu after the jump. (Don't get too jealous...We were merely tasting.)

Course #1: Corn on the cob with chipotle-scallion butter (Recipe from Gourmet [RIP], July 2008)
Beer #1: Terrapin Side Project Maggie's Farmhouse Ale

Course #2: Pork tostadas with cilantro, lime, queso fresco, avocado, and sour cream (Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, March/April 2010)
Beer #2: Dogfish Head Squall IPA

Course #3: Rhubarb-Peach Cobbler (Recipe from Good Eats)
Beer #3: Dogfish Head Sah'tea

And sipped while watching Hulu on the couch after dinner...
Beer #4: Urthel Samaranth Quadrium Ale
Beer #5: Atwater Block Brewery Wake Up & Smell the Beer Vanilla Java Porter

They were all pretty darned good. (We did taste another one that did not get such rave reviews from those of us in the Peanut Gallery: New Holland Brewing's Envious.) I'm always a fan of a good, heavy java porter. And Maggie's Farm was clean, fresh, and a little sour: the perfect pairing with the corn on the cob. The Sah'tea tasted like chai tea in the best way possible. But I think my favorite was the Squall IPA. I don't generally like my beers to be incredibly hoppy, but the hops weren't overbearing on this one. It paired so well with the heat of the tostadas and the creaminess of the queso fresco, avocados, and sour cream. You need a bold beer to do that. :)

The only bad thing about being exposed to all of these beers is that they aren't all widely available, and now we have to keep our eyes wide open for a bottle or two of some of them. But Fenwick Beer & Wine is good about stocking small-batch beers, so that might be a good in-road for those of us a mere two blocks away. They were definitely worth another taste or two. Or three. Or...