Where can you get award winning barbeque with an incredible beer selection in Downtown LA? ?Spring Street Smoke House & BBQ, that?s where!
We are back with another amazing beer pairing dinner, and we can definitely say that the 3rd time?s the charm. ?In this case, the 1st and 2nd were also quite charming, but this time the food was paired with Downtown?s own Angel City Brewery. ?Angel City Brewery hasn?t officially opened its doors to the public yet, but it?s already created awesome beers. ?LA get ready, because you are in for a serious treat.
Now onto the beer pairing dinner. ?Tonight?s dinner would be a 5 course meal complete with 5 different beer pairings for each. ?Without further ado, I present the menu.
First Course
Kettle chips marinated in Eureka Wit and vinegar for over 24 hours
Beer Pairing: Eureka Wit, Angel City?s flagship beer with wheat, oats, and?coriander?and hopped with Nelson, Citra, and Fuggle
Notes: ?Nothing quite beats a good helping of Kettle Chips. ?These chips were expertly cooked and could easily be eaten with any barbeque or picnic food. ?The Wit beer was a great pairing, but honestly with the summer heat in full swing this Eureka Wit was just plain refreshing. ?I wish I had a bottle right now.
Second Course
Irish beer & cheddar soup made with Angel City?s avocado beer and topped with fresh croutons
Beer Pairing: Angel City avocado beer. A truly unique beer made with over 125 pounds of Avocado and spiced with?garlic, crushed red pepper, and limes
Notes: ?This course was my favorite. ?I know it?s hot outside, but this soup really hit the spot. ?It was delicious! Jason, recipe please! ?The avocado beer completely took me by surprise. ?Normally a novelty beer like this is just that, a novelty, but Angel City?s beer transcends the novelty and hits a perfect?balance?of cream, spice, and crispness. ?Based off a Kolsch, this beer really shines. ?I could see this easily being one of the most popular beers in ACB?s arsenal, but I know it?s an experimental seasonal only, so if you are interested in trying it, hurry. ?It will not last.
Third & Fourth Course
Braised and smoked short rib duo. ?It was too hard to choose just one type of rib so smokehouse chose two. ?The braised ribs were cooked in Angel City?s East Coast ?Biggie? IPA and the smoked ribs were covered in a beer reduction teriyaki sauce made from Angel City?s West Coast ?Tupac? IPA. ? This came served with marinated potatoes and corn.
Beer Pairing: East Coast IPA hopped with German noble hops & West Coast IPA accented with citra.
Notes: There was a little flavor competition going on in this round. ?I really thought the pairing of East Coast IPA and Braised Ribs was?excellent. ?The mellowness of the IPA really brought out the creamy chocolaty-ness of the rib fat. ?It reminded me holiday pot roast. ?The smoked ribs were also great with the tangy bite of beer teriyaki. ?This seemed to be the crowd favorite.
Fifth Course ? Dessert
Morrocan Dessert Cigars. ?These fried fillo dough cigars were stuffed with apple,?cinnamon, and nuts and were coated with an alt beer reduction syrup.
Beer Pairing: ?Angel City alt beer. ?The head brewer, Dieter, is no stranger to making classic German style beer. ?Having worked at Gordon Biersch earlier in his career?preparing?these classic styles are old hat. ?This alt, Happy ALTernative, was rich and malty and complimented the sweetness of the desert very nicely.
Notes: ?A truly tasty dessert paired with a deliciously malty German underdog. ?I love alt beers, but we don?t get to see many of them made commercially. ?Hopefully Angel City will own this beer and bring it to the people of LA.
Wrap Up
Another great pairing dinner brought to you by the fine folks at Spring Street Smoke House. ?Honestly, if you haven?t been to one of these dinners you should really try to make it. ?There are few places in LA that deliver proper pairing dinners. ?Spring Street is one of them. ?Keep your eye out for their next dinner in December that will incorporate holiday beers.
Special thanks to the Angel City Brewery crew that made it out to meet everyone. ?Dieter, Ashley, and Ian, keep up the great work! ?Thank you also to our illustrious host Jason Kruger, who has done a bang up job organizing these Spring Street events. ?Chef Erik Punzalan, your food was delicious! Also, thanks to the amazing Smoke House staff ? you guys rock. ?Roy Chavoya (Beers in Paradise), it?s always a pleasure seeing you, buddy. ?Lisa Nativa (Nonna?s Kitchenette), it was great meeting you.
Until next time!
Cheers,
Kip
P.S. I?m serious. Go try that avocado beer!
About Kristofor Barnes
Kip is graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema Television. He is also the founder of Bierkast and co-founder of Los Angeles Ale Works. Kip picked up home brewing after college and has since become an accomplished award winning home brewer. He enjoys drinking and brewing all types of beers. He lives in Culver City, CA with his sciency wife Katie. Follow him @bierkast or Follow the LAAW @laaleworks
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