Base Camp Brewing Company is a must visit brewery located in the heart of Portland, Oregon’s brewery district. Brewed Food is thrilled to be partnering with the Base Camp Brewing Co. brewers to showcase their outstanding beer at the Brewing Dinner on April 19th at Simpatica Dining Hall with Biwa Restaurant. Here is what Brewer Paul Thurston of Base Camp Brewing Company has to add about the Brewed Food movement:
What was your first “aha” moment with food and beer pairings?
I got into good beer before I really discovered good food, so my early experiments involved simple pairings of beer with cheese, chocolate, grilled meats, and the like. As I got more into good food while simultaneously gaining more and more insight into fermentation and related microbiology, I became incredibly fascinated with the way different natural enzymes and microflora work- in the kitchen, in the brewery, in our environment, and in our bodies- to break down and build upon the base ingredients themselves, creating flavors that are deeper and richer and food and drink that is healthier and more in tune with our bodies’ own digestive systems. I wouldn’t say I’ve had one true “aha” moment, more of an ongoing series of discoveries and realizations that keeps me constantly striving to use fun and fascinating processes to create new flavors in the brewery and in my kitchen.
Why food and beer is for you?
I believe beer and food share a synergy because they are both historically about taking simple ingredients and altering them, through naturally occurring processes, into new creations that are grander than the simple sum of their parts. The creations are then meant to be something that gather the community together, around a table or a bartop, to learn and communicate with their neighbors, and build understanding of one another as well as solutions to shared problems. This magic of creation and community throughout history is paramount to what we know of as civilization, and it gives me great joy to be a tiny part of that lineage.
What is “next” for food and beer?
I believe that a growing understanding of different standard and non-standard brewing yeasts, fermentation procedures, and brewing microbiology will lead to a myriad of new and interesting flavors and balances in beer in the coming decades. These new flavors will only serve to enhance beer’s desirability as a pairing agent for good food. More interestingly, I think this same growing knowledge will lend to a more broad correlation between brewing fermentation and food fermentation practices, and serve to both bridge the gap between the two as well as allow for creative collaboration between brewers and chefs in the pursuit of new flavor profiles. The future is ripe!
What Brewer is creating something that works well with your beer?
Oh man, the list goes on and on. We live in a rich time for food and beer exploration and so many folks are doing great work here in Portland. Restaurants that immediately come to mind include, but are very much not limited to, the following. Pairing the fantastic charcuterie they make over at Olympia Provisions with smooth lager beers, Higgin’s has a great beer focus on their menu and fantastic food, Apizza Scholl’s crafts some of the best pizza dough in town, and Pok Pok has such a diverse array of flavors and spices on the menu that the beer pairings are nearly limitless.
Biwa Restaurant is an izakaya style restaurant that is known for great sake, sashimi, small dishes, grilled food and a nice atmosphere. Biwa is a very proud part of Portland’s vibrant restaurant fabric and will be the second stop on Brewed Food’s national tour. Chef James Davidson will collaborate with Chef and Certified Cicerone Jensen Cummings for a 6 course beer and food blowout. Hear what Chef Davidson has to say about the Brewed Food movement:
What was your first “aha” moment with food and beer pairings? I was working at Eastburn and they did a series of events called Beer Belly. I had the opportunity to sit down with Chef Joe Daugherty and Anderson Valley (I think) to plan the menu for one of these. That was the first time I really tried to translate the taste of beer into culinary ideas.
Why food and beer is for you? Food is for me because it’s meditation. Beer is for me because of genetics.
What is “next” for food and beer? A return to something simple and basic, something timeless and primal.
What Brewer is creating something that works well with your food? I’m excited to work alongside Base Camp Brewing Company because they have such a wide range of styles and flavors. There’s something to compliment any dish.
Jester King is an authentic farmhouse brewery committed to making wild ales and spontaneously fermented beers that reflect the unique character of their location in the Texas Hill Country. Jester King beers will be featured at the first stop on the National Brewed Food Tour in Austin, TX on April 5th. Jester King Founder Jeffrey Stuffings shares his insights on Brewed Food:
What was your first “aha” moment with food and beer pairings? Our first beer dinner at Barley Swine in 2011.
Why food and beer is for you? It’s incredibly enjoyable, but also serves to bring people together.
What is “next” for food and beer? Moving beyond the obvious or classic pairings, incorporating beer making techniques into cooking and vice versa.
What Chef/Brewer is creating something that works well with your food/beer? Bryce Gilmore of Odd Duck/Barley Swine; Chef Jacob Hilbert of The Hollow; Chef John Bates of Noble Sandwich Co.
Chef Shih-Yu Hwang, from Odd Duck, is one of the collaborators of the Brewed Food Dinner set to take place on April 5th in Austin, TX which is the first stop on a multi-city tour. Odd Duck is a place to share food, drink and hospitality shaped by a craftsmen’s approach to cooking, the culture of Austin, the creativity of the staff and the products from amazing local farmers.
Chef Hwang took some time to share some thoughts on what Brewed Food means to him: What was your first “aha” moment with food and beer pairings? When I first had an ice cream float with a pecan porter.
Why food and beer is for you? I love to eat and love to drink even more.
What is “next” for food and beer? Jester King created a beer called Amicis Mortis based on a dish that was on the Odd Duck menu. I think that is really inventive and it would be nice to create a dish inspired by one of their beers. The fermentation process is being used a lot in kitchens and it would be interesting to use brewing cultures/techniques in that process and see what unique characteristics that would bring into the food.
What Chef/Brewer is creating something that works well with your food/beer? Jester King’s beer has so much unique flavor profiles and when it is paired with food, it enhances the flavors of a dish on a deeper level.
Our last Denver Restaurant stop will be at Rebel Restaurant this coming Thursday before our national tour starts! Here’s some of Dan Lasiy’s thoughts on beer and food. If you haven’t been to Rebel yet, these guys are helping solidify the Denver restaurant scene.
What was your first “aha” moment with food and beer pairings? Oysters and Stouts.
Why food and beer for you? I think it is more interesting, and offers a more broad spectrum than wine.
What is “next” for food and beer? full on restaurants and menus that really go all out on pairing beer and food, using brewing science in food preparations.
What Brewer is creating something that works well with your food? Ratio Beer Works They create a lot of beers that pair well with different types of food.