On the Road to GABF

Originally published in October 2016, view original article here.

Uncover the secret of beer and food pairings with Chef Jensen Cummings

In preparation for the Great American Beer Festival, Chef Jensen Cummings has been busy creating a series of events at local breweries called “A Tale of Two Pairings.” Guests can stop by and experience Cummings’ innovative approach to pairing beer and food.

Cummings was one of the first chefs in Denver to become both a sommelier and a cicerone. Cummings’ resume includes stints at Kevin Taylor’s, TAG, and Row 14. He has also consulted on several beer-centric projects such as Rackhouse Pub and The Lobby. His most recent venture is Brewed Food, a collective of chefs and brewers collaborating to push the culinary boundaries of the beer and food world.

Every Friday, from 4-7pm, Cummings will be on hand at one of the participating breweries to create a dish that utilizes the same ingredients and techniques used to brew the beer, thereby creating a new and innovative pairing. The goal is to pair two contrasting styles of beer with a single dish that will challenge preconceived notions of traditional beer and food pairings.

Recently, at Hogshead Brewery, Jensen created a Madras Curried Berkshire Pork Cheek with spent grain yougurt and dry-hopped peach chutney. The dish was paired with Hogshead’s Gilpin Porter and Dry-Hopped Gilpin Porter.

The schedule for Cummings’ Road to GABF Tap Room Tasting Tour can be found at Culinary Cicerone. The pairings, which include one small plate and two beer pairings, are $10.

By Elizabeth Woessner