A Dinner with Brooklyn Brewmaster Garrett Oliver
7 courses and beer pairings at Whole Foods in Downtown Austin
My husband and I literally spent hours savoring these tasty dishes along with very impressive beer pairings. I must admit I prefer wine by leaps and bounds, but this tasting gave me an entirely different point of view on beer. The beers were all packed with flavor without being too heavy. I was really surprised I was able to eat seven courses with beer, but I definitely succeeded. The Brooklyn Brewmaster Garrett Oliver told some fascinating stories about the evolution of food and beer and how the quality has shot up dramatically in the last few decades. It was also interesting to hear how many of the Brooklyn Brewery's beers were developed. This was a great gift for my husband's birthday, but it was definitely a present for myself too! The best bite of the entire meal came from the grilled rack of lamb with paprika-spiced fingerling potatoes, chanterelles and garlic gremolata. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the quality was top-notch. It's something my husband and I appreciate greatly because it's so hard to find great lamb in the U.S. After living in Australia for years, we both hold lamb to a higher standard and really it's out favorite meat when it is done right. We also enjoyed the pork belly and brussel sprouts... how could you not? And we were surprised by the warm chocolate fig pudding. It was incredible and somehow really hearty... like something you want at a holiday dinner. It also went perfectly with the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. The dessert and beer are both so bold, yet the tastes complimented one another. I also really enjoyed many of the beers served including the Brooklyn 1/2 Ale, the Brooklyn Blast and the Brooklyn Brown Ale. The Blast was my favorite.
