It’s Back! Beer 101 at the University of Minnesota

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This fall I’ll be teaching the course A Perfect Pint: Basics of Beer Tasting and Appreciation for the Compleat Scholar program at the University of Minnesota. Classes begin Wednesday, October 27th and run four consecutive Wednesday evenings from 7-9 PM. Tuition is $160. Last spring the course sold out. Don’t miss your opportunity. Go here to register for the fall term.

Most people readily accept the notion that wine is a beverage worthy of contemplation and consideration. Recognition of the subtleties of varietals and terroir is firmly established. After 50 years of a market dominated by light lagers, the same cannot be said of beer. For most people beer is a pale-yellow, fizzy liquid with very little flavor and hopefully even fewer calories. But good beer never went away and is currently enjoying a worldwide renaissance driven by the emergence of small craft breweries throughout the United States. Well-crafted beer rivals wine for flavor and complexity. Join the instructor, a certified Beer Cicerone, or beer adviser similar to a wine sommelier, for a course on the basics of beer tasting and appreciation. During each session you will learn about beer styles, ingredients, brewing processes, and history through presentations and tastings. You will gain an understanding of how ingredients such as hops, barley, and yeast contribute to the overall character of particular beers, as well as how regional, historical, and economic forces contributed to the emergence of particular types of beer. Participants pay a $40 fee to the instructor on the first night to cover cost of food and beverage.

Michael Agnew is a certified Beer Cicerone and the founder of A Perfect Pint, which offers beer tastings and educational experiences for private and corporate events. He is a national beer judge for the Beer Judge Certification Program, consults with restaurants about their beer offerings, and has taught classes at Kitchen Window and Cooks of Crocus Hill.

Beer Classes with Michael Agnew at Chef’s Gallery in Stillwater

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I’m happy to announce a couple new beer classes for the fall, this time at  The Chef’s Gallery in Stillwater. Located in the Grand Garage in historic downtown Stillwater, Minnesota, the Chef’s Gallery is a complete source for all your culinary desires. They pride themselves in having everything from the expected to the extraordinary: the finest cookware, bakeware, utensils, gadgets, gourmet food, dinnerware, and serving pieces from around the world. What they don’t have, they will happily order for you.

I’m excited to be teaming with James Norton and Becca Dilley of The Heavy Table for pairings of local beers and cheese. I’ll also be pairing (literally and figuratively) with Chef Bret Bannon. We’ll be exploring pairing great craft beer with appetizers. You can download the complete Chef’s Gallery fall class catalog in pdf format here.

A Perfect Pair: Local Brew and Cheese
With James Norton and Becca Dilley
Thursday, October 7, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
$45
Wisconsin is famous for cheese and beer, with Minnesota not far behind! The wares of the two states’ artisan cheese makers and craft brewers bear this fame out. Michael Agnew is a Certified Cicerone (one with proven expertise in selecting, acquiring and serving a wide range of beers). Together with Becca Dilley and James Norton, authors of The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin, they take you on a tour of the best the two states have to offer, and teach you how to create pairings of these perfectly-matched delicacies. Our Midwestern Tour de Fromage starts with lighter cheese – goats milk, Mascarpone and Camembert – to match the softer flavors of Pilsner, Kölsch or wheat beers. Next is stronger but still fairly mellow cheese – perhaps one soaked in raspberry beer from New Glarus, or cheese with a touch of smoke or washed-rind pungency – with fruity, funky, flavorful ales to match. We will finish with aged Wisconsin cheddar and bleu cheese for bold flavors that stand up to big brash locally-brewed India Pale Ale and Barleywine. Don’t miss the opportunity to taste local cheese and ale at its best.

A Perfect Pair: Craft Beers and Appetizers
With Bret Bannon
Thursday, November 18th, 6:00 – 9:00 PM
$60
The rise in craft breweries has opened a new world of beer and foodpairing. Careful brewing allows for complex and subtle notes similar to those found in wine, and has sent chefs to the kitchen to create the same level of complementary pairings. Tonight we’ll taste a variety of domestic and imported beer, and perfectly pair them to foods based on flavor profiles. Sit back and relax as Chef Bret and Cicerone Michael prepare Chickpea Fritters with Anchovy Dipping Sauce, peppered and Grilled Chicken Skewers with Zippy Dipping Sauce, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini, Creamy Smoked Trout with Apples and Horseradish on Crispy Brown Bread, and Roasted Rosemary, Walnuts and Crispy Panko Calamari with Garlic Aioli.

Boulevard Amber Ale

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I love a good American Amber Ale. They are simple beers. They don’t make a lot of demands on you. Yet they are full-flavored and fairly dependably drinkable. Many dismiss them as throwaway beers, the boring bastard stepchild of the big and bitter IPAs and Double IPA’s that beer geeks love to slobber over. To me they are a pub standard. A fallback in times when I don’t want my beer to grab me by the throat and dare me to enjoy it. You might say they are like an American version of the classic English Bitter, beer for drinking and coversating.

Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri recently added an amber to their lineup, aptly called Amber Ale. They say it’s a “Midwestern version” of this classic style, presumably to set it apart from its highly-hopped cousin the West Coast Amber. Some would say this makes it sound even more boring. But I’m a Midwesterner born and bred. I would say “uncomplicated.”

What ever you want to call it, I got some and I tasted it. Here’s my notes:

Amber Ale
Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Missouri
Style: American Amber Ale
Serving Style: 12 oz. bottle

Aroma: Huge caramel, like a chewy caramel candy. Sweet and sugary with a grainy malt background. Moderate floral hops. Hints of licorice. Not overly complex, but big and rich.

Appearance: Copper/Amber and clear. The moderate off-white head stuck around reasonably well.

Flavor: The flavor follows the aroma, but doesn’t come off quite as rich, in fact it seems unexpectedly thin given the rich, sugary aromas. Caramel. A bit on the sweet side, with grainy malt underpinnings. Moderate bitterness balances the sweet caramel, but it’s not highly hopped like many west coast examples. They do call it a “Midwestern” version. Moderate floral hop flavors. Candy. Rosewater. Notes of orange citrus almost like a classic English bitter. The finish is sweet and lingers on caramel. The finish is where the richness comes through.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium light body. Medium carbonation. Finish leaves a clinging, coating of sweetness on the tongue. Not that this is a bad thing.

Overall Impression: I won’t say that this is the greatest Amber ale I have ever had. I also won’t say that it is a bad one. It’s simple, clean, easy to drink if a tad on the sweet side, and quite enjoyable. At the same time it doesn’t assert itself as anything special either. While I might not go out of my way to get hold of it, I would certainly drink this one again. Another nice pub fallback. I could see this complementing a roast turkey or even a fried pork chop, although you may want something with a bit more hop bite with fried foods.

Gulpdown Showdown I – Beer vs. Wine in St. Louis

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Friday night, July 23rd saw the first Gulpdown Showdown, an epic battle of food pairing savy pitting beer against wine in a seven course exercise of gustatory excess. The combatants: Cicerone Michael Agnew and Chef Erik Jacobs, old friends, but bitter rivals in the realm of fermented refreshments.

Eight people gathered at Chef Erik’s home in Clayton, Missouri. Eight people ate. Eight people drank. Eight people voted for the best pairing with each course. In the end, ballots were never counted and most disappeared with the celebrants. Surreptitious glances through the evening suggested to me that the results may have been a draw. But who really cares. The food was incredible, the beverages were fantastic, and everyone had a great time.

Because we never tabulated ballots, I can only report here on my own and Erik’s clearly biased pairing preferences.

First Course: Thai Crispy Prawn Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce
My Pairing – Schlafly Pilsner, St. Louis Brewry
Erik’s Pairing – 2009 Rudesheimer Magdalenkreuz Spatlese:  Leitz

My Pick – Wine
Erik’s Pick – Beer

Comments: I misjudged the sweetness of the chili sauce. The wine matched it much better in my view. Erik liked the way the beer cleansed the palate.

Second Course: Sopa de Pomodoro Crudo – Brunoise Tomato, Bocconcini, Basil Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
My Pairing – Old Scratch Amber Lager, Flying Dog Brewery
Erik’s Pairing – NV Cava Rose:  Segura Viudas

My Pick – Beer
Erik’s Pick – Wine

Comments: The soup was very acidic. The wine was very acidic. They were too similar in my view. The toasty malt sweetness of the beer offered a balancing contrast.

Third Course: Causa de Cangrejo – Peruvian Potato, Avocado and Crab Salad
My Pairing – Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Erik’s Pairing – 2008 Chardonnay:  Foxglove

My Pick – Beer
Erik’s Pick – Wine

Comments: I found Erik’s chardonnay to be too heavy for the dish. It overpowered. The lighter beer matched the weight of the food. The flavors of the herbal potatoes and shellfish flowed seamlessly into the spicy flavors in the beer. This was the best pairing if the evening for me.

Fourth Course: Duck Confit with Sweet Corn and Summer Vegetable Salad
My Pairing – Westmalle Tripel
Erik’s Pairing – 2006 Pinot Noir:  Harmonia

My Pick – Beer with the duck. Wine with the veggies. If I were to choose an overall pairing it would be the beer.
Erik’s Pick – Wine

Comments: I found that the Westmalle blended brilliantly with the saltiness of the duck. However it overpowered the veggies a bit. I was surprised by the concordance of the wine with the veggies, as I expected the pinot to overwhelm them. This was a close one.

Fifth Course: Meditterranean Grilled Lamb “Lollipops” – Mint Pesto, Truffled Pommes Anna, Spinach
My Pairing – Traquair House Jacobite Scotch Ale with Coriander
Erik’s Pairing – 2005 Shiraz “Testament”:  Killikanoon

My Pick – I declared this one a draw, but if forced to choose I would go with the beer. This was my second choice beer. My first choice, a brown or amber Biére de Garde, would have knocked it out of the ballpark. I couldn’t find one.
Erik’s Pick – Wine

Comments: The rich, earthy, and lightly funky flavors of the wine worked very well with the gamey flavors of the lamb and the mushroomy truffled Pommes. But the silky sweet caramel and subtle peaty flavors of the beer were equal to the task. The light floral/spicy character of the coriander brought out similar flavors in the dish.

Sixth Course: Honey Lavender Panna Cotta with Berries and Stone Fruits
My Pairing – Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2008
Erik’s Pairing – 2009 Moscato “Brilliant Disguise”:  Two Hands

My Pick – Wine
Erik’s Pick – Wine

Comments: I completely misjudged the nature of this desert. I was expecting something more like Crème Brule. The Vintage Ale, though brilliant, completely missed the mark. A Lindeman’s Peach Lambic would have rocked it though.

Seventh Course: Assiette des Fromages
My Pairings – Boulevard Tank 7 Saison & Samuel Smith India Ale
Erik’s Pairing – NV Tawny Port “Grandfather”:  Penfolds

My Pick – Wine
Erik’s Pick – Wine

Comments: By this point the competition no longer mattered. The beer was opened and never touched, even by me. It’s hard to compete with a really good port.

We were going for excess, and we got excess in abundance. No one went home hungry and there was enough great beer and wine poured to insure a rough morning for many of us. We are already planning the next event, to take place in Minneapolis. Perhaps we’ll keep it to five courses next time.

Many thanks to Erik and his wife Melissa for hosting. The food was absolutely brilliant.

Yet Another New Brewery in the Twin Cities Metro

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Minnesota really is experiencing a brewing boom. I recently published an article on Heavy Table highlighting five up-and-coming Minnesota breweries, three of which were locating in the TC Metro area. A couple of days ago Sun Newspapers published a piece about Steel Toe Brewing in St. Louis Park. Seems they are working to change local ordinances to allow growler sales from the brewery. Needless to say, I will be looking into this new upstart and reporting when I know more. In the meantime, check out the article in the Sun.

Yet Another Highest Alcohol Beer

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Word is already all over the internet (thanks in part to an “accidental” posting earlier this week), Scotland’s Brewdog has scored a definitive point in their high-alcohol brawl with Germany’s Schorschbräu. The End of History is what they are calling this new super-strength creation and it comes in at 55% ABV. At least the packaging is interesting.

Here’s a link to more.

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Fall Beer Classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill

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Join me for more great beer classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill this fall. I’m teaming up once again with Chef Mike Shannon and Sommelier Leslee Miller to compare and contrast come harvest seasonal beers, wines, and cuisine. Belgian and Bavarian beers are on tap, as well as a beer tour of the Land-o-Lakes.

Here’s the descriptions:

Belgian Beer and Snacks
With Chef Maggie Lyon
Friday, September 24th, 6-9 PM
Cost: $70
Chuck your preconceived notions about beer out the window. From the sassy sours to tempting Trappists, no one else does beer like the Belgians. Join Cicerone Michael Agnew and sample your way through the uniquely complex beers of Belgium, while Chef Maggie prepares some traditional Belgian bar snacks to enjoy with them.
Menu: A Selection of Belgian Craft Beers; Mussels; Frites; Several Aïolis.

Fall Harvest Dinner: Beer and Wine Pairing
With Chef Mike Shannon and Sommelier Leslee Miller
Tuesday, September 28th, 6-9 PM
Cost: $75
With an abundance of late-summer vegetables comes time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Join Chef Mike as he creates a menu from a fabulous array of fall finds, while Sommelier Leslee and Cicerone Michael provide perfect wine and beer pairings for a harvest feast.
Menu: Grilled Shrimp Salad with Goat Cheese Fritters; Beef Carpaccio Crostini with Caramelized Onions and Bleu Cheese; Sausage-Stuffed Portobellos; Pork Loin with Mango Chutney; Baked Stuffed Apples.

Bavarian Beer Experience
Saturday, October 9th, 2-4 PM
Cost: $55
Eins, zwei, drei, g’suffa! When Crown Prince Ludwig organized a horse race to celebrate his wedding in 1810, little did he know he’d given rise to the greatest beer fest on the planet. Every fall, the streets of Munich flow with beer as tens of thousands converge on the Theresienwiese for Oktoberfest. Certified Cicerone Michael Agnew will give you a taste of the ‘fest with a tour of the famous beer styles of Bavaria.
Menu: An assortment of German Lager and Ale-Style Beers from Brewers in Bavaria as well as Craft-Brewed Versions from the U.S.; Brats; Pretzels.

Minnesota Suds: A Beer Tour of the Land o’ Lakes
Tuesday, November 2nd, 6-9 PM
Cost: $65
Does Minnesota make great beer? Oh ya, you betcha! Our state’s burgeoning brew scene now boasts nearly 20 breweries producing great year-round and seasonal suds. Your guide, certified Cicerone Michael Agnew, takes you on a tantalizing tour of the best brews the land o’ lakes has to offer.
Menu: A Selection of Beers from Minnesota Breweries and Brewpubs; Cheese; Snacks.

Go to Cooks of Crocus Hill to find out more or to register for a class.