This week on Beer Sessions Radio™, we’re giving thanks for great craft beer and deciding what to pair with a Thanksgiving meal as host Jimmy Carbone welcomes Evil Twin Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Brooklyn bar Tørst and Sarah Monroe, Beer Director at Eleven Madison Park. When it comes to pairing alcohol with high-end food offerings, it’s long been an oenophile’s world. However, more and more servers and restaurants are going the high-end beer route these days, offering some amazing beers at a fraction of wine’s cost.
So what are our esteemed guests’ favorite beer and food pairings. Sarah mentions EMP’s foie gras paired with Gale’s Old Ale (’97 or ’98) or an impromptu pairing of smoked fish with a Captain Lawrence Smoked Porter Black Velvet. Jeppe discusses some of the wrongly conceived ideas about beer and food (“You don’t put wine in food, but everyone things you cook with beer.”) and his food-centric offerings at Luksus, where Chef Dan Burns creates a Scandinavian-influenced menu with (optional) beer pairings.
Jeppe talks about his gypsy brewing experience, ranging from South Carolina (Westbrook) to Connecticut (Two Roads) to Scotland (BrewDog), while Sarah talks about the deep cellar and unique beers available at EMP.
Finally, we attempt a phone-in with the Dickinson brothers, Luke and Walt, from Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville, NC. Fortunately, our own Justin Kennedy is there to help tell their story about the year-old brewery and their ambitious craft beer offerings. You can listen to the entire episode here.