Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, offers inspiration from a uniquely different beer and food pairing event in the States
For British chefs and restauranteurs seeking inspiration for their next event look no further than the States for a unique, one-off beer and food pairing extravaganza!
In America pairing beer with food is a sophisticated and highly developed art form matching brewing expertise with culinary skill and doing so in a uniquely collaborative way with small and independent brewers and suppliers working together.
According to Nielsen, 88% of American craft beer drinkers enjoy beer with their meal at least sometimes and 59% say they would be somewhat or very likely to choose a specific beer style based on what they’re eating.
Pairing menus are commonplace in most eating establishments in America from basic bars and diners through to fine-dining restaurants and many offer an extensive range of beer style diversity. Special beer and food pairing events attract interest from all over the world such as SAVOR™: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience in Washington D.C on Friday 24th June at new venue The Anthem.
SAVOR is a reception style sampling of sweet and savoury appetisers and American craft beers that takes place over one night of culinary bliss. It pairs more than 200 flavour-forward, independent American craft beers with sublime small bites from an award-winning culinary team to create an unforgettable culinary experience for beer lovers and foodies alike. SAVOR guests have the unique opportunity to sip, savour, and interact with brewery owners, who are acclaimed personalities in their own right!
More than 100 American craft breweries will pour over 200 beers. Chef Adam Dulye, the Brewers Association’s executive chef and author of The Beer Pantry, curates the event and will lead an award-winning culinary team to create a one-off menu of more than 60 food pairings.
Tickets start at $144 (approx. £110) and are expected to sell out quickly.
More info: www.savorcraftbeer.com/
While the UK hospitality scene may not be ready for a beer and food event of this magnitude it’s something to ponder for future opportunities.
Chefs, restauranteurs and caterers are welcome to make use of the wealth of free resources available on www.brewersassociation.com including the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Professional Course, downloadable free of charge at www.craftbeer.com/printed/course
In the UK, American craft beers is available from national wholesalers or direct from Athletic Brewing, or Cascade Club
