Krystal and I invited our friend, and fellow Odell Brewer, Chad Yakobson and his wife Silvana over for a night of drinks, cheese, chocolate and fondue gluttony. We chose to continue the Odell At-Home-Beer Dinner series by showcasing the steadfast brands that our brewers have been hand crafting for, in some cases, the past 20 years, while highlighting the seasonal release of our Red Ale. Krystal has kindly provided the recipes and preparation notes for the meal, and I will provide you with some sensory thoughts with regards to cooking with and pairing Odell Beers with Fondue.

For these recipes we used 5 different Odell Beers, and paired it with 7 different Odell Beers, making for a very enjoyable and adventurous night of gastro-revelry. Krystal used Easy Street Wheat, Levity, IPA, Red Ale, and Cutthroat Porter to help create the desired flavors in the foods and in addition to those beers we enjoyed 5 Barrel Pale Ale and 90 Shilling with the meal throughout the evening. One of the great things about Fondue is that it places an importance on the event and the experience, rather then just simply “eating.” You have a natural opportunity to talk about the food you are eating, or beer you are drinking throughout the meal, which is the very essence of hosting a craft beer dinner at home. And throughout the evening you really get to learn more about the beer you are drinking as you talk about the flavors you experience.

Krystal structured the meal with three courses: a cheese fondue appetizer, broth main course and chocolate fondue dessert. Although we were plenty full after the cheese course we journeyed on and as you should know by now you always have room for Cutthroat Porter Chocolate Fondue covered anything for dessert!

Before you begin your dinner, make sure that you have prepared all of the foods-cut and rinse all the vegetables, tear the bread, and cut and prepare the meats (marinate if necessary). Also make sure that you have prepared all of your dipping sauces (if using any) as they need at least 30 minutes to chill.

First Course: Red Cheese Fondue

6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded

4 oz sharp Cheddar cheese

1.5 Tablespoon flour

8 oz OBC Red ale, at room temperature

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Serve with: Bread chunks (French, pumpernickel, rye, sourdough or any other delicious variety), baby carrots, celery, Granny Smith and Pink Lady apple slices, canned new potatoes, pickles (dill and/or gherkin), and artichoke hearts.

Directions: In a bowl combine Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Cheddar and flour; mix well to coat cheese with flour. Set aside. In a large saucepan bring beer to a simmer over medium heat then add garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cheese-flour mixture by handfuls to saucepan, stirring constantly after each addition with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight motion until cheese is melted. Stir in dry mustard, mixing well. Transfer to fondue pot and serve immediately with crudites and bread.

Note: The cheese is shredded and tossed with flour to aid in thickening and to improve the viscosity of the fondue. The fondue should be the consistency of warm honey when completed.

The cheese fondue should be held at a temperature warm enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid but not so hot as to allow any burning. If this temperature is held until the fondue is finished there will be a thin crust of toasted (not burnt) cheese at the bottom of the fondue pot. This is called la religieuse (French for the nun or the religious one). It has the texture of a thin cracker and is always lifted out and eaten; it is considered a delicacy.

Tasting Notes: If you like cheese that has a slight munich malt character and mild citrus from the Red Ale hops then you will love this! By far the best combination of the night was the Tart Green Apples dipped in the cheese and paired with a 5 Barrel Pale Ale, the flavor profile was simply brilliant.

Second Course: Levity Court Bullion Broth

2 Cups warm water

2 Cups vegetable broth

1 bottle OBC Levity amber ale

3 Tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 Tablespoon finely chopped celery

1 Tablespoon chopped carrot

2 Tablespoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cocktail Sauce

1 Cup ketchup

2 Tablespoon extra hot horseradish (or more for your liking)

Mix ingredients and chill for 30 minutes or longer.

Tarragon Dipping Sauce

1/2 Cup mayonnaise

1/4 sour cream

2 Tablespoons shallots

2 Tablespoons Tarragon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

dash red pepper

Mix ingredients and chill for 30 minutes or longer.

Also, we used store bought Plum sauce for one of our dipping sauces, so do not think that you have to do it all yourself; save some time and money by taking advantage of your American right to buy anything you want, whenever you want it.

Serve with: Vegetables: broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini; fresh ravioli; NY Strip streak, cut against the grain into bite sized pieces; OBC IPA marinated bratwurst, sliced; OBC EZ Street Wheat marinated shrimp; and chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces.

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook vegetables in broth first by boiling for 5 minutes. Transfer broth and vegetables to a fondue pot on 370F to 400F. Let vegetables cook a few minutes more or until desired doneness, remove from broth.

Note: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, and/or shellfish may increase your risk for food borne illness. A few rules of thumb when fonduing… cook your poultry for approximately 2 minutes, cook your seafood for approximately 2-3 minutes, cook your fish for approximately 30-60 seconds, and for rare meat cook for approximately 15-20 seconds, for medium 25-30 seconds, and well done for 40-60 seconds.

Tasting Notes: We were very impressed by the fresh hop character that came through in the IPA marinated bratwurst. Hopheads will surely enjoy this, while those sometimes put off by the more bitter character of IPA be warned. I found the honey malt character of the levity to provide a beautiful malty sweetness in the broth that transfered subtly into most of the un-marinated offerings, especially the broccoli. The Levity broth worked well with the bright hoppy IPA and Red Ale as a pairing.

Third Course: Cutthroat Chocolate Fondue

3/4 Cup heavy whipping cream

4 bittersweet chocolate bars (3.5 oz each), chopped

2 Tablespoons OBC Cutthroat Porter

Directions: In a sauce pan, add 1/2 cup of the whipping cream until simmering. Turn off heat and add chocolate, letting stand in cream for 3-5 minutes to soften. Then whisk the chocolate until smooth, and add the beer. Transfer to fondue pot and add 1 Tablespoon of cream at a time if chocolate becomes too thick.

Serve with: Strawberries, bananas, pound cake cut into bite sized chunks, marshmallows, graham crackers, Oreos, brownies, pretzels, cheesecake bites, cream cheese balls rolled in chopped walnuts, and anything else you would like to dip into warm, gooey, bittersweet Cutthroat Porter melted chocolate!

Tasting Notes: Your second stomach will love you for all the chocolate you just took in. Decadence is a wonderful thing! When you add a 5 Barrel, IPA or Red Ale as a pairing you will be even happier, as the rich chocolate plays in beautiful contrast to the bright and hoppy beers. The Cutthroat Porter in the chocolate lends a soft roastiness to the fondue, and is especially noticeable on the Pound Cake, Marshmellows or my favorite the cream cheese balls rolled in Walnuts.

We Fondid, and loved it! Krystal created an incredible menu that showcased Odell’s wide array of beers both in the food and paired with the food. At-Home Craft Beer Dinners should always focus on the experience of savoring the beer, the company you savor it with, and the further development of your almighty palate, and I cannot think of any other way then Fondue to do all of that. So forget the reservations that you already forgot to make, stop by the brewery here in Fort Collins, or your local liquor store, and pick up the Odell Classics and New Seasonal, Red Ale, and have a night with your friends and loved ones. We love being able to brew each and every hand crafted ale here in Fort Collins for you to enjoy wherever you may be, and the thought of you sharing it with your loved ones on such a special day just makes us all happy and warm inside (kind of like the gooey chocolate in the Fondue pot). Now is that cheesy enough for you?

Cheers!

Joe Mohrfeld

The holidays are a great time to enjoy craft beer by hosting a craft beer tasting or beer dinner in your home. It is a time rich with seasonal or limited releases us brewers spend all year dreaming up and finally are able to brew and share with all of you; I guess you could say its our gift to all of you for your support of the brewing arts. Craft chefs also can use the holiday season to showoff their skills for friends and family, and the unique beers we are brewing provide many new and exciting pairing options. This meal was inspired by some Southern Style cooking to help keep us warm here on the unusually cold front range of Colorado as a pairing for two of our Single Serve release; India Barleywine and Bourbon Barrel Stout. We bucked convention and prepared a pot full of true southern Gumbo with pan-fried cornbread and a deliciously simple Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad followed by some Peanut Butta Pie.

The Beers:

India Barleywine: Blends the warming alcohol character of Barleywines with the fresh hop character found in American India Pale Ales. A hopping schedule that begins with a whole leaf mash hop and ends with a dry hopping in the fermentor just before packaging, provides a most unique nose of varied citrus-orange, tangerine, pineapple-with cantaloupe, mango and a mild pine. A first taste will reveal a slightly sour grapefruit character, contributed from the hop profile, along with mild citrus, pine and an earthy or woody character. The esters from our house yeast work to compliment the strong citrus profile and also add to the dry finish which results in a hoppy beer without a lingering bitterness. Although hopheads will want to drink this beer fresh, Barleywine aficionados will want to age this beer so as to bring out the dried fruit characteristics which subtly linger in the background. This anomaly of style, whether fresh or aged, pairs well with big flavors and even bigger personalities.

Boubon Barrel Stout: Aged four months in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels, blends the characteristics of a great single barrel Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey with an American Craft Brewers take on an English Imperial Stout. It provides the taster’s nose with a snifter full of Kentucky Bourbon upfront, and sweet molasses and a light milk chocolate on the back. As one sips this Imperial Stout they will taste the warming Kentucky Bourbon, imparted both from the barrel aging process and the higher alcohol content associated with Imperial Stouts, as well as subtle notes of bittersweet chocolate. One will also notice a smooth vanilla flavor, resulting from the oak barrels, which rounds out the Stout by providing a softer mouth feel-comparable to the slight buttery notes found in some Red Wines. The defining Roast and Chocolate Malts of this beer leave a slight sour note on the palette, which perfectly balances the perceived sweetness of the vanilla. This Bourbon Barrel Stout pairs well with rich holiday meals, chocolate inspired desserts, and intellectual conversations held fireside in leather-overstuffed chairs.

The Menu:

Bonesaw Gumbo

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 yellow onions
2 bell peppers
4 ribs celery
3 cloves of garlic
2-3 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Creole seasoning
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
2 lbs cooked shrimp
2 lbs andouille sausage
1 1/2 lbs shredded cooked chicken
1 bunch chopped scallions
2/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 cans okra with juice
2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
Worcestershire to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation Notes: Chop onions, peppers, celery and garlic place in pot with bay leaves,
seasonings, okra and tomatoes. In a sauce pan, brown andouille sausage
and remove. In the same sauce pan, make rue – heat oil and gradually
stir in flour and cook over medium heat until it’s the color of a dark
copper penny. Stir rue into vegetables. Add chicken stock, sausage, and
chicken. Bring to boil. Simmer for 1 hour. Add shrimp, Worcestershire
and cayenne pepper and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Serve over rice,
and garnish with chopped scallions and Italian parsley.

Pairing Notes: Ryan “Bonesaw” King and his wife Amanda King have provided us one of the great gumbo recipes, and it pairs beautifully with the rich and hoppy India Barleywine. The delicate flavors of a well prepared gumbo, accented by fragrant Italian Parsley, work to unlock the complex citrus character of the India Barleywine. Additionally the malty sweetness and warming alcohol compliment the southern spice in this meal. India Pale Ales are often paired with spicy entrees, but this India Barleywine has the malt backbone to hold up to the spice in southern style cooking, and this meal does a great job of showcasing the unique malts used in this beer.

Southern Pan-fried Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 organic cage free eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil for pan
1/4 cup melted butter

Preparation Notes: Preheat oven to 425. Put oil or shortening in a 10-inch oven safe fry pan and place in the oven to preheat while making batter. Combing cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. In another bowl whisk together milk, eggs, and butter. Combine and mix until batter is incorporated. Remove the pan from the oven carefully and coat with oil. Pour in the batter and bake for 20-28 mins. check center with a toothpick.

Uncl’ GeetGots DunLap Peanut Butta Pie

3 oz of cream cheese
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 cup of crunchy peanut butter
8 oz of cool whip
1 graham cracker crust

Preparation Notes: Add cream cheese, sugar, pb, and mix all together. Then fold in the cool whip. Pour into crust. Let sit in fridge for 3 hours.

Pairing Notes: Wade Keith was right in calling this southern style rich and creamy Peanut Butta Pie; Uncl’ GeetGots Dunlap Peanut Butta Pie, ’cause your belly will ‘Dunlap’ over your britches when you are through eating it. An exceptional pairing with an Odell Bourban Barrel Stout, the richness of both the Pie and the Stout compliment each other and provide a decadent finish to the nights meal. When pairing beer with food one can try to compliment or contrast the flavors in each, and if you desire a complimentary dessert for a warming stout Uncl’ GeetGot’s Pie serves as an educational tool for the palette. The pie accentuates the light chocolate flavors in the beer and further softens the tannic mouthfeel provided by the oak barrel aging. A truly delicious pairing on a evening!

And at nights end…

…We sat with bellies full and livers satisfied thanks to the great southern hospitality of our friends and fellow Odell coworkers, Ryan, Amanda, Wade, his wife Gretchen and my partner Krystal. The idea for pairing a Spicy Southern Gumbo with our India Barleywine came without knowing for sure if it would provide a great craft beer and food pairing or just a great evening with friends, but after my second helping of Bonesaw Gumbo and just a little more IBW in my glass I can say with certainty that this is an excellent craft beer and food pairing. As Craft Brewers we do not follow the ‘rules’ when we brew so why should you have to when you pair our beers with your food. Have a great holiday season, invite your friends and family over for a little Gumbo and India Barleywine followed by some Bourbon Barrel Stout and Peanut Butta Pie, and enjoy our hand made gift of passionately brewed craft beer paired with your homemade cuisine!

For more Craft Beer Pairings at Home tips and ideas check out the Brewers Associations new video:

http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/beer-and-food/host-a-tasting/at-home

Cheers!

Joe Mohrfeld

Craft cooking works much like craft brewing, we do not follow a lot of the prescribed rules for style, and pilot batches are really helpful in working out the nuances before serving it up to friends. For our pairing with Woodcut No.3 Oak Aged Crimson Ale, Krystal and I wanted to do something completely different from anything we have ever cooked before, or anything we have ever thought of pairing our beer with before. This approach did require a few ‘pilot batches’ in the nights preceding our meal, but ultimately ended in a delicious 3 course pairing we were able to share with our friends Brendan, Odell Brewing Co’s Production Manager, and his wife Katie, New Belgium Brewing Co’s Quality Control Extraordinaire…

…Enter a Vietnamese inspired Lemon Chicken entree with an appetizer consisting of Shrimp Summer Rolls, Asian Meatballs, and Crab Rangoon, all followed by a sampler of Raspberry Citrus and Dark Chocolate sorbets. As we did before, with our Mountain Standard Reserve ’09 ‘At Home Beer Dinner,’ we have provided full recipes, preparation notes, and our thoughts regarding the pairings as inspiration for your own at home beer dinners. Krystal and I hope you and your friends enjoy this ‘craft pairing’ as much as we did!

Woodcut No. 3 Oak Aged Crimson Ale

Woodcut No. 3 Oak Aged Crimson Ale satiates the palette with a soft vanilla nose and delicate mix of dried cherry, apricot and malt sweetness on the tongue. This beer is the harmony between sweet vanilla, contributed from our virgin oak barrels, and a Strong Crimson Ale. The nose provides the consumer with a sensory lesson in oak barrel aged strong ales-velvety vanilla with dried fruits and subtle residual malt sweetness. Copious amounts of Munich, along with Cara and Crystal malts provide a strong malt background to the dried cherry and apricot in the nose. A slightly cloying sweetness mixed with raisin and vanilla balances the higher alcohol, leaving the palette satiated and dry. As this beer ages you will notice notes of black licorice and dried fruit (particularly cherry, apricot, and currant) coming to the forefront and blending with the vanilla. Young, this beer will pair well with bright, sharp foods-lemon chicken, berry sorbet, and Stilton cheese. As this beer ages it will pair better with hearty meals that bring out, but do not mask, the delicate dried fruit and licorice flavors-spicy greens; bourbon glazed, red meats; and bitter chocolates.

The Menu:

# 3: Sampler - Shrimp Summer Rolls, Cilantro Meatballs, and Crab Rangoon.

Shrimp Summer Rolls:

1/2 package Chinese Rice Sticks

1 C. fresh cilantro leaves

1 C. matchstick size strips (julienne) of peeled carrot

1/4 C. matchstick size strips (julienne) of radish

1.5 C. shredded iceberg lettuce

3/4 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp. olive oil

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 C lime juice

1/4 C. sugar

3 T. rice vinegar

1 T. chopped cilantro

2 cloves of garlic, minced (finely chopped)

1 jalapeno finely chopped WITH SEEDS

Fort Dipping Sauce:

~Combine and whisk all ingredients together. Cover. Chill.

For Summer Rolls:

~Cook shrimp in 1 tsp olive oil until they turn pink.

~Soak rice paper in shallow bowl of warm water until soft and pliable.

~Place a pinch of each: rice sticks, lettuce, carrots, cilantro, radish and two or three shrimp in a line across the rice paper. DO NOT OVERFILL; it is difficult to roll overfilled Rolls!

~Pull in ends of rice paper, and then roll until roll is closed.

*Note: If not serving right away, place a damp paper towel over the rolls to keep from dying out.

Cilantro Meatballs with Lime-Sesame Sauce

1/4 C. milk

1/4 plain breadcrumbs

1 lb. ground pork

1 egg, beaten

1/2 can water chestnuts, diced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Lime-Sesame Sauce:

5 T. soy sauce

4 tsp. sesame oil

2 T. lime juice

2 T. water

2 tsp. sugar

For Lime-sesame Sauce:

~Combine and whisk all ingredients together. Cover. Chill.

For Cilantro Meatballs:

~Pre-heat oven to 500˚ F.

~Combine milk and breadcrumbs, let sit for 5 min.

~Add ground pork, egg, water chestnuts, salt, cilantro, 1 T. soy sauce, and 2 tsp. sesame oil to breadcrumb/milk mixture.

~Roll 1 T. meat mixture into a ball.

~Place in/on baking dish or cookie sheet, about 1/2 inch apart from each other.

~Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

(Klassic) Crab Rangoon

8 oz. krab meat

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. Worcestshire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, finely chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Approx. 36 wonton wrappers

3-6 cups Oil (for cooking)

~Combine ingredients, breaking up Krab and blending cream cheese thoroughly.

~Get a small “finger bowl” of water ready for the assembly line

~Create the Assembly Line (Henry Ford would be so proud):

-Place a long strip of wax or parchment paper on the counter.

-Put however many wonton wrappers can fit on the parchment paper, make sure to not overlap.

-Put a small dollop (1 teaspoon-ish) of Krab cheese mixture onto each wonton.

-With your finger, wet the outer edges of the first wanton wrapper.

-Like a diaper, fold the bottom corner up to the top.

**Press to close tightly, make sure to release ALL of the air from the pocket of joy**

-Fold the outer corners into the center, squeezing the corners together to secure.

-Continue with the rest of the wontons.

~If deep-frying, set your fryer to 375˚ F.

~If pan-frying, heat your oil over Medium to Medium High heat.

~In batches of about 5-7 wontons (depending on fryer/pan size) fry wontons until golden brown.

~Place on baking sheet covered with paper towels.

**To keep wontons warm while frying the rest, put in the oven on “warm” until ready to serve.

Serve with prepared Plum Sauce and prepared Sweet and Sour Sauce

Pairing Notes: What I really like about a sampler is that you can get a sense of how the beer pairs with a variety of flavors, thereby allowing you to taste the many different complexities of the beer. The complexity of Woodcut No. 3 allows for a more ‘postmodern’ interpretation, or a more individual and personal experience. It also opens up conversations about the beer itself. Each different appetizer allowed for a slightly different flavor to come out from the beer-as one of us talked about how the cilantro of the summer rolls cut the sweetness in Woodcut No. 3 allowing the dried fruit characteristics to stand out, another one of us commented on how the fried rich characteristics of the Crab Rangoon complimented the sweetness of the beer. These multiple, overlapping, and interlaced conversations helped us all to gain a much better immediate understanding and appreciation of Woodcut No. 3′s complexities.

#34: Lemon Chicken over Jasmine Rice

Chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 lengthwise

1 C. soy sauce

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 C. potato starch

1.5 C. flour

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. salt

Lemon Sauce:

2/3 C. sugar

2 C. chicken broth

6 T. lemon juice

4 T. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. salt

2 lemons, sliced into thin circles

4 T. vegetable oil

For the Chicken:

~Marinate chicken “strips” in soy sauce for 10 minutes.

~Combine potato starch and eggs.

~Combine flour, salt and pepper on a large, flat plate.

~From the soy marinade, dredge the chicken in the egg potato starch mixture. Then dredge in seasoned flour.

~Place, GENTLY, into fryer/frying pan, cooking thoroughly until center is no longer pink.

**At the beginning, cut one piece up to see about how long it takes to cook through.

For the Lemon Sauce:

~Whisk all but oil together.

~Add oil to medium saucepan on medium/medium low.

~Slowly add mixture to pan.

~Whisk constantly until thickened, shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.

**Add more lemon juice if desired.

Serve family style either with Lemon sauce over chicken or on the side.

Garnish with lemon slices.

Serve with Jasmine or Basmati rice. Prepare rice according to package recommendations.

Preperation Notes: When we first tasted this beer we were immediately curious of what citrus could do for it. The next day we went off to taste Fort Collins’ best Viatnamese offerings for inspiration. We settled on developing a Lemon Chicken recipe which emphasizes citrus over sweetness. But this was only the beginning of the journey…

Our first ‘pilot batch’ tasted pretty bad. We won’t go into the details, but let’s just say it tasted a bit like the particles from your nose you may have tried when you were little …(read: boogers). But, after a couple more tries, we came up with the recipe above, and we are really happy with the end result.

Pairing Notes: With a satiating mouthfeel and a great depth of flavors we found the citrus from the lemon sauce allowed this beer’s more subtle characteristics to come forward-characteristics which are often harder to notice in higher alcohol beers. The light, crispy, yet hearty and starchy batter of the chicken helped to balance the malty richness of the beer, while also providing a complimentary (as opposed to similar) flavor to the slight residual sweetness of Woodcut No. 3.

#45: Raspberry Citrus Sorbet and Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Raspberry Citrus Sorbet+

4 C. frozen raspberries
1 C. orange juice

1/3 C. lemon juice

3/4 C. sugar

3 T. orange liqueur

Puree the berries in a food processor/blender. Press mixture through a sieve to get rid of the seeds. Stir in the juices and sugar until dissolved. Cover and refrigerate for about 3 hours.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. When the ice cream maker is almost done freezing the sorbet, add the liqueur. Serve immediately, or put frozen mixture into an airtight container and freeze until solid, about 2 or 3 hours.

Dark Chocolate Sorbet+

1 c. sugar

3 C. water, divided

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 T. dark rum

Prepare a large bowl or pan of ice water.

Combine the sugar and 2 T. of the water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a light amber color, about 5 to 7 minutes. (DO NOT STIR). Be careful, as the sugar is very hot. (If the sugar should krytalize on the sides of the pan before melting, put a lid on the pan to help wash down the sugar krystals, rather than trying to stir them in). When the sugar is completely melted, carefully pour in the remaining water and continue to heat, stirring, until the caramel dissolves. Whisk in the cocoa and salt. Immediately place the pan in the ice bath and stir the mixture occasionally until it cools to room temperature. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate for about 3 hours.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. When the ice cream maker is almost done freezing the sorbet, add the rum. Serve immediately, or put frozen mixture into an airtight container and freeze until solid, about 2 or 3 hours.

+From Pappas, Lou Seibert. (2005). “Ice Cream & Sorbets: Cool Recipes.” Chronicle Books: San Francisco.

Pairing Notes: Upon first tasting this beer, one unique flavor we noticed was dried cherry. So, we wanted to bring that flavor to the forefront with the dessert. The citrus in the sorbet, like with the Lemon Chicken, slightly dries the beer, allowing the dried fruit flavors to come out. By providing the palette with the tartness of Raspberry it becomes much easier to taste the soft vanilla, contributed from the oak aging, and dried fruit complex. The Dark Chocolate Sorbet compliments not only the flavors (vanilla, dried fruit, and Munich Malt) but also the velvety mouthfeel, again, contributed by the virgin oak barrel aging process.

The ‘Fortune Cookie’

Woodcut No. 3 is an extraordinary beer and the complexities of it provide many options for pairings. One thing this beer should always be paired with, however, is good company; whether it be family during this holiday season or friends in the years to come when you pull a bottle (or three) from your cellar. As far as food pairings go, we just happen to enjoy it with a Vietnamese inspired meal that took a ‘pilot batch’ or two before we were ready to share it with our friends… you’re welcome!

No. 3, 5, 34, 45, 90

Cheers!

Joe Mohrfeld