I am sure many of you fellow craft beer lovers have watched the recent video from the Brewers Association regarding ‘At Home Craft Beer Tasting.’ I could not agree more with what can be gained by having friends over and tasting unique craft beers, especially when paired with delicious craft foods. The new experiences had while savoring craft beer with friends during an ‘at home beer dinner’ are what inspired us to do these in the first place. The write-ups associated with each one we are hosting are to help inspire all of you, whether full Cicerones or just recent graduates into the inspired world of craft beer, with new ideas to try in your home with your friends and our passionately brewed offerings. Most importantly for us here at Odell Brewing is the fun of savoring and dining with friends. For this meal we stripped away any possibility of the “pretentia” that could be associated with craft beer dinners and served up a big ol’ pot of Gumbo paired with our India Barleywine, followed by an old family recipe for Peanut Butta Pie paired with our Bourban Barrel Stout. As always I have provided background for our inspired pairings along with the full recipes, including preparation notes and pairing notes, and some visual imagery. So find the largest stockpot you can (or borrow a kettle from a friend that homebrews) and invite your friends and family over for a pre-holiday pairing of Odell India Barleywine and Gumbo!

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