Beer and Cheese Recap: Triumph Brewing

Our Happy Hours continue to gain popularity! Last night was our busiest to date; I guess free beer and cheese is a good draw after all. Thank you very much to Jen for donating her time and beer to the celebration. And for those who could not make it, here is what you missed:

Dunkel Lager with Humboldt Fog: The texture of this Dunkel was literally striking, bouncing off the tongue with lively, bright effervescence. We wanted to play against this with a chevre, which generally are sticky and dense. Humboldt Fog is that and so much more. The texture is just what we needed, something that clings to the roof of the mouth and gets between your teeth, and awaiting the carbonation to wipe it away. And the texture of the beer played well with the tangy, lemony brightness of the Humboldt Fog. This pairing really woke up the palate and prepared us for the next pairings.

Bengal Gold IPA with Avonlea: We honestly were planning on trending away from IPA and Cheddar this week, but we did not want to deprive our customers of this beautiful new cheese from Canada. Made in the British Farmhouse tradition, meaning raw milk, cloth-bound and big, earthy flavors with a long, lingering finish. We became the first store in the nation to sell it, and it arrived just three hours before the event, so we had to celebrate. It is so new that it is not available online at the moment, but it is a veritable bargain and available at both Di Bruno locations.

Irish Dry Stout with Midnight Moon: Stout and Gouda are always a terrific pairing. However both the beer and the cheese are versatile and play well with others, so they are not as exclusive as IPA and Cheddar. Regardless, when it comes to dessert pairings, this is a classic. The Irish Stout was not as bold as some, but still offered a significant malt backbone. We opted to pair it with the Midnight Moon, a goat milk Gouda, but is it more yielding than its older, cow's milk counterparts. A milky sweetness permeated the palate, creating a unique, root beer float-esque dessert. A quality way to end the evening.

Please join us next week for a rare and special tasting of Rogue and Elysian beers. Sebbie always makes these events slightly more epic, so don't miss it!