By Kurt Clodfelter

“What would you suggest to pair with the salmon special?”

“The 2008 Loose Cannon from Clipper City. The triple hopping that this beer receives gives it a wonderful, complex aroma with a medium body and crisp finish that accent the richness of the fish nicely.”

Sounds a bit silly at first, doesn’t it? Well believe it or not, conversations like this are taking place all over the Baltimore area. Local residents have long since supported the beer industry, and finally restaurateurs and brewers alike are taking the shame out of suds.

CLIPPER CITY

“There are a lot of things that are just plain better with beer,” says Hugh Sisson, founder of Clipper City Brewing Company and a 7th generation Baltimorean.

In a recent discussion I had with Sisson, he related to me that not only do some things just not pair well with wine, they might actually pair better with beer.

I think we can all agree that when you are picking a couple dozen crabs cracking a beer makes more sense than searching for your corkscrew, but there is more to it than that.

Several years ago, Sisson teamed up with Cabot Cheese, the makers of some of the best known cheddar cheeses in the country, to pair his fine Maryland brew with the Vermont Cheddar that we all know and love.

RED BRICK STATION

To see just how far this beer and food-pairing craze could go, I took a trip to Red Brick Station in White Marsh. Pulling up a stool to the copper covered bar, we were instantly greeted by Bobby, our bartender.

As we settled in Bobby promptly set us up with a sampler of all the R.B.S. brews that were available that evening. There were nine different brews that night and all were spectacular.

After a quick tour of where and how the beer was produced in the rooms surrounding the bar, we ordered meals and challenged Bobby, and his cohort Brandon, to a pair off.

Bobby first paired the “Something Red” with the jalapeño honey mustard wings. The malty sweetness of the red ale contrasted the spiciness of the wings sauce very nicely.

Brandon fought back hard with a winning combination of the Avenue Ale with the R.B.S. Hummus. The hummus was a bit grainy and my companion found it bland, but the veggies were fresh, and the garlic kept in check by the yeasty buttery goodness of the beer. Round one goes to Bobby for making such a bold pairing as a red ale with the big meaty and pleasantly spicy wings.

For dinner I had the crabcake and rib combination, while my partner had the “bangers and mash.” The humungous portions were enough to share with friends on a budget and the pairing battle continued. Bobby recommended that I stick with my Something Red since it is an all around food-friendly beer, but I was feeling adventurous so we sampled that days cask conditioned offering, which was the Ginger Avenue Ale. Served warm, as any cask conditioned brew should be, the fresh and clean ginger taste lightened up the entire palate and cut through the richness of what turned out to be a very acceptable crabcake.

The ribs were another story all together. Luckily I had some of the Highlander Heavy, a scotch ale with a rich smoky, almost musty flavor profile that complimented the smoky sweet ribs as the meat just melted off of the bone. The bangers and mash were paired off with the Daily Crisis IPA, which has a floral and spicy nose that cut through the gamey and meaty bangers. Round Two goes to Brandon for going out on a limb with me as I tried several combinations before finding my picks.

So we leave R.B.S. with a tie (that way no one’s feelings get hurt).

Is pairing beer with food just a fad, or an art form that is here to stay? I’ll defer to Sam Adams, which has an entire national ad campaign based around the simple observation that some food just makes more sense with a beer.

The Info:
Red Brick Station
8149 Honeygo Blvd, White Marsh
410-931-PUBS

Red Brick Station:
Blueberry Ale Release Party
Thursday, May 29, 7 pm
Live music and free giveaways

Clipper City Brewing Company, LP
4615 Hollins Ferry Rd., Suite B
(410) 247-7822

Hugh Sisson’s Tips for Pairing Beer with Food:
The Three C’s

Compliment: Heavy beers with heavy foods, make sure the flavor of the beer is similar to the flavor of the food

Contrast: Who would have ever thought, but Oysters and Stout is a great match because they are nothing alike! P.S. Different doesn’t always mean good!

Cut: Sweeter beer with Spicier foods. Sometimes you make the match to cut the fattiness of the food or the spice.
Most importantly, practice, practice, and practice! Drink what you like, with what you like to drink it with.