Wauk Wednesday: Bernie's Beer Dinner

When my friend Brandon invited me to Bernie's next Beer Dinner by Founders, I didn't hesitate to respond. Founders has great beer and Bernie's has excellent food. I couldn't want to see what Chef Brooke would come up with for this one.

We sat at the table with Chef Brooke's boyfriend and the Founders rep. The boyfriend (name eludes me) let us know we were in for a treat as she tested this entire meal out on him the week prior. The theme was St. Patty's Day and I was excited.

First course: Irish brown bread with two different butters - one sweet and one savory. The sweet cinnamon butter was delicious, but not overly sweet. I cleansed my palette on the Founders pale ale, which was nice and not too hoppy.  I then tried the rosemary savory butter and it brought out other flavors of the nice crusty bread.

Second course: Leek potato soup. I wasn't sure what it was going to taste like as I don't know what a leek tasted like. Onion was prevalent on the nose but the soup was creamy and warmed me through and through on another snowy Wisconsin night. This was served with Dirty Bastard. I can't believe this happened, but when I took a sip of soup and chased it with a sip of beer, the reaction in my mouth was wonderful. There was a sweetness that the soup brought out that you otherwise wouldn't have known was there.

Third course: Shepard's pie with Gorgonzola cheese and buttery mashed potatoes. The meat was so tender and the carrots were just adorable. The Centennial IPA showed its citrus notes in this pairing.

Fourth course: Irish stewed pot roast in a bread bowl. I got so full with this course and took the majority of it home as I had to have dessert! The roast juices soaked into the bread for a delicious treat! Red's Rye was served with this course and the maltiness came through.

Fifth course: Chocolate stout cupcake with van bean frosting. I love cupcakes and I have experimented with a few beer cupcake recipes myself and love them. Brooke outdid herself with this one. The cupcake really pulled the chocolate out of the breakfast stout it was paired with. The sugary treat paired so well with the beer! After eating some of the vanilla frosting, the coffee really comes through.

After the dinner, Brooke came out and said a few words. I got to speak with her a bit and asked if I could interview her for my blog and see where her ideas come from. I hope to feature her soon!

Another successful dinner at Bernie's Tap Room and I can't wait for the next one. Looks like Three Floyd's will be the next one on March 26th. I unfortunately have plans that night, but I did get insider info that the dinner will be repeated on April 9th and it's on my calendar.