SLM contributor Joe Bonwich weighs in on local food events, happenings, and dining news of note. Look for his observations every other week in On the Burner, SLM's dining e-newsletter.
Starting from Scratch
If you haven’t yet been able to make the approximately two-hour trek to Scratch Brewing Co. in Ava, IL, owner and beermaster Marika Josephson will be a bit closer at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday – Alton – as the guest speaker at Elijah P’s beer school. (And if you haven’t yet heard, Aaron Whalen, former owner and/or chef at The Stable, Bastante and others, is now helming the kitchen at Elijah P’s, 401 Piasa Street.) Certified Cicerone Zach Pohlman will lead a discussion and tasting of four beers (and Scratch tends to be pretty esoteric, featuring styles that include the addition of stuff like hickory, juniper, and chanterelles.
Then Moving Upriver
Or, if you’d prefer to stay in the central corridor (and maybe try a recently opened place for the first time), also on Wednesday The Muddled Pig Gastropub hosts a tap takeover by Mark Twain Brewing from 6-9 p.m. Two-year-old Mark Twain is another semi-local brewery, this time requiring a two-hour drive up to Hannibal for a visit. But it has a strong St. Louis tie in the husband-and-wife team of Dave Alley and Cat Golden, who honed their brewing artistry at O’Fallon Brewery before moving north. The first two dozen people to take advantage of the food and beer pairings that evening receive a free Mark Twain Brewery Glass (below). The Muddled Pig is at 2733 Sutton in Maplewood.
Ending up on The Hill
The news broke last week that 2nd Shift Brewing of New Haven is relocating to 1601 Sublette on The Hill. And if you’d like a sneak peak, the brewery is holding a party and beer release at 5 p.m. June 9. Bottles of Annabelle Brett and Apricot Katy will be available for sale for the first time (but will be in limited supply) and the Mission Taco Truck will have food while 2nd Shift serves up draft beer. The event is free but you have to pay for the food and drink.
