St. Louis knows how to do craft beer. From crisp pilsners to potent, hoppy IPAs, to barrel aged saisons and sours, you can find just about any style of beer you could ever want from hyper traditional to just plain weird. St. Louis also knows how to do food that pairs perfectly with craft beer. A number of breweries either have their own kitchens or have paired up with chefs and restaurants to offer everything from burgers and brats to global cuisine. But how do you know if that stout will pair with your poutine or that bitter will enhance your salty tostones? This month, we call upon sommelier Angela Ortmann, known for her knowledge of wines and spirits and an exceptional palette, to help pair some of the dishes offered at our local breweries with one of their crafted beers. Try some of these food and beer combos for a truly elevated and downright delicious gastronomic experience.
1.) The Poutine of the Day at Urban Chestnut
Urban Chestnut in The Grove just updated and expanded their menu. Now you can order soup and salads as well as German inspired favorites but UB regulars know that the poutine of the day the kitchen puts out is not to be missed. A base of tender fries, cheese curds and brown gravy acts as a blank canvas for ever changing flavor variations. The recent chipotle chicken poutine tasted like Thanksgiving dinner with some added sass from the smoky chipotle peppers. Angela suggests the Winged Nut Chestnut Ale. “Nuts and cheese are a natural match. The finely milled chestnuts that the Winged Nut is brewed in delivers a familiar and seamless pairing. The delicate sweetness of perceptible caramel notes provides a lovely contrast to the heat of the chipotle peppers. While not overly hoppy, this chestnut ale retains a medium bitterness that helps cut through the myriad of fat and textures of the dish, creating a balance that does not overwhelm the palate.” The poutine of the day will cost you $9.
2.) The Burger and Fries at brassWELL in Rockwell Beer Co.
Brasserie in the Central West End makes one of the very best burgers to be had in the city. Skilled execution, superior ingredients and small details like the housemade pickles make the simple sandwich exceptional. Now you can have that same quality burger while you’re at Rockwell Beer Co thanks to brassWELL. A single or double griddle smashed patty is topped with the creamiest American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles and dijonaise. Be sure to add an order of their crisp salty fries which are served with both ketchup and garlicky aioli. Says Angela, “Go with the Simple Needs Blonde Ale. There’s not much that is more classic than a tasty burger with a cold beer. This beer pairing says it all – simple needs. Sometimes it’s best to leave classic pairings as they are. This refreshing blonde ale plays a perfect supporting role to the juicy burger and its condiments, while also having just enough hoppy bitterness to give a nice cleanse to the palate, preparing your mouth for the next bite!” The single patty brassWELL burger is $7 while the fries cost $3.
3.) The Jibarito at Alphateria in Alpha Brewing Company
Once you see someone eating one of the epic jibarito’s that chef Mandy Estrella creates out of Alphateria, the kitchen inside Alpha Brewing Co, you will feel compelled to immediately order one for yourself. Enormous smashed plantains bigger than your hand are fried into tostones and sandwich an overflowing mountain of fillings. Chopped, thin seared steak, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, shredded lettuce and garlic mayo are piled high on the sandwich. It is at once rich, chewy and starchy from the plantains and crisp, juicy and refreshing from the steak and salad with the tiniest kick from the garlic mayo. For this Angela suggests the Papageno BIPA. “BIPA IPAs bring the familiarity of a traditional IPAs but add an intriguing “funk” quality that makes it stand out against the rest. Papageno is brewed with passionfruit, adding another tropical element to the Latin American flavors of the jibarito. Aromatic with fruit hop character, this beer is a refreshing supplement to the layered flavors of the food.” The suitable for sharing jibarito cost $9.
4.) The Bratwurst and Chips with Remoulade by Peacemaker and Sidney Street in 4 Hands Brewing Co.
When you walk into 4 Hands Brewery you’ll find a window next to the bar with a large menu sign hanging above it with the words “By Peacemaker and Sidney Street” painted on it. This is the window where you can order the best bratwurst you’ve ever eaten in your life. The brat is served on a Companion pretzel which is surprisingly soft and light with a beautiful crisped edge and salty crust. The bratwurst itself is deeply savory and mouthwatering and the casing has a satisfying snap. The housemade sauerkraut is crisp, tangy and lightly fermented and even the country mustard on top is outrageously delicious. Pair that transcendental brat with an order of their thick, golden housemade chips served with a pink hued remoulade that has a little Old Bay spice added in. Here Angela suggests going with a classic, the City Wide Pilsner. “With some pairings, the dish needs to be the star and the beer merely acts as the buoying second fiddle. The array of textures, flavors, and surprises of the dish that excite the palate on their own, it only makes sense to pair a pleasing, but not imposing, brew. 4 Hands has many session beers, but the City Wide Pilsner is the go-to pick for this menu selection. A crisp and clean lager, this American Pilsner with pale malt notes serves as a backbone to the multifaceted piquancy.” The best bratwurst in the city is $7 while the chips and dip cost $3.
5.) The Flying Pig at Guerrilla Street Food in 2nd Shift Brewery
Fans of Guerrilla Street food have likely enjoyed the flying pig either as an entree or wrapped up in a forearm sized burrito. Slow roasted pork, floral citrus calamansi, hoisin, sriracha, fried garlic, black sesame seeds, scallions and a delicate one hour egg are served over rice. The multiple ingredients each play off one another while adding new and different flavors keeping the dish exciting to eat from the first bite of runny rich egg yolk and rice to the very last bite of tender pork and toasty fragrant garlic. The soft subtle heat of the sriracha just warms the mouth in the most pleasurable way. Here Angela suggests the Green Bird Gose as a perfect pairing. “Filipino food is known for bringing together taste profiles from all spectrums. While you could easily choose a simple, sessionable beer, why not bring another realm of flavor with a gose? The refreshing tartness highlights the calamasi and hoisin, while the crisp carbonation cuts through the richness of the egg. Slightly sour and even a tad salty, this gose intermingles with the spice and seasoning components, and the touch of coriander in the beer creates a balanced harmony with fried garlic, black sesame, and scallions." Flying Pig served over rice costs an even $10.
