Quite a few Flying Dog mutts have culinary backgrounds. And when their love for food and beer come together, the result is (usually) pretty damn tasty.

Brewer and cellarman Larry Pomerantz recently developed his own take on fish and chips, inspired by our 20th anniversary Raging Bitch:

Bitch and Chips

Serves 13 (6 oz. portions)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 36 oz (3 bottles) Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA
• 5 pounds firm-fleshed whitefish (tilapia, pollock, haddock, or cod), cut into 1-ounce strips
• Cornstarch, for dredging

Directions for Bitch Batter and Fish:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning.
2. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps.
3. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. (Note: The batter can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time.)
4. Heat oil in deep frier or pan to 350 degrees.
5. Lightly dredge fish strips in cornstarch.
6. Working in small batches, dip the fish into batter and immerse into hot oil.
7. When the batter is set, turn the pieces of fish over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
8. Drain the fish.
9. Serve with malt vinegar.

Directions for Homemade French Fries:

1. Use a mandolin slicer with a wide blade, slice the potatoes with the skin on.
2. Place in a large bowl with cold water.
3. Heat fryer to 320 degrees.
4. Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing any excess water.
5. When oil reaches 320 degrees, submerge the potatoes in the oil.
6. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale and floppy.
7. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature.
8. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees.
9. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Remove and drain on roasting rack.
11. Season with kosher salt.

According to Larry, all must be served with plenty of Raging Bitch.

Last Thursday’s Flying Dog Beer Dinner at Magnolia’s at the Mill was nothing short of divine. The menu and pairings were the brainchild of Executive Chef Mark Marocco. Needless to say, we want to relive these tastes over and over again.

First course: Guajillo pepper seafood tostada with avocado and pico de gallo, paired with our 20th anniversary Belgian-style IPA, Raging Bitch

• Our Bitch combines big citrus hops with fruity Belgian yeast, all of which showed the spicy pepper whose boss.
• The balance of caramel malt brought out the sweetness of the tomato beautifully.

Second course: Mozzarella en corrozza with an anchovy garlic sauce, paired with our Old Scratch Amber Lager

• The Scratch made the salt and garlic slap you in the face.
• Those same those flavors brought out a tart tanginess in the amber lager.

Third course: Shrimp and white cheddar grits with tasso ham, paired with Nitro charged Double Dog Double Pale Ale

• Double Dog is smooth, creamy and sweet on nitro.
• It brought out the creamy, buttery flavors of the cheddar grits while emphasizing each protein equally.

Fourth Course: Ale braised Shepherd’s Pie (ground lamb and beef with hickory smoked whipped potatoes), paired with our Dogschwarz Smoked Double Lager

• The roasted, smokiness of the malt combined with the hickory smoked potatoes and braised meats was perfect.

Dessert: Chocolate pistachio mascarpone cannoli, paired with our Gonzo Imperial Porter

• The chocolate, vanilla and nutty combination created an almost toffee-like taste.

Finale: A vertical tasting of Horn Dog Barleywine and vintage 2006 oak-aged Horn Dog Barleywine

We tasted a newly-packaged Barleywine alongside the same brew aged for almost four years in oak whiskey barrels. The difference was profound. As it ages, Horn Dog becomes more complex, bringing out the brown fruit flavors and transforming into a sherry-like nightcap. And a nightcap it was.

We are hosting our 2nd Annual Beer Dinner with Brauns Bar and Grill during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver at 7PM on September 26th, 2009.

The cost of the five course meal is $35.95. We will accept reservations through September 24th. Get your tickets soon, this beer dinner will definitely sell out! For more information head to the GABF Beer Dinner @ Brauns event page.

Buy your tickets online here.

Click here to see a larger image.

We’ve been waiting almost a year for this.  Back in February when we released our new Kerberos Tripel, we put together a short, informational video with our VP of Brewing Operations, Matt Brophy. 

In that video, Eric Warner asked Matt, “What foods would pair well with Kerberos?” His answer: Thanksgiving Dinner.

Later this week, Thanksgiving Dinner will be here and there will be a Kerberos Tripel right along side our plate of Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. We can’t wait.

Watch the video below so you can bring some Kerberos to the family feast and sound all smart and sophisticated when you bust out your beer and food pairing knowledge. (If they ask you something you don’t know, send them to beerdinners.com)

Have a Happy and SAFE Thanksgiving, everyone.

Check out our video about Kerberos Tripel here.

There’s a beer dinner at Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint in scenic Jackson, Mississippi in a few weeks. Here’s the info we’ve been provided:

Join us for our 1st full-blown, sit down, drink up, beer dinner!

MONDAY, SEPT. 22nd 6 p.m.

Sign up now for a 5-course meal matched to compliment a full array of Flying Dog beers! Rich Graham of Flying Dog Brewery will be in attendance to help host the event.

Flying Dog Beers:
Old Scratch Amber Lager
Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale
Road Dog Porter
Tire Bite Golden Ale
In-Heat Wheat
Snake Dog India Pale Ale
Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter – a special beer aged for one year in Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey barrels.

Courses
Field greens salad with diced apples, toasted pumpkin seeds and a cider vinaigrette
New Orleans “Central Grocery-style” pizza
Potato gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce
Beer-braised beef short ribs with roasted garlic mashed potatoes garnished with beer-battered onion rings
Chocolate-hazelnut tiramisu

RESERVATIONS A MUST * $55 per person

Call: 601.368.1919
or email: andrewr@salandmookies.com

Technorati Tags: beer dinner, sal and mookies, flying dog, brewery, beer, craft beer, food, pairing, jackson, ms

It’s lunchtime and I’m hungry.  This made me even more hungry.  Check out this video from Better Beer Food.

more about “Chicken Curry and Double Dog“, posted with vodpod

Technorati Tags: better, beer, food, craft, flying dog, chicken curry, double, dog, pairing

Flying Dog’s Lead Dog, Eric Warner, caught up with Jeff from Craft Beer Radio at the Brewer’s Associations 1st Annual Savor event in Washington, DC. Eric talks about new styles, brewery history and food pairings. Catch the interview here.

Hard to believe, but Memorial Day is upon is.  And with the start of Summer here, it’s time to fire up the grills.  Here are some ideas on what beer to pair with that Summertime grub.

Burgers - Burgers off the grill are a staple of backyard bar-b-ques and Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale is the perfect beer to go wash down that mound of ground beef.  Doggie-stlyle’s crisp hop edge will really bring out the burger’s juiciness.  If you want to take it to the next level, pour some beer on the burger as you’re grilling it and add some cheddar cheese at the end.

Smoked Brisket - If you’re more in to smoking your meat, try our Double Dog Double Pale Ale.  At 85 IBU’s, Double Dog definitely a hop bomb, but it’s balanced enough to really accentuate that smoky flavor in the brisket.  On the side, add some cubes of Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola.

BBQ Ribs - You like ribs slathered in BBQ sauce, huh?  We recommend pairing that with Gonzo Imperial Porter.  Gonzo’s rich, malty body and intense roasted flavor will pair great with the rich rib meat and spicy/sweet BBQ sauce.  If you really want to do it right, use a Kansas City-style BBQ sauce that has more of a sweet, molasses taste profile.  Damn, that sounds good.

Salads - You gotta have some greens to complete a true Summer feast and for that we recommend In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen or our Summer Seasonal, Woody Creek White.  Both of these refreshing Wheat beers are great on those hot days.  If your salad has a little bit of a citrus kick to it, go with the Woody Creek White.  If you’re more of a Ranch/Cobb Salad type person, go with In-Heat Wheat.

Hot Dogs - You might be asking “Can you pair a beer with a Hot Dog?”  The answer is “Hell yeah you can!  Old Scratch Amber Lager’s smooth, malty goodness is a perfect compliment to foods on the salty or spicy side.  We recommend a spicy, deli mustard with kraut and onions if you are so inclined.

For more on pairing food with beer, log on to beerdinners.com.  We offer some more “adventurous” pairings on there.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day, everyone!

Technorati Tags: summer food pairings, grilling and beer, craft beer, memorial day food, flying dog

Flying Dog Brewery ties together American craft beer flavors with traditional holiday foods

DENVER, CO October, 2007 - Flying Dog Brewery is one of the many craft breweries participating in the national program called Craft Beer and Food for the Holidays This free program organized by the Brewers Association, highlights the ways in which beer styles complement many traditional American holiday foods. The program delves into pairings such as ale with traditional American foods, a pairing frequently mentioned in reference to the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. The website, www.beerandturkey.org, is for beverage and food lovers interested in complementary flavors at the holiday dinner table.

The web site was created in 2006 to encourage those hosting holiday celebrations to include craft beer in their holiday dinner menus. Of the 1,440 breweries in the U.S., just under 1,400 of them are craft brewers and Flying Dog Brewery is one of them. At www.beerandturkey.org is information for beer and food enthusiasts who want to learn “what to drink” and “how to serve” craft beer at their holiday meals. There is also a database of fellow craft breweries who have posted their holiday release beers and information on holiday dinners associated with the breweries.

Caramelized and toasted grain flavors in many beers complement the flavors of roast turkey while herbal hop additions pair nicely with popular holiday seasonings such as sage. Furthermore, the carbonation, fruitiness and balanced bitterness of many craft beers allow them to stand up to creamy, butter-rich preparations like mashed potatoes, creamed corn and similar fare.

Julia Herz, Director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Brewers Association stated, “Our country’s history is rich with stories of beer and food and craft beer picks up where wine leaves off. Many styles of beer both complement and contrast the food they are paired with, whereas wine mostly contrasts. The holiday dinner table is a very appropriate place for beer made from America’s small, independent and traditional brewers.”

Here are some suggestions listed on www.beerandturkey.org for beer styles to pair with various main courses:

Traditional Roast Turkey: The roasted and caramelized skin matches well with a golden ale like Flying Dog’s Tire Bite.

Ham: In-Heat Wheat’s taste profile is often reminds people of banana and clove notes and would be a perfect pairing with ham that is prepared with fruit and seasonings.

Duck: Flying Dog’s Fall Seasonal, Dogtoberfest makes a perfect companion to the darker meat like duck which offers a richer flavor than turkey.

Salmon: An amber lager like Old Scratch can offer a clean toasted malt note to offset the firm flavors of salmon without a lot of bitterness that would overwhelm the fish.

Leg of Lamb: Pale ales like Doggie-style Classic Pale Ale provide a pleasant foil to lamb with a spicy or herbal character to complement the character of the meat along with some toasted malt notes. Or for more harmony with the roasted flavors of the meat, try Road Dog Porter.

Beef Tenderloin: This rich hearty cut of meat deserves a robust beer as a counterpoint but also calls for some contrast to clear the palate between bites. The ideal companion would Double Dog Double Pale Ale.

# # #

Based in Boulder, Colo., U.S.A., the Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade and education association for American craft brewers and the community of beer enthusiasts. Visit the website: www.beertown.org to learn more. The association’s activities include events and publishing: World Beer Cup®; Great American Beer Festival sm ; Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America®; National Homebrewers Conference; National Homebrew Competition; American Craft Beer Week (May); Zymurgy magazine; The New Brewer magazine; and books on beer and brewing. The Brewers Association has an additional membership division of 12,000+ homebrewers: American Homebrewers Association.

Technorati Tags: Flying Dog, Beer Dinner, brewery, Holiday, Thanksgiving, beer, food, denver

We launched BeerDinners.com a couple weeks back, and so far, we’re getting some good feedback.

Appellation Beer made a great point - Shouldn’t every dinner be a “Beer Dinner”?

There’s been quite a bit of BeerDinner.com chatter on BeerAdvocate.com.

And A-Cold-Beer.com seems to like the Grilled Sausage, Jicama; Apple Slaw and Scottish Porter Apricot Mustard. Chris tried this recipe himself and agrees - it’s awesome.

Inside tip: Be on the lookout for an announcement in the next couple of weeks. We’re co-hosting a Beer Dinner with DRAFT Magazine during GABF. Time, date, location , and how to buy tickets TBA.

Technorati Tags: beer dinners, beer dinner, flying dog, flying dog brewery, denver brewery, colorado beer, beer and food, craft beer