Recipe Box: What Pairs Well with Local Brews? Just About Everything

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An icy cold one seems the obvious beverage for washing down that juicy, hot-off-the-grill burger in the back yard or a classic Wisconsin bratwurst smeared with spicy brown mustard at the ball park.

But what about pairing a locally crafted IPA brew with an elegant Asparagus & Egg Sandwich or a nice microbrewed nut brown ale with a chilled summery Asian Noodle Salad? And that late-brunch omelet and hash browns might go well with a hearty stout.

When it comes to beverage-food pairings, says Ryan Woodfill, head brewer at Canal Park Brewing Co. in Duluth, “I find beer being a lot more flexible than wine.”

As the Lake Superior region continues to sprout a vibrant community of craft brewers, it also has been growing restaurants and pubs with menus built around seasonal microbrew offerings.

These days everybody, from hotdog-chomping grillers to gourmet-gobbling locavores, seems to reach for a pint glass over the stemware that once dominated pairings.

Richard Selz, general manager of Canal Park Brewing, agrees with his head brewer. “Beer is easier to pair with food than wine thanks to two components, carbonation and bittering. Think of the carbonated beverages that go naturally with food like a cola with a burger. And you can think of bittering as the flavor or spice in beer.”

Deep Water Grille in Ashland has long tailored its menu to complement the microbrews turned out by South Shore Brewing.

“We like to pair aggressively hopped beers with spicy food. India pale ales or IPAs have hops up front, that makes for a natural pairing with Mexican dishes,” says Bo Belanger, owner of both the grille and brewery, who has paired cuisine with the locally crafted beer since 1995.

“It was a bit of a surprise that our Northern Lights cream ale paired so well with Italian dishes. Then we realized the lavender we use in the brewing process is a member of the oregano family. It made sense,” says Bo. “Really it’s a matter of individual taste, and what appeals to our customers.”

No need to limit beers to the main course, either.

“Certain dark beers can be surprisingly good with desserts,” Richard says. “For instance, the chocolate in a brownie can pair well with notes in a stout or porter.”

Bo agrees. “Fruit-infused beers can also go well with desserts. We’ve done beers with notes of apple, peach and sumac.”

The possible combinations seem almost limitless. The Lake Superior region currently boasts more than 20 craft breweries, which turn out a constellation of ales, porters, stouts, pilsners and lagers. Each brewery has its signature staples, plus a delightful number of seasonal and specialty beers.

“Our beers are more on the mild side,” says Paul Boissevain of Keweenaw Brewing Company in Houghton, Michigan. “I say, find a beer you like and it will go with everything.”

Paul suggests trying Keweenaw’s Olde Ore Dock Scottish Ale with lightly seasoned poultry or seafood, or the Widowmaker Black Ale with a piece of pumpkin pie.

“We’ve been at it for 20 years and there are always new pairings to try,” Bo says. “And we’ll be happy to suggest beer to complement whatever you’re cooking.”

At Canal Park Brewing, you’ll find suggested beer pairings right on the menu. “Find the beer that appeals to you and you’ll be amazed at the dishes it complements. New beers are coming out all the time,” Richard says. “Sour beers, when done right, are tart and sharp at first and then end smoothly.”

Chef Jonathan Katzmark, raised in Superior, Wisconsin, graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in the Twin Cities. He approaches the pairing of microbrews and main dishes from the perspective of a chef creating a seasonal menu for Canal Park Brewing.

Entering each season, he consults with head brewer Ryan Woodfill, who is from Louisiana. Jonathan jokes that Ryan has had to adjust his spicy inclinations to the Midwestern palate without giving up creation of microbrews with memorable flavors. For his part, Jonathan relishes conjuring dishes that blend his own Korean heritage with his Midwest upbringing and his sense of epicurean flair.

For the summer menu, he offers a chilled salad of crisp vegetables, rice noodles and Korean bulgogi beef (marinated in a special barbecue sauce), which pairs well with the brewery’s Stoned Surf IPA.

His hot sandwich featuring the crunch of fresh asparagus partnered with the nutty overtones of Gruyère cheese on eggs stands well with the CPB Nut Hatchet Nut Brown Ale, though he also recommends the IPA if that is your brew leaning.

In general, both Ryan and Jonathan agree, the rule of thumb for wine pairings works for microbrews, too. Which is to say, the lighter the entrée, the lighter weight the beverage.

“I really don’t think,” Ryan says, “there is any bad pairing with beer.”

Beer appétit!

Canal Park Brewing’s Asian Noodle Salad

  • 1 pkg. (9 oz.) rice noodles
  • 1/2 c. shredded cabbage
  • 1/2 c. carrots (cut into short matchsticks)
  • 1/2 c. sliced cucumbers
  • 1/2 c. jícama (cut into short matchsticks)
  • 12 oz. flavorful beef (flank or short rib) sliced thin and short
  • 1/2 c. Korean BBQ Sauce (recipe below)
  • 1 c. Sesame Dressing, divided (recipe below)

Serves 4.

Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions.

Toss cooked noodles gently in 1/2 cup Sesame Dressing. Refrigerate. Combine beef with 1/2 cup of BBQ Sauce and let marinate in refrigerator for several hours.

Cook beef on stovetop grill or sauté in a pan until cooked to desired doneness. Place noodles in bowl. Surround with little piles of cabbage, carrot, cucumber and jícama (pronounced HEE-kah-ma).

Place cooked beef on top of salad and drizzle with another ounce of sesame dressing.

Korean BBQ Sauce

  • 1-1/4 c. soy sauce
  • 5 Tbsp. sugar
  • 10 tsp. sesame oil
  • 5 Tbsp. garlic, chopped fine
  • 2 Tbsp. ginger, chopped fine
  • 1/4 c. scallions, chopped fine

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate.

Sesame Dressing

  • 1 c. sesame oil
  • 1/2 c. rice vinegar
  • 1 c. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped fine
  • 2 Tbsp. ginger, chopped fine
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate.

Canal Park Brewing’s Asparagus & Egg Sandwich

  • 8 spears fresh asparagus
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • salt & pepper to season
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 slices, sour dough bread
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 slices Gruyère cheese
  • 3-4 slices roma tomato
  • 1/2 c. spring lettuce mix
  • 2 Tbsp. Pesto Aioli (recipe below)

Wash the asparagus under cold running water. Snap off and discard the tough bottom portion. If using thicker asparagus, scrape each stalk to remove the skin.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil until just warm. Add the asparagus and season with salt and black pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the same pan, cook the eggs over-hard or scrambled.

Butter one side of each sourdough slice. Place a slice of cheese on each unbuttered side. Toast, buttered side down, at medium heat in a separate pan.

Remove the bread from the pan. Spread aioli on one slice of bread, top the other slice with the cooked egg, asparagus, roma tomatoes and mixed greens, and then assemble the sandwich. Slice in half on diagonal. Enjoy with a CPB Nut Hatchet Brown Ale.

Pesto Aioli

  • 3 Tbsp. garlic, chopped fine
  • 2 c. mayonnaise
  • 2 lemons (the juice)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 c. pesto

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate.

Juli Kellner hosts “WDSE Cooks” for WDSE/WRPT PBS 8/13 in Duluth.