On New Year’s Eve 2008, Good Food Catering Company sponsored a Wine vs. Beer party, which set out to settle the debate as to which beverage is best to pair with food. Wine has long enjoyed the distinction and attention of being paired with foods, through the popularity of wine dinners, wine tastings and even the popular media. But the rise in popularity of craft beers over the past several years has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for beverage and food pairings.
For the challenge, we chose five savory dishes and two desserts, each paired with a respective wine and beer. Partygoers were given a scorecard that listed each of the dishes along with the beer and wine selections. Set up as food stations, the party was a relaxing way for guests to sample each of the dishes at a relaxed pace and sip on their favorite wines and beers. Here was the menu:
Caesar Salad
Wine: Sterling Sauvignon Blanc
Beer: Paulaner Hefeweisen
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Manchego Cheese with Roasted Red Pepper
Wine: Rioja
Beer: Stella Artois
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Pasta Carbonara
Wine: Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc
Beer: Murphy’s Irish Stout
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Cajun Jambalaya
Wine: Chateau de Segries Rose
Beer: Dogfish Head 90-min IPA
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Spicy Tuna Sushi Rolls
Wine: Cristalino Cava
Beer: Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale
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Hickory Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Wine: Ravenswood “Zen of Zin” Zinfandel
Beer: Sam Adams Black Lager
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New Orleans Style Bread Pudding
Wine: Taylor Cream Sherry
Beer: Abita Pecan Harvest Ale
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Dark Chocolate
Wine: Deco Port
Beer: Old Rasputin Imperial Stout
If you would like to host your own party, email me for a free copy of a basic party blueprint and some helpful ideas on throwing a wine vs. beer party. If you’d like us to do the work, give me a call and we can talk about how Good Food Catering Company can cater a very memorable Wine vs. Beer pairing party at your location. We can custom design a menu and depending on your selections, it can cost anywhere from $50 per person and above (minimum 20 guests), not including the beer and wine. I promise it will be the party of the year and the talk of the town!
