Last Wednesday, I was lucky enough to get to enjoy the Brewers Dinner at North by Northwest (NXNW). The Brewers Dinner is comprised of five courses, each paired with its own beer brewed at NXNW that enhances and complements the meal. It is only held about once every six months and reservations fill up quickly. Unfortunately, I waited almost a week to write this review, so my descriptions will not be as accurate.

The dinner is held in a small, private room that holds around 30 people. The tables are set up together, so you are sitting with other parties. My friend and I ended up seated next to a father and daughter. The father was a 70-year-old Irish man who claimed he wasn’t a big drinker, but he was the only person at our table of 11 who finished every plate and every beer (I know I’m ashamed of myself, too).

Enough of an introduction, on to the food and beer. Please excuse the dark, low quality pictures; they were taken with my phone.

First Course

Brie Stuffed Risotto Cake with White Truffle Vinaigrette

Bohemian Pilsner

This pilsner was my favorite beer of the night. It was a crisp, hoppy Czech-style lager according to the brewers and was one of two beers that I finished entirely. It paired well with the rich brie risotto cake which had a very strong flavor that the beer did not overpower.

Second Course

English Pea Leek Fava Bean Soup
(I took the picture a little late on this one)

Anniversary Double IPA

This was a surprising course. The soup did not sound very appetizing, but I promise you, it was delicious. Possibly my favorite meal at the dinner because of how surprised I was that it tasted so good.

Now, I’m not a fan Indian Pale Ales, and hearing that this was a double IPA scared me. The brewers said it was brewed with 10 hop additions and was 8% alcohol. I was expecting a bitter taste that would completely overwhelm my palate and I was wrong. There was a slight bitter aftertaste, but overall the beer was delicious and I managed to finish it. The only bad thing about this course was that the beer and the soup did not go well together; something the chef admitted before serving it.

Third Course

Baby Spinach Leaf Salad with Feta Vinaigrette Pickled Red Onions and Candied Pecans

Barton Kriek

I tried to color correct this picture as best I could so you can see how red the beer was. The father in the party next to us asked if it was actually wine. The Barton Kriek is a Belgian-style lambic ale with tart cherries, and was my least favorite beer of the night only because it was very fruity and I’m not a big cherry fan. However, the beer paired very well with the salad and complemented the candied pecans. I sipped at the beer with each bite of salad, but this is the first beer I did not finish.

Fourth Course
(I am already full by this point & finally realize I can photograph beer and food together)

Veal Shanks with Polenta
Okanogan Black Ale

This was my least favorite course. Everyone was shocked to see we were being served two bone-in veal shanks on top of a mound of polenta, and before the first bite was even taken, waiters were bringing in to-go boxes. I only managed a couple of bites of the veal and polenta, and I wasn’t a fan of either. The veal had a very distinct roast beef taste and the polenta wasn’t tasty by itself. The beer was a rich, smooth dark ale, but it wasn’t very memorable (perhaps because I was feeling slightly tipsy by this point).

Fifth Course

Chocolate Blancmage in Puff Pastry with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Barrel Aged Blackjack Ale

I am not normally a fan of chocolate, but this dessert was delicious (and not too chocolate-y). I finished my plate and stole a few bites from my friend’s. Guess I wasn’t as full after skipping the fourth course. Some of the people around us described the beer as tasting like chocolate, but I didn’t agree. It paired well with the bourbon caramel sauce thanks to it being aged in Jack Daniels whiskey barrels, and it was definitely a dessert beer. I chose not to finish it though so I could walk out of the restaurant straight.

After dinner, we were allowed to view the brewery room, which wasn’t very large, but was tall. My camera wasn’t able to get very detailed pictures in there, but I tried.

I would highly recommend the Brewers Dinner to anyone who loves beer and food. It isn’t for everybody, but I enjoyed it. There aren’t nearly as many beer snobs there as you would think. Mostly just couples and friends who enjoy a good meal and drink.

There’s nothing new about the party bus idea. Sororities, bachelor parties and high school prom groups notoriously hire the vehicles to escort them around for a night and block traffic everywhere they go.

One of the best uses of the party bus I’ve heard though is hiring one for beer tasting. Beer tasting is a lot like wine tasting, but inherently better because it involves beer and you’re less likely to find your grandmother at a brewery. Unlike wine though, there is not really a designated “beer country,” which makes it easier for people to organize a beer tasting trip because chances are there are a few microbreweries just down the road from where you live.

A group of guys here in Central Texas have made it an annual event. They hire a party bus to drive them to different breweries in the area to taste the local beer and keep a keg on the bus so they can continue drinking while in transit. Now that’s how you should spend your Saturday afternoon.

Another great way to avoid having to choose a designated driver is the beer bike:

Unfortunately, they only seem to exist in Europe at the moment, but hopefully that will change in the future. What better way to get where you want to go than with a mobile bar and all of your friends? Carpooling to work is already looking more exciting. They’re also eco-friendly for those worried about carbon emissions.

There is some labor involved obviously since you are pedaling the bike, but it’s evenly distributed and should be simple, unless you invite a lazy friend who would rather prop his feet up. Make him pay extra. The girls will be up for knocking back a few pints though, knowing the calories will be burned as they drink.

Beer bikes are obviously the future of transportation. Embrace it and share the word.

Hello beer lover! Welcome to the first post on KegBlog, the unofficial mouthpiece of Kegerator.com.

Rather than get immediately into kegerators, I want to send a brief shout-out to my favorite drinking spot in Austin.

NXNW brews their own beer, and they usually have five beers on tap, plus a seasonal beer. Personally, I am a Bavarian Hefeweizen fan, but their Duckabish Amber is a crowd-pleaser.

Whenever I get a new keg (I haven’t taken the plunge into homebrew yet) I call up NXNW and they hook me up- and their prices are competitive with plain-jane liquor stores!