Cheers to beers and all the breweries producing a large variety of types and tastes throughout Ohio. Brewers experiment with barley for sweetness, hops for bitterness, yeast, fruits, spices, nuts and chocolate.
Yet while most people drink red wine with meat and white wine with fish, I had not heard much about changing your beer choice depending on the meal. This led me to a deep, difficult research dive and inviting a crew, aged 23 to 84, for a food and beer tasting extravaganza!
My daughter, Catie, invited three of her friends from medical school, Lilly, Thap and Sidney, to join my husband Tony, friends Stacy and Amy, and my mom whom we affectionately call Gummy.
I planned the order of beers from light to dark, knowing we would start with appetizers and finish with desserts.
We began with a pilsner by Immigrant Son Brewery in Lakewood, called American Pilsner (4.5% ABV), knowing pilsners pair well with lighter fare. The starter course was Monterey Jack cheese, almond flour crackers and blue cheese-covered potato chips from Cap City Diner.
Everyone enjoyed the golden-colored beer, describing it as light, sparkly and crisp. They felt it was balanced with the food and intensified the sharpness of the blue cheese. Thap added that it was easy to chug and Gummy gave it a smiley face.
Next up was a hazy pale ale called Pan Am, 5.5% ABV, from Nocterra Brewing Co. in Powell.
Traditionally, American pale ales have a hoppy bite with citrus overtones and pair well with hamburgers and steaks as well as fried and spicy foods, so we chose Rusty Bucket sliders.
Tasters were divided on this one. Gummy felt the ale had a strong aroma while Amy thought it had a mild, sweet smell with more of a buttery flavor after the burger.
Some found it bitter.
“It tastes like a light, outside mid-day beer,” Catie says.
“It tastes like a frat party at Alabama.” Sidney says.
“It’s easier to chug,” Thap says.
Gummy gave it a sad face.
We moved on to Tuk Tuk Lager, made by Getaway Brewing Co. in Dublin and Seventh Son Brewing Co. in Columbus. Lagers tend to be crisp, dry, and thirst-quenching – perfectly paired with pizza.
We tasted Tuk Tuk with a pepperoni flatbread and found the lager to be light, refreshing and perfect for summer. Sidney thought it was smooth and calmed down the spice of the pepperoni. Lily felt it was perfectly balanced and Thap believed it would be the easiest of all to chug. Gummy gave it a smiley face.
Moving right along, we tried a 5% Hefeweizen beer called Hefe, from Wolf’s Ridge Brewing in Columbus. Hefeweizens, originating in Germany, are wheat beers with a silky texture and foamy head. They pair well with white creamy sauces, sushi, soups and sweet Asian dishes.
We drank our Hefe alongside Cap City Diner’s spicy shrimp pasta with chorizo, caramelized onion, spinach and red pepper cream sauce. I’m usually a fan of wheat beers, but felt this one was not for me. It tasted citrus-like and fragrant but too sour for me.
Stacy thought it smelled boldly of spices and malts. Sidney thought it tasted like fall; it was fragrant and fermented like kombucha. Lily loved the spice of the pasta but felt the Hefe didn’t hit the right notes. Catie was harsh on this one saying it tasted like nail polish remover. Gummy didn’t like the aftertaste and gave it a sad face.
Next up was Falutin, a hazy IPA from North High Brewing Co. in Dublin. India pale ales originated in England during the 19th century and were made extra strong and hoppy to survive the long ocean journey to India. The strong and sometimes bitter taste of IPAs blends well with foods that feature any combination of fat, fruit, and spiciness, like lamb and curry.
I chose tamarind barbecue and Joe’s regular spice wings from Rusty Bucket for this course. No one in our group likes IPAs so we were dreading this pairing, but most of us were pleasantly surprised.
Sidney tasted a bit of lemon and grapefruit and said it cooled down the spicy wigs. Catie liked the IPA but thought it should be icy cold next time. Lily enjoyed the combination with the wings and tasted a surprise sweetness from the IPA. Gummy still gave it a sad face.
Our final beer was Jackie O’s, Dark Apparition Imperial Stout, 10% ABV from Columbus. Stouts are known for their roasted flavors of coffee and chocolate, and while great in the winter, they are also amazing during backyard grilling season. They also perfectly pair with many desserts.
Our dessert course combined this dark stout with four different Whole Foods tarts. The stout was hearty yet mild on its own, but exploded when paired with the desserts.
Sidney felt it tasted like gold with the chocolate mousse. Catie and Thap loved it with the crème fraiche and raspberry tart, and thought it was like a smooth mocha. Gummy said she didn’t think she’d like it but happily gave it a smiley face!
Colleen D’Angelo is a Dublin Life columnist and freelance writer. She and her husband, Tony, raised three children in Dublin over the last 25 years. Colleen enjoys playing and teaching pickleball; walking her pup, Mason; and traveling internationally. You can reach her at coleendangelo1@gmail.com.
