Dinner For One, Beer For Two

To say that my night at the Alibi Room made me miss Vancouver would be an understatement, so it’s fitting that the following day would be even better. I’m talking about ice cream truck weather, people. It’s a tough city to beat when there’s something good to do and the sun is winning the war against the gray. So with the sun shining and only one actual obligation, I put my feet to the pavement in search of good coffee, old friends, and some much needed fresh air.

My quest for all of the above kept me busy until mid-afternoon, when I finally decided to revisit the purpose of my visit: delicious craft beer. It was at The Whip where I finally got my mitts on a glass of the most extreme beer I’ve ever tasted: Storm’s 12 year old Lambic. Sour beer is hard to come by, let alone one that was produced locally and aged for a dozen years, so I pounced on the rare opportunity. My adolescent addiction to sour candy proved adequate preparation for this beast, and I was able to enjoy it without my face resembling a cat’s asshole. This beer and a good visit left me grinning, slightly drunk, and therefore willing to walk from South Main to East Hastings to attend the Red Truck beer dinner at Au Petit Chauvignol.

Chinatown laid a beatdown on my senses; so noisy, vivid and rank. The dried seafood, in combination with the sunshine, didn’t do much for my appetite, but it certainly quickened my pace. I ditched the dawdle and traded up for a brisk stroll, keeping my wits about me as I entered a pretty rough part of the city. The sun didn’t forget about East Hastings that day, and the locals were soaking it up with the best of them. Laughing, crying, and trying to beat the shit out of each other, just like the rest of us on any given day of the week.

When I eventually arrived at my destination a half hour early, I was greeted by the familiar friendly faces of Sam & Dave who I’d chatted with at length at the party the night before. There they were, taking in what was left of the sunlight, greeting friends and waiting for the shindig to get going. I used this opportunity to thank them both for keeping me company, and reiterated my excitement for the final pairing of the night: warm cookies, and dark beer. The man responsible for the cookies and a few of the other courses, Joe Chaput, introduced himself and took me on a tour of their custom built premises. I’ve seen a few kitchens, but never anything like this. So sterile and spacious, with amazing pieces of equipment all over the place. A skylight was placed directly over the line, and the walk-in cooler eats regular fridges for breakfast. I was red from sun, and green with envy. Basically, I looked like Christmas, but slightly sweaty and totally hungry.

The rest of the guests filtered in, and I took my seat for 1 at the bar, sipping on water, eagerly anticipating the start of the show. Fortunately I was seated next to a couple of fellow beer freaks, let’s call them the Buttler Brothers. They were good company, and as it turns out, far more knowledgeable about beer than I am. We talked beer and work, they’re in the coffee business, until the party kicked off.

This seems like a good time to tell you all how tough I am. I’m not Tapout tough, despite growing up in small town Vancouver Island.  The kind of tough that I am, however, pertains to my willingness to sit down to a tasting menu at a cheese focused restaurant, despite the fact that dairy and I just plain don’t get along. It’s a goddamned tragedy, I know. But don’t cry for me, Argentina. I’ll be fine.

Anyways…

Each course started with an explanation from either the proprietors or the brewmaster Dave Varga. In more words or less, he told the crowd that he likes to keep it real. He brews high quality, yet accessible beer, and he’s proud of that. He let us all know that when he drinks beer, he likes to have more than one, so when he’s brewing, he’s got that in mind. Session beers, they’re called, and that’s good news for the crowd, considering we were about to embark on a 5 course journey, each paired with 5 different pints. Yes, pints. I’ve got an English friend (a “mate”) who calls this breakfast, but I’m just a Canadian, and this sounded like an awful lot of food and drink. If it weren’t for course breaks, I just might have died on my bar stool.

The food, oh the food, was real, just like the beer. The eight cheeses that were chosen to pair with the Red Truck Lager each brought out new and interesting flavours in the beer, and vice versa. It was explained by the lovely Allsion (Co-Owner) that beer was a far superior match for cheese than wine. The first course managed to be both delicious and educational. I wouldn’t mind experimenting with this on my own time. Next up was a bowl of Cheddar and Beer Soup, paired with the Red Truck Limited Release IPA. The beer tangled nicely with the soup, with the bitterness of the beer cutting nicely through the richness of the soup. This was followed by a charcuterie plate which featured 4 selections (Prosciutto di Parma, Serrano Ham, Lomo Iberico, Lomo Iberico de Belotta), paired with the Red Truck Limited Release Pilsner. The cured pieces of pork played nicely with the pilsner, another educational and delicious course. Beer braised beef brisket came out next, well appointed with pommes puree and glazed carrots. This is comfort food, and I’m fiend for such things. The Red Truck Ale was poured, and did a terrific job handling the richness of the dish. This course break came with confirmation that the Canucks went down in flames against the Blackhawks, and the dining room let out a collective groan. Perhaps food induced, but likely from professional sports heartbreak. Then came the cookies, chocolate and still warm from the oven, in paper bags, served with the Red Truck Limited Release Stout. More comfort food, coming through for me when I needed it most. This course was up against some self imposed hype, and came through completely unscathed. I loved every bite, washed down by a mighty fine stout. The creamy head, provided by nitrous (not unlike cans of Guinness), was a touch you aren’t likely to find very often in our scene. The beer weighed 4%, but came through with richness and big flavours. I want this beer in my fridge, right now. Some cookies wouldn’t hurt either.

On a night when the Canucks were anything but, APC and Red Truck put on a dinner that was entirely successful. I appreciated the emphasis on both educating and appeasing the diners. The beers were brewed with accessibility in mind, and the menu followed suit. Complexity could be had for those in search of it, but the surface flavours of the pairings were more than enough to keep everyone happy. This dinner, to me, was the epitome of what a beer dinner should be. An event such as this could easily turn into a war against wine, and it didn’t. It was unpretentious and undemanding, which led to an extremely relaxed atmosphere. Just good people enjoying good food with good beer. No more, no less.

~ Jacob Galbraith