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One of the hottest (and my most favorite) trends in the restaurant industry right now is the pairing dinner. You know, those dinners that you pay a little extra up front with the prix-fixe so you can enjoy perfectly matched beverages (usually wine) with the various courses of the meal. Now this in itself might not be a new occurrence, but what has been recently updated to make this craze popular again is the format that these dinners are now taking on… battle.
That’s right… they are now a fight to the death for the two worlds of
 alcoholic beverage choices (sorry, spirits): beer and wine. Last drink standing wins and takes all the glory, being crowned as the best (or better) of beverages to be consumed with food. And the best part about it? They’re crowd ruled, people’s choice verdicts. There are no panels of expert judges, no snobs of the industry, either industry, there to tell you what you should taste or feel or experience. There is only you, the food, and the glass of each libation there for you to deliberate upon and ultimately cast a vote for the better pairing of the two. And man, oh man, is it glorious.
Typically these dinners have anywhere from three to five courses, and each course is matched with one wine and one beer. Patrons receive samples of each, along with the course, and are asked to vote for the better match in their opinion. The votes are tallied, the rounds assigned, and by the end of the evening one of the two comes out on top: beer or wine.
Sometimes books are written to help sort the war out after the battle (like He Said Beer, She Said Wine by Sommelier Marnie Old and Dogfish Head’s 
Sam Calagione, who have hosted numerous beer vs. wine dinners throughout the country). Sometimes, these events go on for years (check out Greg Koch of Stone Brewing and Barry Wiss of Napa’s Trinchero Family Estates epic 3-year battle at the Rancho Bernardo Inn’s El Bizcocho restaurant here). This is not usually the case, I will admit, but very cool nonetheless.
The great thing about these evenings, however, is not the final outcome. It more frequently than not comes down to the last course, with the event tied, and the final tally being very close with a couple of votes over one way or another. Sometimes it goes to wine, sometimes beer, but ultimately, everyone wins.
 Everyone wins because the best thing about these dinners truly is the surprising conversations and lasting impressions that being offered such options have on the attendees. Having participated many of these smackdowns, it’s amazing to me to watch a die-hard wino come in totally convinced that wine will come out on top only to realize that beer has put up a better fight for the night and vote across party lines. And vice versa with the hardcore beer lovers.
Ultimately, it’s not about which one is the better match. Or which one is more popular that night. Or what your usual preference is. These sorts of dinners are about opening up the minds of people who might not have experienced what wonderful options the other side of the table has to offer if it had not been for this type of dining experience. The diehard wine geek who would never order a beer with dinner might now see why a crisp IPA might be better with a crab cake salad as opposed to a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. And a beer enthusiast might understand how a Chilean Cabernet Blend might offer more depth to braised short ribs then a robust lager.
If you have never been to a throwdown, it’s time to find one and go! Try searching beermenus.com, Beer Advocate’s event calendar or your favorite local craft brewery’s website or customer service number to see if they have any upcoming local events. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed, and will most likely be more surprised at your taste buds than you would have ever guessed. If you have been, share your experience with the group: was it fun, were you surprised, and would you do it again?
Filed under: Beer, Events, Food Pairing, Food Trends, Restaurants and Food
5 Comments
5 Responses to “Beer vs. Wine – Let the Battle Begin!”
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November 17th, 2009 at 4:35:36 PM
While it’s not a beer vs. wine throwdown, the lady and myself are going on Thursday to a 4 course Melting Pot / Dogfish Head dinner and beer pairing which I am very much looking forward to.
I think we’d get a kick out of one of these beer vs. wine things, as she tends to skew towards the wine while I veer hard towards beer, so it’d be interesting to see if each of our perceptions could be changed, depending on the food / beverage being tasted.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:54:12 PM
Lauren, great post! And I must agree with your “everyone wins” position, and say that in 3 decades in this business, I do not think that I ever have enjoyed a pairing dinner anywhere near as much as one that I had the remarkably good fortune to host with, among other beverage celebrities, my dearly-missed friend Michael Jackson in April 2006. With the Beer Hunter in the center, and brewers Tomme Arthur (Lost Abbey) and Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) as well as winemakers Trey Busch (then of Basel Cellars in Walla Walla, now Sleight of Hand) and Ken Foster (then of Carneros Creek) as wing men, Seattle chef Ethan Stowell had a blast in developing the menu at his Union Restaurant. We alternated courses, 7 in all, between those matched with beer and those with wine. Not only was the crowd of mixed geeks wowed entirely no matter which side of the fence they entered from, but the conversations between those opinion-shaping producers were fantastic – winemakers afraid of carrying brett home on their shirtsleeves, brewers cutting deals with the wine guys to ship used barrels for upcoming batches. To say that I didn’t take enough pictures, especially now having lost Michael only 16 months later, is a career understatement.
But here’s the moral of the story – go for it, be a crossover, a fence-straddler, a shape-shifter, a two-fister when it comes to great beer and great wine and how they can work to improve any meal – do it this Thanksgiving to break the tired mold of pinot noir and gewurztraminer recommendations, please, please, DO try this at home!
November 17th, 2009 at 5:16:36 PM
It’s funny my husband and I went to the Melting Pot dinner with Unibroue and I was most satisfied with how they married all of the beers with the food. I have to say one of the best parts of the dinner is when I found out that the dressing for the salad was made with Unibroue’s Ephemere beer. (WOW)
I have been a sceptic when it comes to pairings and dinners due to some being over priced, but this one was a sure winner in my book. Nothing was left to wonder about. They had a rep there explaining the beers and what they paired with. very good and interesting night. the beer and food were fab.
November 21st, 2009 at 12:53:18 AM
One of the best things about my job (I work for a craft brewery) is traveling around the country working with top notch restaurants to talk about food and beer. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it’s great to see people appreciate good food paired with good beer. It’s always encouraging to see people coming into the craft beer world from the traditional yellow domestic lager side. But equally as exciting is to talk with wine connoisseurs who have open minds and are willing to approach different ales & lagers – they tend to have well-versed palates and are able to describe and appreciate the subtleties and complexities of our craft. As Sam from Dogfish says in his book He Said Beer, She Said Wine, beer has two legs to stand on (malt & hops) where wine only has one leg (the grape). That’s an old-fashioned duel right there, and is excellent fodder for a late night nightcap – regardless what side of the field you find yourself on. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend one beer/wine dinner, but also a beer/single malt scotch dinner – both interesting and challenging at the same time. I do have a plan to also throw the gauntlet down and do a beer/vodka dinner – should be fun!
May 2nd, 2010 at 11:18:52 AM
i like both, Wine is cheaper though, in my country. even cheaper then water i think.