I don't know how to begin this post. There are so many things I want to say all at once, it's just getting jumbled up. I could start by talking about the excellent food that was served, the copious amounts of alcohol present, or the kick ass atmosphere of the place. I guess I'll just do it in chronological order so as to talk about everything at once. And once again, I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post. My friend left his camera at his apartment that had all the picture on it, so this post will have to be updated later. Until then, I'll just have to paint the pictures with words.

ARRIVAL

My homeboy Adam and I arrived at Sunspot at about 6:15 which proved to be a poor choice, because they didn't start the dinner until 7. The reservations said 6:30, but I guess they wanted to make sure everyone was there before the evening commenced. I almost died of thirst and starvation leading up to that time because I had decided it would be a good idea to refrain eating for several hours before. I can't go more than about 3 hours at a time without eating. That's just how my body works; I have a fast metabolism. And as for the no drink thing, that's just because I was too cheap to buy a beer knowing that there would be unlimited free beer in just a few minutes, and boy were those minutes long. But finally, our emcee for the evening, a pleasant fellow by the name of Jeremy Walker from Eagle Distributing Company, began to prepare us for the first course.

Course #1: Circus Boy paired with Camembert en croute, garlic and apricot gremolata, and a balsamic reduction.

This was probably the best pairing of the evening. Imagine the dish as a sort of flaky croissant filled with a mozzarella textured but havarti tasting cheese, topped of a salsa made of garlic and apricots, and surrounded perfectly by a tangy balsamic reduction. Both the beer and the reduction cut through the richness of the camembert cheese, and went extremely well together. It really was incredibly good. At this point, Adam and I were both about three Circus Boys in. The beer was much better this time versus when I had drank and reviewed it previously. It was much more mellow and tasted more like a traditional hefeweizen, though I honestly don't remember too much else about it. It was a long night.

Course #2: #9 paired with Braised rabbit, oyster mushrooms, daikon radish, and a lemon grass and #9 gelee.

This was my least favorite course, and I think everyone else's too. I think the chef did a good job with it, but it was a tough dish to prepare. It was a little watery and bland, though we could have thought that because we had just come off of the high from the first course. The #9 is probably my favorite beer from magic hat. The yeast they use gives it a nice, apricot smell and fruity taste that doesn't have too much of a bitter aftertaste. Had the flavor in the rabbit been a little more pronounced it would have been a better pairing, but as it was it was just ok. At this point, things were starting to get a little more rowdy. The people beside started heckling our emcee. The guy was new to this whole hosting thing and looked exactly like what you imagine someone heavily into microbrews would look like; artsy, beard, glasses, and a happy smile. The guy to my right shouted, “Jeremy, I'd like to buy your hat and glasses! How much for the beard?” I don't know why I found this so funny.

Course #3: Roxy Rolles paired with Sugar cured Ahi tuna, Parmesan potato hash, grated horseradish, and a cherry tomato confit.

This is where things start to get fuzzy. I remember really liking this dish, but it could have just been because I love tuna. This was basically sashimi with some awesome sides thrown in. the sugar really brought out the amazing flavor of the high grade Ahi tuna. The Roxy Rolles beer, while being an excellent, hoppy beer on its own, did not pair too well with this dish. But then again, I don't know what beer would go well with it. The tuna just gets overwhelmed too easily by the strong flavors from the beer. The seasonal Roxy brew was a tangy, wintry beer that would be very easy to enjoy beside a fire. Or on a motorcycle, like is displayed on the label. The damn waitress just kept bringing us beers at this point, like she wanted us to die. She brought Adam and I a beer each and made the four people beside us ration one. I started donating my brews to their cause, as I had a final at 8 a.m. the next day and had to slow down or risk falling asleep on my desk during the test and choking on my vomit.

Course #4: Lucky Cat paired with Pistachio crusted wild boar tenderloin roulade, baby carrots, sweet potato pudding, and fig and apricot jam.

This was the dish everyone was waiting for, and with good reason. It was freaking amazing, and probably the best pork tenderloin I have ever had. It was an excellent, comfort-food like dish. Sadly, I don't remember too many details about the dish, or the beer, besides that both were really good and paired nicely. Much apologies. I do remember that things were starting to go south for my friend, as we had just learned that he and the guy beside me were both celebrating their birthdays from the day before. They ordered him a shot of Jack Daniels. Adam did not want this, for whiskey is his one true weakness. Fortunately, it would not remain in his system for long.

Course #5: Braggot paired with Smoked chocolate cake, chocolate and cayenne anglaise, and salted cream.

This one is a little hazy too. I remember the braggot being a nice, malty brew that did not have the hoppy bitterness of the other offerings of the evening, which I guess is why it was paired with the cake. The cake it self was generous and tasty, but the salted cream was off putting. To me, it was gross and very unappetizing. It tasted exactly like the description; whipped cream (no sugar) that had salt thrown in. The chocolate cayenne sauce on the other hand, was fantastic and unique. It wasn't spicy at all and had an interesting smoky flavor that went well with the cake. Adam finished his and retreated to the bathroom for about 15 minutes or so which was kinda odd. He has a unique way of dealing with excess amounts of alcohol, and that is to find the nearest shower and just sit in there with the water on for about an hour, or until he feels better. There was no shower in this particular restroom, so I still have no idea what he was doing in there for so long. He was not went when he came out.

I'm so disappointed that I didn't find out about these beer dinners sooner. Evidently Sweetwater and Sam Adams were already there. This was a great experience overall. Every single dish was unique and exciting, and it really made me think about the possibilities beer has to open up flavors I never knew food had. I fully intend to attend any similar event that is held that I find out about, and would encourage you to do the same. Mad props go out to Sunspot, Magic Hat, and Eagle Distributing for putting on this event!