Earlier this week I was able to stuff my face and wash it all down with unique brews as I attended the Alberta Brewers’ Dinner hosted at National 8th.
For a very reasonable $65, the packed house sat at communal tables and dined family style during a 5 course meal.
And to make sure our thirst was kept under control, 5 Alberta Breweries were on hand to pair the courses with some pretty exceptional offerings.
First Course; Beer Braised Chicken Tacos paired with Blindman Brewing’s River Session Ale
Now I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest beer drinker, I was there more for the food. That said, this light ale is something I would not only drink again, I’d definitely recommend for people who like to keep things light & fresh!
Second Course; Pork Hand Pies paired with Troubled Monk’s Open Road Brown Ale
Now these pork pies were the bomb! Like a sophisticated sausage roll, I tossed 3 of them down the hatch, pinkie in the air!
And from the chatter at the tables I concluded that the brown ale was the masses’ favourite of the night.
Third Course; Lamb Rack on top of Tomato & Eggplant Stew paired with Six Corners Trailhead IPA.
Now I know my Lamb and these chops were perfection. I wish I would have brought a Tupperware container for the leftovers.
Fourth Course; London Broil paired with Bench Creek’s Black Spruce Porter.
I had no idea what a ‘London Broil’ was when I read it on the menu but when it came out it all made sense… It was enough food to feed London!
Tender Beef, roasted broccoli & crispy kale salad with Kielbasa hash to satisfy my inner Ukrainian, I wasn’t sure where they expected all this food to go.
But what I did know was what to do with Black Creek’s Porter! Gulp it back!
This was my favorite beer of the night.
Fifth (and final) Course; Bananas Foster paired with The Dandy Edition’s Ginger Sour.
Mark my word, if I ever write a list of the best 5 desserts I’ve eaten in Canada, this Bananas Foster will be on that list! I honestly dragged my fingers along the creases in the dish to get every last bit of the sauce!
And the Ginger Sour?…. Sour! But not as insanely sour as sours can often be… But for me, I’ll stick to the sweets!
The Alberta Brewers Dinner was a steal of a deal packed full of delicious eats and cold brews.
I highly recommend following National’s FB page and getting your tickets to next month’s dinner which will take place on February 11th.
Mr. Fab eer & food
