It was about four years ago that Kim and I decided to organize the first Craft Beer + Food event, which highlights how well beer pairs with elevated cuisine. At that time, it was rare to find a fine restaurant serving fine beer. The beer and food paradox: the better the food, the worse the beer.
Not because we started Craft, but since we started Craft, it has become much more common to find great restaurants around Seattle pouring great craft beer. This is good. This is progress. Whether you are in the service industry or are simply a beer and food consumer, there is value in knowing how to pick the right beer for the right dish. South Seattle Community College wants to help you learn about the art of food and beer pairing.
The other day, Jay Delong contacted me about a new project. Jay is a local chef and part-time instructor at South Seattle Community College’s Northwest Wine Academy. In particular, he works in the food and wine pairing program. For spring quarter of 2014, Jay is offering a new, beer-themed class at the Academy: Introduction to Food and Beer Pairing.
“My hope is to find beer lovers of all kinds, no matter how great or small their experiences are with beer,” Jay told me. “At the Northwest Wine Academy on the South Seattle Community College campus, we have a brand new facility with a demonstration kitchen. I currently teach the Intro and Advanced food and wine pairing classes and am anxious to translate these same principles to beer.”
Food and Beer Pairing
This class is an introduction to beer sensory evaluation and pairing methods including historical evolution of beer, philosophy and history of beer styles, and the common evaluation methods used in beer and food pairing.
Several areas of study will be explored, including:
- Food and Beer Pairing
- Beer History and Purity Laws
- Sensory evaluation theory and analysis
- The Brewing Process and beer styles
- Brewery Operation and Quality Control
- Beer Sub Categories and styles
- Cooking with Beer
There will be a tour of a Seattle Brewery and tasting evaluation of the brewery’s beers. Home brewing techniques will also be covered in lecture as well as how to make one’s own beer. The students will then get to evaluate the beer made in class at the end of the quarter.
Starts April 9th through June 18th 2014 at South Seattle Community College ~ Northwest Wine Academy
To sign up for this 11 week course please contact Reggie Daigneault atregina.daigneault@seattlecolleges.edu or call (206) 934-6846