We collaborated on a beer pairing brunch menu with Christina Perozzi, co-author or The Naked Pint. Some choices were obvious, like Kostrizer Black Lager paired with smoked salmon, because we're in New York and we are big fans of Russ and Daughters! Our second course would be the "beer brunch salad" - frisee, smoky Benton's bacon, and local farm poached eggs. It is a simple, bistro standby that tastes so very American complimented by a great American saison beer, Ommegang Hennepin.
Also for brunch, I like to pull out my old party standby, pasta with bacon, onions, beer, and fresh farm sourced cream. I start by sauteeing onions and bacon, add Sixpoint Ale, reduce and finish with farm cream. Christina suggested a Belgian single ale, Maredsous 6, as accompaniment.
Cheese and dessert would follow. The cheese could go any direction, soft, local sheep's milk camembert, perhaps? We chose a local aged blue, Cayuga, New York state paired with St. Bernardus Prior 8, a Belgian dubbel ale that is fruity and food friendly. For dessert, a local cider bread pudding with Ronnybrook whipped cream and Allagash Curieux. The cider bread pudding is the new favorite dessert at Jimmy's No. 43. It's sweet apple goodness is balanced by the cask aged Curioux.
This would make quite a meal!
