Are You Game for a Great Food and Beer Pairing?

There are so many different ways to create a great burger. Adding spices, cheeses, or vegetables, either inside or on top, can take the burger's flavor profile in a lot of different directions. A great burger with bold, complex flavors needs a sturdy and complex beer to match its intensity. A friend recently gave Kris and me some elk meat from a Fall hunting trip, so we made elk burgers this week. With the help of a great recipe we found, they turned out to be absolutely delicious, and my choice of Old Ruffian Barley Wine by Great Divide Brewing Co. complemented them perfectly.

Old Ruffian is an American barley wine style ale that packs huge aggressive flavors. A barley wine is a strong ale that's enjoyed most often during the colder months, and has the ability to age for up to a decade or more. The 10.2 percent ABV Old Ruffian pours a dark ruby red with moderate carbonation. The aroma exudes a sweetness like dark fruits or caramel, and the taste matches the sweetness before giving way to huge hop characters. Flavors of tropical fruits, citrus, piney bitterness and a slight alcohol burn linger on the tongue. To put it simply, this beer has a lot going on inside it. Old Ruffian is full-bodied but has a slick mouthfeel, making it a nice match for a meal.

We prepared the burgers by stuffing them with blue cheese, red onion, thyme, oregano, garlic, and a few other spices, and topped them with caramelized onions and bacon. Among the amazing flavors were the savory lean elk, sweetness from the caramelized onions, smokiness and saltiness from the bacon, and a richness from the blue cheese. Old Ruffian had an answer for all these flavors, with the sweet maltiness in the aroma and initial taste, then the huge hop flavors slicing through on the finish. For such a big, strong beer, it doesn't overwhelm the meal, but instead enhances it.

A great aspect about food and beer pairings is that experimentation is encouraged, so consider trying Old Ruffian with a meal of your own. Likewise, maybe try elk burgers or other wild game with another craft beer that sounds like a good match. Cheers to exploring the world of food and beer!

The Collaborative Spirit of Craft Brewing Lives On

There are well over 2,500 craft breweries in the United States, and the number grows by the week. Competition is hot in many cities and regions, especially in the Rocky Mountain region. But that doesn't mean brewers have lost their spirit of openness, camaraderie and sharing ideas. In an industry where it's not uncommon to hear of copyright or trademark lawsuits over beer names and label designs, collaboration is still alive and well. This is good news for brewers, and for consumers who get to discover the wonderful products created when artisans come together.

There's one primary example that those in the brewing industry point to as the standard for brewery collaboration. It involves Avery Brewing in Boulder and Russian River Brewing in California, who for years have both brewed a beer called Salvation. Ten years ago, Russian River approached Avery about the name, and neither had a problem with the other brewery's use of the name Salvation. Not only was this potentially slippery situation resolved amicably, but the brewers came together to create a new beer that blended both Salvation beers, calling it Collaboration Not Litigation Ale (pictured below). It's been released most years since it was created.

Despite this standard set by Avery and Russian River, many brewers feel it's important to trademark beer names and logos. After all, brewing is still a business and businesses need to protect their brands. But when should breweries get litigious against competitors, and at what point is it taken too far? These are tough questions to answer, but they definitely strike a nerve for many in the industry and for observers. A high profile case that drew plenty of attention in 2013 was when Magic Hat Brewing in Vermont filed a federal lawsuit against West Sixth Brewing in Kentucky for trademark infringement. Another situation involved Denver's Strange Brewing, who also faced a trademark dispute in 2012 and 2013 from a Massachusetts homebrewing store and aspiring brewery called Strange Brew Beer and Wine Making over the name "strange." The uproar that ensued on social media in both cases showed that breweries can sometimes go too far to protect their brands, at least in the eyes of the public. To many, overzealous litigious activity flies in the face of the spirit and culture on which craft brewing was founded.

Although the buzz generated is sometimes loud when breweries take action over possible trademark infringement, it's actually a lot more common for breweries to come together to share expertise or brew together. Take a look around the craft beer section at your local liquor store, and you'll find quite a few beers that bear the names of two different breweries. This March in Denver, brewing collaboration will be on full display at the Collaboration Fest, put on by the Colorado Brewers Guild and the website Imbibe. Dozens of beers, each brewed by two or more mostly Colorado breweries, will be available to taste. Such collaboration is a win for the breweries, who rely on each other for industry growth, and for all who get to enjoy the fruits of this brewing labor.

Renegade Brews Up a Great South Denver Beer Bar

The south Denver craft brewing scene is set to explode, but there's already a strong local beer presence in the area. The Renegade Publik House, located near the corner of Evans Ave. and University Blvd., helps satisfy demand in south Denver for excellent local beer and tasty bites. This cool little pub, which opened in 2013, is owned by the founders of Renegade Brewing Company.

Renegade Brewing is located in Denver's Santa Fe Arts District, and opened in 2011. Since that time, it's grown into a major up-and-coming player in the Colorado craft beer community, cranking out bold and exciting beers that are sold in the taproom and at the Publik House. Renegade also partners with Mobile Canning Systems for canning several mainline beers for distribution. These beers include the flagship Redacted Rye IPA, 5:00 Afternoon Ale, Elevation Triple IPA, and Hammer & Sickle Russian Imperial Stout, which was a 2013 winner at the Great American Beer Festival. The Renegade taproom is a community-minded place that eschews televisions in favor of board games and good conversation. Renegade carried that mindset over to the Publik House when it opened.

The food menu at the Publik House includes a variety of small plates, salads, and sandwiches, with delicious flat bread pizzas taking center stage. The draft beer selection features 25 taps, which include Renegade mainline and some seasonal rotating beers, with a broad range of other Colorado craft breweries represented. A nice selection of American craft bottles and cans is available as well. The Publik House staff is consistently friendly and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere is laid-back and inviting. It's a nice place to enjoy flavorful, nutritious food and taste some great beers with friends, especially on Saturdays when beer flights are on special. Two of the beers I chose for my beer flight during my recent visit were Renegade's Sunday Morning Coffee Ale and Berbere Imperial Stout, brewed with Ethiopian curry. Both are unique and excellent beers, reflective of Renegade's brewing prowess.

Head to the Publik House or Renegade taproom and find out why this brewery calls its beers "offensively delicious"!

Fine Dining and Exceptional Beer at Bistro Vendôme

For beer lovers, there's no better dining experience than enjoying amazing food paired with world class beers. Bistro Vendôme, in Denver's Larimer Square, recently showcased a French culinary masterpiece at its Big Belgians & Barleywine beer dinner. It was the kind of event that proved yet again that beer is complex, diverse, and flavorful enough to be a powerful match to even the most elegant food.

Bistro Vendôme is a wonderful French restaurant that's been around since 2003. For this dinner, the chef and staff worked with their beverage distributor, Elite Brands of Colorado, to craft food and beer pairings that elevate each other. Several of the beer selections were Belgian beers, including Maredsous Blonde and Brown ales, Cuvée Van De Keizer Belgian Blonde Ale, and Brasserie des Rocs Amber Plum. Green Flash Barleywine, Ommegang 3 Philosophers Belgian-style Quadrupel, and Elevation Fanboy Double IPA were beers from American craft breweries that were also served. A pour of each beer was paired with a different small plate, so the variety of flavors was incredible.

The whole meal was outstanding, but my top three highlights were the scallop, quail and duck dishes. The scallop dish, paired with the Cuvée, was a pan-seared scallop with mussels, clams and crab. The rich seafood flavors melded perfectly with the complexities of this amazing Belgian strong pale ale. The quail dish, pictured below, was garlic sausage stuffed quail with a smoked honey lacquer. It was excellent served with the Amber Plum, a Belgian dark strong ale. The duck dish was roasted duck breast with Brussels sprouts, cherries and mustard emulsion. The 3 Philosophers was a perfect pairing that highlighted the strong flavors of the duck and kept the cherry flavors going through its dark malts and elements of candied sugars and fruits.

At the end of the evening, the staff had the guests vote on which beer they liked best. The winner was the Cuvée, which, as a result, will now be featured on Bistro Vendôme's year-round drink menu. I suggest stopping in and trying a glass of your own while enjoying some delicious French cuisine!

Former Future Set to Make Its Mark on the Denver Beer Scene

Denver's newest craft brewery, at least for now, is about to open officially. Former Future Brewing Company has been in the works for a couple years, and this past Saturday they gave patrons a preview of what they're all about. The brewery had a soft opening with a handful of beers available, and the grand opening is planned for this Friday, Feb. 7. I was able to stop in and have a taste while getting a feel for this unique new brewery and taproom.

Former Future is located along Antique Row on South Broadway, just a few miles south of downtown Denver. The brewery and taproom fits in well with the neighborhood, and has a retro feel that's captured in everything from the light fixtures to the decor behind the bar, to the bar itself. Owner and head brewer James Howat and his wife Sarah, who handles the marketing, want to portray a brewery that blends the old with the futuristic with regard to the beer and the taproom atmosphere. Howat takes old or historic beer styles and recipes, brews with creative ingredients or methods, and creates something just beyond what you typically find these days.

I was able to try tasters of most of the beers available on Saturday night. Sadly, the salted caramel porter was gone, but still pouring were the robust porter, English IPA, farmhouse IPA, and Belgian wit. All four were very good and showcased brewing expertise across a variety of styles. The robust porter tasted very true to the style, so anyone who loves porters should give it a try. The farmhouse IPA was the most intriguing beer due to the fact that it's fermented using only the wild yeast Brettanomyces, providing a tart funkiness to the beer's fuller hop profile.

I look forward to returning when Former Future is in full swing. Some of the other beers featured on its website include a chocolate milk stout, a cream ale, an American IPA, and an American sour strong ale. From the look and taste of it, I think this is the start of another great Denver craft brewery!