Life
By Teri Horsley
Contributing Writer
HAMILTON — Beer and food. At first glance the combination may seem uninspired and even a bit boring. However, if the two are served together properly they create a delicious dining experience for everyone from the beer novice like me, to the aficionado. I experienced the beauty of this beer/food pairing recently, when I enjoyed my first-ever beer tasting at The Coach House Tavern & Grille in Hamilton.
“The Coach House is currently trying to enhance our membership experience by offering special events such as the beer tasting,” said Danielle Webb, director of public relations and marketing for Colonial, the tavern owner.
The six-course meal, prepared by Executive Chef Michael Chaputa, can only be described as amazing, and began with an herb and cream cheese-enhanced tuna salad and a chef-described, “ zingy” onion dip. Served with a light beer known as Great White, from California’s Lost Coast Brewery, the appetizers had a kick that blended perfectly with the beer’s “pale” flavor. This beer was my personal favorite.
“The challenge is to get the food to pair perfectly with the beer, and chef Michael has achieved that,” said Jim Hennessey, the beer specialist who hosted the event.
Next, came a chopped salad with the chef’s homemade citrus and herb vinaigrette dressing, which was paired with a slightly darker beer from Christian Morelein. My favorite part of the meal came next , when we were served baked cauliflower and cheese topped with garlic-enhanced Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) As someone who typically refuses to eat cooked cauliflower, I was stunned when I couldn’t stop eating it because of the creamy goodness and delightful crunch.
As the foods got heavier, so did the beer, with a Summer Wheat from the Mount Caramel brewery near Cincinnati, accompanying the cauliflower.
“I looked over all the beers that were going to be served tonight and created my menu with foods that work best with them,” chef Chaputa said.
Chicken, corn and black bean flautas and a Shrimp Vera Cruz made up courses four and five with the Vera Cruz being another of my favorites because of the blend of sweet grilled shrimp, spicy chunks of sausage, a mix of peppers and green olives, all served over rice.
Being somewhat of a beer “lightweight,” I liked the Rogue beer from Oregon, known as Oregasmic the least, as it had a bitter, heavy taste that did not work well with my palate, or in my opinion the flautas. Beer enthusiasts, I’m sure, would disagree. I did find the Ayinger beer from Germany to be a wonderful enhancement to the Vera Cruz, in spite of the fact that it was much darker and stronger than what I would typically choose to drink. The beer-tasting meal was capped off by pears poached in a Doppelbach, the strongest of the beers, and though the dessert lacked sweetness, it was a nice, light, finishing touch to a very filling meal.
If you have not had the opportunity to try The Coach House Tavern & Grille, you can do so between now and July 30, as it is temporarily open to the public. While the above menu is a wonderful example of the quality of food that one can expect, there are actually many new lunch and dinner items that are served daily.
Other special events scheduled specifically for members of the dining club include a monthly summer cookout hosted by chef chaputa, holiday buffets and future beer and wine tastings.
Another new customer-service feature is the ability for members to connect with the chef via email so they can offer suggestions for future menu items.
A features menu each week, similar to a weekly special, is also now available and includes dishes like Apple Nut Chicken, Baby — Back Ribs, and Citrus Grilled Tilapia.
Contact this writer at foodgirl61@gmail.com