I had the pleasure of being invited to the Okanagan Spring Brewmaster’s Dinner at Mamie Taylors a few days ago. The event celebrates the start of Vancouver Craft Beer Week and the launch of Okanagan Spring’s new Sonder Hefeweizen.
As a beer lover, I’m always intrigued by the different pairings with food and how it can transform a dish.
Okanagan Spring brewmaster Stefan Tobler along with Chef Tobias Grignon from Mamie Taylor’s walked us through the 4 course meal.
At our table setting, we had the menu, a bottle opener, and some glasses.
Beer Caesar was the first drink that came to all the tables, it uses Okanagan Spring 1516 Bavarian Lager as it’s base. I’ve never had a caesar with beer before, but it definitely adds a light crisp finish to the end of your sip.
Okanagan Spring Pale Ale is my absolute favourite beer! It’s clear and copper coloured, it is fruity on the palate and hearty in hops with a nice, round finish. It’s very light and fruity, so thats why I enjoy it.
They paired the Pale Ale with a Tuna Smokie with fennelkraut and dijonaise. Beer and Hot Dogs go together duh! The flavour of the tuna smokie was phenomenal and that bun had great texture.
Okanagan Spring Sounder Hefeweizen is their newest beer. It is natural, unfiltered and crisp. The golden coloured German-style wheat beer is made with a unique yeast strain that gives it a malty aroma and subtle banana-clove flavours with a dry, yet refreshing finish.
Cornmeal fried rock fish with cajun spices, orange, fennel, parsley and old bay aioli. The rock fish really crispy on the outside and then the meat was quite dense but still a tad juicy.
Okanagan Spring Cloudy Amber Ale starts with a floral, hoppy taste followed by caramel malt tones, making it a well-balanced brew. It is a hazy deep amber colour and kept unfiltered for a unique cloud on the pour.
I found this beer to be quite strong and hoppy. It’s not the typical beer I would normally drink.
Slow Roasted Porchetta with roasted apples, polenta, and a olive & herb puree. I found the porchetta quite dry, but the polenta and the puree were very enjoyable. Plus, the skin on the porchetta was so crunchy and enjoyable.
Okanagan Spring Porter has a rich, full flavour. It is nearly black in colour with a creamy head and a nose reminiscent of a dry stout. Not for the faint of heart, this is a beer for dark beer lovers. It has a slight chocolate tasting finish to the beer.
Brown Sugar Cake with a custard made with Okanagan Spring Porter. I love brown sugar cake and such a sweet dessert goes well with a dark beer.
With all the beers I’ve tasted tonight, my top 2 favourites are Pale Ale and Porter.
Overall, it was a great event to meet other beer lovers out in Vancouver and try the different varieties of beer that Okanagan Spring produces. It was a great way to start Vancouver Craft Beer Week ( May 29th till June 7th).
Foodology Disclaimer: I was invited by a PR agency to attend the event with a few other bloggers. The service and food is not representative of their usual dining experience since it was a special event.
Website: http://okspring.com/
