For readers who are not familiar with a beer dinner, it is an
event that features menu samplings from the host restaurant that are paired
with specific and recommended beers from the participating brewery.
Arriving at Skipjack’s, we checked in at the front desk and
were escorted to a separate room where the dinner was being served. The room was about three quarters full when we arrived. It was open seating and we found a table
located near the front of the room where the host, Cam, from Jack’s Abby had
just finished setting up for the event.
All tables were full in a matter of minutes. The dinner was a three-hour event, so we never felt rushed and were given time to fully enjoy the beer and food.
Waitstaff from Skipjack’s came to our table and served us 4
pint glasses of Jack’s Abby’s House Lager to kick off the evening. This was a
perfect choice because it is a light and smooth lager with a clean finish and
comes in at 5.2 ABV.
Cam got everybody’s attention and welcomed us to the event.
He spent a few minutes introducing us to Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers and how much
he was looking forward to the evening and pairing their beers with five
separate courses from Skipjack’s kitchen.
He did a great job visiting each table to chat and answer any questions
about the beers. Just as he was finishing, the first course was served, a delicious
grilled flatbread with caramelized shallots, fig jam with blue cheese, and
arugula lettuce. Individual servings of Mussels sautéed in the House Lager with
Portuguese chorizo sausage, onions, lemon, garlic & hot sauce completed the
course.
Next up was Jack’s Abby’s Blood Orange Wheat, a Radler style
(a mixture of beer and citrus juice) session beer. Low in alcohol at 4.0 ABV, it was a great complement
to the field greens, arugula, orange segments, spiced pecans, and citrus
vinaigrette. We all agreed this would be a definite winning prelude to a summertime
meal.
Course number three consisted of beer glazed scallops in a
delicious beer based broth with shallots, tomatoes, garlic, white beans &
baby kale. It was excellently paired with Jack’s Saxony, a 5.0 ABV Vienna style
Kellerbier lager. Kellerbiers,
originating in Europe, are unfiltered and cloudy in appearance. Malty, with a
hint of fruit in its aroma, it was very pleasing on the pallet.
India pale Ale’s or IPA’s are all the rage in craft beers
today. Jack’s Abby brews only lagers, a distinctly different brewing process
then ales. Ales typically ferment in a
week to 10 days, where the lagering process can take 4 to 6 weeks in a much
cooler environment, resulting in a smooth full flavored beer. Having said that, the next beer of the evening was Jack’s
Abby Hoponius Union IPL (Indian Pale Lager). With a well thought out combination
of yeast and hops resulting in satisfying hop bitterness and fruity aroma, at
6.5 ABV it is full flavored and was a great compliment to the seared duck
breast, German style red cabbage, and fingerling potatoes in an orange
sauce. Another fabulous pairing.
All good things do come to an end, including beer dinners.
The last course of the evening was a fabulous homemade chocolate bread pudding
with Porter Berry Compote (fruit cooked in heavy syrup). It was paired with Jack’s Framinghammer Baltic
Porter. Described as Big, Bold, &
Black, it is all of those, and then some. Coming in at a robust 10.0 ABV, dark
and stout like, it offers a nice combination of roasted malt and hop
bitterness, perfect with this decadent chocolate-based dessert.
Our compliments go out to the chefs, management and awesome
waitstaff at Skipjack’s, as well as to Cam from Jack’s Abby and their team back
in Framingham.
All attendees went home with official Jack’s Abby pint
glasses. If you have never been to a
beer dinner, do yourself a big favor and attend one soon.
For more information on Skipjack’s, visit their website at www.skipjacks.com or on Facebook at Skipjack's Patriot Place
For Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, go to www.jacksabby.com or on Facebook at Jack's Abby Craft Lagers
