Pairing: Berliner Weiss & Citrus Crusted Mahi Mahi with Green Beans
Carrying beer across state lines can be a real pain these days, so I’ve got to make it a worthwhile choice when i carefully picked out what to bring back from Wisconsin. We stopped into a market en route to the airport, with only a few minutes to spare. After grabbing a few other bottles, this one caught my eye:
Berliner Wiess? I’d heard all about it, but never tried the style. All I knew about it is that is brewed so tart and sour in Germany that is is always served along side of a sweet syrup to make it more palatable. I checked the rack at the market – no, no syrup was included. I grabbed two bottles and headed for the checkout.
Thankfully, everything made it back to California in on piece. But what to serve with it? The side of the bottle proudly explains the “unplugged” series, as well as what to expect from this beer:
“A few times a year, we will cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses, uncensored, uncut, unplugged. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul. This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again.
Napoleon hailed this tart beer style “the Champagne of the North.” A lively and elegant masterpiece this Berliner Weiss is a kaleidoscope of fresh flavor. Barrel fermentation, Pinot Grigio, Riesling grapes and Wisconsin White Wheat are bottle fermented with five proprietary yeast strains. A connoisseur’s rare jewel both spirited and subtle, enjoy your sparkling toast under summer stars.”
Our bearing set, we eli cooked a dinner aimed directed into white wine territory. Using the pairing of almonds with the berliner wiess, she encrusted a piece of mahi mahi with cinnamon, a small amount of apple butter, lemon zest and almonds. She served it alongside of a fresh pile of sauteed green beans, also studded with roasted almond pieces.
The hefty dose of citrus in the crust threatened to overwhelm the gentle flavor of the fish, but when the beer was introduced, it balanced back out. The tart beer evoked a super crisp pino grigio, but the wheatey finish provided additional depth. The almonds are what really made the meal – perfectly toasted, they tied the dish into a harmonious whole, gave a bit of a classical flare to the whole thing.
I can’t speak for the german variation of this brew, but this version needed no syrup – but what I do need is another bottle of it. Any good west coast producers making a version of a Berliner Wiess I should try?
Tags: Almonds, Berliner Weiss, Mahi Mahi, New Glarus
