Festina Pêche is a modern twist on a Berliner Weisse.  Referred to by Napoleon’s troops as the “Champagne of the north,” this low alcohol, tart and refreshing summer drink is classically served with a side of syrup to sweeten it to taste.  In modernizing and “dogfishfying” this classic beverage, the brewers at Dogfish Head replaced the syrup with summer peaches, and then allowed the yeast to dry them out too.  The result is a tart, light beverage that sends your saliva glands into overdrive with one sip, and is a great refresher for unseasonably warm San Francisco evenings.

So what to pair with it?

Chef Jen dipped deep into the Scala’s menu, to pull out an ideal blend of summer and fall sensibilities.  She presented a duck leg confit, served with balsamic onions, grilled peaches, quinoa and watercress.

The tart edge in the beer provides a nice balance to the rich duck leg, cutting through the duck’s inherent fattiness. The whole dish is neatly tied together with the last grilled peaches of the season.  Combined with the depth of the onions and nutritional superfood quinoa, and you have a balanced plate, just asking for the kind of sparkling lift that this summer seasonal brew provides.

Boys, what are we having?

Bone Marrow with garlic confit, caper gremolata

Mmmmm, bone marrow, one of my favorites.  This dish has a lot going on: rich bone marrow, vinegary capers and intense but sweet garlic confit.  Rather than listen to me bable on about it, I’ll let Chef Grosser explain how it makes the trip to your plate:

Did I mention how much I like the Nikon D90′s video abilities?   It was time to make this pairing happen. Jordan headed out to the bar to investigate what was on tap, and pick his selection.

Meanwhile, Chef Fleury knew exactly what beer he wanted to serve, and set about roasting the already brined bones.

The bone marrow takes about fifteen minutes to cook.  Meanwhile, I watched the kitchen knock out some other amzing looking dishes:

With the marrow was ready to be plated, it was time to break out the pairings. Jordan came back from the bar was a big imperial pint of Oaked Arrogant Bastard.  ”Appropriate choice!” cracked the bartender when he made his selection. Jordan, why did you go with this beer?

The bone marrow plate is a rich and vibrant dish, balancing the rich marrow with gremolata and vinegary capers.  By choosing such a big beer, Jordan decided to play rough with it.  Oaked Arrogant Bastard is a beer-mirror image of the marrow in many ways: aggressively flavorful, but balanced in it’s own right.  The hops, oak and malt all combined to make an already indulgent meal feel even more so, awash in strong flavors.  Yet the final pairing isn’t out of control, and doesn’t allow any one component to take over – instead it all stands together, with all components turned up to 11.

Ted took a different path: Hitachino Nest XH which is Matured In Shocyu Sake Casks.  Ted, why did you go with this beer?

I’m a big fan of Hitachino Nest Beer, although I had yet to try this particular sake barrel aged offering.  The beer inside was intriguing. It has a forthright earthy brett nose, and a dry, sake like finish.  It was infused with a powerful oak aroma that was more delicate than the oak in Oaked Arrogant Bastard, along with a dried fruit character.  There is a lot going on in this beer. What was interesting was what a difference it made with the bone marrow dish.  Where the first beer dared its flavors to stand up and be heard, this beer encouraged flavors that weren’t at first apparent to come to the foreground.  Matched with the XH, the marrow took on a softer, more floral quality, emanating from both the beer and the marrow.  Although slightly over carbonated (brett will do that sometimes,) here it worked, as the bubbles lifted the fat off the tongue, and let other flavors show through more clearly.

I think “Cooks & Kegs” is off to a stellar start.  Got a favorite SF restaurant you’d like to see featured?  Or are you a Chef and would like to try your hand at a beer pairing?  Drop me a line and we’ll pour a pint, try a dish and take some pictures.

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