I have often threatened to attend one of the brewer’s dinners that are hosted by several of the brewpubs in New Hampshire and Vermont. I finally had the opportunity on April 26th when the Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewery hosted a five- course dinner with each course paired with a different brew. The menu consisted of an appetizer of bruchetta with artichoke hearts and baby asparagus, a French olive salad with tuna steak, a white bean and bacon soup, beef tenderloin and dessert. Each course was paired with one of brewer Will Gilson’s fine beers. Will brews a lot of his beers in the German style and on this evening he features his pilsner, lager, wheat, Oktoberfest and an aged Weizenboch. Each course was cooked to perfection and each beer was a perfect compliment to the dish that it was paired with. After dinner, the remainder of the aged Weizenbock was served in Moat Mountain’s pub.

     The cost of this fine dining experience was $50, which included tax and tip and it was well worth the price of admission. Will mentioned that he is roughing out plans for another dinner this fall, perhaps with a German/Oktoberfest theme.

     Another area restaurant /brewery that recently held a beer dinner was the Norwich Inn, in Norwich, Vermont. Unfortunately, I had a conflicting commitment on that day and I was not able to attend. I have long been a fan of brewer Tim Wilson’s beer and some friends who were lucky enough to attend were grinning for days afterward. The chef at the Norwich Inn cooked each course using different beers as an ingredient. Tim broke out some brews that he had been aging and from what I have been told, they were excellent. This was the first time that Norwich Inn hosted a beer dinner, but it has been noted that it will not be the last.

     The Woodstock Station brewery hosts a brewer’s weekend several times a year. In addition to hosting a beer dinner as part of the weekend, guests also get to try some hands on brewing by helping to handcraft a batch of beer from grinding the grain, mashing, sparging to kegging a batch that is ready to transfer. If you don’t want to do the whole weekend, limited seating is sometimes available at the Saturday night dinner. Call for details.

     The Sugar Hill Inn, in Sugar Hill, NH is planning a New Hampshire Craft Beers Dinner on June 21st, to coincide with the annual Lupine Festival. Multiple courses will be paired with beers from different New Hampshire breweries. Seating is limited to 32 and the cost will be $30 per person. To make reservations call 823-5621.
Also of note is that Don Merrill’s 2002 Best in Show winning Old Canadian Dark Ale is now on tat at the Italian Oasis Restaurant and Brewery in Littleton. This highly hopped offering boasts a rich creamy head, deep brown color and it kicks like a Canadian range mule. It is only available for a short time and it is well worth the trip to the North Country’s brewing Mecca.

     Well, that’s all for this month. I will be going on the road throughout the summer and I will be visiting events such as Harpoon’s BBQ Competition on July 26-27 and the Trinity Brewing Company in Providence, RI in August. Until next time, keep a clear head and a full cooler.