During March's monstrously successful Philly Beer Week, I was fortunate enough to be invited to Monk's Café to host a spectacular beer dinner featuring some of the rarest, most expensive and, it need be added, most delectable beers available in the United States. We had draught St. Lamvinus from Cantillon, vintage J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale, Boston Beer's Utopias, and in the partnership that forms this month's TOTM, Firestone Walker 11.
Crafted from a blend of several individually brewed and conditioned beers, 11 is the second in the anniversary ale tradition the Paso Robles, California-based brewery began first in 2006. That beer was my Taste of the Year, and its successor wasn't that far off the mark.
From the moment I first sampled the 11, with its dark chocolaty, vanilla-accented and oaky body, I knew it would be a wonderful accompaniment to grilled steak, even more so if said cut of beef was cooked over wood rather than gas. This obviously posed a challenge to the kitchen crew at Monk's, who normally cook over gas, but Chef Adam Glickman rose to the occasion by fitting in trays of wood chips below his grill and effectively half-smoking and half-grilling the cowboy ribeyes.
The result was nothing less than phenomenal. I knew Adam hadn't let me down when the first plates passed by, leaving a virtual cloud of smoke in their wake, and I likewise knew my instincts had been spot on when I had my first taste of the pairing, which could very well be the finest beer and food combination I have ever orchestrated.
The 11 is in pretty short supply these days, but if by chance you do have a bottle or two on hand, do yourself a favour by pairing it with a charcoal-grilled steak. You will not be sorry you did.
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