There are some flavours, some foods, that once you've tasted, you never forget.
At the very first Brewmaster's Dinner that I attended, in the spring of 2012, at Mill Street Brew Pub, I had the pleasure of eating a lobster bisque that made me remember what true love is. It was rich, flavourful, and silky smooth. One of the ingredients that made this lobster bisque stand out from any other that I've had was a touch of vanilla.
The beer that was paired with this culinary masterpiece was the brewery's Vanilla Porter.
This seasonal had only been available on tap at the brew pub and select drinking establishments. But this weekend, it became available in nitrogen-charged cans at the LCBO.
Vanilla Porter (5% ABV)
Mill Street Brewery
Toronto, ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 5
Appearance: a clear, dark brown with red highlights, almost like root beer, with a dense, creamy taupe head that sticks around with a thick cap.
Nose: vanilla, faint licorice.
Palate: vanilla, maple syrup, light chocolate, and a light espresso finish.
Overall impression: this is a well-balanced ale with imposing vanilla, warm malts, and a slightly hopped finish. It tastes sweet without cloying, but finishes dry. It is a true treat.
I have missed that lobster bisque ever since I had it, more than a year and a half ago. And I miss the vanilla porter when it leaves the taps at Mill Street. But at least now I won't have to miss one of them anymore. (You're making the cans available year-round, aren't you, Mill Street?)
Best to play it safe and stock up.
Beer and food always go together. There's nothing I love better than enjoying some excellent craft beer with a good burger, or pizza, or steak.
But when really good beer is paired with gourmet food, I'm in absolute heaven.
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending another Brewmaster's Dinner at Mill Street, and once again, my favourite brew pub surpassed all expectations.
From the wild boar amuse bouche, to the rack of lamb, to the "beervertail" dessert, I savoured all of the flavours.
As expected, the beer was great. Though not all of the beers were my preferred style, they were all delicious with the food pairings. My favourite of the evening, Tankenstein, is a hopped-up version of my favourite ale, Tankhouse.
There was also a bonus bevvy: a schnaps, made by Mill Street in Toronto, that was made with some of their Frambozen Raspberry Wheat Ale. On the nose, you could catch a faint sniff of raspberry... if you used your imagination and sniffed with your mouth open. On the palate, the 45-percent alcohol pretty much blows your taste buds away. But it was a great experience. I'd be curious to compare this schnaps with their Cobblestone and Tankhouse ales.
The host of the evening, Mill Street Brewmaster, Joel Manning, was entertaining as always, enlightening with stories about what went behind the creation of these brews and some education about what makes those beers so special.
I'm not going to review the beer I drank nor the food I ate. The overall experience rates a 5: I will continue to go to these dinners as often as I can and I highly recommend that you come out as well, if you haven't already.
I will leave you with a visual recap of the evening. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, or both, you've seen most of these images.
My thanks goes to the kind and generous folks at Mill Street for making this a memorable dinner. See you at your next one, in September!
Cheers!
