Beer

Food Course

Bell’s Winter White (Kalamazoo, MI) (ABV 5)
Taking its cues from Belgian-style white ales, Bell's Winter White Ale offers a lighter yet abundantly flavorful alternative to the traditional heavy winter warmers. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley & wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices. Deliberately brewed to retain a cloudy appearance, Bell's Winter White Ale is a beer for embracing winter.

Arugula & Baby Spinach Salad, with orange and citrus-coriander vinaigrette.

Penn Brewery St. Nikolaus Bock (Pittsburgh) (ABV 6.5)
Brand new to Cleveland! Until the 19th century, St. Nikolaus was a tall, stern, patriarch in bishop's robes. Then he became a sky-riding, jolly old elf. He may be a milk-and-cookies kind of guy today, but he knows what you want and it's this St. Nikolaus Bock Bier. It's rich, dark and full-bodied, brewed with a variety of roasted and chocolate malts. Celebrate the holidays with St. Nikolaus. He's in this bottle. Gee, we hope you've been good this year. A very rich, dark bock beer. dark ruby in color with subtle tones of chocolate and burnt malt. It will warm you on a cold winter night and brighten your days.
Great American Beer Festival—2011: SILVER MEDAL
National Beverage Testing Institute—2004 - Gold Medal (Score = 91. Highest rated American bock beer in 2004.)

Forest Mushroom & Barley Soup, with pancetta lardons.
(alternate—no bacon)

Rogue Santa's Private Reserve (Oregon) (ABV 6)
A double-hopped Red, reddish in color, with a roasty, malty flavor and a hoppy spruce finish. Rogue’s annual holiday offering, Santa’s Private Reserve, is a variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops--including Chinook, and Centennial, and a mystery hop called Rudolph by head brewer John “more hops” Maier!

Extra Sharp Cheddar Fondue with Housemade Pretzels.

21st Amendment Fireside Chat (San Francisco) (ABV 7.9)
Like FDR's Depression-era radio addresses, which were like a kick in the butt and a hug at the same time, Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. They begin with a rich, dark, English-style ale and then improvise with spices until they know they have a beer worth sharing with the nation. Fireside Chat is an early winter seasonal brew available from October through December. Brewed like a classic, warming Strong Ale but with a subtle blend of hand-selected spices for just the right festive flair.

Cocoa & Adobo-Braised Pork Tamale with mole cream sauce.
(alternate—red quinoa tamale)

Great Divide Hibernation Ale (Denver) (ABV 8.7)
Hibernation Ale is cellared until late October, when it reaches the peak of perfection. This lengthy aging process gives Hibernation its revered malty richness, complex hop profile and hearty warming character, which is perfect right out of the bottle or cellared for longer periods of time. Only available for six weeks each year, from November 1 to December 15. International beer expert Michael Jackson ranked Hibernation Ale “one of the nation’s best winter warmers.”

Filet Mignon, topped with caramelized shallot/sage butter, with roasted garlic/roasted red pepper mashed potatoes and haricots verts.
(alternate—substitute grilled portabello slices)

Penn Brewery Nut Roll Ale (Pittsburgh) (ABV 6.5)
Top secret, super-limited edition holiday beer. Go ahead, Google it. We dare you! As elusive as…the man in the red suit! This sweet ale captures the essence of Grandma’s homemade nut roll with the aroma and a warm, spicy finish.