If you’re a fan of GABF, but looking for a bit more refined experience (or a date night opportunity!), Paired might be for you. Paired is GABF’s craft beer and food experience, featuring craft brewers and chefs from around the country offering unique pairings. A total of 21 chefs teamed up with 21 craft brewers, offering 42 total unique pairings at this year’s Paired event.
My wife and I attended the Friday night session of Paired, our first time at this event. We’re not “foodies” by any stretch of the imagination, but we do appreciate good food, especially when it’s combined with great craft beer that we wouldn’t normally get to enjoy.
Highly recommended! Here are a few highlights.
Our Favorite Pairing of the Night
Tanaya Creek Brewery Old Jackalope Barleywine + Pizzeria Locale Budino (butterscotch pudding, milk chocolate ganache, caramel & whipped cream).
Need we say more about this one?
Many of our favorites trended toward the dessert end of the spectrum (huge surprise!), most of them paired with big, boozy barrel-aged stouts, barleywines, and porters.
Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Aged Death By Coconut
Our Top 5 Pairings
#5 | Ninkasi Total Domination IPA + The Granery smoked brisket pastrami, sauerkraut aioli, rye crumble
#4 | Fremont Brewing Rusty Nail Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout + Theo chocolates
#3 | Dry Dock Brewing Barrel-Aged Double Coffee Porter + Q Roadhouse lava lake lamb empanada
#2 | Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Aged Death by Coconut + Park Kitchen boilermaker ice cream sundae
#1 | Tanaya Creek Old Jackalope Barleywine + Pizzeria Locale bodino
GABF Paired 2016 Photo Gallery
Goodkind (Milwaukee, WI) fromage fort, shaved radish, seeded bread, trout roe was paired with Iron Hill Brewery (Wilmington, DE) Sasion.
2016 Paired Menu
haymarket pub and brewery : chicago, il
+ frank bonanno : russell’s smokehouse, denver, co
mathias ipa + russell’s sloppy joe :
mathias ipa braised beef, smoked cheddar, house spicy bbq sauce, potato bun
peated scotch ale + frank’s chili dog :
smoked prime rib chili, mustard and onions, poppyseed bun
ecliptic brewing : portland, or
+ joe rodger : shift flg, flagstaff, az
carina peach sour ale + duck liver mousse, pickled peach macaroon
quasar pale ale + sweetwater farms vegetable “rillette,” lemon ricotta, spent grain cracker
grand teton brewing co. : victor, id
+ sheila lucero : jax fish house, denver, co
barrel-aged brett saison + emersum oysters on the half shell, grand teton brett saison mignonette
pursuit of hoppiness imperial red ale + wild salmon tataki, chimichurri, blistered shishito pepper, lavosh cracker
iron hill brewery & restaurant : wilmington, de
+ paul zerkel & lisa kirkpatrick : goodkind, milwaukee, wi
russian imperial stout + svizzerana beef brisket tartare, dandelion marmalade, cured egg yolk
saison + fromage fort, shaved radish, seeded bread, trout roe
american cheese society : denver, co
+ olli salumeria, mechanicsville, va
+ creminelli fine meats, salt lake city, ut
assorted cheeses + charcuterie
the lost abbey : san marcos, ca
+ marc vetri : alla spina, philadelphia, pa
avant garde + whole wheat puff with taleggio and membrillo
madonna and child + foie gras chorizo, tomatillo conserva
ninkasi brewing co. : eugene, or
+ tim rattray : the granary, san antonio, tx
total domination ipa + smoked brisket pastrami, sauerkraut aioli, rye crumble
tricerahops double ipa + smoked black cod, hopped miso, blueberry
new orleans lager and ale brewing : new orleans, la
+ francisco millan : row 34, boston, ma
dry hopped lowerline + fish headcheese, chorizo seco, huckleberry
rebirth pale ale + scallop ceviche, charred tomato salsa
bear republic brewing co. : healdsburg, ca
+ kevin nashan : sidney street café, st. louis, mo
tartare + buffalo crawfish steam bun with sour cabbage slaw
grand-am + crispy clam roll with hatch green chile aioli
maui brewing co. : maui, hi
+ chris schwarz : the palace kitchen, seattle, wa
coconut hiwa porter + smoked penn cove oyster pâté, polish sausage, toasted spelt saltine
blood orange lorenzini double ipa + red hot ham hock terrine, two-faced blue cheese, crispy carrot cake, micro celery
joyride brewing co. : edgewater, co
+ carlo lamagna : clyde common, portland, or
abbey road belgian dubbel with fruit + duck pipian
bear paw oatmeal milk stout + oatmeal blood sausage, stout pub mustard, pickled giardiniera
union craft brewing : baltimore, md
+ sean clark : el moro spirits & tavern, durango, co
pink flamingo + pickled octopus, marble potato salad, grapefruit pompelmocello
royal farmhouse + loukaniko : pork and lamb sausage with citrus zest and leeks
fate brewing company : boulder, co
+ jorge guzman : brewer’s table, minneapolis, mn
decima + roasted squash soup, lamb bacon, whiskey dusted peanuts, cilantro
tequila barrel-aged funky uror + crudo, bergamot vanilla curd, pineapple mint, granola
fremont brewing co. : seattle, wa
+ mike friedman : red hen/ap, washington, dc
the lamb + spiced duck & foie gras mousse sandwich with cashew butter, thyme & apple jam
field to ferment + gnocchi alla romana with smoked salmon, cucumber, crème fraîche & trout roe
dry dock brewing co. : aurora, co
+ matty melehes : q roadhouse, jackson hole, wy
sour apricot blonde + prawns in escabeche, red onion, oregano, peach vinegar, sunflower shoots
barrel-aged double coffee porter + lava lake lamb empanada, anson mills antebellum corn flour, coffee, guajillo, chipotle
tenaya creek brewery : las vegas, nv
+ jordan wallace & chris donato : pizzeria locale, boulder, co
tenaya creek oktoberfest + nduja and oktoberfest focaccia
old jackalope barleywine + budino :
butterscotch pudding, milk chocolate ganache, caramel & whipped cream
swamp head brewery : gainesville, fl
+ paul reilly : beast & bottle and coperta, denver, co
morning glow + mushroom agnolotti, cambozola cream, hazelnut
darkwater + smoked oyster custard, gochujang carrots
the bruery : placentia, ca
+ alex seidel : mercantile dining & provision, denver, co
the bruery dodie + duck confit terrine with gol den raisin + caper emulsion, orange zest, duck skin crumble
bruery terreux confession + olathe corn budino with savory brown butter cake, candied hazelnuts, puffed chili sorghum
new holland brewing co. : holland, mi
+ nicholas balfe : salon, brixton, london, england
ichabod + pork, spiced pumpkin, apple, bitter leaf
incorrigible reserve + potted salmon, blackberries, horseradish, sourdough
oskar blues brewery : lyons, co
+ scott dolich & david sapp : park kitchen, portland, or
droppin beets + beet chicharrones with hop salt
rum barrel-aged death by coconut + boilermaker ice cream sundae
(hair of the dog granola)
real ale brewing co. : blanco, tx
+ nathan anda : red apron, washington, dc
barrel-aged 20th anniversary ale + tête de pho bahn mi
codex triplex + pastramied beef belly with pickled mustard seeds
alaskan brewing co. : juneau, ak
+ kyle mendenhall : arcana, boulder, co
alaskan cran-spruce + carrot cake with spruce cream, orange & maple caramel
alaskan smoked porter (vintage 2008) + braised oxtail, masa dumpling