THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JULY 2017
GREAT BEER PAIRINGS:
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CRUJIENTE TACOS BEER
“The beer that we offer at CRUjiente Tacos is just as important as the tacos we craft, and we similarly found balance and flavor depth in the Pedal Haus German Pilsner. This style of beer is straightforward and clean-tasting and balances spicy, more complex food. The hops and carbonation in a pilsner is a palate cleanser that will turn that next bite of the crunchy taco just as good as the first.” —cofounder and chef Richard Hinojosa
Brewery: Pedal Haus Brewery, downtown Tempe Style: Pilsner Name: Pedal Haus German Pilsner This crisp, refreshing pilsner brewed by “in-haus” brewmaster and certified cicerone, Derek “Doc” Osborne has traditional German roots with a modern twist. The entire hop was used and coarsely filtered to create its delicate floral aroma. The golden reflective tones of the brew give it the true “pilsner” look and feel while pairing exceptionally well with savory food selections.
DISH
Dish: Crunchy Green Chili Pork Taco A collaboration between Chef Richard Hinojosa and Jason Morris, CRUjiente Tacos creates exceptional crunchy tacos and daring street-style tacos with global influences. Hinojosa is the master of
crunchy tacos and has three variations on the modern taqueria’s menu including the crunchy green chili pork taco ($6). The fresh, made-to-order hard corn shells are crisp and heaping with juicy and tender green chili pork that is braised for several hours to obtain depths of flavor. The sharp pepper jack cheese, cabbage, and pico verde add flavor intensity with spice, salt and citrus in every bite. The impressive beer selection is carefully chosen at CRUjiente Tacos and among the list is a Pedal Haus German Pilsner which is a smart match for the crunchy green chili pork taco as it slices through the fattiness of the succulent braised pork, does not overpower the spice in the pico verde, and balances the citrus flavors of the taco.
CRUjiente Tacos
3961 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.687.7777, crutacos.com.
SOUR BEERS
A new way to beat the Arizona heat Dave Clark » The Entertainer!
S
our beers, also known as sours, tend to be greatly beloved or avoided like the plague. The sour beer category is as wide ranging as the imagination of the beers’ creators. Knowing more about what they are and how they are made will help a person truly enjoy beers from this exciting and fast-growing category. Belgian brewers are credited with creating many sour styles, many of which can be attributed to specific breweries. The Flanders red style was made famous by the Rodenbach brewery, while the Flanders brown style is showcased in beers brewed by Liefman’s, especially its classic Goudenband. The red, like Rodenbach Grand Cru, is beer aged in oak barrels, which provides a substantial tart, winelike character. The Flanders brown style is aged in stainless steel vessels, creating a less
sour, more malty beer. The farmhouse saison was perfected by Brasserie du Pont with Saison du Pont. This beer is crafted in the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia, producing flavors of citrus, black pepper and the area’s signature “farmhouse funk,” an unofficial term for the tart, Earthy essence found in the beer. The Gueuze style was perfected by Cantillon and this style is an extreme example of a sour with flavors and aromas of horse blanket and aged cheese—certainly an acquired taste. Each of these breweries mentioned are Belgian breweries. German brewers also contribute importantly to the sour world with their low alcohol and highly sour Berliner Weiss and their salty, citrusy Gose beer styles. What’s important to remember is that sour beers range from slightly tart to wildly sour to mouth puckering.
It is truly difficult to group them all under one heading. The location of the beer’s production is also key, due to the naturally occurring microflora, giving a regional identity to each of these classic beers. Beers can become sour many different ways, and the outcome can be substantially different. Yeasts and bacteria, many times in combination, are what make a beer sour. Yeasts, such as brettanomyces or bacteria such as lactobacillus and pediococcus are the most popular organisms found in sour brewing. Some brewers employ a shortcut known as “kettle souring,” during which lactobacillus is added to the boil kettle, souring the wort, before the beer is boiled and finished. Russian River, Jolly Pumpkin, Cascade and Almanac are examples of American breweries that excel in sour beer brewing. In the beer market, there is huge
rise in popularity in sour and fruit beers. Many brewers are creating tart works that incorporate both. Certain sour styles such as Berliner Weiss are brewed with fruit, probably to the chagrin of the German originators of the style. Even traditional Belgian brewer Rodenbach has jumped on the bandwagon by producing Fruitage, a pleasantly tart but not sour beer made with fresh fruit juice of cherries and elderberries, that drinks very refreshingly at just 4.2 percent ABV. Arizona Wilderness is the area’s leading producers of sour ales. Its Blood Orange Gose is a slightly salty, fresh citrus refresher, while Bear Wallow Berliner Weiss, is kettle soured, creating a palate cleansing bite. Dave Clark is a Certified Cicerone, nationally ranked BJCP Judge and former professional brewer who lives in Gilbert. WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM