THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018
GREAT BEER PAIRINGS:
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SONATA’S Beer Over Here RESTAURANT Drink up at any of these Valley beer events this month
“As we sought to build out this restaurant, we knew we wanted something with our native flavors, but Lithuanian food has historically been regarded as peasant food in other parts of the world. It’s very meat, potatoes, cheese, butter and sauce-forward. Peasant or not, we decided we had to share our love of our culture and flavors with Scottsdale. From the stroganoff to the pierogis to cabbage rolls and even the chicken Kiev, we are 100 percent authentic Middle and Eastern European – even with our beer choices. As you can imagine, our comfort foods are tailor-made to pair with beers, especially those from Europe, an area that – outside of Germany – really mass-markets how fantastic their beer truly is. We work hard to help our guests find the perfect pairing – be it wine, beer or even a cocktail – with every single thing on our menu.”
-Deividas Molocajevas, chief operating officer
DISHES
Kepta Duona and Pork Shashlik The beer is a perfect pairing with a starter and main dish. Molocajevas recommends getting your first clay mug over a skillet of kepta duona ($8), a Lithuanian comfort food made from crispy rye bread tossed in duck fat aioli and smothered in Havarti cheese. The lager will work to bring out the grains in the bread as well as the notes of garlic in the aioli to heighten the flavor. Then, Molocajevas suggests a second clay mug paired with their pork shashlik ($23) main course, which is a pomegranate-marinated pork kebab with seasonal vegetables, shaved Brussels sprout tziki, rice pilaf and a Polish mizeria (think sour cream) cucumber salad. Because beer should work to either complement or juxtapose flavors in a dish, it works with Duona while offering a juxtaposition of flavor with the pork. It balances some of the dish’s acidity and the pork’s natural saltiness for a perfect bite/sip combination every single time.
Cheers to Charity
JANUARY 4 Support Ben’s Bells and have a beer! For every beer sold, $1 will be donated to the organization that works to inspire, educate and motivate each other to realize the impact of intentional kindness.
Button Brew House, 6800 N. Camino Martin, Tucson, 520.268.8543, buttonbrewhouse.com, 5 to 7 p.m., various prices.
Second Sundays Food Truck Festival
JANUARY 14 State 48 Brewery is teaming up with the city of Surprise and Food Truck Friday West for the event, which features music, beer and free bounce houses for kids. More than 15 local food trucks will serve the eats. 8 Acres Park, 15960 N. Bullard Avenue, Surprise, facebook.com/ events/1574903302601836/, 1 p.m., free admission.
Flagstaff BrewHaHa
JANUARY 20 Flagstaff BrewHaHa will feature more than 50 local, regional and western breweries, and over 100 craft beers. The Snowman’s Choice Award will be given for the best brew, and the People’s Choice Award winner will be selected by the public. In keeping with the “tasting” theme, there will be hors d’oeuvres and wine tastings. A percentage of the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity of Flagstaff. High Country Conference Center, 201 W. Butler Avenue, Flagstaff, 877.4.fly.tix, flagstaffbrewhaha. com, 2 to 6 p.m., $45 in advance, $50 day of event, $20 designated driver tickets.
BEER
Brewery: Švyturys Style: Lager Name: Švyturys Ekstra Lithuanian Lager Established in 1784, Švyturys is the oldest operating brewery in Lithuania. The company brews more than 34 million liters of beer a year, most of which are this lager. This particular lager, in fact, is the country’s most decorated beer, including a recent Gold Award win in the World Beer Cup. Sonata’s is the first venue on the West Coast to carry the brand, serving it in a commemorative clay mug to honor its heritage and really release the flavors. The lager itself has notes of grain and honey with a crisp finish and slightly sweet aftertaste. Light aromas of sweet malts are present in the nose, as well as a hint of corn.
Sonata’s Restaurant
10050 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.477.1390, sonatasrestaurant.com. WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM