Win dinner for two, with beer paired with each of five courses
October 15th, 2009 at 03:04pm Georgette Braun
You have to eat. It’s October. Why not combine food with the one beverage that goes hand-in-hand with the month — beer?
The Olympic Tavern, 2327 N. Main St., Rockford is taking the idea to a five-fisted level. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, the eatery is offering a five-course dinner, each course paired with a Sprecher brew, for $45.
And here’s the even tastier part: You can win two free tickets by posting on my blog in “comments” the flavor of beer you’d develop if you could and what a few of the ingredients would be. I’ll pick my favorite and let you know by 9 a.m. Tuesday if you’re the winner.
Sprecher makes some 20 different kinds of beers and eight types of sodas in Glendale in Milwaukee County in Wisconsin. Founder Randy Sprecher will be at the Olympic to talk about his brewing style and food pairings.
Here’s the menu (subject to change based on availability):
Oktoberfest Wilkommen - Thuringer, Knackwurst, & Bratwurst with twin drunken mustards - Sprecher Oktoberfest
Greens, Gala Apple, Candied Walnuts, & Gorgonzola Crumbles? - Sprecher Shakparo Gluten Free Beer
Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Soup with Pretzel Crostini - Sprecher Pub Ale
Black Pepper & Coffee Crusted Buffalo Tenderloin, Roasted Cipollini Onion & Dark Beer Jus - ?Sprecher Black Bavarian
Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding & Bourbon Caramel Sauce - Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout
For more information, call 815-962-8758.
21 Comments Add your own
1. Georgette Braun | October 16th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Just FYI: You have to be 21 years old to win, and of course, to drink beer at The Olympic.
2. Jane Langenfeld | October 17th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
The beer I would develop would be a lime and cilantro. The beer would partner perfect with Mexican food. thanks Jane Langenfeld
3. John Hadley | October 17th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
My beer would be a take off the red-beer. (This beer is half tomato juice and half beer.) The flavor beer I would develop would be a roasted tomato beer. The roasted tomato beer ingredients would include jalapeno, cilantro, roasted tomatoes mixed in with a nice refreshing lager beer recipe.
4. Kristine McMahon | October 17th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I would brew “Swedish sweet rye” beer. Key ingredients: rye, molasses, a touch of anise and a little cardamom….mmmm! With that yeast-y beer flavor…so good!
5. Georgette Braun | October 18th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Spechter rep talks about new tourism lure in Wisconsin: SMALL breweries. http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/1829252,wisconsin-craft-breweries-beer-101809.article
6. Georgette Braun | October 18th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Geez. I could spell the name right, Sprecher. (gimme a break. it\’s early on a sunday morning.)
7. Mark McCulloh | October 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
This time of the year I always look for something a little heaver in a beer to ward of the cold. I would like to brew a coffee beer, made with some DARK roasted beans. The added flavor and richness from the beans will allow me to increase the alcohol level slightly without ruining the flavor. I would serve with a nice spicy hot bowl of chili.
thanks,
mark:)
8. Jill McCulloh | October 18th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Cherry Cranberry Beer
Add extra hops to help balance out the sweetness.
serve as a dessert beer with a nice hot pie.
Jill McCulloh
9. hokumboy | October 18th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Don’t feel bad.
It’s just as embarrassing to realize that I didn’t even notice!
10. Georgette Braun | October 19th, 2009 at 9:09 am
MMMM. Keep those ideas comin’.
11. Dave Ewaldz | October 19th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
The perfect beer for the season: “Autumn Maple Ale”
This brew would have a beautiful caramel color, with a smooth feel on the tongue. It would have an initial smell arousing a sense of sweetness with a hint of maple syrup. The first taste would have a semi-sweet maple flavor with a little hint of hops bitter after-taste.
Would be great to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner!
12. Amanda | October 19th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Spiced Caramel Apple Cider Ale:
Caramel malt with warm amber apple flavor.
Spices of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon, promoting exceptional fragrance.
Smooth blend of hard cider and amber ale.
Perfect autumn-Christmas ale. Full-bodied flavor, but light enough to compliment to every course of your Thanksgiving dinner.
13. Adam | October 19th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Cherry-Walnut Vanilla Harvest Stout
A heavy stout. Tart flavor of cherry blended with the warm, earthy flavor of roasted walnuts, balanced out with a sweet bed of vanilla. Sophisticated like a wine, but full-flavored like a stout.
A great compliment to a warm fire and cozy blanket. This one’s a nightcap - 9.2% AV
14. Amanda | October 19th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Spiced Caramel Apple Cider Ale
Sweet caramel malt ale blended evenly with sugared apple cider.
Spiced with clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon, promoting exceptional aroma.
Medium amber colored with a thick, fragrant head.
Full-bodied, but light enough to compliment every course of your Thanksgiving dinner.
5.8% Av.
15. Adam | October 19th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Test
16. Georgette Braun | October 20th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Wow, wish I were a brew master and could try to manufacturer all your suggestions.
The winner, though, is Adam. assuming you are 21 years old. I’ll email you shortly or call me at 815-987-1331 to pick up your two tickets to the beer dinner tomorrow at the Olympic.
I usually don’t like stout beer. Too heavy.But your cherry-walnut, vanilla recipe sounds delicious. And I’d agree to market it as a nightcap. Sweet dreams…\
By the way, I’m hoping Adam will write up a little review of the food and the beer and post it here in my blog the next day. Will ya, Adam, will ya, huh?
17. LD | October 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Bacon Beer
Beer made form malt that is smoked with delicious bacon. Goes great with anything, but perfect with eggs and toast.
18. Georgette Braun | October 20th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Adam Kasprowicz, 23, a Rockford College student, is going to take one friend with his two free tickets to The Olympic Tavern tomorrow. Another friend is going too, as well.
And if you didn’t make it, you’ll be able to read all about it Thursday after Adam posts a review here on my blog of the food and the beer.
Sometimes, we just have to enjoy food vicariously.
19. Georgette Braun | October 20th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Oh, and beer, too.
20. Adam Kasprowicz | October 22nd, 2009 at 8:47 am
The atmosphere at the Olympic was wonderful as always. A complimentary Sprecher beer glass awaited each of us as we entered the space. Mr. Sprecher was very kind and shared a great amount of information with us about his beers and why they were selected for this dinner. He was very knowledgeable about his product as well as confident, as everyone would have expected.
As our first course came out the smell of sausage made my mouth water. Knackwurst was my first choice. It wasn’t over powerful. It balanced nicely with the drunken mustards. The bratwurst was my favorite. The sweetness was a great compliment to the spiciness however; the Thuringer left something to be desired. It tasted to me like your average household hot dog. The pretzels were a cute touch, acting as a skewer for the sausage and useful in cleansing the pallet. In addition, the food was cold by the time it reached my table. It might just be that’s how it was supposed to be served? The beer pairing saved this dish for me. The Oktoberfest had a sweet yet smokey flavor. It complimented nicely with the full flavors of the sausage.
The second course was fantastic. The salad greens consisted of spinach leaves and sprouts adding an interesting texture. The best part of this course was the pairing. The Shakparo Gluten Free Beer had strong fruit notes, as well as an acidic yet refreshing quality to it. The muted flavors of the Gorgonzola and walnuts helped bring out the brighter flavors and crisp taste of the beer. With the success of the second course, I was excited for more.
Like the first course unfortunately, temperature played a vital role in the success of this dish. The Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar and Amber Beer soup would have been wonderful if it didn’t come out cold. It was a very pub-style soup, cheesy and hardy, sharp and thick. They dropped the ball on this one. The pairing itself was good. The sharpness of the cheddar brought out the richness of the beer. The Pub Ale had warm notes of chocolate with a very full-bodied flavor. As Dan Vestal said, “I could sit down and drink this.”
The main course was the black pepper and coffee crusted bison tenderloin, roasted cipollini onion and dark beer jus. The tenderloin was cooked to perfection. It had great flavor, wasn’t dry and very much held its own against the Black Bavarian beer. My only problem was I had difficulty finding any notes of coffee with all the pepper. The dish came out a bit on the cold side again but I was able to overlook it thanks to the great combination of flavors in the dish. The meal counterpart, Sprecher’s award winning Black Bavarian, was wonderful. It was non-obtrusive, strong yet smooth. I agree with Mr. Sprecher, “This is what a black beer should be”. And even though it is Mr. Sprechers oldest recipe, I think it’s safe to say, its an oldie but a goodie.
The final course! I couldn’t wait. The Anticipation was killing me. Will it live up to expectations? Will it be warm? I regretfully have to tell you dessert was disappointing. While the dark chocolate bread pudding and Knob Creek bourbon caramel sauce was delicious, the Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout was less then par. In fact, it was awful. It was heavy, and overly flavorful. A bit acidic, the beer left my mouth sour and full of bitter flavors. I wouldn’t recommend this beer to stand-alone. However, Mr. Sprecher assured us the reason was due to improper storage of the beer. Better luck next time I suppose.
When all was said and done, I had a wonderful time. Thank you for this opportunity Georgette. Enjoy your day.
21. Georgette Braun | October 23rd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Adam: Thanks for such a detailed sharing of the food and beer you had. Sorry it didn’t get posted yesterday. I had technical trouble. Geo
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