Some heavenly food-beer pairings from local experts: Jason Alvey, owner of Four Firkins craft beer store in St. Louis Park: "Belgian wit beer, fermented with coriander and orange peel, goes great with fish. Belgian sour beers in general are light-bodied, refreshing, tart -- I liken them to a lemon drink but even more sour -- all go well with fish."
Linda Haug, manager of Café Twenty Eight in Minneapolis: "Our pork adobo and the Surly Smoke [a local beer made by Haug's husband, Todd]. The dish has a lot of types of chilies, a boatload of flavors and spices but also a quesa fresco and sour cream. The smoked-malt flavors enhance rather than compete with all that."
Scott Pampuch, chef/owner of the Corner Table in Minneapolis: "We make a semolina cheesecake that comes out more savory than most cheesecakes. That goes well with a classic cherry lambic. The earthiness and richness and dryness of the cheesecake balance the sweetness and syrupiness of the lambic."
Greg Norton, owner of Norton's Downtown & Lucky Cat Lounge in Red Wing: "Our Moroccan lamb dish really resonated with Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre [not available in Minnesota], which is brewed with golden raisins and Belgian beets. The Maredsous Dubbel has a similar flavor profile."
(For more pairings, go to startribune.com/blogs/wine.)
BILL WARD
