There are times when I would want to pair my food with beer most specially during dinner and it’s just so exciting as they’re teaming up with Baird Beer as they’ve curated a pair that’ll best suit their food and would enhanced both their flavors. The event took place in SM Aura, BGC.
Just a little history about Baird Beer, it was formed in 1997 by Bryan and Sayuri Baird who quit their day jobs to study brewing.
Their Basic formula for Baird Beer is Balance + Complexity = Character. I could say that with all the beers that I’ve tasted, it truly has a character that will suit your mood anytime of the day.
We were sampled 6 dishes with Baird Beer’s different flavored beer that best fit.
1st course: Skewered Sausage + Numazu Lager | Alcohol content (by volume): 5.5%
The savory sausage with a bit of tanginess to it matches the soft and round taste of the beer. Numazu Lager is perfect for people who does not want a strong bitter flavor but has a snappy finish. There’s three sauces available for your sausage as well which are barbecue, mustard and ketchup for additional flavor.
2nd Course: Crostini and Spinach Cheese Dip (Php 220) + Wheat King Whit | Alcohol content (by volume): 5.0%
The Spinach dip was so creamy and again matches the sprite and fruity flavor of Wheat King Whit. I think this is perfect combination. I love that the beer was balanced with the creaminess of the dish.
3rd course: Seafood Scampi(Php450) + Rising Sun Pale Ale | Alcohol content (by volume): 5.5%
Love that this wasn’t too oily. Shrimp was tender. Flavorful! The seafood was perfect and the Rising Sun Pale Ale’s brisk and refreshing citrus-hop character was perfect as it washed away anything fishy in this dish. This would probably be my favorite beer among the six.
4th course: Grilled Reuben Sandwich (Php480) + Wasabi Sabi Japan Pale Ale | Alcohol content (by volume): 6.0 %
I so love the Griller Reuben Sandhwich. The sandwich was toasted perfectly. The Corned Beef slab was tender and mouthwatering. The Wasabi Sabi Pale Ale has that Japanese flavor of Wasabi and Green Tea combined along with the Indian Pale Ale. There a herbal yet strong flavor in this beer.
5th course: Steak Salpicao (Php750) + Teikoku IPA | Alcohol content (by volume): 6.5%
The Ribeye Salpicao was a bit chewy already but the sauce was delectable. Teikoku IPA has that strong malt flavor that matches the dish. A stronger taste of all flavors.
6th course: Affogato (Php250) + Shimaguni Stout | Alcohol content (by volume): 5.0%
I love all the bittersweet flavors in here. The thick and smooth vanilla ice cream was washed away by the Espresso shot and then comes the Dark roasty dryness punctuated by a hint of smokiness. I find the beer really bitter.
There’s a total of 12 flavored beer but as of now, there’s 6 flavors available in the Philippines.
I could say that the flavors of the dishes plus the beers complimented each other. I appreciate all the pairings as they intensify and/or lessen the flavors making it well balanced.
But with all the pairings, I enjoyed the 4th, 5th and 6th the most.
You can try all the dishes with beer pairings at Mentore Coffee + Bar by UCC in SM Aura, BGC.
Address: Second Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road Corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
I got the description of Baird Beer and its flavors from their website. You may it check out as well for more information: https://bairdbeer.com/beer/