Drink Magazine

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

By Mike @mikescraftbeer

On February 20th, 2016 I was able to attend a "Brew and Chew" brewmaster dinner at the Lakeside Beach Club in Chilliwack almost on the shore of Cultus Lake. Lakeside Beach Club partnered up with Old Yale Brewing also out in Chilliwack to put on this great canape dinner. My sister and her Fiance also came along to the dinner. Her Fiance is a chef so I also have his notes on the dinner.

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

The Brew and Chew has some rules. Basically the dinner was a canape dinner with each course being a small sample or a beer and food. There were some tables but for the most part people walked around and mingled.

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

People started arriving at 6pm and started the mingling right away while grabbing a glass or two of beer. As the dinner started at 6:45pm they had a table of appraisers.

The dinner consisted of 7 distinct beers and food courses as can be seen on the menu below.

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

First Course
Tuna ConeSeared Tuna, grapefruit, rice, teri-thai drizzlePaired with - Knotty Blonde Ale (formerly Chilliwack Blonde)

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

I do not personally go for tuna cones usually when our for sushi so I did not know what to expect. For me I thought there was a bit to much seaweed (personal taste) but overall the flavour was great especially the grapefruit notes that paired great with the mild but fruity flavour of the Blonde Ale.

Aaron Clark "The softness of the seared Tuna and the Rice is nicely contrasted by the bite of the nori cone. The pop of the grapefruit cuts through the spice of the Teri-thai sauce beautifuly. This is all brought together nicely by the blonde ale leaving a very satisfied mouth feel."

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

This was pretty darn tasty. The strawberry and mango salsa had a strong flavour that did not let the cod shine through. This was a very tasty and interesting salsa. It all tasted great on the crostini and the chives added a nice accent. The mango in the beer complimented the salsa quite well and helped cut through the chives a bit.

Aaron Clark "Over all a Delicious mouthful. The mango and strawberry salsa was flavourful and fresh but totally overpowered the delicate flavor of the Cod. The beer paired beautifully with the salsa and cut through the bite of the chive."

Third Course
Pulled Pork Slider
Slow roasted pulled pork, apple, onions, brioche bun
Paired With - New Top Secret Pilsner

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

This was a great pulled pork slider. The pork was flavoured with great BBQ sauce with a mild spice kick in the finish. The sauteed onions added some complexity to the flavour. The pilsner while tasty was lost a little bit in the mild spice of the BBQ sauce and really only had a mild bitterness left in the flavour.

Aaron Clark "The BBQ flavor of the pork and the crisp sweetness of the onions and the apple mix delightfully with the dry slightly burnt orange flavor of the pilsner which altogether lightens the dish to finish clean."

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

The batter on the mac and cheese was full flavoured. The mac and cheese itself had a great flavour with the four cheese mix. The ketchup was a mix of ketchup and sweet chili sauce it seemed and was tasty (enough to break my no ketchup rule with macaroni and cheese). The beer had a nice smokey wood flavour that cuts through the sweetness of the ketchup and brings everything together perfectly.

Aaron Clark "The smoothness of the Stout matches the creamyness of the mac n cheese perfectly. Nitro adds a woodyness to the Stout and this would have complimented the smoke in the batter but it was somehow absent. This mixed with the sweet chillesque ketchup makes for a contrasting, slightly odd but tasty mix with a light coffee finish."

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

The pastry on the bottom was nice and fluffy and fresh. The duck was cooked to perfection and the blueberry compote put a bow on a great bite of food. The nice bready malts of the beer went well with the pastry. The tropical fruits in the beer play off the blueberry nicely.

Aaron Clark "The gameyness of the duck contrasts very well with the malty hops of the Ale. The compote sweetens the bitterness of the hops perfectly. One of my favourite pairings of the night. "

Sixth Course
Red Thai Curry ChickenRed curry, egg noodles, mixed vegetables, cucumber relish
Paired with - West Coast IPA

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

The red curry went really well on the chicken and was quite strong. The chicken was also cooked to perfection. The egg noodles also went very well with the red curry. The IPA on the fruitier side cut through the big spice hit of this dish.

Aaron Clark "A fantastic paring of citrus hops mixed with kaffir lime and lemongrass from the curry produce an explosion of yummyness which works perfectly. The high ABV of the IPA also helps cut the spice of the curry and makes for a warm a succulent finish. "

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

I always go for savory before sweets but this banana bread with the Irish Cream toffee was pretty incredible. The Irish cream in the stout and the Irish Cream in the sauce go well together. The beer has some roasted notes notes that contrast the banana bread.

Aaron Clark "Wow! Superb pairing. The softness and decadence of the pudding mixed with the creamyness of the creme anglaise and the sweetness of the toffee sauce pair fantastically with the burnt molasses and mild coffee flavourful of the Stout leaving you with a slight naughty feeling inside and a very happy palate"

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack
Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack
Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

I had a great time at this dinner as did my sister and her Fiancee. The food and beer may not have been in large portions but with 7 different samples you left full and quite satisfied. Good job both Old Yale Brewing and Lakeside Beach Club. Thanks for the great evening!

Old Yale Brewing
http://www.oldyalebrewing.com/
#4 7965 Venture Place
Chilliwack, BC V2R 0K2

Lakeside Beach Club
http://lakesidebeachclub.ca
4130 Columbia Valley Road<
Cultus Lake, BC
604.858.3374
[email protected]

Brew and Chew (Old Yale Brewing / Lakeside Beach Club) – Chilliwack

About Mike

I am an avid outdoors man and hobby photographer who loves to spend as much time as possible exploring the beautiful backcountry of the Province of British Columbia and everywhere else! When not exploring nature though I am exploring Craft and Micro Brew beer locally and from around the world. If you love beer like I do please come on a journey for your taste buds. Who knows you just might find your next favorite beer!


Back to Featured Articles on Logo Paperblog

Magazines