Ale Works’ popular dinner & brew pairings extended for off-season
When Montana Ale Works rolled out its Perfect Pairings Series last September, outdoor dining was still in full swing. With “The Space to Keep You Safe” indoors or out, Ale Works had built a deep well of trust for their dedication to COVID protocols. But once weather forced Bozeman diners inside for real, would they even go out for meals anymore?
Time has told the tale, and as 2020 recedes into the rearview, Ale Works’ Perfect Pairings have proven the perfect antidote to COVID doldrums. They are an opportunity to gather, casually, monthly, safely, around affordable multi-course, multi-pint events that pair fine food and local beer in the spacious environs of the East End’s restored Northern Pacific freighthouse.
What was far from a sure thing just a few months ago has become a highly anticipated monthly event that sells out nearly as soon as tickets go on sale. Ale Works recently announced that Perfect Pairings will be extended through the winter and spring.
“People are stoked to have something to look forward to again,” says Dawn Brown, Ale Works’ longtime office manager, HR expert, and events coordinator. “Perfect Pairings fill that void of getting to attend a fun event, but in a safe and responsible way.” Adds Chef de Cuisine, Jacob Huder, “The best thing about the pairings is making people smile and giving them the opportunity to forget all the craziness for a few hours.”
Roth Jordan, one of four Ale Works partners, agrees. “We wanted from the beginning to keep this approachable and affordable, and I think we’ve done that. We always add a few surprises too, so really it’s six courses with beer (and/or spirits) for around $50. It’s just so nice to be able to do this in these times. And we’re selling tables, not seats, so you only sit with who you came with.”
The creative team includes a local brewer and/or distiller, Ale Works partners Sean Faris, Jordan, and Mark and Christin Taché, Chef Huder, and Bar Manager Brad Harris. They taste and choose beers at the brewery before they start talking food, generally building the dishes to go with the beers, not the other way around.
“Once the theme is picked and I have tasted the beers, I have a decision to make,” says Huder. “Should I pair the food by contrasting it with the beer, or bring a specific flavor out in the beer or food, complementing them? Then the dish kind of evolves into the final version from there.”
The restaurant’s first event, October’s Autumn BBQ and Brews, was a collaboration with Bozeman Brewing Co. and included House-Smoked Pork Belly, BBQ’ed Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, and Burnt-End Beef Brisket Ravioli, paired with a range of BBC beer stylings. November’s Southern Comfort featured Low-Country Southern Cuisine (Chef Huder’s specialty from his dozen years chef’ing in Charleston, South Carolina), a collaboration with Outlaw Brewing Co. French Bistro Night in December paired Union Hall Beers and Bozeman Spirits cocktails with classic Parisian fare.
An evening in Paris sound a tad hoity-toity for Bozeman? Consider this: Following the 2nd course of bone marrow with onions, fried parsnips and bacon jus, scooped directly from the bone onto pastry chef Libby Klahn’s sourdough bread, the “Intermezzo” (or palate cleanser) that followed had guests tip their Bobcat Boulevardier Luge Shot directly into the bone and down the hatch. How much mini cocktail luge’ed into mouths and how much crash-landed into laps remains an ongoing matter of debate.
Ale Works’ first 2021 pairing will be a multi-course tour of high alpine cuisines – Italian Dolomites, Swiss Alps, Andes and Himalayas – in collaboration MAP Brewing Co. (Tickets for the Jan. 12 event are likely already sold out.)
In the end, the pairings are perfect for two reasons: they are straight up fun for the chefs, the brewers and the community, and because Ale Works and their guests take COVID safety protocols seriously. Tables of two to six diners agree to remain seated throughout the evening, except when heading to the head, bemasked of course.
“Dinners like these are why chefs become chefs, and why I fell in love with this business,” says Jordan. “It’s amazing to see people enjoying themselves so much, in a safe way, at a restaurant right now. You almost forget that COVID is going on! And I love people’s reaction to the pairings. Everyone’s palate is different, so guests at the same table can debate their thoughts and opinions. It’s way better than talking politics!” Amen to that.
Visit www.montanaaleworks.com/events for details on upcoming pairings and to purchase tickets. •
