Sushi, pigtails, and hops

Sushi, pigtails, and hops

Who puts wasabi in beer? Brewers who are trying to pair their creations with those of a top San Antonio sushi chef. You’ll find it at one of two mouth-watering (and perhaps eye-watering) beer dinners this month at Freetail Brewing Co. and at Lüke Restaurant on the River Walk.

The Freetail sushi dinner on Monday, December 12, is a billed as a five-course meal, but it’s really seven when you include the appetizer and dessert courses featuring the guest cuisine of Chef Goro of Godai Sushi Bar & Japanese Restaurant.

Freetail is serving up 10 of its house beers, including some special barrel-aged brews, a shoyu- and wasabi-infused version of Three Anniversary Ale, and kombu- and wasabi powder-infused witbier.

Goro supplies miso soup, cucumber salad, crab and avocado tower, a trio of sushi rolls, scallop carpaccio, steak tartare, and three varieties of nigiri. Dessert is an intriguing sweet red bean in phyllo pastry served with an ice cream made from sweet lotus root and Freetail’s signature La Muerta imperial stout.

Go to Freetail Brewing’s Facebook page for the complete menu. Advance reservations and payment are required by dropping by the brewpub or calling (210) 395-4974. Cost is $100 per person, so break out the Benjamins.

Lüke’s Dec. 29 beer dinner is the perfect antidote to the glut of traditional holiday foods. And when paired with the beers of Colorado microbrewery Oskar Blues, you’ll forget all about the eggnog.

Chef Steven McHugh is joined by a representative of the brewery to present fried pig tails with Mama’s Little Yella Pils, pan-seared grouper with G’Knight Imperial Red Ale, braised short ribs with stone-ground grits and Pearl Market vegetables with Gubna Imperial IPA, and sweet potato pie and donuts with Ten Fidy Imperial Stout.

It all starts with a reception beer of Dale’s Pale Ale, the first canned craft beer that kicked off a trend causing some new brewers to give up the bottle all together.

Cost is $55 per person plus the government’s cut and something for the bustling waitstaff. Make reservations at (210) 227-LUKE.

Ranger Creek Uno

Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling Co. recently celebrated their first anniversary. Look for the beer marking the occasion wherever Ranger Creek brews are sold. UNO is a special variation of the flagship beer OPA, or Oatmeal Pale Ale, made with rye in the grain mix and aged in oak barrels.

Faust wins medal

Faust Brewing Co. in New Braunfels, which got a new lease on life when it started brewing again nearly six months ago, has its first industry kudo. Brewmaster Ray Mitteldorf’s Oktoberfest Märzen won silver in that category with a panel of judges for the World Beer Championships.

Travis E. Poling is beer writer for the Current, conducts tutored tastings, beer knowledge training, and is author of Beer Across Texas: A Guide to Brews and Brewmasters of the Lone Star State. You can reach him at travis@beeracrosstexas.com.