In the wine-dominated world of fine dining, craft beer is finally making inroads into better restaurants and finding a place at gourmet tables. More and more upscale establishments are adding artisanal beers to their offerings, and some even going so far as to have a “beer list” along with the wine list. Impressive beer lists can be found at restaurants like Savannah’s Café, 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House, and the Cajun Café that will serve as excellent opportunities to pair different styles of beer with different foods. Brewpubs like the Tampa Bay Brewing Company, Peg’s Cantina, and Dunedin Brewery even offer pairing suggestions for items on their menus. Beer comes in such a wide range and variety of flavors, with a style to match any palate.
However, when it comes to dessert, even those with a good knowledge of beer and flavor pairings often find themselves at a loss. Beer with dessert? Unheard of! Port, sherry, coffee cocktails and dessert wines have always been the go-to drinks of choice to match with a cheesecake or chocolate soufflé. For most, the immediate thought is drinking a light macro-brewed lager with their decadent dessert choice, and the appeal is gone — as well it should be. What many don’t think about (or maybe even realize) is that there are some excellent craft beers that match up beautifully with the richness of creamy delicacies, the sweetness of berries, the bitterness of coffee or chocolate, and the tartness of pies and fruits.
