US craft beer takeover at Club Gascon
The Brewers Association set chef-patron of Club Gascon Pascal Aussignac a challenge last month when he was asked to present a five-course beer pairing lunch using a range of beers from the US.
At the lunch at the Michelin-starred restaurant, attended by US brewers and beer experts, Aussignac demonstrated how a range of America's craft beers could be matched with his signature style of cooking, which includes dishes originating from his home town of Toulouse in the south-west of France.
Andreas Fält, the American craft beer ambassador for the Brewers Association, explained the thinking behind the challenge: "The American craft beer scene has redefined what people think of beer in the US and across the world.
"We currently have over 2,200 small, independent and traditional breweries in the US, and the same revolution has been emulated here in the UK. In fact, it has developed very quickly and the US and the UK are now able to work together to each other's mutual benefit.
"The purpose of our challenge at Club Gascon was to showcase that any food can be matched with good craft beer; the flavour profiles can be extracted from the beers and work in conjunction with the exacting standards of a chef like Pascal."
The full menu consisted of:
Gillardeau oysters, apple crush, seaweed tartare and black tea tuile
Paired with Bells Brewery's Oarsman 4.0% ABV
Silky duck flan, ginger and hay jus
Paired with (first pour) Deschutes Brewery's Mirror Pond Pale Ale 5% ABV and (second pour) Boulder Beer Hazed and Infused 4.8% ABV American Pale Ale
Cappuccino of black pudding, lobster and asparagus
Paired with (first pour) Founders Centennial IPA 7.2% ABV IPA Benchmark American-style IPA and (second pour) Lagunitas IPA 6.2% ABV IPA
Wood pigeon, orange, barigoule and glazed kumquat
Paired with (first pour) Stevens Point Amber Lager 4.7% and (second pour) Smuttynose Brown Dog 6.7% Brown Ale
The millionaire, coffee, pink praline and frosted Worcestershire
Paired with (first pour) North Coast Old Rasputin 9% ABV Imperial Stout and (second pour) Heretic Chocolate Hazelnut Porter 7% ABV Porter
