Famed Colorado yahoo Mojo Nixon once sang, “Everybody knows that beer ain’t drinkin’.” Apparently the folks at downtown Boulder’s West Flanders Brewing Company agree a bit, as they will be launching a new brunch series in which the beer is there for altogether different reasons: infusing.
Chef Tony Hessel (formerly the big cheese in the kitchen for The Med and Brasserie 1010) launched the new Beer Infusion Sunday Brunch at West Flanders last weekend, featuring hangover-killing classics like eggs benedict, chicken and waffles, and a variety of omelets and scrambles, but paired with hangover-returning brews and beer-infused cocktails. Cocks tailed include orange chervil, sassafras ginger and pomegranate juniper mimosas, savory red beers and housemade peppery bloody marys. Brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. The complete menu is available at www.wfbrews.com.
That ain’t the only eatin’ going down at WFB though. They’re also offering a beer-infused Valentine’s Day experience, with a sleek and streamlined three-course meal, with diners choosing among four different appetizers, main courses and desserts. Main courses on the menu include
Atlantic haddock with red beans, Moroccan black olives, tomato-herb fricasee, roasted chicken with housemade tamale and poblano mole, confit of duck leg with braised red cabbage, sugar-braised turnips and green peppercorn jus, and filet mignon with buttermilk chive potato mash, port marrow reduction and fried onions.
Per person, that dinner costs $55 with wine and beer pairings, or $40 without. Reservations are available at 303-447-2739.
West Flanders isn’t the only one looking to help you drink your way through Valentine’s Day. BRU has made its business model on finding classiness in the typically proletariat nature of beer. And they’re treating Valentine’s Day no different, with a special five-course meal based entirely on barley and hops. Offerings include crab and preserved lemon salad with avocado cascade sorbet and Beezel vinaigrette paired with pale lager; a malted marrow marshmallow with pickled mushroom, sesame oil, and greens paired with brown ale; and chocolate and Styrian Goldings mousse with pumpkin biscotti, stout syrup and candied orange paired with a vanilla coffee stout.
Reservations are available starting at 5 p.m. for $65 per person. To get some, call 720-638-5193.
But hey, if you’re looking for a cheaper and much less healthy Valentine’s Day beersperience, then head out to City Star Brewing in Berthoud and take part in their beer and chocolate pairings for only $15.
Those will get going at 5 p.m., which, not coincidentally, is also beer-and-chocolate-thirty.
Too far? We gotcha. The more centrally located Twisted Pine Brewing is dropping some new brews for Valentine’s Day as well: a dark saison with pink peppercorns and rose hips as well as a Rocky Mountain oyster wheat. Because what says love more than the emasculation of livestock?
But hey, enough with people loving each other. What about the love of a turtle for a fine homebrew? Why doesn’t man and/or woman and/or mutant ninja it get a day? Well, at Avery Brewing, it to be precise. Which just so happens to does. The third Tuesday of every month, 18, will be Avery’s Homebrew and be happening this week. Tuesday, Feb.
Bottle Collector Support Group, in which you can bring your best brew down to the taphouse for a little show-and-tell with the group. Price of admission is 22 ounces (that’s what she said).
The group will kick off around 6 p.m. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
