Beer Mine: Valentine’s Day Dinner with Beer Pairing at Hi Hat

Forget having a Blue Valentine’s this year. I’m after a Brew Valentine’s, and Hi Hat Public House is here to provide the romantic ambiance for lovey-dovey couples or sooth lonely and longing hearts all over Austin. The fine folks will be pulling out the stops this coming Friday with a six-course dinner from the talented mind of chef Thomas Reeh.

“The concept behind it is a rustic feel and idea of things you can get all around – fruits, veggies, chicken, deer, all very rustic. We wanted to put a spin on it and make it clean. It’s not minimalist but it’s not overloaded with too many flavors, either.

It’s interesting for a multi-course dinner to focus on different aspects of a culinary adventure. Lots of restaurants and chefs are caught up in entrees, etc. and are not thinking of how the dishes could lift each other up together and lead up to the next and the next course through to the finale” says Reeh on the dinner.

Beer Whisperer Habeab Kurdi will be pairing the dinner with a handful of delectable craft beers from Oskar Blues, Firestone Walker, Real Ale, Southern Tier, and Austin Beerworks. He was gracious enough to discuss his thought process on each course. See the entire drool-worthy menu and beer list below.

Truffled Deviled Farm Egg & Raw Oyster, Tabasco Gelee & Cracker paired with Austin Beerworks Black Thunder & unfiltered dry-hopped Pearl Snap

The Black Thunder was picked for its clean, crisp malty character bolstering a light lager body that is perfectly well balanced. A lager, particularly a schwarzbier was ideal for the first two courses because of how delicate those foods are.  The Hi Hat bar staff will also be giving a few sips of the dry-hopped Pearl Snap to go with the perfect bite-sized deviled egg as an excellent aperitif and amuse-bouche.

Bibb salad with Cottage Cheese, Grapefruit, & Honey paired with Firestone Walker Pivo Pils

This beer has just the right hop profile while still being a ripe compliment for the salad course. The zesty & lemongrass notes should bring added zest and flavor to the salad.

Chicken Roast, Lemon Coulis & Figs paired with Oskar Blues IceyPA

The recently released wheat IPA has a perfect body and citrus flavor that are great tandem for the lemon & fig paired with the chicken. Though the chicken will be full of bursting flavor, the simplicity of that white meat will benefit from the piney attribute of the IPA side while also gleaning goodness from the hoppy bitterness this brew provides.

Country Fried Venison, Potato “Gravy”, & Brussels Sprouts paired with Real Ale Sisyphus (2012 Vintage)

The age on Real Ale’s amazing barleywine  provides a sturdy backbone to hold up to a hearty taste with bold tenderness such as venison. Having a rare vintage of this brew will also allow for subtler flavors, along with it’s amazing malty-hoppy balance that will be a perfect bookend as a sip before a bite as well as a gulp after a hearty mouth full with a clean, dry but not too dry finish.

Chocolate Beer Pot De Creme & Crickles paired with Southern Tier Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee is one of the most perfect dessert beers for a perfect dessert. The silky moistness of the pot de creme lingers just long enough for a pop of smooth sweetness coming behind it from the beer.

The event will also feature a sultry live jazz performance from Melange from 8:00 – 10:00 and two seatings for the dinner. The first seating starts at 6:30 and the second at 8:30 PM on Friday February 14th. Tickets are $45 without the beer pairing for anyone willing to pass up the decadence described above or $65 for those of us lured in by the temptation. However, an advanced reservation is required, so call in or stop by today to reserve a seat for you and your main squeeze.

– Sarah