My beer world has not been the same since April 10, 2010. For you see, that was the night of the
Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2010 Awards Ceremony. I drank and enjoyed more quality
beer that one night than I usually do through out the span of a week. That evening was a gala of master brewers, fine meals, exceptional beer and first-class patrons from around the world. Such an evening over powers all your senses and you become unable to keep up with the events taking place before you. Perhaps it was because of the endless supply of Award-Winning Beers? Nonetheless, below, I attempt to guide you through my unforgettable evening at the Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2010 Beer Tasting Gala Dinner Awards Ceremony. Enjoy!
- Arrived at 6:45pm to the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Tower.
- A huge crowd gathered outside the doors of the Sheraton Chicago Ballroom. Attendees are anxiously awaiting the opening of the doors because it is an open dash to acquire the best table. Only certain tables are reserved for VIPs.
- The crowd was kept subdued by the beer tastings held outside of the doors. These beers, along with others, will find their way to the Dinner Tables.
- Doors officially opened at 7:10 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. Dinner. I note one drunken old man being escorted away because he lacks a ticket to the event. Perhaps he dropped it into one of the tubs cradling the fine beers for the evening?
- The site of the event is a site to see. According to the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Tower website, the main ballroom is the "largest hotel ballroom in the Midwest with 40,000 sq. ft. of column-free space." A vast amount of tables are situated in close proximity of the main stage and 2 giant projection screens.
- We settled on a table near the back for three reasons: 1) It's near the Beer Supply in case our Table runs out. 2) It's near the table of the 2009/2010 Hallertauer Hop Queen (Hopfenkönigin), Mona Euringer. 3) It gave us a great view of the stage & screens.
- Turns out we chose a great table. We were seated next to a Chemist / Microbiologist and the Director of New Business Development for Birko Corporation. Birko Corporation specializes in safety & sanitation solutions for some of the major breweries. Also, the Chemist / Microbiologist, Mr. Elis M. Owens, is a huge Beer Connoisseur with an endless amount of information on beer and food pairings. We were also seated next to the Brewmaster & Apprentice to one of the Family Owned Breweries in Germany: Distelhäuser. Since the year 1876 Distelhäuser Brauerei has been producing remarkable beer!
- After meeting everyone and sadly informing Roland Andre, the Geschäftsführer (Managing Director) and Braumeister (Brewmaster) of Distelhäuser, that we are not Italians from Italy, the evening was about to begin!
- Looking around at everyone in attendance and you can truly say this is a world event. There are 46 countries represented and I can hear languages such as German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and many more.
- I spotted a remarkable looking Geisha at one of the tables.
- The beer selection found at our table included:
- In addition to the beers at our table, there was a delectable tray of local cured meats and a selection of Midwest cheeses. This was known as the First Course: Chicago Style Charcuterie & Fromage, and it was paired with the Worryin' Ale.
- The Second Course of the meal was a Cream of Pearl Barley Soup and it was paired with the Bell's Porter. I am a huge admirer of good soups and this pearl barley soup was phenomenal.
- The Third Course was titled The Bitterness In All of Us and it was paired with the Union Jack IPA. Everyone at the table agreed that is salad was the least desirable aspect of the meal. The salad was too bitter, even with the India Pale Ale (IPA) as a companion.
- Long Live The Swine was the title of the Fourth Course and it was paired with the Allagash Curieux and Terminal Stout. This was my favorite part of the meal, and for me, the Terminal Stout was the clear favorite to accompany the Pork Belly stuffed with fennel, caramelized onions and a custom sausage.
- The final course, the Fifth Course, was A Touch of Sweet and it was paired with the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. I did my best to finish this wonderful chocolate bread pudding and I managed to finish it all and washed it down with the sensational Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.
- We must give credit to Executive Chef Sean Z. Paxton, and Author Randy Mosher, for the outstanding menu of the evening. I will never forget it.
- After the last plate of Dessert was served, the Awards Ceremony began.
- For a complete list of winners, please visit http://www.worldbeercup.org/winners.html
- Some odd notable winners due to their name or reputation:
- "Colt 45" won a Bronze Medal for American-Style Specialty Lager
- "Mickey's Malt Liquor" won a Silver Medal for American-Style Specialty Lager
- "Dude! Where's My Vespa?" won a Gold Medal for Coffee Flavored Beer
- "Polygamy Porter" won a Gold Medal for Session Beer (the beer is from Utah too)
- "Velvet Merkin" won a Silver Medal for Oatmeal Stout
- "Dirty Bastard" won a Silver Medal for Strong Ale
- "The Detroit Dwarf" won a Silver Medal for German-Style Brown Ale
- "Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout" won a Silver Medal for American-Style Imperial Stout
- Some notable winners due to them being favorites of Beerbin.com
- "Gonzo Imperial Porter Vintage 2007" won a Silver Medal for Aged Beer
- "Goose Island IPA" won a Gold Medal for English-Style India Pale Ale
- "Fin du Monde" won a Bronze for Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale
- "Top Heavy Hefeweizen" won a Bronze for South German-Style Hefeweizen/Hefeweissbier
- "Minerva Pale Ale" won a Gold Medal for English-Style Mild Ale (only beer from Mexico to win)
- "Goose Island Christmas Ale" won a Bronze for American-Style Brown Ale
- "Old Style" won a Silver Medal for American-Style Cream Ale or Lager
- Thanks to us sitting next to the Distelhäuser gang, we got to see some of the medals up close. Distelhäuser Brauerei won a total of 4 awards (1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze).
- After the Awards, the dinner and ceremony were over.
- I managed to find a way to talk to the Hop Queen and she took a picture with me.
- The crowd dispersed and we found some unopened bottles of beer to finish.
- The rest of the evening was a fun adventure that I am unable to recall.
0 comments:
Post a Comment