BEER & FOOD

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Lessons to be learned

After decades of slow start-ups and quick demises, the brewing community in North Carolina is growing faster than kudzu. From the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, known as the Research Triangle, with the highest concentration of doctoral degree holders in the nation, to the spruce-clad hills of Boone in the Blue Ridge Mountains, more brewpubs and microbreweries alike are opening. Why is the Tar Heel State suddenly so thirsty?

This is no sudden spurt, but the result of years of effort. Growth of microbrewing has been slow due to legal restrictions, such as limits on distribution and alcohol strength. Several outdated laws have been lifted, thanks to the persistent efforts of brewers such as Uli Bennowitz of the Weeping Radish in Durham and Manteo, and Gary Greenshield, a pub-brewer in Raleigh. New associations, including the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild, help boost the business of brewing, as do regional festivals.

Although varied and delicious, the traditional fare of North Carolina -- peppery barbecue, shellfish from the coast, flounder and other delicate fish from inlets, corn fritters, biscuits and other breads --is not yet widely adapted by brewpub kitchens. Most rely on standard issue buffalo wings, burgers, ribs and sandwiches.

But to really grow, a brewpub not only has to offer good food, it needs to be well-managed and have plenty of capital to offset operating costs for at least a year, comments Paul Hummer, brewer of the Weeping Radish in Durham. The brewery leased space to a restaurant, which closed last summer due to a lack of capital.

Other brewpubs, such as the Carolina Brewery located on Chapel Hill's main shopping avenue, compete by augmenting their usual brews and menus with special invitational brewmaster dinners.

In November, Carol Stoudt of Stoudt's Brewery and Restaurant visited the Carolina Brewery for a festive fall tasting of her German-style lagers. A delicate cream of pumpkin soup with fig quenelles (light dumplings) was matched with Stoudt Gold. Assorted greens in a warmed salad tossed with duck cracklings, goat cheese and walnuts, paired with the Stoudt double honey Maibock. For the main course, a veal shank with an ale reduction sauce was served with Stoudt Fest, followed by a dessert of white chocolate bread pudding with raspberry sauce with Stoudt Doppelbock.

Special events such as the Stoudt dinner help spur interest among the young adults who patronize the area's brewpubs. "It's a great way to educate the consumer," says organizer Tyrone Irby.

"Our targets are not just students from the area colleges and universities, since they tend to drink whatever beer is on sale," notes Hummer. "We want to attract the young adults and people in their 30s and 40s, since they often travel and are more interested in beer styles."

But with few restaurants in North Carolina set up to feature guest brews on draft, brewpubs are pursuing the task of style education.

Among the most unusual beer styles brewed in North Carolina are the American adaptations of Belgian ales brewed by Kenny Baughman, of the Cottonwood Brewery and Grille in Boone. Winner at the Great American Beer Festival with a Belgian Amber Framboise, the Cottonwood specializes in ales-only brewing, drawing upon many European brewing traditions to create its own interpretations of the classic styles.

The Amber Framboise, a medium amber, slightly acetic ale made with fresh raspberry puree, is their most popular brew. The real star, however, is the Belgian Black Framboise, a full-bodied brown ale with delicious chocolatey notes from the dark malts complementing the raspberry finish. A great food pairing would be smoked trout on top of black-eyed pea pancakes.

To receive copies of recipes for Smoked Trout with Black-eyed Pea Pancakes, write Lucy Saunders here.

The column originally appeared in All About Beer magazine in January of 1996.