Pairing wine and beer with mushroom dishes
There are two categories of beer – ales, which are top fermented and lagers, which are bottom fermented. But within those two categories there are hundreds of styles based on how the beer is made, what ingredients are used (fruit, hops, type of grain), fermentation methods (primary, secondary and conditioning), and how and if it is aged. Aging can be in bottle or barrel, and barrels may have been used previously for wine or spirits.
There are thousands of brews to choose from. Most common styles include India Pale Ale (IPA), German lagers, pilsners, Scottish ales, stouts and wheat beers. But have you tried a Kolsch, Gueuze or English bitter?
With over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes and hundreds of types of wine, the possibilities are many. With that many grapes, the different types of dirt in the vineyard, micro-climates, fermentation methods and how the fermented juice is aged, the possibilities are endless!
There are more species of mushrooms than there are wine grapes, but only about 20 are frequently used. Fortunately, some of the most delicious ones can be found at the market. Or perhaps you have a friend in the Kitsap Peninsula Mushroom Society?
The Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society celebrated its 50th year this year hosting a free wild mushroom show on Nov. 6. The society’s mission is to study and collect fungi and to educate the community.
Around 1,400 people attended this educational event complete with seminars and all kinds of mushrooms, edible and deadly, foraged by members, displayed and identified on dozens of tables. There were 235 pots of mushrooms to buy, experts to identify those mushrooms that pop up in your yard, fun activities for kids and fresh-made mushroom snacks to enjoy. More information about this society is on its website, KitsapMushrooms.org
Names for mushrooms have that old world feel to them, like something out of a medieval cookbook: Wood ears, witches’ butter, lobster, lion’s mane, hedgehog, puffball, turkey tail, shaggy manes, vanishing cat, king bolete, cauliflower, trumpet, hairy oyster, dark honey and candy caps.
Pairing mushrooms with wine or beer can be challenging because there are so many flavors, textures and aromas to take into consideration. Mushrooms can be particularly challenging, because they’re similar to wine and beer, with so many types, flavors and aromas.
As with wine or beer, the type of mushroom and the preparation play an integral part in determining which wines or beer will complement or contrast the dish. The basic concept of pairing food with drink comes down to complementing or contrasting with the dish, neither overwhelming the other.
Some simple guidelines are:
Acidic (think citrus) drinks are clean tasting and work well with fried foods, salads and seafood. Sauvignon Blanc or an IPA are both citrusy and pair well with these dishes.
Salty foods do very well with carbonated drinks. A basket of French fries or a bag of Cheetos do very well with a bubbly or a lighter-style brew.
Spicy hot foods pair well with sweeter, fruitier drinks such as Riesling with Thai food or a Bohemia lager with nachos topped with Jalapeno peppers.
Proteins soften tannins, red wine with steak or smoked porter with grilled burgers, both topped with pan-fried porcinis.
The drink has to be sweeter than the dessert. Samichlaus Triple Bock with chocolate cheesecake or Moscato d’Asti with a fruit tart are sweet little slices of heaven.
Lighter fare with lighter drinks, heartier fare with heartier drinks.
Mushroom varieties also play a role in pairing with wine or beer. Delicate varieties, such as lobster, lion’s mane, cauliflower or oyster, are best served with lighter, more delicate drinks such as a Pinot Grigio, Riesling or Saison.
Earthy, hearty mushrooms like king bolete, portabella and porcini pair well with fuller-bodied drinks such as Nebbiolo, Syrah, porter or stout.But most importantly when pairing mushrooms with your favorite tasty beverage is simplicity. Keeping it simple also makes pairing easier, as there are fewer elements involved.
Think about a simple dish of sautéed morels served atop a bowl of fettuccini. It’s the perfect way to highlight this savory mushroom and is easily paired with a Pinot Noir or amber ale.There are of course exceptions to these guidelines. But that’s what adventure is all about. Half the fun is in the tasting, the other half is enjoying the delectables with family and friends.
For a number of years, I and my mushroom-loving buddy would trek down to the Shelbourne Inn for an Incredible six-course mushroom with each dish including dessert dinner paired with Pike Street Ales. Every year had a new menu, each dish featured an exotic mushroom and the brews were beautifully paired.
A few of the fabulous dishes from the wild mushroom and Pike Brewery dinners:
At the 8th annual Wild Mushroom & Pike Brewing Dinner, we savored a sausage, sautéed peppers and wild mushrooms on a homemade pretzel bread that was paired with the Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale. Delicious!
Pan-seared King Salmon with sautéed wild mushrooms and huckleberry demi-glace with Pike’s Monk’s Uncle, a Belgian tripel style ale.
The 6th annual dinner featured a roasted beet salad with pickled chanterelles and chevre served with Naughty Nellie golden organic ale.
Lobster mushroom deconstructed lasagna with Pike Pale Ale was a brilliant match.
Elk shoulder pastrami bruschetta with Anjou pear and king boletus slices paired with Pike Kilt Lifter.
Wild mushroom (oyster and porcini) and pork sausage with baby carrots, Romanesco and red bell pepper paired with the Pike wood aged Kilt Lifter. One of my favorites!
But most unusual, interesting and delicious was the porcini, avocado mousse in a puff pastry with dark chocolate mushroom sauce and wild berry candied porcini brittle served with Pike Cranberry Ale. Another brilliant match!
Wishing you good pairings and a very Happy Thanksgiving. Cheers!
Mary Earl has been educating Kitsap wine lovers for a couple of decades, is a longtime member of the West Sound Brew Club and can pair a beer or wine dinner in a flash. She volunteers for the Clear Creek Trail and is a longtime supporter of Silverdale.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Pairing wine and beer with mushroom dishes
