Brett pack dinner at Avery Brewing was the Wednesday before the GABF 2015. The Brett Pack consist of 5 brewers, Adam Avery, Sam Calagione, Tomme Arthur, Vinnie Cilurzo, and Rob Tod. They all took a trip together to Belgium in 2006 where they learned from the masters at the Belgian breweries and to drink such unique beers. Usually this dinner is at the Kitchen, a restaurant in Boulder but with the opening of the new Avery Brewery facility, I think Adam Avery wanted to showcase his restaurant. All the Brett Pack was in attendance. Even though this was at the Avery Brewing restaurant and the entrees were really good, this was a dinner where the beer took center stage.
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| This photo was on the hostess table at the entrance to the restaurant. |
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| Our table with an complimentary bottle opener. |
The start of the dinner pairing was a Welcome beers from each of the breweries.
Allagash Allagash White, a Belgian-style wit at 5.1%
Avery Twenty Two, 100% Brettanomyces drie fermented dry-hopped wild ale, at 6.0%
Dogfish Head Festina Peche, Neo Berliner Weisse brewed with peaches at 4.5%
The Lost Abbey Hop Concept, hop freshener tropical IPA at 8.5%
Russian River Pliny the Elder, a double IPA with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ and Simcoe hops at 8.0%
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| Festina Peche. |
Not a bad start to this first major event of GABF.
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| Amy and Rachael, employees at Avery Brewing. |
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| The Brett Pack table. |
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| Vinnie Cilurzo and Larry Smith having a beer conversation. |
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| Rob Tod and Mitch Smith. |
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| Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo. |
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| Dick Cantwell, Kim Jordan, Adam Avery and some Nebraska Brewing staff. |
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| Tomme Arthur, Steve Breezley, Andy Parker, Rob Christiansen, and Adam Avery. |
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| Ray Decker, Service and Hospitality Director. He made this evening possible. |
The entree pairings were very good but there was too much on the plates to really enjoy each course, by the end I was stuffed. And to be honest the food was a compliment to the beer.
First course was Russian River Temptation and The Lost Abbey Veritas paired with seared scallops, squash and lobster risotto, confit cherry tomatoes, gremolata. The scallops were perfect and the rest just enhanced it. Both sours went very well with this course. Veritas is a very rare beer, it usually doesn’t make it this far east.
Third course was Avery Brewing Vallum and Dogfish Head 2010 Immort Ale. These beers were paired with a ribeye steak that was coffee rubbed, sunchoke gratin, and maitaki demi. The 11% ABV 2010 Immort Ale added to the richness of the steak while the sour ale, Vallum complimented this course.
The fourth course was with Allagash Farm to Face and Antonius Carmen from Avery Brewing. These beers were paired with a meat and cheese plate of Jasper Hill’s Alpha Tolman, MouCo’s Colorouge, house-made pork rillette, and anaheim date jam. I have to admit that by this course I was stuffed but these sours paired well with the robust cheeses and the rich rillette.
The dessert course was 2008 Fort from Dogfish Head and The Lost Abbey Track 8, they were paired with a raspberry semifreddo, dark chocolate, and toasted coconut. I really can’t remember this course except the semifreddo was good. I think the beers were excellent, only because I had Fort before and a 2008 could only get better with age, it’s 18.0% ABV. Track 8 is a 13.7% ABV and my husband raves about it.
This is an event that we will probably make a tradition every GABF. It surpassed most of the other events we went to, excluding Sour Sunday which I really enjoyed. Adam Avery and staff at Avery Brewing did a wonderful job setting this event up at their new brewing facility in Gunbarrel, CO.
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