Ancient Ales Luncheon Monk's Cafe

Over the years I have been too many events paring both food and wine together but yesterday was the first time I have been to a Beer and food paring. It was an Ancient Ales Luncheon at Monk’s Café in Philadelphia featuring the beers from Dogfish head.  Not only were we getting to taste these wonderful beers but we got to hear the stories behind each one from Dogfish head’s founder Sam Calagione and Professor Patrick McGovern with the University of Pennsylvania Museum.   

The food was prepared by a guest chef Brian Morin from the Beer Bistro in Toronto.  The food was amazing in both appearance and taste.  Brain came out at the end of the meal and told us a little bit about why they choose the different ingredients in each of the courses served.  The menu was as unique as the beers themselves and the pairings were perfect. 

The first course was Dogfish Head Noble Rot Beer served with Poached Eggs with lobster, tapioca, white truffle custard & caviar. I thought this to be a very light beer which would during nice on a hot summer day.  Almost a breakfast beer :}

 Next we tried Dogfish head vintage Thebroma  which was served with a  Monte Cristo Sandwich with theobroma braised pork belly, foie gras, st. nectaire and date puree. Thebroma is a chocolate beer brewed with Aztec cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds). Theobroma – Tasted lighter but yet very flavorful with a finish of chocolate

Thebroma beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions. The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC.

Chateau Jiahu a beer that was inspired by a beverage 9000 years age and the next on the menu. Accompanied by Chicken & Black Cod. The black cod was done with jiahu soya & honey marinade with sunchokes, greens & onions plus a crispy chicken foot. Yes I ate the chicken foot and it was pretty tasty.  Jiahu is one I have had before. I enjoy this beer as one that could be you could have every day.

The story of Jiahu- Preserved pottery jars found in the Neolithic village of Jiahu, in Henan province,Northern China, has revealed that a mixed fermented beverage of rice, honey and fruit was being produced that long ago - right around the same time that barley beer and grape wine were beginning to be made in the Middle East!

Fast forward to 2005.... Molecular Archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology calls on Dogfish Head to re-create their second ancient beverage and Chateau Jiahu is born.
In keeping with historic evidence, Dogfish brewers use brown rice syrup, Orange Blossom honey, Muscat grape, barley malt, and hawthorn berry.The wort is fermented for about a month with Sake yeast until the beer is ready for packaging.

The main course was Dogfish head Midas Touch accompanied by Roasted Lamb, quinoa, fava beans, saffron peas and papaya. Midas Touch is my favorite of the tasting.  In fact I need to get some to have.

The recipe for Midas Touch is one of the oldest know fermented beverage in the world. Its from an ancient Turkish recipe using the original ingredients from the 2700 year old drinking vessels discovered in the tomb of King Midas. The ingredients are honey, saffron, papaya, melon, biscuit, succulent.

Desert was Dogfish head Ta Henket and Ta Henket Chantilly made with fennel, basil, local strawberries and rhubarb. Ta Henket – My best description, funky with some disco.

Ta Hanket - fermented with yeast gathered "from the night air of Cairo" This truly unique beer was created using both ancient ingredients and techniques described in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Sam and Floris from dogfish head went to Egypt to get the ingredients found it this beer. It was brewed to 11.4Plato with Emmer (an ancient form of wheat) and loaves of hearth baked bread and flavored with dom-palm fruit, chamomile, and zatar. Fermentation was carried out by a native Egyptian saccharomyces yeast strain captured by Sam and Floris.

Thanks to the folks at Monk's Cafe for hosting this wonderful event.A special thanks to Sam of Dogfish head and Professor Patrick McGovern for creating these wonderful beers and sharing their stories with us.