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"sbillings":9u9cguog wrote: I think they all have a bloody cheek. Beer has been served with food for as long as beer has been around.[/quote:9u9cguog]

I hate the whole snob value of it all - 18 euros for a bottle of beer!

And packaging it as if it was wine as well <!-- s:x --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mad.gif" alt="" title="Mad" /><!-- s:x -->

Apparently the sommeliers from El Bulli (BCN's most expensive restaurant, world famous chef etc.) took part in an 18 month development process. Shitehawks.

&amp;quot;Hombre Lúpulo&amp;quot;:37jk4f8e wrote: My outrage about this was increased by the fact I've been reading a great book by Garret Oliver on beer with food.[/quote:37jk4f8e]

&amp;quot;sbillings&amp;quot;:37jk4f8e wrote: Brewmasters Table. Great book.[/quote:37jk4f8e]

I an reading it to <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

An appetite for ale is a pretty good book as well.
[url:g9m4knw8]http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Ale-Hundreds-Delicious-Enjoy/dp/1852492341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220632381&sr=8-1[/url:g9m4knw8]

I agree with sbillings on this one. Beer and food have been put together for as long as there has been beer and food. I can see the marketing people being all delighted when they came up with that one. Wow how smart are they? <!-- s:evil: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_evil.gif" alt="" title="Evil or Very Mad" /><!-- s:evil: -->

Like the others, I really enjoyed the Brewmaster's Table, and still do as I dip in every so often. I like his writing style and potted histories of beer types. I agree with Oliver that you'll always find a beer to compliment any food (take that, wine!), and as Séan pointed out, it's hardly a new bloody concept. Why do people think it has to be wine with a meal?

Actually, the Bull and Castle was where I first saw the book, as Geoff & Co. had used in creating that gastro pub menu that had a meal and beer paired. I thought that was a nice idea, and I know some former colleagues really enjoyed it.

I do worry about a snobbification, but if it means more choice in beer, let it be! <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

[quote:jzr5o3st]An appetite for ale is a pretty good book as well.[/quote:jzr5o3st]Oh, that looks interesting! I've been looking for recipes involving beer to make stuff for open brew days and tasting nights in my gaff. Spreading the word to the Germans <!-- s;) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s;) -->

Lucy Sanders has a book out since last year pairing beer and food and there is a website doing so for several years, beeradvocate.com where they invite wine sommiliers to beer and food tastings to bring along wines to compete. Carlesberg brought out the Jacobsen range a couple of years ago just for restaurants about the same price though.

Garrett Oliver is now do beer and cheese tastings and seminars and his next book will be just beer and cheese, well worth it if you get a chance to attend any.

To complete my Damm rant from the first post, saw this[/url:4kj91k7q] at a microbrew fair a while back.
The beer, called "Downfall" ("Ruina" is like "Bankrupcy" so I've taken some creative licence here), has the caption "It'll be ours, or Damm's"
<!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt="" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->