March 04, 2010

Pics - March Scottish Dinner

While Tuesday night's Scottish Beer Dinner was one of the more low-key events we've done, it was definitely one of the most enjoyable. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits before the dinner began, and even moreso once the beer started flowing. The dinner featured 5 courses paired with 5 Scottish or Scottish-influenced beers. These dinners have really become something to look forward to every month, and the next few months are certainly no exception! April's dinner is only $30 and will be Easter-themed small plates with heavily hopped beers - get it? Easter bunny...hoppy beers... And May is shaping up to be one for the books as we welcome a little brewery from the south-east side of Michigan. Once again, many thanks to those of you who made it out, but for those that didn't here's what you missed:

Bagpipers!

McCoy's Brewmaster Keith Thompson welcoming everyone as the first course made it's way out.

Round 1 - pickled deviled eggs with Foothill Hops Farm mustard, smoked salmon & dill paired with Belhaven's Twisted Thistle IPA. Pictures simply do not do these things justice!
Absolutely delicious...

Round 2 - traditional Gaelic crab soup with barley, double cream & a splash of whiskey paired with Williams Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale. Fraoch Heather is brewed according to a recipe from 2,000 B.C. using heather flowers as the only bittering agent, no hops used at all.

Round 3 - chicken sausage & prosciutto in Yorkshire pudding with onion marmalade & Madeira gravy with Orkney Brewing's Skull Splitter - 8.5% ABV.

Keith explaining beer and why its so great.

Round 4 - slow-braised lamb braciole, rolled & stuffed, served with Hunter’s sauce & barley risotto, mushrooms & cherries with McCoy's Wee Willy Scotch Ale - 8.3% ABV.

This beer is phenomenal! Harviestoun's Ola Dubh - a Strong Dark Ale brewed in the tradition of English stouts and porters, then aged in Highland Park single malt whisky casks - 8% ABV.

Round 5 - Scotch ale-soaked Ladyfingers with chocolate-orange mousse & Ola Dubh. Talk about ending on a high note...

Apparently Dave was the only one man enough to wear a skirt, I mean kilt... For his effort he left with each of the bottled beers we had that night - Skull Splitter, Froach Heather, Twisted Thistle & Ola Dubh. Not too shabby!

Cheers - see you in April!

3 comments:

  1. Aye, laddie - a true Scotsman would wear his kilt at the North Pole for free beer.

    BTW, you know why they call it a kilt, don't you? Because that's what happened to the last guy who called it a skirt - he got kilt.

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  2. Ha! Well played, sir.

    Thanks for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!

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  3. What a great night! Great food, better beer and best friends. Can't wait for the next one!

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