Ommegang Beer dinner

Ommegang was the brewery for the January beer dinner at Pizzeria Paradiso. I was interested being a Belgium themed brewery. I signed up early but when Teri and I arrived they didn't have my name. Thankfully the beer manager Greg had a nice table for the two of us. Usually I'm late with reservations and have to settle for the 9:00 seating but this time I got in the 6:30 seating (or so I thought). Steve was the rep from the brewery and he seemed to know what he was talking about. The menu:

Malted Coffee Nuts

Inauguration Ale (Obamagang)

Mustard Green Salad

w/ apples & roasted mushrooms

Ommegeddon

Mole Chicken Wing

w/ mango

Chocolate Indulgence Stout

New England Clam Chowder Pizza

clams, potato, celery, red onion, parsley, ricotta

Hennepin Farmhouse Saison

Winter In Vermont Pizza

roasted turnips, butternuts squaash, celery, onion, parsnips,

Cabot cave aged clothbound chedder cheese

Abbey Ale

Cherries & Cheese

w/ mascarpone & gorgonzola

Three Philosophers Quadrupel

I'm not a fan of coffee or nuts so the malted coffee nuts weren't my thing. Steve said they started brewing the Inauguration Ale one year and one week ago. It is a blend of the '08 Chocolate Indulgence and Liefman's Kriek. I forgot that Ommegang bought Liefman's a year or more ago. Steve had this keg stored in his basement and said it was the last keg in Copperstown before he took it.

The mustard green salad wasn't bad. Teri thought the mustard greens were too mustardy. I didn't seem to notice. The apples and shrooms were good. They said the Ommegeddon was a bit young. It has a bret. yeast and was dry hopped. Steve said it was bottled in March and just released last week. It's a strong blonde ale. I think he said it was warm bottled at 77 degrees for 9 months. It's 8% ABV.

The mole chicken wing was interesting and good. We each got a wing with mole sauce on top and some mango. I didn't want to eat it with my hands because of the mole sauce but it was difficult with silverware too. The mango went well with the mole. This was served with the '09 Chocolate Indulgence. It was flavored with chocolate nibs which is more chocolate than other methods. I didn't think the chocolate was overpowering. This came in at 7-8% ABV.

The first pizza good. I picked a few pieces of celery off but the clam, potato, onion, and ricotta was good. This was paired with their seasonal saison Hennepin which they age for 7 weeks.. It was very spiced. Orange peel, coriander, and ginger Steve said. The Hennepin was 7.7% ABV.

The second pizza was unique and good as well. The veggies were properly cooked and tasted good together. I'm a fan of Cabot cheese too. The cheddar melted well. This was paired with Ommegang's first beer the Abbey Ale. Its a double, was dark, and tasted a bit malty. It is 8.5% ABV.

The dessert wasn't my favorite since I'm not a fan of cherries. I do remember eating a bit of it though. The chef seems to be a fan of mascarpone and I'm not complaining. Ommegang's quadruple, Three Philosophers, was the last beer of the night. They brew this once a year and store it for 9 weeks. It is a kriek mix and comes in at 9.8% ABV. Steve said it is blended pre-fermentation which is not normally done.

Another month and another good pizza dinner at Pizzeria Paradiso.