Tuesday night I attended a Sam Adams beer and food pairing with my wife and her brother at the Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell, NJ. A number of Sam Adams reps and distributors attended the event, a few of whom helped present an impressive five-course menu.

Each course featured a different Samuel Adams brew. I'll preface the entire write-up by disclosing that we had a great time, and we hope the folks at the Cloverleaf hold some future events like this. It can be hard to find a good beer bar in the area, and these guys are taking it above and beyond the competition: good service, good food, great beer.

The head manager of the Cloverleaf attended the event, and on more than one occasion I heard him offering his candid reaction. I was pleased to see him weigh in with an educated, honest opinion, as I would have expected him to shower the visiting reps with praise at every turn. That said, there was some praise to be sung, but from an objective standpoint the experience left some room for improvement. Read on for my thoughts, tasting notes, and reflections of the event.

First Course

Marion Blackberry Glazed Scallop wrapped in Bacon on Baby Arugula Salad with Dried Cranberries, Shaved Red Onion and Deviled Pecans. Paired with Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier.

Food: As far as I'm concerned it doesn't get much better than bacon-wrapped scallops, so I was in heaven before the first bite even hit my lips. I might argue that I prefer my bacon slightly crispier than it was served, but the scallop was cooked beautifully and the blackberry sauce was an excellent contrast to the saltiness of the dish. The salad was dressed nicely in a fruity vinaigrette and the pecans were simply the icing on the cake.

Beer: The classic light, crisp body of a wit and the bold, sweet, almost candy-like profile of a sugary fruit drink. Froot Loops cereal on the nose and almost a little dull or lagery on the finish (think dry wheat finish with an abrupt ending, masked with fruit flavor).

Overall: This is one dish I could see myself ordering off a menu, but I cannot say the same for the beer. I must admit, however, the brew went exceptionally well with the dish; the Marion Blackberry flavors were spot-on and of the perfect intensity to marry the flavors. The ideal pairing - each element complimented and enhanced the other.

Second Course

Samuel Adams Irish Red Marinated Port Satays in Mole Poblano. Paired with Samuel Adams Irish Red.

Food: The pork was served skewered over a brown, viscous puddle of mole. All of us found the pork particularly difficult to remove from the skewers - partly because it had caramelized to the stick, and partly because it was overcooked (damn pannicky people need to eat their pork well-done)- pieces were flying left and right as people struggled to cut the meat. The flavors were incredibly intense with a dark, almost smoky character behind them. A potent, powerful, and lasting spiciness trailed after every bite.

Beer: The Irish Red was medium in body, had some caramel malt in the flavor profile, but was a little weak (and a tad metallic) on the finish. The brew isn't quite malty or sweet enough to deliver a 'wow' nor does it bring the hoppy bitter balance I enjoy on the back end of my American Irish Reds. Unoffensive but nothing to write grandma about.

Overall: The mole poblano was the victor in this tug-of-war of contrasting flavors. The mole was too intense to give way to the the beer marinade, so the pairing came across as disconnected. While the malty side of the beer helped to extinguish some of the heat from the dish, I felt I could have gotten the same from any malty substitute.

Third Course

Samuel Adams White Ale Smoked Chicken Breast with Apricot Chutney & Carmelized Onion Grits. Paired with Samuel Adams White Ale.

Food: The chicken breast was served sliced with no accompanying sauce, smoked to a deep black char on the outside. Unfortunately my chicken was overdone and extremely dry, and my wife had the same complaint. My brother-in-law and a few others said their chicken was cooked perfectly and they rather enjoyed the smokiness of the bird, while those of us with the dry chicken found the smoke incredibly overpowering. The remaining aftertaste was pure campfire. The chutney was decent - much like a thanksgiving stuffing with a creamier consistency and a subtle sweetness.

Beer: White Ale is Sam Adams' Spring offering, a popular wheat served locally on tap. I happen to prefer the White Ale from the bottle, as I lose some of the flavors when it is on draft. Overall it is not a bad wit, some corriander and orange zest accent the light, crisp body. This beer is essentially the same as the Blackberry Wit (as my brother-in-law pointed out), minus the syrupy fruit flavors.

Overall: I couldn't taste the beer after I took a bite of the chicken, the smoke flavor overpowered everything. The White Ale is particularly delicate and gentle in flavor, and to battle those nuances with something as intense as smoke is overkill. I don't think this course was a success as a pairing, even if individually the components worked for some.

Fourth Course

Espresso & Samuel Adams Boston Lager Marinated Skirt Steaks with Smoked Bacon Hash & Boston Beer-B-Q Sauce. Paired with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

Food: The skirt steak was served rare and tender, and the peppery citrus tang of the BBQ sauce was delectable. The espresso marinade went by unnoticed but the bacon and potato hash was a winner.

Beer: The Boston Lager is Samuel Adams' flagship brew. I don't particularly enjoy lagers as they tend to lack flavor, but this beer breaks that tradition with a strong hoppy nose and finish. I always feel like I'm in good hands with Boston Lager, and it is my 'go-to' in times of trouble (i.e. when I'm in a bar with a weak selection of brews).

Overall: Although the marriage of flavors wasn't as obvious as in the first course, I thought these two items went beautifully together. My brother-in-law argued that steak and lager was a 'safe' choice - any beer could have gone with the dish. I think he has a point, but I think the steak could have just as easily showcased disagreeable flavors when in fact the all-around experience came off as intentional and well-balanced. Although I couldn't specifically pick out the beer in the marinade, it must have lent to the complimentary flavors.

Fifth Course

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes with Caramel. Paired with Samuel Adams Doublebock.

Food: It was nice to close the evening on a dessert, although I was completely stuffed by the four beers and generous portions. The pudding cake was delicate and moist, almost the consistency of pumpkin pie but slightly fluffier. The toffee flavor was huge, accompanied by fresh whipped cream and a liquid caramel sauce.

Beer: The Doublebock was my favorite brew of the evening, hands down. Nothing but sweet caramel malt on the nose, mouth, and finish - smooth, flavorful and full-bodied. This is not a dopplebock of dark, roasty nature like Celebrator, rather it reminded me a lot of Hoffman Dopplebock from Climax Brewing, which I'm told stays close to the traditional German style.

Overall: The first taste had us all immediately convinced that this was a fantastic pairing. The toffee from the cake simply explodes on the back of the palate when followed up with a sip of the brew. I had my doubts going into a dessert and beer pairing, but it was executed with absolute perfection. Again - big, simple flavors prove to rock the crowds.

Final Thoughts

My one big criticism of the night is that the whole event felt a little bit rushed. Some of the courses came out cold, and the waiters were standing over us to grab our plates the moment we dropped our forks (probably because the kitchen was pushing dishes out too quickly). I would have enjoyed five to ten minutes between each course, and a guided discussion with each dish would have helped to pass that time.

Of course, ten minutes between courses would have tacked on an entire hour to the event, but maybe there's a happy medium. Three out of the five pairings were a success by my measure, and I think that made it worth the price of admission (approx $45/person). With some attention to timing and a couple of tweaks, this menu could easily be a winner.

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop into the Cloverleaf Tavern - their regular menu features some great food alongside the typical bar fare, and they have probably close to 75 fantastic beers to choose from (sorry, no Anheuser Busch products!). My thanks to the management and folks over at Boston Beer Company for hosting this event, and we look forward to the next time.