We are constantly on the lookout for ways to enhance our food experience. Last Wednesday, we had the chance to do just that as we officially had our first food and beer pairing degustation. I do hope Chateau 1771 offers the degustation menu in their resto for other foodies to try the beer and food combinations.
Here are our insights and learnings from the beer pairing experience with San Miguel Lifestyle Brews…
San Miguel Lifestyle Brews Beer Pairing Series:
- BITES & BREWS: San Miguel Lifestyle Brews Bar Crawl Experience
- PINO: Chef Ed Bugia’s 5-Course PINO Meal with Beer Pairing
- Beer Pairing Basics 2: French Food with Beer?
- Beer Pairing Basics @ Chateau 1771
How to pour the beer properly?
The San Miguel Brewmaster, Mr. Alan Sienes, shared with us how to pour the beer properly and how best to enjoy the different San Miguel Lifestyle Brews.
First, pour the beer with the glass diagonally on its side so as to preserve the foam.
Afterwards, tilt the glass back to an upright position so that you’ll get around 3/4 – 1 inch foam for the aroma and taste of the malt. It is best served at a temperature of 7-10 degrees. Lipstick from women’s lips reacts with the foam and will collapse it easily.
He recommends serving the beer in a tulip glass to concentrate the malty taste and to support the foam.
Beer Pairing Tips: San Miguel Premium All-Malt
My favorite beer for pairing is San Miguel Premium All-Malt. My ultimate favorite is the Beer Below Zero (BBZ) version where the temperature of the beer is kept to around 7-10 degrees over a longer period of time. If it is not BBZ, the temperature of the beer increases drastically once you hold it (and probably because of the summer weather).
San Miguel Premium All-Malt is 100% all malt. It is the foodie beer because it is light and has a sweet, suave taste and balanced bitterness, which goes very well with most food. Drinking the BBZ version would concentrate the taste of the malt. It is recommended to pair it with something light like seafood, but I would argue that it goes well with any type of meat as well.
Course 1: Scallops Au Gratin. Scallops sauteed in butter with shallots, parsley, white wine and cream.
This was voted as the best course during the degustation. The flavors were evenly balanced throughout and had a good creamy taste. The scallops were cooked just right and tasted fresh.
Course 2: Baked Philippine Sandbass with Thyme, Lemon and Almonds. Chef Pacheco’s version of the seabass dish spiced up with lemon, thyme and extra virgin oil.
The Pinoy version of the seabass. Chateau 1771 is known for cooking fish perfectly with the right consistent flavor. In this case, the lemon and thyme was refreshing, but the fish tasted a bit old though.
Palate Cleanser: Kiwi and Cucumber Sorbet
In between the seafood and San Miguel Premium-All Malt pairing, this green vegetable-fruit sorbet was served.
Beer Pairing Tips: San Miguel Super Dry
I think the San Miguel Super Dry is a bit too heavy for beer pairing. It is dry and has that bitter beer taste. You’ll feel bloated after drinking it. I would agree, though, that it goes well with meat pulutan.
It is recommended to serve the beer in a weizen glass, which highlights the color of the San Miguel Super Dry and it can contain most of the foam and aroma of the brew.
It was a bit off to have it in the middle of the degustation. Some people were not able to finish their glass of San Miguel Super Dry.
Course 3: Boneless Crispy Pork Hock with Red Onions and Cabbage. Crispy pata with a twist, as it may be dipped in two different sauces.
This was the weakest dish in the degustation, maybe because of the quality of the meat. It was a bit wilted from overcooking.
Course 4: Osso Bucco with Mashed Potato. Tender veal shank that is braised in plum tomatoes, wine and parsley.
This Osso Bucco is one of the best we’ve ever tasted with its tender and flavorful meat in every bite. The San Miguel Super Dry went well with the meat and tomato flavor of this dish. The mashed potato was expertly mixed with the right smooth texture and taste.
Course 5: Double Ganache Tart | Filo Mille Feuille | Blueberry Trifle by Chef Claudette Cuares of Sentro 1771.
Beer Pairing Tips: Cerveza Negra
The Cerveza Negra goes surprisingly well with dessert. Its sweet, roasted malt taste complements the creamy sweetness of the dessert (although it does seem a bit counterintuitive to think that beer would pair nicely with something milky). Besides the taste, we also like the frothiness of the Cerveza Negra. It’s a great beer to cap off the meal.
It is also recommended to serve the Cerveza Negra in a weizen glass to highlight the color of the brew, which looks like a dark cola drink with a crown of foam.
I was happy that they allowed me to invite Our Awesome Planet friends to enjoy the food and beer pairing experience with us for only P1,000/head. 🙂 It was a great night with fellow foodies, especially for our Jaycee friends who actually had two bottles per course!
Looking forward to more San Miguel Lifestyle brews degustation events like this…
San Miguel Lifestyle Brews Beer Pairing Series:
- BITES & BREWS: San Miguel Lifestyle Brews Bar Crawl Experience
- PINO: Chef Ed Bugia’s 5-Course PINO Meal with Beer Pairing
- Beer Pairing Basics 2: French Food with Beer?
- Beer Pairing Basics @ Chateau 1771
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P.S. Thanks to San Miguel Lifestyle Brews for the San Miguel Premium-All Malt Beer, San Miguel Super Dry, and Cerveza Negra. Thanks to Chef Vicky Rose Pacheco of Chateau 1771 for designing the 5-course beer pairing meal. 🙂
Thank goodness there wasn’t a pairing of San Mig Light with anything. Credibility would have gone down the drain if they did. By the way, the “foam,” in beer drinkers’ lingo, is more appropriately called the “head.”
It’s good that San Miguel is pushing their other products this way. Their Oktoberfest Pale Pilsen brew (tall brown bottle, blue label) is also extremely good, but I guess it’s only a seasonal release.
Thanks for sharing the "head" terminology, I learn something new 🙂 Yeah, I think it is a special Octoberfest brew. Now that you mention it, I'm interested to see how it taste 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
I never imagined Super Dry was gonna be paired for food. I only drink that almost every other day…or every after office hours because it’s the only one (on their line) I don’t get hangovers from. You are right, you are gonna feel a little bit bloated with it because I feel it is not meant to be paired with anything… a simple glass served very cold after a hard days work… ahhhh it makes me want to go later again! =)
Anton!! Thanks for letting me know about the dinner! Dean enjoyed his first real meal since he got in! =) Looking forward to having more great meals with you and Rache! =) Oh and thanks for the photo! He he.
=) Trissie
I’m apparently biased, always leaning towards the sweeter wine, wherein I usually drink with my meal what was supposed to go with dessert. And again, with the beer too! I thought that the cerveza and the deep meaty taste of duck (in the UTT4.0) paired well 😛 guess i’m not part of the people with regular drinking palettes.
When will the next beer pairing be? It’s heartbreaking I only stumbled upon your site now. My friends and I would be delighted (ecstatic, in heaven) to come!
Hi Anton,
Thanks for the post!!.. Kai and I just tried it last night and it was a wonderful and fun experience.. we almost sounded like the Jerry the Brewmaster himself..hahaha.. Anyhow, for those who want to try it out,
Chateau’s Lifestyle Brews Degustation menu is currently available for everyone to try.. you may call for reservations at 729-9760.
Cheers!
pairing san miguel beer with food….gosh…the only ingredient not imported is the water from Laguna de Bay…and maybe corn starch. no more comments over this article.
Hi, i am a little “connoisseur” about beers and i have to say that these beers are’nt for food pairing due to his low resistance to temperature, or digest properties, i am sorry san miguel, you have to try much harder next time to come up with a really gourmet beers. I think this initiative is a copy of 2 others that took place in metro manila from 2 different companies, “Globe beers Exchange” and “Super Bock”. Those beers are food pairing ones, not these ones. By the way, i am an american citizen.
Hi Darrell,
Where is Globe Beer Exchange? I'm interested to know more about beer pairing, any helpful advice on how I can learn some more?
Anton