Tonight: Gardina's Beer Bar Series Vol. 25

And in case you've yet to see this, here's the full rundown on the cask, the taps and the beer dinner happening tonight at Gardina's.

Gardina's Beer Bar Series Vol. 25

Fox River Brewing Co.
Oshkosh, WI

Tuesday, November 19th at 6 PM 

Firkin tapping at 6 PM sharp

This months featured cask is Fox River Brewing Co. Abbey Normal (a Belgian-style Dubbel) conditioned on Brandy-soaked Oak chips.

In addition to the cask tapping, we will be featuring three of FRBC's unique beers on tap in a mini tap-takeover!

FRBC Wildflower Wit

FRBC One Size Fits All West Coast-style IPA

FRBC Port Barrel-aged Belgian Quadrupel

We will also be offering 4 oz flights of the FRBC beers!

Please join us Tuesday, January 19th at 6 PM!

Back by popular demand, we will also be offering our four course chef's tasting menu to pair with the four Fox River brews. You can arrive at any time during normal dinner service hours to take part in this fantastic pairing of culinary creations and world class craft beer! 

Chef's Tasting Menu

$32 Per Person, tax and gratuity not included!

Course 1 Wildflower Wit
Paired with a hot Brussels sprout salad with crispy prosciutto, caramelized fennel, crushed hazelnuts and finished with a Wildflower honey vinaigrette 

Course 2 One Size Fits All IPA
Paired with a scallop Ceviche topped with pickled pineapple, served over avocado Carpaccio and finished with Blaum Bros. Hellfyre Vodka foam

Course 3 Abbey Normal Cask w/ Brandied Oak Chips
Paired with a Chateaubriand of pork, prepared Sous Vide with a tuxedo barley risotto and finished with a wild mushroom jus 

Course 4 Port Barrel-aged Belgian Quadrupel
Paired with a smoked walnut and cranberry cake, finished with Creme Anglaise
 
Presented by Head Chef Dane Campbell

We are accepting reservations for parties of 6 or more, for smaller parties please arrive early as we do expect this event to be very popular!

A Week Full of Beer

We have a tasty beer calendar around here over the next week or so. Here's what's on deck.

Thursday, November 12: Beer vs. Wine Dinner at TJ's Harbor Restaurant
Beginning at 6:30 pm, TJ's will host a four-course dinner with each course accompanied by a beer and a wine. The object (aside from filling your inner being with delicious stuff) is to decide which beverage pairs best with the morsels on the plate in front of you. They've dubbed it a barrel-to-barrel challenge. I like that. Anyway, it's $50 a seat and all the info you need to squeeze in on it is right HERE.

Friday, November 13: O'so Tap Takover at Dublin's
In celebration of O'so Brewing's eighth anniversary, Dublin's will host an O'so tap takeover beginning at 6 pm. They'll have eight (get it?) O'so beers on tap. For $30 you'll get a glass that will entitle you to unlimited pours of O'so beer until closing time. Do the math, that's a good deal. Sarah Lehner from O'so will be on hand passing out schwag and talking beer. Speaking of which, here's the O'so list for Friday night at Dublin's.

• Imperial Black Scotch Ale (Wee Heavy)
• Convenient Distraction (Imperial Coffee Porter)
• Imperial Cafe Amber Aged on Coffee
• Infectious Groove (A kettle-soured session ale)
• Hopdinger (American Pale Ale)
• Rusty Red (Red Ale)
• Night Train Porter
• The Big O (American Wheat Ale - this year's GABF gold medal winner in the category)

Tuesday, November 17: Gardina's Beer Bar Vol. 24
This time, it's going to be Surly Brewing taking command of the joint. Beginning at 6 pm, Gardina's will begin pouring four beers from the Minneapolis brewery including a couple of rarities. They'll be offering flights as well as individual pours. And here's that list...

• Hell, a German-style Helles Lager
• Abrasive Oatmeal Double IPA
• Cacao Bender Brown Ale with Cocoa Nibs
• Damien (Child of Darkness) Dry-hopped Black Ale 

In addition to the beer, Gardina's will also offer an optional four-course dinner, pairing each of the Surly beers with a dish dreamed up by Head Chef Dane Campbell. For everything related to that, go HERE.

Whadda week!

The Weekend Begins Tonight

A couple of prime beer happenings to get you up and over the mid-week hump. And it all begins tonight with...

Gardina's Beer Bar Series Vol. 23
Tuesday, October 20 at 6 p.m., Gardina's will unbung a cask of O'so Black Scotch Ale that's been spiced with brandy soaked oak chips. In addition to the cask, they'll have three other O'so beers on tap as well as an optional dinner pairing menu featuring the four O'so beers. For the beers, the food and the full rundown, take a gander over here.

Then on Wednesday night, we have...

Dublin's Bell's Beer Dinner
Wednesday, October 21 at 6 p.m., Dublin's will host another of its fabulous beer dinners, this time featuring the beers of Michigan's exalted  Bell's Brewery. A seat at the table is just $30 and you can pick them up at the pub. For the full menu and beer pairings, give a click to this here.

Bon appétit!

Cask Beer & More Tonight at Gardina's

Has it already been a month? It has, which means it's time again for the 22nd installment of Gardina's Beer Bar Series. The featured brewery tonight (Tuesday, September 15) is Central Waters. Here's the rundown.

At 6 p.m., they'll tap a cask of Pumpkin Puppy Porter, a variation on Central Waters' Mudpuppy Porter that's been brewed with pumpkin and dosed with pumpkin pie spices in the cask.

In addition to the cask beer, there'll be a mini-tap takeover with three other Central Waters beers on draft.
     • 2015 Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
     • Octoberfest Lager
     • Glacial Trail IPA

And if you'd like, you can pair the four CW beers with a four course tasting menu that's being prepared just for tonight. For $30, you get....

Course 1
Glacial Trail IPA
Paired with a spinach salad with fresh cherries, crumbled goat cheese, walnut-balsamic vinaigrette, and spiced pepitas.

Course 2
Octoberfest Lager
Paired with a wild mushroom & spinach risotto served over caramelized sweet potato, finished with sage oil & parmesan.

Course 3
Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
Paired with a braised beef short rib served over a kale and crisp prosciutto melange, finished with a pan jus lie.

Course 4
Pumpkin Puppy Cask Ale
Paired with a cinnamon roll served over a butternut squash puree with toasted macadamia nuts and drizzled with a maple bourbon frosting.

It all happens tonight beginning at 6 p.m. at Gardina's.

Oshkosh Beer Show #11: What's Doing at Dublin's

This week Adam and I are back on the road. We stop in at Dublin’s Irish Pub in Oshkosh to meet up with Ian, Jon, Logan and Zach of Dublin’s and drink Increase Wheat, a Berliner weissbier from Milwaukee Brewing Company. 

There’s some good stuff coming up at Dublin’s. Among the things we talk about is their upcoming beer dinner on Wednesday, August 26 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 and are available at the pub. Below the video, is the menu. On with the show...

Here’s the full menu for the beer dinner featuring the beers of Milwaukee Brewing Company.

Course 1

Increase Wheat Berliner Weissbier paired with shrimp and caper rangoons with cranberry sweet and Sour Sauce.

Course 2

Louie's Demise Amber Ale paired with mussels and chorizo sausage with a tomato braise.

Course 3

O-Gii Imperial Wit paired with cilantro chili pepper chicken pinwheel served over couscous.

Course 4

Hop Freak Imperial IPA paired with wasabi brined agave BBQ ribs with wild mushroom risotto croquettes.

Course 5

Snake Oil Stout paired with banana cream filled doughnuts topped with chocolate ganache.

Get SOB’d

The Society of Oshkosh Brewers have a couple of club events this week that are open to the public. The first is just hours away.

SOB Beer Dinner at Dublin’s
Tonight (Tuesday, April 28) Dublin’s Irish Pub and the SOBs will host a beer dinner featuring beers brewed by area homebrewers. At this moment there are 8 tickets left. And they’re a steal at just $25. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. To reserve a seat, get in touch with the folks at Dublin’s at (920) 385-0277. The full menu and pairings can be found HERE.

Big Brew Day with the SOBs
Then on Saturday, May 2, the SOBs will take part in the American Homebrewers Association’s Big Brew for National Homebrew Day. The SOBs will gather in the parking lot of O’Marro’s Public House for a group brew that’ll kick off at 9 a.m. and last until early afternoon.

If you’re the least bit curious about homebrewing, this is a great way to get introduced to the homecraft of beer making. The SOBs will have several systems set up making beer and showing the brewing process from beginning to end. There’s no admission and everyone is welcome (and there’s usually a bit of good homebrew being passed around). I’ll be there with my ghetto system brewing up a slop of lagerbier. Stop by and say hello.

Here’s a video shot at Big Brew Day a few years ago by SOB Mike Engel. This will give you an idea of what it’s all about.

Tuesday Night at Gardina's Beer Bar

Tuesday night, Gardina’s will host the 18th edition of its Beer Bar series. They’re going all out for this one. Here’s the full rundown.

Kirby Nelson

• At 6 p.m, they’ll tap a firkin of Blister In the Sun from Wisconsin Brewing Company. This is an India White Lager dry hopped with Amarillo and Nelson Sauvin hops and spiced with orange peel and coriander.

• WBC brewmaster Kirby Nelson will be on hand to introduce the beer and meet with all you fine Oshkosh folk. Kirby is a very approachable sort who loves to talk beer. Don’t hesitate to step up and say hello to him.

• Gardina’s will have a mini tap takeover featuring beers from WBC. On draft will be Yankee Buzzard IPA, Betray Ale (the brewery describes it as an India Pale Bock Ale), and Chocolate Lab Brown Porter.

• An optional four-course beer dinner will be offered, pairing dishes with the four WBC beers pouring that night. The dinner option is $30. Here’s the menu:

Course 1
Asian Spring Roll with Ahi Tuna and citrus Ponzu.
Paired with Blister in the Sun.

Course 2
Scallop-Crab Cake Napoleon with a Mango-Brown Butter Vinaigrette. Paired with Betray Ale.

Course 3
Seared Pork Tenderloin with Citrus Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sauteed Kale and Pan Jus Lie.
Paired with Yankee Buzzard IPA.

Course 4
House Made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with a Chocolate-Framboise Glaze.
Paired with Chocolate Lab Brown Porter

It should be a great night at Gardina’s.

Dogfish Head Beer Dinner Tonight at Dublin’s Irish Pub

Word is there are still a few seats left for the Dogfish Head Beer Dinner starting tonight (Feb. 18) at 6 p.m. at Dublin’s Irish Pub.

Tickets are $50 and available at Dublin’s. It would be wise, though, to call ahead and confirm that there are seats left. Phone (920) 385-0277.

The menu and beer pairings for this one look fantastic. If you’re going, here’s the full run down. Enjoy!

Course 1
Namaste, a Belgian-style witbier, paired with asparagus goat cheese pinwheel and arugula salad.

Course 2
World Wide Stout, an imperial stout (15-20% ABV), paired with chocolate bourbon bacon baked beans.

Course 3
Piercing Pils, a Czech-style pilsener brewed with a white pear tea and pear juice, paired with crepe with blue cheese and pear rhubarb compote.

Course 4
Sixty-One, an American IPA with an addition of syrah grape must, paired with sherry and lemon brined rack of lamb crusted with rosemary and fennel.

Course 5
Raison D’Extra, a Belgian-style strong dark ale brewed with brown sugar and raisins, paired with cinnamon puff pastry with cream cheese frosting.

Beer v. Wine Dinner at TJ's Harbor Restaurant

Just a few clicks south of town, TJ's Harbor Restaurant will host a beer versus wine dinner next Thursday, January 22.

They’ll have a four-course dinner, each course paired with a beer and a wine. At the end of the night, you get to decide that beer is the winner. Or, if you want to be wrong, you can choose wine. It’s your call.

The gastro experience starts at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $45, which includes tax and gratuity. For more info, contact the always friendly folks at TJ's. You can reach them at (920) 688-9047. Their website is HERE and their Facebook page is HERE.

I don’t have the beverage list for the event, but here’s the meal plan....

Course One
Duck stuffed portabella mushrooms.

Course Two
Warm brussels sprout, thyme and apple salad.

Course Three
Pork tenderloin with cauliflower cheddar potatoes.

Course Four
Mango cream cheese ice cream

Beer Dinner and a Free Growler at Fratellos

Fratellos in Oshkosh will end the year with a beer dinner. On New Years Eve, they’ll offer a five-course dinner, each serving paired with a different Fox River Brewing Company beer.

Tickets for the dinner are $55 and if you get them before Christmas, they’ll throw in a free growler of beer from Fox River’s Bago Brew series.

The dinner begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31. To make a reservation call (920) 232-2337.

And here’s the menu…

Course 1
Honey glazed bacon wrapped dates and cayenne almond
Paired with cask-conditioned Anniversary Red Ale

Course 2
Black and white bean soup served table side
Paired with Imperial Pilsner

Course 3
Scallop on a bed of taro root puree, Parmesan tweal and zucchini, red pepper and onion brunoise
Paired with  Abby Normal (a Belgian-style dubbel)

Course 4
Filet mignon in a pumpernickel rye marinade garnished with a buerre blanc served with napa cabbage potato puree and zucchini and carrot oblique
Paired with Buffalo Mike’s Pumpernickel Rye

Course 5
Three-layer white, dark and milk chocolate mousse
Paired with Zinful Triple (a Belgian-style strong ale aged in a red zinfandel barrel)

Hinterland Beer Dinner at Dublin's

The eating season is officially underway. And you can scratch that gastro itch on Wednesday evening at Dublin’s Irish Pub with a dinner featuring the beers of Green Bay’s Hinterland Brewery.

Ian and Zach at Dublin’s have worked up another good looking spread. Here’s their set list.

Course 1  
Herb and artichoke spread with French bread and bresaola
Paired with Packerland Pilsner

Course 2  
Coconut-brined swordfish with galangal curry sauce
Paired with Hinterland Saison

Course 3
Sprout salad with pomegranate, ginger and white-out vinaigrette
Paired with White Out Imperial IPA

Course 4
Sirloin tips with apple cider brandy sauce
Paired with Bourbon Barrel Doppelbock

Course 5
Vanilla ice cream with Jägermeister mint sauce.
Paired with Lunatic Imperial Stout

The five-course meal begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3. Single tickets are $35 or $60 for two. Stop in at the pub to reserve your seat.

Beer Dinner at Becket's

I should have had this up here earlier, but it’s still not too late to claim a seat at the beer dinner happening at Becket’s tomorrow night (Wednesday, November 12).

The five-course dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. with each course paired with a different beer from Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery. Becket’s Chef Mike Buckarma and Lakefront Co-Founder Jim Klisch will be on hand to host the event and give you the ins and outs about what’s on your plate and in your glass.

The menu looks delicious:
• Lamb Chimichurri Salad
• Harvest Squash Soup
• Fresh Skate Wing
• Cornish Game Hen
• Tiramisu with Cinnamon-Almond Ice Cream

Tickets for the dinner are $50. You can pick them up at Becket’s or by clicking HERE.

The New Glarus Beer Dinner at Dublin's

Here comes an opportunity to do something fun with your mouth. Next Thursday, August 14, Dublin's in Oshkosh will set the table for a five-course beer dinner featuring the brews of New Glarus. The feast begins at 6:00 p.m. and a seat at the table is a paltry $25. This will be just a 35-chair affair, so you'd be wise to move on this sooner than later. Check in at Dublin's to reserve your spot.

The lineup looks excellent. Here's the full menu with beer pairings:

• BBQ Pulled pork baguette with cheddar cheese blend paired with Two Women, a country style lager. 

• Garlic Teriyaki chicken with mango and papaya fruit salsa paired with Scream, a double IPA

• Lemon Raspberry sorbet paired with Yokel, a German-style kellerbier.

• Prime Rib with mushroom sweet potato cake and tart cherry chutney paired with Oud Bruin, a tart Flander’s style ale.

• Brie puff pastry paired with Strawberry Rhubarb, a Wisconsin wild fruit ale.

Go ahead, tell your out-of-state friends about this. They can only wish they were here....