Over the past two weeks, Yelp has offered to all users a series of free classes, tours and “how to’s” with a variety of local businesses, and I was lucky enough to join in for the beer and cheese pairing at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company last Wednesday.
After a quick tour of the brewing facilities with asst. brewmaster, John, we started the pairing/tasting. Chef Gaston prepared hors d’oeuvre to pair with the first two beers. I’m not a fan of IPAs, but it’s amazing how cheese can change how it tastes completely.
Mavericks Sandy Beach Blonde Hefeweizen – Harley Farms Chevre – Cucumber, Chevre, and house-smoked salmon on top of a toasted crostini with a light brushing of honey and Asiago. The sweet flavor of the beer is brought out even more with the tartness of the cheese.
Mavericks Princeton-by-the-Sea IPA – Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk – Pistachio-encrusted served on a plain crostini and topped with grapes. The cheese is like a stinky [in a good way] brie, which seems to cancel out the bitterness of the beer.
Mavericks Chai Stout – Dark Chocolate Truffles. Chocolate and stouts always go together!
I loved the smell of the Chai Stout.
Even though Half Moon Bay is a quick trek from San Francisco, we didn’t want to leave with only cheese and beer in our stomachs, so we stayed for dinner.
Fresh Seafood Sampler -Yucatan Ceviche and Ahi tuna poke, served with a housemade mango salsa, crispy fried won tons and tortilla chips. The ceviche was on the drier side, but the poke and fried won tons worked nicely together.
Fish and Chips – Mavericks Amber Ale Batter, Cod and French fries. I really liked the fries! Perhaps they were fried twice? They were more crisp on the outside and doughy on the inside.
Anytime I’ve been in the Half Moon Bay area, I’ve not stopped to drink/eat since home is not so far away. I’ll think twice about that now. They’ve got a great $9 Growler deal on Mondays and other happy hour specials all week long. The beer is good, and there’s a dog-friendly patio too!
It is incredibly difficult writing about food when on the first day of a cleanse [will definitely update on that once I'm done] because I can hear my stomach grumbling as I look through the photos. I’m definitely craving tortilla chips and fries! I have been through much worse though [liquid diet for several months], and it’s only three days long, so I think I can power through it.
