The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/137502
'Great Beer' series Wraps Up With new Brew Brewery Ommegang will celebrate spring's warmer weather with a new beer and a new guest chef during the final Great Beer Deserves Great Food beer pairing dinner of the spring season. Ommegang will introduce the new Fleur de Houblon Summer Ale, a hoppy brew perfect for a spicy menu created by Chef Travis Yuen, at its event on Saturday, May 11, at Café Ommegang. Chef Yuen, who studied at The French Culinary Institute, shares big flavors and his love of food with two kitchens. He is the executive chef at Alewife NYC in Long Island City and West 3rd Common in Manhattan. The Great Beer menu prepared by Yuen will feature shitake spring rolls with spicy Szechuan peanut sauce paired with Art of Darkness, five spice pork rillette and guanciale jam paired with Rare Vos, smoked tuna tartar and crispy daikon cake with XO sauce paired with Fleur de Houblon, seared venison tataki with soba noodles paired with Gnomegang, and key lime pie with Chantilly crème paired with Witte. Available for a limited time starting in May, Fleur de Houblon is a gold summer ale flavored with the hop flowers that lend it its name. The body and flavor are clean and dry, with complexity and spicy notes, and earthy, fruity, floral aromas and flavors. The event will begin at 7 p.m. with a tasting of Brewery Ommegang and Duvel beers followed by a seated, five-course dinner. Each course begins with an Ommegang brewer's discussion of the beer; its ingredients, flavors, and history. Yuen will introduce each dish and talk about inspiration and pairing. The atmosphere of the event is warm, informal, and lively. Chef Yuen will meet with guests and take questions following the meal. Tickets cost $75 and are available at the brewery gift shop or by calling 286-4090. Seats are limited. Nothing is more evocative of summer than the beautiful aroma of flowers, and the favored flowers of brewers are hops. Our brand new summer ale, Fleur de Houblon (Hop Flowers), is brewed to bring the many elements of summer into a refreshing and easy-to-drink Belgian-style ale. Brewery Ommegang is located on a 136-acre farmstead south of Cooperstown on county Route 33. For information, email info@ommegang.com, call (800) 544-1809, visit www.ommegang.com or find Ommegang on Twitter at @BreweryOmmegang, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ Ommegang, or on Instagram at @BreweryOmmegang. Toast to 'Thrones' Contest For some, it is "Slainté" to Sansa. Other feel it's "Kampai" to Cersei. And there is a vocal contingent insistent upon saying "Na zdorovje" to Khal Drogo. Brewery Ommegang is conducting a season-long Facebook sweepstakes in connection with its cross-promotion with the HBO hit drama "Game of Thrones," inviting viewers to nominate which character deserves a toast of Iron Throne Blonde Ale. Weekly winners will be awarded a copy of "Inside HBO's Game of Thrones: The Collector's Edition" and one grand prize winner will win a trip to the brewery in Cooperstown. To enter, participants can visit Ommegang on Facebook, select the "Seize the Iron Throne" tab, and leave a caption for the character that most deserves a toast of Iron Throne. The weekly contest opens at the start of each new episode. Winners are selected at random the following Friday. Official rules are available on the contest tab. The sweepstakes is also being promoted through social outreach on Twitter and Instagram using #SeizeTheIronThrone. Winners will receive a copy of "Inside HBO's Game of Thrones: The Collector's Edition." Iron Throne Blonde Ale is the first in a series of Game of Thrones-inspired beers. A second Game of Thrones-inspired beer is due out later this year and two new beers are planned for each subsequent season of the show. Ommegang's Fleur de Houblon Summer Ale will be available commercially for a limited time starting this month. May 9, 2013 O-Town Scene 15