Beer & Cheese at Dawson Street Pub...as always

I've told you about the Thursday beer and cheese pairings at the Dawson Street Pub. They've been sending the menus pretty regularly, but this one caught my eye as worth your notice:

Beer and Cheese Pairing featuring Brews from Belukus Marketing
Thursday, October 14

Timmermans Bourgogne des Flandres Brune and Aged Gouda, Netherlands
This Ale is very similar to the Flemish Brown Ales with the exception of its initial sour taste. The slight sourness soon opens to a brown taste and mild finish. Aged Gouda is a semi-firm, yet supple, Cheese that holds minute crystals that give it a fun texture. The Cheese is fairly mild in flavor, but has just the right touch of saltiness and sweetness to work well with the Brew.(Timmermans? Oud Brune? Really?)

Wells Banana Bread Ale and Farmhouse Cheddar, England
This is an elemental Pairing. The Brew follows a traditional Ale recipe, but has a unique “fair trade” Banana flavor that is abundant in the aroma and body. The earthy nose of the Cheese will balance the sweetness and slight toffee characteristics of the Beer. The tangy and sharp flavor of the natural Farmhouse Cheddar will cut through the creamy head and lead you to the smooth body of the Ale.

Belhaven Wee Heavy and Manchego, La Mancha Region of Spain
Wee Heavy is a classic style Ale taken from Scottish brewing recipes of the 1800s. It starts sweet and finishes dry. In between there is a rich and complex character that incorporates a delicately smokey taste. The mildness of the Sheep’s Milk Cheese, seeping with hints of Lanolin, will allow the complexity of the Ale to really come through. This Manchego is Curado, or cured, and aged about 13 weeks. The slightly briny and nutty flavor of the Cheese will balance with the malty aroma of the Ale.

As always The Cheese selections are available from our Friends at The Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop, 8509 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, 215.242.2211 

Cheese, Gromit! At Dawson Street!

The Dawson Street Pub was one of the pioneering beer bars in Philly (as Uncle Jack has told us time after time), but over time, lost a bit of their mojo. I've been stopping in again, and you should know that the mojo has returned, and you ought to stop in and check it out, at Dawson Street Pub: Version 4.0, as Dave Willby calls it these days.
Not only do they have the aforesaid mojo (proof of which you can see here), but they also have cheese, yummy delicious artisan cheese they get from the Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop. On Thursdays, they're pairing cheeses with beers, in small flights of each: 1 oz. of cheese, 3 oz. of beer. Here's what's on for tomorrow night, a $12 flight:

Duvel Green and Camembert de Normandie, France (This is an easier-drinking variation of Duvel’s Belgian Golden Ale. Duvel Green is a Blonde Ale that is pale in color, but not in taste. Its aroma is mild, but distinguishable with hints of herbs and hops that will work well with this mature rich cheese. Camembert is a soft, creamy cow’s mild cheese with an earthy nose and salty taste. These characteristics will complement the citrus and sweet malt in the body of the beer.)

La Chouffe Blonde and Brie, France (Unfiltered and fruity, this Blonde Ale will settle nicely with the creaminess of this French Brie. Notice the spice of coriander that will pick up the softness of this cow’s milk cheese. Brie can be complex on its own, but this light hops will complement some of its earthy elements.)

Maredsous 8 and Emmental, Switzerland (The 8 is a rich mahogany-brown Dubbel Ale with hints of dark fruit and chocolate. The sweet nose of this hard cow’s milk cheese, along with its detectable fruity taste, will complete the dry, warm finish of this full-bodied brew.)

A little something different, eh? Now consider that you can, if you'd like, get these cheeses on a juicy Dawson Street burger. And did I mention that they still are running three cask beers at all times? Mojo, baby.