It’s a frosty late morning as we step into Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Media, and we’re hungry. With the days growing shorter, we are among the many who turn to hearty food and warming beers for comfort from the cold. Luckily, Iron Hill is the perfect place to go for both of these. All of their beer is brewed in house by Head Brewer Bob Barrar and Assistant Brewer Jarrod May, while Head Chef David Anderson puts out delicious twists on American favorites. From time to time, the Brewers and Head Chef collaborate to put together carefully constructed pairing menus; a real treat for foodies and craft beer lovers alike. At these dinner events, guests get to interact with the Head Chef and Brewers, while enjoying a meal where each course is expertly paired with a different beer to provide a unique and entertaining experience.
This month, instead of the beer pairing dinner, Iron Hill put on a Brewer’s Brunch. Like the dinners, the brunch consisted of a four course meal featuring four seasonally inspired beers. Although having four beers with brunch may sound unconventional, Iron Hill proves that it works beautifully. Indeed, there is a long standing history of having cocktails with brunch, and the Brewer’s Brunch is a delightful riff on this classic concept.
The first course served was exemplary of this playful twist on tradition, starting with a Berliner Weiss Mimosa. A mimosa made with beer may be hard to picture, but this one was perfect. The light body, dry hop notes, and champagne-like carbonation of the beer paired beautifully with the orange juice, while the beer’s malty backbone and sourness added an unusual and enticing complexity to this classic drink. A fresh and light Autumnal Fruit Salad paired wonderfully with the mimosa. Local apples, pears, and plums were adorned with a rich and luxurious sabayon, and then garnished with freshly toasted almonds. The addition of Berliner Weiss to the sabayon added a slight fizziness and echoed key flavor notes of the mimosa, yet the richness of the custard created the perfect contrast to the acidity of the drink.
Up next was an American breakfast classic: biscuits and gravy. Light, fluffy biscuits with just the right amount of crustiness were accompanied by an indulgent sausage gravy. The gravy was creamy and complex, highlighted by flavors of onions, maple syrup, and thyme. The beer served with this course was a perfect match. Barrar and May brewed up an English Style Brown Ale dubbed “Brewer’s Breakfast Ale.” This brew was full of roasty malt flavors, nuances of toffee and cacao, and a hoppy finish with faint notes of smoke. Local maple syrup from Sticky Bucket Maple was added to this ale, along with oats and applewood smoked malts. The strong maltiness and medium-full body of the beer stood up well to the sausage, while the lingering dry finish of the hops helped cut through the richness of the gravy and biscuits. The sweetness of both the beer and the gravy helped to create harmony between the two.
Perhaps the most playful of all the courses was the third, where a rich coffee stout was paired alongside a clever twist on the classic Eggs Benedict. Reminiscent of Eggs Benedict gone Southwestern, this version featured beer-braised beef brisket in place of the usual ham. A luxurious chive-infused Hollandaise added flavor and richness, and a “brewer’s hash” punctuated with bright bell peppers rounded out the dish. The coffee stout paired with this course featured two single-origin coffees from local roaster and café, Burlap and Bean Coffee. This brew was full of flavor, exhibiting notes of coffee and malty chocolate milk. A smooth and full-bodied beer, this stout was pleasantly sweet with just enough dryness on the finish from the coffee and hops. Perhaps the most striking aspect of this beer was the nose: full of the enticing aroma of freshly roasted coffee. This pairing cleverly re-created the sensation of a cup of freshly brewed coffee alongside a breakfast of eggs and hash browns; a novel take on familiar brunch fare.
The last course of the brunch featured decadent pumpkin pancakes accompanied by a full-flavored Pumpkin Ale. The addition of Pumpkin Porter to the batter created malty pancakes with a pleasing depth of flavor. A pumpkin pie spiced whip cream accompanied the pancakes, along with a generous drizzle of pomegranate syrup. The delicate pancakes, indulgent whip cream, and tangy pomegranate syrup created a balanced and full-flavored dish with complimentary textures. The Pumpkin Ale was everything you would want from this classic autumnal brew. Featuring local pumpkin and winter squash from Linvilla Orchards, this brew had great depth and a gorgeous amber color. The nose was complex and full of cinnamon and spice. Malty pumpkin sweetness mingled with the warm spices, while the slightly dry hop finish created contrast. This resulted in a complex brew that wasn’t cloyingly sweet.
The Brewer’s Brunch was a celebration of the flavors of the season, featuring great local ingredients and great local beer. These pairing events are a good opportunity to meet fellow enthusiasts, get to know your local chef and brewers, and just have some fun and great food. So when you find yourself in need of hearty food and warming beers, stop by Iron Hill for some solace from the cold.
Photographs credited to Nathan Garber.
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