SAMUEL ADAMS X CAMPAGNOLO

Samuel Adams beer company has partnered with 6 talented Toronto chefs to create dishes and artisan products inspired by their iconic Boston Lager. One of these chefs is Chef Craig Harding of Campagnolo, well loved by Toronto restaurant go-ers (and myself!) for his delicious pasta dishes and mouth watering appetizers. I sat down with 3 other bloggers for an intimate meal at Campagnolo to discover how The Boston Lager inspired Chef Harding in the kitchen.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary by Samuel Adams Beer. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine. Photography by Jeffrey Chan courtesy of Samuel Adams

When I think about beer and food, one of the first things that come to mind is BBQ. So I was excited to learn that our main entree was a Smoked Brisket, brined for two days, brushed with sauce, cooked sous vide overnight in Samuel Adams beer, and then smoked for 4 hours. My mouth watered as Chef Harding described the dish and the aroma of brisket wafted up towards me. Each slice had the perfect pink smoke ring and a beautifully rendered fat cap. Fat is flavour. I also loved the deep, earthy flavours from the beer that soaked into the brisket.

What I liked about the Boston Lager, was that while each sip was refreshing and crisp, it was also a touch sweet, complex and complimented the savoury, smokey BBQ. With humble beginnings in Jim Koch’s kitchen, Boston Lager debuted in 1985 and today, each bottle is still made with the original recipe. This was the beer that started America’s obsession with craft beer, one I’m happily on board with.

Underneath all that brisket was another beer inspired dish, house made sauerkraut with chicken stock, mustard and Boston Lager. With this dish, you could taste a hint of the beer in the tanginess. After each bite, I automatically reached for a sip of Boston Lager, whose sweetness paired well with the acidity

In addition to the brisket, I also got to try my beer with three delicious appetizers, steak tartare, octopus carpaccio and fresh burrata cheese with roasted grapes. When paired with the the carpaccio, another tangy dish, the sweet, caramel flavours of the Boston Lager really jumped out. Meanwhile, paired with the steak tartare, a richer, savoury dish, I tasted more hops and earthiness. Paired with the burrata, a mild soft cheese, and grapes, the Boston Lager’s light, bitter undertones balanced the sweetness. Basically after every bite, I was reaching for my beer and was quickly ready for a refill. The Boston Lager proved to be versatile and truly #TheGoToBeer.

Chef Harding’s special Samuel Adams inspired Smoked Brisket and Sauerkraut will be available at Campagnolo only for the month of April.