Taste Tuesdays: Beer and...Dessert?!

Yes, you CAN pair beer and dessert, and the marriage is surprisingly heavenly. Jamee Parsons, assistant female brewer at Moon River Brewing Company in Savannah, has decided to start a once-a-month beer tasting for women only! Can you say rock on? This inaugural meeting was held in the cool, peaceful, and completely awesome basement at Moon River. Jamee paired their Wacky Wit beer, a coriander-infused brew, with a tangy orange bar. Seperately, the items were just okay, but together, the complimentary flavors literally bursted and balanced one another perfectly.
Our next decadent pairing was carrot cake with super creamy, light icing and their IPA. Honestly, I thought I could go the rest of my life without trying another IPA because they are just so darn hoppy and downright bitter. But taking a bite of the carrot cake and then sipping the beer meant that the bitterness melted away and was softened. Delicious.
Lastly, we were treated to a porter float--plain vanilla ice cream scooped right on top of the rich, almost coffee-like porter. Some people left their ice cream and beer sort of separate, but I swirled them together creating a light brown, creamy liquid that I would take any day over a traditional root beer float--and I LOVE root beer floats!
This outing has inspired me to want to throw my own beer/dessert party. Grab a pick six at your local Kroger or other nearby grocery store (many are now offering this ingenious concept!) and pick out a variety of beers. Then, you can look up recipes at http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/articles/20090709 or order a cookbook that specializes in beer and food pairings like
Bon Appetit!