Our coverage of this year’s Off-Centered Film Fest continues with a look at perhaps my most anticipated event, the Beer Feast. Yes, the word feast is not used lightly here as the feast extends to the liquid portion of the meal as well as the food with Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione bringing a few special treats from the cellars to share with attendees. The Alamo has hosted beer dinners before with Austin concept chef Trish Eichelberger often surprising with cleverly conceived dishes inspired by moments in the film selected. The timing of service is usually an additional layer of entertainment.
We’ve extolled the virtues of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou previously here at Cinapse so I won’t delve into it again. But this screening did reaffirm its status as my favorite slice of cinema from Wes Anderson.
Dang. A tasty looking lineup AND a Team Zissou hat; sadly no Glock though. There are already ties between Dogfish and Anderson — it was revealed in the introduction that Calagione actually bought one of the Lobby Boy hats from The Grand Budapest Hotel and it now resides at the Dogfish Inn. Here the two worlds really combined, and I have to say it was an incredibly memorable, fun, and dang tasty event. Due to the no cameras rule at the Alamo we couldn’t snag any shots but were provided with them thanks to Drafthouse photographer Jack Plunkett. FEAST thine eyes on the delights offered up to attendees below!
* “Fluorescent” Snapper — Gulf red snapper with ancho-sardine romesco sauce (dat ancho was sublime!) and grilled enDIVE. Paired with Indian Brown Ale.
*”Sugar” Crab Cakes — Jumbo lump crab cakes with red pepper & spinach on a carrot, spring onion & red cabbage slaw. Paired with Chateau Jiahu 2013 (amazing mouthfeel) & Olde School Barleywine 2013 (figgy heaven).
* Moqueca — A Brazilian seafood stew with gulf shrimp, squid and Prince Edward Island mussels in a (delectable) tomato and coconut broth. Paired with Black and Blue & Burton Baton.
* Sea Salted Sweets — Sea salt shortbread and black salt beer caramels (made with Aprihop)
* Hooray Beer!
* Team Zissou!
Thanks to The Alamo Drafthouse, Dogfish, host John Gross, Chef Trish, and Sam (and his cellar) for an amazing celebration of food, beer, and cinema! The moral of the tale is: when the Alamo puts up tickets for a Beer FEAST, you go.
