Are you a beer drinker? A beer fanatic with a beer belly? Or maybe just someone who enjoys a pint or two after a rough day at work? I'm actually "none of the above" since I'm more of a wine drinker but still, that didn't stop me from being completely floored by West50 Pourhouse's vast selection of beers. With over 21 suppliers and importers, and currently offering 111 different beers (which changes weekly) and 115 taps, West50 Pourhouse is the largest Pourhouse (i.e. largest selection of draught beer) in Canada. IMPRESSIVE! I think the picture below really says it all.
Totally oblivious to me, West50 Pourhouse (Twitter: @West50Pourhouse, Facebook: West50 Pourhouse & Grille) is actually only a 10-minute drive from my house. See what I mean when I say I'm never in Mississauga? If it weren't for chef Brendan Prong (@chef_prong), chef de cuisine at West50 Pourhouse, reaching out to me on Twitter, I would have never found out about his restaurant. Seriously, the power of Twitter never ceases to amaze me!
I took a look inside West50 Pourhouse's keg fridge. It holds on average 250 kegs at a time. Because every beer has a limited shelf life, West50 Pourhouse tries to rotate in new beers, mostly seasonals, from local micro breweries as often as they can.
Much like his older brother chef Nic Prong (@NicCanCook) from Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar, chef Brendan really wanted me to try out his food at West50 Pourhouse. So, just like my fabulous tasting at Ten Restaurant around a month ago, I felt really lucky that I was invited to indulge in a tasting menu with beer pairings (new to me!) at West50 Pourhouse last week. Seriously, the Prong brothers spoil me rotten =P I'm not complaining though LOL.
Oysters - Connecticut Bluepoints
Beer: Delirium Tremens (Belgium 8.5% abv)
Ontario Beet Salad - Horseradish creme fraiche, chevre
Beer: Hop City Lawn Chair (Brampton 5.0% abv)
Salumi & Black Olive
Beer: Pedavena Pilsner (Italy 5.0% abv)
Margherita
Beer: Pedavena Pilsner (Italy 5.0% abv)
Dwayne's Fried Chicken - Fruli yogurt, vegetable salad
Beer: Fruli (Belgium 4.7% abv)
Beer: Fruli (Belgium 4.7% abv)
Seared Ontario Trout - Polenta, shiitake, eggplant jam
Beer: Warsteiner Pilsner (Germany 4.9% abv)
Pulled Pork Poutine - Smoked mayo, Norfolk curds, chicken gravy
Beer: Warsteiner Dunkel (Germany 4.9% abv)
Wild Boar Brats - White bean cassoulet, partridge, foie
Beer: Sir Perry's Pear Cider (England 6.0% abv)
Apple Crumble - Mascarpone cheese
Beer: Stiegl Radler (Austria 2.5% abv)
Oh. My. God. I was so stuffed that I had to stop chef Brendan from bringing out the final cheese course. Normally, I would have been OK with the same amount of food but because I'm not used to drinking beer, I felt it filled up my stomach really quickly.
An overall excellent tasting! Thanks chef Brendan for everything :) Here are my favourites that night:
1) Beet salad - The subtle, mild kick of the horseradish creme fraiche really complemented and brought out the natural sweetness of the beets. The unexpected flavour combination turned out really nice (I'm also a sucker for beets).
2) Fried chicken - Moist and juicy? Check. Crispy skin? Check. Fruli yogurt? My favourite beer (yes I like fruity drinks) in yogurt form? Check, check, CHECK!
3) Trout - With a thin, crispy skin, the trout was perfectly seared. The polenta was also really well done with a good consistency. The eggplant jam was again, unique, unexpected, yet totally worked.
4) Pulled Pork Poutine - Epic poutine served on a skillet! Although I was full I could not stop eating it. The poutine had a perfect "fries:pulled pork:cheese curds:gravy ratio" which is very important to me. Simply put: YOU MUST ORDER THIS!
Besides all the events that happen every month at the restaurant, West50 Pourhouse also has an amazing rewards program; a dream come true for all you beer drinkers...in booklet form! Check it out:
With over 100 draught selections, this is just one of the many pages in the booklet.
"With each reward level receive a West 50 Grand Prize Ballot for a Trip for 2 to Erding, Germany to the 2013 Herbstfest."
Jealous of my tasting experience? Want to check out West50 Pourhouse ASAP? Well, keep your eyes peeled because I will be giving away a 10-course tasting menu with beer pairings for TWO at West50 Pourhouse sometime next week. Watch out for it!
If you haven't already, make sure you follow me (@foodieyu), chef Brendan Prong (@chef_prong) and West50 Pourhouse (@West50Pourhouse) on Twitter :D
