For Octoberfest lets focus on beer

For Octoberfest, let’s focus on beer

As published in The Naperville Sun, The Beacon News, The Courier News and The Herald News – September 2, 2009

You meet the coolest people in the foodservice business.  People with passion for what they do and the generosity to pitch in on good causes.  I’d like to share a story about some folks who have this passion for both their product and people in need.

Foodservice Facts

Last October, we chaired The Rotary Club of Naperville’s Soup’s On! fundraiser.  This event was designed to build community awareness and financial support for our local food pantries and shelters.  The beneficiaries for this fundraiser were Loaves & Fishes in Naperville, DuPage PADS in Wheaton and Hesed House in Aurora.  To maximize dollars for this fundraiser, the following were completely donated: the facility (Tellabs), food from 24 area restaurants, beer, wine and volunteers from the Rotary Club and the community. At the end of six hours, we cleared over $70,000 that was rushed to the three charities before the holidays.

We needed a beer sponsor.  Melanie Keller, the GM of Rock Bottom Brewery (located on Diehl Road in Warrenville) quickly agreed to help, supplying barrels of beer and bartenders at no charge. Rock Bottom and the other 23 area restaurants and merchants that participated, are a shining example of the generosity that is common in the foodservice industry.

Since the mid 1990’s, local handcrafted beers have gained broad appeal, as they offer an upscale beverage at an affordable price.  These complex and versatile beverages are now featured at food and beer tastings.  I recently sat down with Rock Bottom Brewmaster Greg Matthews, a man who is passionate about the product he creates. Rock Bottom offers 8 different beers at all times, 4 standard beers (light lager, pale ale, red ale, brown ale) and 4 rotating beers.  The rotating beers reflect the seasons, with lighter styles in the summer and heavier beers in the winter months.  You’ll find beer that ranges from light to full-bodied, varies in color from light straw-colored to red to brown to dark.  The Pale Ales are the most hoppy and have a citrus aroma, toffee sweetness and pairs well with spicy food.  In contrast, the Brown Ale is rich and the most malty style beer and offers caramel, chocolate and fruity notes that pair well with steaks, ribs and chocolate cheesecake.

Brewmaster Greg’s mantra is the fresher the beer, the better.  His batches are served within 30 days, ensuring a fresh, clean beer experience.  Greg also shared that his product is in keeping with the movement towards locally grown produce, as he sources 80% of his barley and hops from the Midwest and the remaining 20% is imported.  No beer is bottled, eliminating the use of hundreds of thousands of bottles per year.

Greg enjoys that he has the creative license to craft each beer to taste, and is not forced to follow corporate recipes.  This gives each Rock Bottom location its own character.  Rock Bottom Brewery features a monthly tapping of a new beer and celebrates the occasion with a party.  I can attest that these are fun and popular!

Beer/ Food Pairing

Rock Bottom Executive Chef Abednego (Abed) Mejia shared that he incorporates a number of beers into his cuisine.  He likes to add the Mud In Your Eye Light into the beer batter for the Salmon Fish & Chips.  Pizza is king in Chicago and Chef Abed adds Brown Ale to his pizza dough to give it a caramel character.  When asked about his philosophy of pairing food with beer, he believes you drink what you like.  The Rock Bottom service staff is very knowledgeable and can make recommendations as to suggested pairings.  A fun way to expand your palate is to order your favorite dish along with the beer sampler, which is a flight of 6 different 4 oz. pours.  This way, you can decide what works best for you.

Rock Bottom Brewery will again be supporting Soup’s On! Sunday, October 18 (visit www.soupsonrotary.com for details) and will brew a special beer to complement some of the wide variety of outstanding food that will be served during the event.  After it’s unveiling at Soup’s On!, this special brew will be introduced to the public at Rock Bottom Brewery.

Bill & Karen Garlough are the founders and owners of My Chef Catering in Naperville, the 2007 U.S. Chamber’s Small Business of the Year.  Bill is a Master Sommelier and pairs food and wine for My Chef Catering customers.

Beer of the Month

By Bill Garlough

Oktoberfest Lager

16 oz. Pint - $4.79

Rock Bottom Brewery Brewmaster Greg Matthews plans to unveil his Oktoberfest Lager on September 17.  He describes this beer as reddish in color, with approximately a 6.5% alcohol level and will be typical of a Southern German style of Lager.  Lagers pair well with traditional Bavarian fare and also works well with autumn dishes.  Prost!