This dinner was hotly anticipated and sold out quickly. Anytime any West Coast group makes their appearance here, people know they are in for something extra special and this was no exception.
Brewers Tomme Arthur of Pizza Port and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River brought some of their special treats to delight the attendees. Let the Battle of the Brett begin.....
We began with Russian River Beatification accompanied by a Foie Gras Turchon w/tropical fruit compote & raisin sourdough bread. Beatification is  lambic style..flat, tart and very dry... and it was the first time poured anywhere.
As we started, we were introduced to the guest brewers by the omnipresent George Hummel and each gave a short talk on what we could expect for the evening.
Next up was Pizza Port's Synergy and Russian River Temptation. This course consisted of Clams and Andouille Sausage w/herbs,garlic,tomatoes,& house pickled okra. Synergy was bottle-conditioned with Brett, but did not come out as sour as expected. As a matter of fact, the hops(Phoenix and Brewers Gold) are the dominant flavor and aroma and, that's not a bad thing! Tomme said that it was the first time they had done this and would learn from the experience. Temptation had a sweet, Belgian-style nose with a dry, slightly sour palate and a lightly sweet finish.
One of my favorite beers came up next, Le Woody from Pizza Port. This is Cuvee de Tomme aged in oak barrels and a spectacular beer. Russian River Deification was also served and certainly held its own with its slightly sour palate and aroma. Barley smoked Duck Breast stir fried w/mandarin orange, toasted slivered almonds and squash for a delightful course.
The entree was Tuna Wellington, big-eye tuna w/mushroom duxelle in a puff pastry topped w/ monkfish mousse. Russian River Supplication with a pronounced Brett sourness and dryness and PP Mother Pucker, an oaky Brett flavor w/a freshly stained wood aroma.
As usual, my favorite part of the meal, the dessert. Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding w/hard bourbon sauce was served with PP Cuvee de Tomme, a signature beer of Tomme's made with raisins, cherries, and all kinds of good things.
You almost hate to see an event like this end, though you know that you've eaten and drank your limit.
I got a chance to talk to Tomme and Vinnie during the evening. Both are trying to ship a little more to the East Coast, but are limited by their capacities. Pizza Port bought Stone's old brewing system and will be increasing production by a large leap and we will be seeing more of them out this way. Be sure to look for them!