That which we call a beer ...

I recently contributed an auction item for a charity fundraiser: an at-your-house seminar on cheese-with-beer. A Virginia winemaker bid on it and won. He had been intrigued and challenged by my description of the item: Beer is the New Wine.

But is it?

Diary of a Brewer's Hugh Sisson recently blogged the third installment of his series: Beer is the New Wine.

• overview
• the wine business model
• with food

Wine Sommelier Marnie Old and Dogfish Head Brewer Sam Calagione, just this Monday, released their book:
He Said Beer, She Said Wine: Impassioned Food Pairings to Debate and Enjoy -- From Burgers to Brie and Beyond.

Whew, that's a mouthful!

In this promotional video for the book, Old and Calagione banter about their series of Wine vs. Beer Dinners, at which they had paired each course with both a beer and a wine, and asked the participants to indicate which succeeded, tastefully.



In the DC/Baltimore area, to date only Chef Gillian Clark's Colorado Kitchen has hosted a similar Wine vs. Beer Dinner: Battle of the Barrels.

So is 'beer the new wine'?

As Stan Hieronymus said: "New Beer Rule #7: Beer is still beer." As I said: "that's creeping wine envy."

So, what's in a name? That which we call a beer, by any other name, would taste as pleasing.
—with apologies to William Shakespeare—