WILD Beer does what it says on the label, brewing creatively beyond the pale, so Manchester Art Gallery sounds a perfect spot to taste a range of the Somerset brewery’sales, paired with food from Gallery Cafe chef Mary-Ellen McTague.
In collaboration with beer distributors Cave Direct, the cafe is hosting a Wild Beer Tasting Dinner on Thursday, November 2, with a Mary-Ellen locally sourced menu specifically designed to match four Wild Beers – Sleeping Lemons, Rooting Around Autumn, Beyond Modus and Ninkasi. They will respectively accompany scallop ceviche, bisque, roast corn; wild mushrooms, birch powder, snails, malt loaf; venison pasty, barberries, celeriac, truffle; quince, brioche, Dale End Cheddar.
The aim is to show that beers, ranging in style from a light, fresh champagne-like tipple to a red wine oak barrel-aged giant, can accompany food as wellas any wine.
This is the first of many such collaborations planned by the Gallery Café, with plans for the next one already in the pipeline.
Mary-Ellen, best known for her award-winning restaurant, Aumbry, reopened the Gallery Café on June 16. Sourcing from local producers, with a kitchen garden out front and everything made every day, from scratch, it’s a fresh approach from the Gallery.
Wild Beer Co produce some of the world’s oldest brewing styles using modern creative techniques and ingredient. Their beers are distributed by Cave Direct, a leading supplier of craft and speciality beers to the UK drinks trade.
The Drawing Room, Gallery Cafe at Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester. Thursday, November 2, 7pm. Tickets cost £40 and are available here.