Event // Beer vs. Wine at Hotel Valley Ho
On February 24th, Hotel Valley Ho hosted their first ever Beer vs. Wine competition! Huss Brewing and Arizona Stronghold Wines came to represent each category and executive chef Russell LaCasce executed on the dishes, while Brad of "Brad's Big Adventures" came to host for the night!
The first course was Kauai Prawns in Chili Butter. The prawns were laid upon a bed of forbidden rice, pork belly, and crispy ginger. This tasted amazing! The fusion of flavors resulted in an explosion of goodness. When drank with the wine vs. beer, I actually preferred the Tazi White.
Next came the Crispy Duck Confit on Toast. I loved the chicken liver mousse, and it paired well with both the beer and wine, but this time I preferred the Husstler Milk Stout- perfect with the pate.
The main dish, Smoked Fried Chicken and "Burnt End" Biscuits, did not disappoint. With brussels sprouts, candied bacon, and pickles accompanying chicken, there was plenty of goodies to choose from. The big slab of candied bacon was my favorite, followed by the smoked fried chicken. This round was tough, with both the Copper State IPA and Nachise Red putting up a good fight. In the end my date and I voted for different alcohols, but this wast the toughest round!
Next came the Beef Cheek Grilled Cheese. We dipped this in a tomato soup; the beef cheek was so tender and tasty. The Husstler Alt Amber and Mangus Red made my date and I disagree again, so we each voted for different alcohols.
Finally, for dessert, we had the Caramel Pot de Creme with chocolate caramel mousse, espresso and peanuts. This dessert was delectable! It was a sweep this round with both of us voting for Huss's infamous Koffee Kolsch, but the Dayden Rose paired well with the hints of pomegranate in the dish.
During the breathtaking announcement of the winner, each round was close! The first course, beer won, the second and third, wine won, and the fourth, beer won again. Leaving the epic finale to...beer! In the end beer reigned supreme with a sweeping round during dessert. It was an amazing night, and I can't wait for the next one
