Brewers Association publishes beer and food course

To better integrate craft beer into culinary curriculums, the Brewers Association — the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers — published the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course. Co-authored by chef Adam Dulye, Brewers Association culinary consultant, and Julia Herz, craft beer program director at the Brewers Association, the curriculum is the definitive beer and food course for culinary institutions, food establishments, beverage students and beer educators.

The 60-page digital manual is free to download on CraftBeer.com — the consumer-facing website of the Brewers Association — and constructed as a five-day course that offers an introduction to craft beer, pairing beer with food and how to pour and present beer at the table.

In addition to lectures and suggested readings, instructors guide students through two tasting sessions of beer styles and a food pairing session. The final day’s exam, which is available only to accredited instructors and dedicated educators by request, is a 50-question written exam and instructions for a two-part pairing exam, during which students create a three-course menu, prepare the dishes and select appropriate craft beer pairings.

“Interest in broadening craft beer knowledge is high, however many of today’s food educators do not know where to access adequate information on beer and food pairing,” Herz said, who also serves as publisher of CraftBeer.com and a Certified Cicerone. “This course empowers students and educators to bring the diverse beverage of craft beer into the kitchen and onto the table.”

Beer enjoys $100 billion in sales in the United States, compared to $36 billion for wine, yet beer is overshadowed in comparison to wine in education, courses and certifications from today’s culinary institutions.

“Culinary and hospitality education has long overlooked the intrinsic value that craft beer can provide in relation to food. Fuller-flavored craft brewed beers are so versatile and have so many attributes when it comes to pairing,” added Chef Dulye, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and co-owner of The Monk’s Kettle and The Abbot’s Cellar in San Francisco. “The CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course is the starting point for educators, chefs and restaurateurs to discover what craft beer can offer.”