Sons of Fermentation homebrew club pairs their beer dinner with Tournant Pop-up Restaurant

Reno homebrew club + Tournant Pop-up Restaurant = four-course Science of Beer Pop up Beer Dinner

September is the official month of drinking in Reno. It’s been decided, just now. The latest beer dinner comes directly from a community who support Reno’s craft beer and homebrew scene. The homebrew club and Facebook group, Sons of Fermentation, joined with Tournant Pop-up Restaurant to create the Science of Beer Pop-up Beer Dinner.

Tournant Pop-up Restaurant, headed by Chef Ben Deinken, creates food anywhere. Last Saturday Tournant and Films on Tap put together a four-course dinner, beer and a movie experience in a parking lot. For the Science of Beer dinner, Tournant will collaborate with four homebrewers, Tyler Brower, Rodrick McNeil, Richard McCracken and Chad Bourne Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Little House on Center Street.

The Sons of Fermentation started on Facebook as a Northern Nevada community for regional homebrewers to share ideas, ask questions and advance the brewing movement. Chef Ben wanted to feature the grassroots homebrew movement with this dinner. While Drinkable Reno’s beer dinner features the commercial side of Reno’s brewing community, the Sons of Fermentation dinner takes attendees back to where most brewers start — at home.

“We can do a lot of stuff as a homebrewer that a commercial brewery can’t do just because of the economies of scale,” Tyler said. “As long as your wife doesn’t get pissed you’re spending $200 on homebrewery supplies and ingredients, you can do whatever you want.”

Ben and Tyler both agree that homebrewers can explore the use of more expensive or unusual ingredients that don’t work well for larger breweries. For example, adding ancho chiles to a milk stout, using cedar wood spirals or Sorachi Ace and Mosaic hops make brewing large commercial batches more expensive.

“Some of these guys have worked on their beers for three or four months,” Ben said. “I told them all, ‘you have to give me every bit of information about your beer so I can pair the food with the beer’.”

Ben created the food menu based on these descriptions and some of the beers still need just a few more days to reach perfection. Each beer is totally different. Tyler’s El Lupulo Divino won the Sierra Taphouse homebrewer competition last year, and uses Spanish cedar while Richard’s Whitten uses Thai chili seeds. Ben said he only tasted Holy Frickin’ Mole so far.

“I’ve tried beers with ancho and vanilla and I’ll be honest, {Holy Frickin’ Mole) was the most amazing beer I’ve ever had,” he said. “It was so smooth, it wasn’t too hot, it didn’t overwhelm.”

Ben said he always wanted to collaborate with Sons of Fermentation since he worked with one of the original members, David Duffy, at Brewers Cabinet.

“This is something that has been talked about for several years,” Rodrick wrote in a message. “The Sons have known each other for a few years and have always wanted to do it.”

“These guys are artists too,” Ben said. “There’s a form behind (homebrewing). They’re very passionate about what they’re doing like I’m passionate about food. I like what they can accomplish in their beers. We’re like kindred spirits.”

Science of Beer Pop-up Beer Dinner

Where: Little House on Center Street 725 S Center St. Reno, NV 89501
When: Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Price: $55, buy tickets here
RSVP on Facebook

Menu

First course
Asian Pork tacos, Slow Cooked Spicy Shredded Pork
Napa Cabbage Slaw, Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers

Beer Richard McCracken (best last name ever)
Whitten is a refreshing, medium to high strength ale brewed with wheat and lots of spices. The taste is slightly sweet, zesty, with loads of citrus. In this beer, Kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, Thai chili, and coriander seeds were added to deliver a spicy, citrusy flavor and aroma. Low hop bitterness, coupled with Thai spices delivers a smooth, refreshing beer that is enjoyable anytime of the year. 5.5% ABV

Fish course
Fire Torched Cedar Plank Black Bass,
Gremolatat, Smoked Tomato, Baby Green Salad

Beer by Tyler Brower
El Lupulo Divino, American IPA aged with Spanish cedar. Aroma is mild fruitiness and malt, with the Spanish cedar adding a sandalwood scent. Taste is a mild hop bitterness with citrus and passion fruit from dry hopping, a light caramel flavor from the malt, and a peppercorn and light smoke taste from the Spanish cedar. This beer is 82 IBU’s, but is well balanced with the addition of the wood aging as well as a large malt bill. Brewed with Chinook, Simcoe, Summit, Amarillo, and Centennial hops. 7.0% ABV

Beef course
Oven Roasted Tri Tip, Mole’ sauce
Black Bean Puree, Crispy Green Beans

Beer by Chad Bourne
Holy Frickin’ Mole’ is a milk stout (sweet stout) fermented with an English yeast strain, then aged on ancho chilies, cacao nibs, and cinnamon sticks. High quality double strength vanilla extract is added during kegging or bottling. Dark malts and cacao nibs provide chocolate notes and roastiness while some mild heat and spice comes from the ancho chilies and cinnamon. Lactose and lower carbonation increases the sweetness and mouth feel while the addition of vanilla helps smooth out the layered flavors. 20 IBU and 4.9%ABV.

Dessert
Mascarpone Panna Cotta, Rhubarb Two ways, Almond Phyllo

Beer by Rodrick McNeil
Goodbye Horses, brewed in the tradition of rustic Belgian farmhouse ales with inspiration from hot Texas summers. Aroma is traditional Belgian saison earthiness and pepper with light candied fruit. Flavor opens to tropical fruit and lemon balanced with a peppery spice. Finish is crisp and refreshing, drinkable in the heat. Features sorachi ace and mosaic hops, raw Texas honey, and our house saison yeast. 8.3% ABV and 35 IBU

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Mike Higdon

Editor & Publisher at Drinkable Reno

Mike Higdon is a journalist passionate about beer and cocktails. He started the site because no one else covered Reno's growing craft scene at the level of detail required to stay in the know about all things drinkable in Reno.

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