Beer for Chaps Episode 2 from Jennifer Litz on Vimeo.
Estrella Damm Inedit is, supposedly, the world’s first beer specifically designed to be consumed with food. That’s a lofty claim, since people have been drinking beer with food for centuries. But hey, if El Bulli’s Ferran Adria develops a beer that he says will go perfectly with your food, I’m in to at least try it. As you’ll see from our video, we find that Estrella Damm Inedit isn’t really beer at all, but more like a malt beverage that falls in the non-beer category. At least, it tastes that way–the Web site says it’s brewed with barley malt, water, hops, and yeast, so the usual suspects are all there. But I swear I tasted no hops, and I’m not the only one.
*Note: I believe in misspoke in this episode, claiming Ferran Adria to be the man behind the molecular gastronomy movement. He’s probably its most recognizable practitioner alive (though the inventor of food foam doesn’t label his food molecular gastronomy), but Herve This, a chemist, wrote the definitive book on the science of food and helped coin the phrase.
Wow, you guys had an interesting perspective on this beer. And you’re both brutally honest about it, which makes your reviews fun to watch. I love what you had to say about it, because it’s on point.
It definitely was not a beer high on hops, as you noted. I think most effervescent beers (like witbeirs) tend to have a very low hop presence. I liked that about this beer, and I think that’s why it pairs with food well. It’s not competing for flavor. And the point you brought up about this beer being a “gateway beer” for women (or men) who don’t drink beer is very well stated.
Thanks for the kind words on the show. It’s always interesting to hear everyone’s perspective on it. I appreciate that you take the time to listen.
Damn. Now I want some mac & cheese. That looks delicious.