First of all Major, I applaud your creation of those “special” beers!
This past weekend I was thinking “smoked IPA”, except my approach was to smoke some thawed fall chinook salmon and can it up.
After giving it some time in the jar for flavors to meld, it will go on crackers served with plenty of cold IPA.
Half of the fish got painted with maple syrup and air-dried before going into the smoker, with jalapeno slices in the bottom of each jar before going into the pressure canner.
Hey, people (me too) go crazy over peppy, little bit sweet and salty/sour, smoky flavors WITH cold beer. And I guess for most of us that includes meat/fowl/fish as the delivery system. So for your next “smoked” beer creation maybe you would consider a smoked chiles and meat beer, possibly with other (smoked?) natural grown-from-the-earth ingredients!
Somebody would make that beer, or have in numerous variations no doubt.
I feel that most people honestly prefer the safety of going with proven combinations of specialty gourmet (or just good-tasting) foods together with well-paired beer; but singularly unique festival-in-a-glass craft-brewing is sometimes a stronger attraction than proven-result food and beer pairings.
We all know this.
Still, I still wonder when I’ll get back and again brew your kaffir lime leaves, galangal saison. Man, what a beer!
Anyway, again thanks for sharing your ongoing various innovations, now obviously as a pro.
And hopefully as well as enlightenment through the journey, you will also achieve rewards for the fruits of your labors. Maybe try an “ahhh, grasshopper” beer? I need a beer. No, I want a beer. 