David Schoon
Sometime around the age of twenty I started to develop an interest in cooking that grew into a passion for creating food and beverage pairings that push the palate beyond every day food. In the beginning I was focused more on wine because so much of food pairing in culinary history has taught us that wine and food go together so well. When Three Floyds started up in 1997 I really began to grow and appreciate locally made craft beer. I started sampling beers with my favorite dishes; pasta, burgers, and so on. Much to my surprise and delight I found that beer paired just as well with the food, and in most cases, better.
There is a scene in the Disney movie, Ratatouille, which caught my eye every time my daughter watched it. Remy, the “Little Chef,” a street rat with an incredible sense of smell and passion for cooking, challenges his brother to eat a piece of cheese and a strawberry, together. The graphics show an explosion of colors as his brother’s senses are brought to their peak by the pairing. It made me realize that we don’t appreciate flavor enough while we’re eating. Unlike the Italians and other Europeans who savor their meals for hours, we eat quickly as a way to feed our hunger, not to satisfy our palette.
So with my love of craft beers, and penchant for creating unique dishes, I decided to test my friends and family and have a beer pairing dinner. Along with my good friend, Chad, who contributes throughout this site and collaborates with me on most dishes, embarked on a journey that resulted in four pairing dinners a year, and a waiting list for those wanting to join us.
After a couple of beer pairing dinners my good friend Joe asked if I wanted to turn these dishes into a website. At first I was reluctant, thinking it was lame or stupid. Who would want recipes from me, an amateur cook? But after seeing his amazing vision for this site I couldn’t resist. Besides, there’s no website that covers this much ground when it comes to pairing beer and food.
I have no culinary training, just a passion and the patience for a lot of trial and error. Throughout this site you’ll find not only great recipes, but great beers from the United States and all over the world. Together, these pairings focus mainly on American craft beer and will delight your senses and teach you to savor your food and the time spent eating so that you can appreciate the flavors of both the food and the beer.
So…cheers to you and your friends and family as you embark on culinary journey that will hopefully impress you and change the way you think about food and beer!
David Schoon
Disclaimer: This website and its contributors highly encourage responsible drinking. This website is not about drinking for the sake of consumption, but for a culinary experience and recreational enjoyment.
We are independent and not affiliated with any brewery, distributor or corporation / entity representing or having invested interest in anything beer related.
