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TASTE A lengthy process of certification awaits future cicerones. IS IT A BEER… OR A COCKTAIL? 66 Combining the finest craft beers with top liquors has opened up a surprising new world of whimsical flavors. Given mixology's insatiable appetite for newer, bolder flavors, perhaps it was just a matter of time before a movement began to wed liquor's unlikeliest bedfellows: cocktails and beer. Skeptical? Don't be. With craft beers flooding the market, now's the time to get wildly inventive with an array of new beer-infused cocktails. "With origins dating back to early-19thcentury England, the beer cocktail is certainly nothing new," says Andrew Pollard, beverage development specialist for Wirtz Beverage Nevada. "But given the current rapid growth of the craft beer market, we now have an expansive selection of styles that offer the luxury of being more creative." Andrew Pollard created The Last Gaff (RIGHT) using Fords gin and lemon Stiegl Radler (a combination of beer and lemon soda). These strange new beer/cocktail combos have popped up in beercentric locales such as Venetian's Public House and Caesars Palace's Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, which boasts The Scuffle: Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, Boddington's Pub Ale, house-made chocolate Guinness cream, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Or check out the cocktail menu at Palms' N9NE Steakhouse, where the Liquid Dessert combines The Kraken black spiced rum with Ballast Point Sea Monster imperial stout, espresso liqueur, fresh espresso, and chocolate whipped cream and sea salt. "Whether you're looking for bitterness or the floral aromatics of hops; dark, rich flavors from malt; or bright citrus and fruit from a shandy," Pollard says, "the opportunities are endless."—JIM BEGLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEILA NAVIDI (POLLARD, BEER COCKTAIL) continued from page 64 mustard seeds, and oysters—beer actually pairs better with food than wine does. "You're not just dealing with grapes and the barrel," Gardner says. "You also have many different kinds of malts, hops, and waters with different pHs. Then you have barrel aging on top of that. To me, it's a much more complex beverage than wine." These cicerones have a few go-tos to start with. "A big IPA with blue cheese is one of my favorite pairings," Gardner says. "A good steak with an aged barley wine or old ale is really, really nice. For a snack, chocolate chip cookies with a Russian imperial stout or a nice malty amber with some hard ParmigianoReggiano." Johnson agrees, adding a favorite she says pairs well with "everything": "Saison Dupont is my desert-island beer. There's some complexity, but it's subtle enough that it works with a variety of foods." Comparable to the program for sommeliers, the Cicerone Certification Program has three levels: certified beer server, certified cicerone, and master cicerone, the highest level. The certification process for master cicerones involves demonstrating knowledge of all facets of beer, including brewing ingredients and processes; tastings; and, probably most important to diners, pairings with food. Only after passing a two-day exam, including written, oral, tasting, and demonstration components, does one earn the title. Just six people have been certified master cicerones since the program began in 2007; although none live in the Valley, we do have 10 certified cicerones. "There's a lot of beer activity going on in town," Johnson says. "It's very encouraging." When asked about the role of a cicerone, Gardner explains that they generally encounter two kinds of people: "You get the person who's very wary about beer, who doesn't really know and is kind of scared of the whole thing. Maybe they're wine drinkers—so you need to slowly break them into beer with a simple pairing using a beer that they like already, not something too far outside of the box. The other side is you get someone who sits down and says, 'Do your thing. This is what I want to eat, and what should I have to drink with it?' They're not going to hinder you with, 'Oh, I don't like hoppy and I don't like Belgians.' And that's when it's really fun, because you're really getting to blow people's minds and open up their eyes to what beer can do." V VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 062-066_V_SC_Local Flavor_Sum13.indd 66 6/18/13 12:26 PM