It may be one for the overhyping files but it still sounds interesting...
Prime Beer has just been released as the first beer in the world made from the start to complement Red Meat flavours. Prime Beer is the third food matching beer by Australia's multi-award winning Fusion Brewing.
Prime Beer is intended to be the perfect accompaniment to red meat. Prime is a deep amber ale with complex malty flavours and strong bitterness designed to enhance the flavours of red meat from the grill.
Prime Beer is the third beer created by Fusion Brewing with the express intention of matching specific food flavours.
Whether paired with beef, lamb or gamier red meats such as kangaroo or venison, Prime Beer has been carefully crafted using the expertise of gastronomer Matthew Evans and master brewer Brian Watson.
Prime has a long list of accolades to live up to among its peers at Fusion Brewing; Bluebottle Beer won ‘Best Lager’ at the 2008 Australian Beer Awards, Bronze Medal at the Australian International Beer Awards 2009 and recently was the only Australian Lager to be awarded 5 stars by Winestate Magazine.
Firefly Beer was awarded a Silver Medal at the Australian International Beer Awards in 2009.
Prime was created and released to coincide with the Australian summer and BBQs across the nation – particularly during the Christmas, New Year and Australia Day celebrations.
No other beer has been crafted from the start to be the perfect complement to red meat.
I think the key here is made from the START to complement. It certainly sounds like it will and I'm keen to try it, but let's not get carried away with the claim of first!
Even though it was engineered to go with meat I'm keen to see how it matches up against some of my favourite beers that, though not necessarily designed to go with red meat manage to do it through a wonderful serendipity....such as Coopers Vintage Ale with steak (especially with a blue cheese butter) and Redoak Bock with lamb shank, or their Rauchbier with lamb chops.
Great to see that the concept of beer and food matching is getting to the stage that beers like this are appearing - and more importantly - selling.