CUAISR ITNE
TAMPA BAY
FOOD AND WINE SOCIETY
Dining at Big Storm Brewing Co.
By Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Noraa
There is a first time for
everything, and the
Tampa Bay Food and
Wine Society’s dinner
at Big Storm Brewing Co.
was the only time in the
organization’s more than
20-year history that beer
was served with the meal
rather than wine. The result
was a resounding success, as
guest after guest gave two
thumbs up to the beverages
being served.
The dinner’s seven courses began with
a Seafood Trio of Alaskan king crab with
red grapefruit topped with citrus gastric
and lemon caviar, a ceviche of giant diver
scallop medallions and jumbo shrimp
atop a seaweed sesame salad that was
paired with one of Big Storm’s best known
products, Lightning 25 Light American Lager.
The combination was an ideal match and
had everyone looking forward to the next
item, an Eggplant Tagine Napoleon of
coconut crusted Japanese eggplant, along
with masala garbanzo beans in a spicy
tomato sauce with cinnamon, coriander,
turmeric, ginger and cardamom that was
packed with rather exotic flavors. Joel
Moore, Big Storm’s head brewer, chose
an unusual Cherry Meteor Sour Berliner
Two pieces of Japanese eggplant were crusted with coconut and served
layered with marsala garbanzo beans in a spicy sauce, the perfect match
for Big Storm Brewing’s Cherry Meteor Sour Berliner Weisse.
170 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2018
a sweet corn cucumber salsa.
Once again, the combination
of flavors delighted the
society’s members, as they
discussed from what part of
a grouper were its cheeks.
The meal concluded with
a deconstructed baklava
of crispy phyllo, sweet
mascarpone and goat cheese
cream, pistachios, local honey
and mango. For this sweet
treat, the Big Storm Extra
Stout Ale proved to be a
match equal to the chore of giving this
creative dish a balanced beverage with
which to be enjoyed.
This was a dinner that is still being
discussed, since many guests were pleased
with their newfound appreciation of
brewing, while those unaccustomed to
drinking beer were overwhelmed with the
quality of Big Storm’s products. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Big Storm Brewing Co.
products are available in stores throughout the
Tampa Bay area. The Pinellas County taproom is
at 12707 49th St. in Clearwater, (727) 201-4186,
and the Pasco County taproom is at
2330 Success Drive in Odessa, (727) 376-2890.
Craft food is available at the Pinellas location, with
rotating food trucks in Pasco.
Weisse to complement the nuances of this
unique presentation. Once again, purrs of
happiness were heard around the room.
We were now ready to move onto a more
conventional dish of Lager Braised Lamb
Osso Buco on a bed of fennel purée with
Brussel sprout slaw and apples that blended
perfectly with Big Storm’s Arcus Southern
Pale Ale. From here, we cleansed our palates
with a Hibiscus and Watermelon Sorbet
made with the brewery’s hibiscus flavored
Tropical Pressure Beer. Next on the menu
were Piquillo Peppers filled with saffron
rice, chorizo and manchego cheese, along
with pickled daikon slaw.
For the sixth course, a Category 1 Belgian
Single Ale was paired with Tequila-glazed
Grouper Cheeks that were served over
Peruvian purple potatoes and topped with