Mackmyra whisky + Ægir beer + food

The dinner

Yesterday I had the good fortune to attend a whisky + beer + food matching. The whisky was from the Swedish distillery Mackmyra, and the beer was from the Norwegian brewery Ægir (Aegir). We had the best possible access to background info on what we were served. Master Distiller Angela D'Orazio was there to present her whiskies, and Evan Lewis from Ægir presented his beers.

Along with the whisky and beer we were served really great food. The chef had prepared a starter, a main course and a dessert to match the respective whiskies and beers. He seemed very happy to have worked on this challenge, and the result certainly showed that he had done his best - and that was very good indeed. He did let on that the hops in beer, with the bitterness, was a bit of a challenge, as well as the peat that was added to the mix for the main course. But I am getting ahead of myself here, let's start with...

The starter

The first dish served was a ceviche, with pressed cloudberries, and a crispy bread stick. The citrus notes and fresh spiciness worked really well with the whisky and beer. The whisky was the Mackmyra Midnattssol (Midnight Sun) (see review), and the beer an Ægir IPA. The beer is the bestselling expression from Ægir, and I must say it was quite good. All in all fresh food served with matching fresh drinks.

The main course

I have a seafood allergy, which means I could not really finish the starter. The main course presented no such problems though. The only problem with this dish was that it was hard to eat without making a mess. But who cares when it is this good! We got homemade, grilled sausages made from beef with a bit of chipotle chili mixed in. The sausage was served in a homemade bread, and as garnish we got sweet, stewed red onions, and roasted corn. It was a bit messy, but really tasty.

We got to wash this down with the peaty Mackmyra Svensk Rök (Swedish Smoke), and the Christmas beer Ægir Ýlir. The barbecue and chili smokiness from the food really enhanced, and was enhanced by, the peaty whisky. A great match, for sure. The beer expanded on the whole 'canvas' and let the senses run wild with delight.

This particular beer is seasonal, and the bottles we got were actually produced back in 2012. The two years in the bottle had added more depth of flavor and the brewer himself, Evan, was very happy with the result. I confess that I agree with him.

The dessert

The grande finale was the dessert. Wow! This was just too much of the good stuff! We were served a homemade, very rich and juicy chocolate cake with a dash of whipped sour cream. In addition the chef brought out his own Snickers crispy caramel cake. To top it all off he also served fudge which he had made with whisky added for extra flavor. The whisky he used was the same whisky that accompanied the dessert, the Mackmyra Ægirs Bior (see review). The matching beer was the Ægir Gävle Wee Heavy Barley. Both the whisky and the beer are collaborations between Mackmyra and Ægir, and it was great to try them side by side. It was even more special to have the two masters behind the products there to present them to us, and join us in the tasting.

With both the beer and the whisky being full bodied, sweet and rich, they were up to the task of 'competing' with the heavy, sweet luxury of the dessert. Again a very nice match, I would say. Compliments to the chef for pulling this off with such panache!

This dinner was a perfect example of how beer and whisky go well together, and that they can work very well with food.

Sláinte! - Thomas