There’s food porn. And that begat beer porn. Perhaps it’s because I’m such a dirty little glutton for carrot cake, but I can’t stop watching this video that goes beyond each of those concepts by becoming practically pornographic. I’m sorry, but if the frames from 1:33 to 1:37 aren’t analogous to a baking money shot, then you’re puritanical.
But back up for a minute. There. Between frames 00:35 to 00:44, the autuer/baker reaches for Echigo Koshihikari, a rice lager from Japan. That’s no just-happened-to-have-it-lying-around-in-the-the-fridge beer. Nor do I think the chef is implying it’s the beer that pairs perfectly with carrot cake. Instead, it’s the beer that pairs with working so hard from grating carrots, and nearly ones fingers, to the bone. An interesting concept in beer pairing: what goes best with food prep? Surely something light, effervescent, and not overpowering of the aromas being created.
It’s tough pairing beer with veggies. And of all the vegetables beers I’ve never seen a carrot beer. But dessert are easy. As for pairing with carrot cake itself, the Northern California purveyor of The KupcakeRy makes a “Drunken Rabbit” carrot (cup) cake with IPA frosting. Pairing wise, they suggest Lagunitas IPA or Bear Republic’s Racer 5 (as any good Bay Area locavore would).
Personally, as a connoisseur of carrot cake and beer, I’m dying to try Short’s Carrot Cake beer that seems to get good reviews.
With all of the beer dinners I’ve gone to, with the diverse range of desserts that have been served, not once has there been a carrot cake but it seems like a very versatile pairing opportunity: cream ale, coffee porter, double IPA, or another beer from Japan – Baird Jubilation – made with figs and cinnamon.
So help me out.
After sending the video to my wife, she said she’d make me a carrot cake as an act of “marriage preservation.” What would you serve it with?
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