I heard a very interesting announcement recently about the launch of Estrella Damm INEDIT, a beer specifically created for food pairings. This artisinal beverage is crafted by Ferran Adrià & Juli Soler (elBulli chef & sommelier) and Estrella Damm, the ubiquitous brewer of Barcelona.

How can you argue with this product!?
This incredible beer is already highly lauded within talented circles of the culinary community. INEDIT was introduced to the US during an event hosted by Dan Barber at his restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Barber was recently awarded Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and named the nation’s Top Chef by the James Beard Foundation. Ferran Adriá, who created the beer, was also named one of the world’s top chefs by Restaurant magazine for the fourth consecutive year.

These are some pretty big heavy weights touting the merits of a beer! Ah, but this is no ordinary beer…

“INEDIT was developed from the belief that there was a need for a beer that could complement a dining experience,” said Ferran Adrià, elBulli Executive Chef.  “INEDIT is the fruit of more than a year and a half and 400 trial iterations between the master brewers of Estrella Damm and the team of sommeliers at elBulli.”

Developed specifically for use with food, INEDIT is an alternative to wine for pairing. The beer is a unique combination of barley malt and wheat with rich spices, providing an intense and complex aroma. A few suggested pairings of note include a variety of salads, vinegar-based sauces, asparagus, artichokes, fatty and oily fish, and citrus.

The drink has a delicate carbonation and is slightly cloudy; intense spices and an almost unfamiliar creaminess produce a long, pleasant aftertaste. I look forward to trying more combinations (and testing it out on a cheeseburger).

Unlike most beers, INEDIT is bottled in a 750 ml black wine bottle and is intended for sharing over a meal. Estrella Damm recommends serving in a white wine glass, filled halfway and chilled… providing an optimal tasting environment.

-bryan

A Little About Estrella Damm
Established in 1876, Estrella Damm is an award-winning, premium pale lager known internationally as the “Beer of Barcelona”.  During its 133-year tenure, Estrella Damm has remained the number one beer in Barcelona.  An independent brewer with its own personality, Estrella Damm is known for its creativity.  Estrella Damm produces five million hectoliters of beer per year.  United States Beverage, LLC imports Estrella Damm to the United States.

A Little About elBulli
Considered the world’s premier chef, co-owner of elBulli, Ferran Adrià is the Executive Chef of three starred Michelin restaurant.  Known for its originality, elBulli is considered the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine internationally and responsible for influencing avant-garde cuisine worldwide.  Partner of Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler is the co-owner of elBulli.  Also influential in the creation of INEDIT are acclaimed sommeliers of elBulli, Ferran Centelles awarded best sommelier of Spain by Ruinart in 2006, and David Seijas awarded the “Golden Nose” in 2006.  For the fourth consecutive year, elBulli has been named “The World’s Best Restaurant” by Restaurant magazine.