Indian beer drinkers, who guzzle about 140 million cases annually as compared to 1.5 million wine boxes of 12, might be quite perplexed by the news report as they are used to enjoying food with beer, anyway.
But, in the big picture, wine is still considered the best match for food-at least that’s what the Europeans would tell you. ‘Inedit’ which means original in French is the name of the special beer launched by the leading brewer which has been crafted by the world-renowned chef who owns the Michelin 3-star restaurant with his partner Juli Soler, sommeliers of el Bulli- David Seijas and Ferran Centelles, in conjunction with Estrella Damm, according to the report
“INEDIT was developed from the belief that there was a need for a beer that could complement a dining experience,” said Ferran Adrià reportedly, adding , ‘it is the fruit of more than a year and a half and 400 trials between the master brewers of Estrella Damm and the team of sommeliers at el Bulli.”
The brew claims to be an alternative to wine for pairing with all dishes – from informal to more exquisite, foods. It is a coupage of barley malt and wheat with spices which provide an intense and complex aroma. It aims to complement food once thought to be a challenge in terms of culinary pairings, including salads, vinegar-based sauces, bitter notes such as asparagus and artichokes.
‘It actually starts as two beers’, Adrià said, ‘a regular lager and a German-style Weiss bier that is seasoned with orange peel, coriander and licorice. Because each ferments at a different rate, the beers are not blended until just before bottling in black 750-milliliter wine bottles. The marriage undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, like champagne.
Inedit adapts to acidic, sweet and sour flavours. It is slightly cloudy in appearance , and has a yeasty sensation with sweet spices, causing a creamy and fresh texture, delicate carbonic long aftertaste, and supposedly pleasant memory. It is bottled in a 750 ml black wine bottle, and has 4.5% alcohol content. It should be served chilled in a white wine glass, filled halfway.
Meanwhile the famed master chef is also venturing into the pizza-making business. Adrià, along with his brother and collaborator, Alberto Adrià, are reportedly in the process of developing a new pizzeria to be located in Barcelona. Adrià who has been generally linked with introducing what is now popularly known as ‘molecular gastronomy’, says he hopes to create an ‘honest interpretation’ of the popular Italian creation.
Any beer or wine importers interested? It retails for under $10 a bottle
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