Oktoberfest Beer Tasting Dinner with Clubhouse Brewing
Whenever someone asks us what our favorite kinds of beers are, we generally tell them we drink seasonally. With the leaves changing and the weather getting cooler (finally!) we begin to walk past the sessionable sours and lighter ales and reach for the Festbiers and darker lagers. Fall is also a great time to try beers from new breweries, as it seems every year there’s a few new offerings around this time. As luck would have it, we were invited to try some of these beers from new-to-us Clubhouse Brewing Company at an exclusive beer tasting dinner at The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake.
If you’re heading to Geneva or Ohio’s wine country in Ashtabula, you really should book your stay at The Lodge. They have 109 guest rooms and most of them have lake views. In addition to the guest rooms, they have 25 two-bedroom cottages. Their restaurant, Horizons, is an upscale dining experience with a gorgeous view of Lake Erie. There is also a lounge with a large bar. The Lodge also has an indoor and outdoor pool, gift shop and fitness center.
Clubhouse Brewing Company is a veteran owned microbrewery based in Warren, Ohio. Their goal is not only to make great beer, but also to give back to the local veteran community. The brewery is dedicated to crafting beer that follows the traditional German technique. All the beers they make are full bodied, even the IPAs. The beers they brought also happened to be rather boozy, with an ABV 7% or higher. Perfect for the cool weather!
Clubhouse supports veterans in a few different ways. They donate a portion of profits to Veterans Outreach, but their ongoing goal is to provide meaningful employment to veterans. They also want to eventually launch their own non-profit that would provide business mentoring to veterans.
The beer tasting dinner was held in one of the grand ballrooms at the Lodge. Zach and Craig Dean, the father and son owners of Clubhouse, were there to educate us on all aspects of the beer. We started the event tasting the four beers we were going to have with dinner and learning about each one. After the tasting and presentation we moved to the dinner portion of the event.
The Menu
- Tasting Reception: local artisan charcuterie display of Na*Kyrsie Meats, Preserved Local Fruits, Bissell Maple Farm’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
- Course 1 – Oktoberfest- Märzen. Fresh Made Soft Pretzels Beer Mustard, German Sausage Bites
- Course 2 – Blackjack IPA. Blood Orange Salad: Cleveland Crisp Lettuce, Watercress, Orange Supremes, Cascade Hops and Goat Cheese Fritters, Crispy Pancetta, Honey Shallot Vinaigrette
- Course 3 – Deuces Wild Doppelbock. Wild Boar Two Ways: Wild Boar Chop, Wild Boar Stew, Whiskey Fired Apples.
- Course 4 – Valhalla’s Finest Russian Imperial Stout. Chocolate Espresso Lava Cake Bourbon Whipped Cream, Caramel Drizzle
The food was perfectly paired with each beer. Before each course, the chef came out to tell us what he prepared and why he prepared it to go with the beer. So during the event, we learned what we were drinking, what we were eating and why they were paired together. This is something that doesn’t always happen at beer tastings so we really enjoyed the educational aspect of this event.
If you find yourself in Ashtabula county, this is an event you should not miss. The Lodge generally hosts these beer tasting dinners during the spring and fall, so check their events page regularly. It would be the perfect event to add to your mini getaway weekend. Remember, the Lodge and wine country are only an hour away from Cleveland. Also, next time you’re in or near Warren, make sure to stop at Clubhouse Brewing to try their delicious brews and support our veterans!
*Disclosure: We were invited to attend the beer tasting dinner and were provided a complimentary overnight stay at the Lodge. As always, all opinions are 100% our own*
All of this looks soo good!
Looks like a fun event! I loved staying at the Lodge too…this getaway sounded perfect for the Beard & the Broad :).
This looks delicious!!!