Love Craft Beer? Tap into New Leaf's Beer Pairing Events this Summer!

The craft beer craze is sweeping the nation. And right here in Santa Cruz County, breweries are springing up like poppies. There are 14 breweries in Santa Cruz alone.

According to Business Insider, people are getting tired of more conventional beers like Bud Light, and are turning toward full-flavored beers, especially India Pale Ales, seasonal beers, and Belgians. IPAs in particular have grown 40% during the past three years, which suggests more and more people are starting to like the strong hops flavor. (It’s interesting that hops are such a big part of the beer flavor these days, because brewers did not start using it as an ingredient until around 1000 AD, which is relatively new considering that beer has been around for ages!)

Nutrition consultant Madia Jamgochian, Westside New Leaf education coordinator, has put together a series of beer pairing events that runs through the summer and into the fall (see schedule below). “Our beer pairing classes are a fun way for people to try an array of products from a particular brewery and find out how to properly pair different types of beers with food,” she says. New Leaf’s classes are limited to 18 people and when beer is involved, it becomes more of a social event rather than a purely educational one. Classes are held in the store's bright community classroom and preregistration is required.

The Westside New Leaf beer department puts an emphasis on craft beers and supporting smaller, locally owned breweries while providing a wide variety of options. The store carries almost all of the local beers available for distribution, plus a wide variety from old world Belgium, English and German styles to West Coast more hop-driven ales, and the new and popular trend of sour beers.

Madia’s Beer Pairing Tips:

• Cheese and beer go well together because of their enveloping, full bodied nature, and acidity. As a nutritionist, I also like to note that they essentially come from the same source: grasses.

• Beers that are more sour in nature go great with just about anything because the acidity and crispness resets your palate, similar to food-friendly wines: sauvignon blanc, burgundy, reislings… My friend in the restaurant industry actually steers people towards beer when they order a cheese plate for this reason.

• Hoppy beers, or more bitter brews, can stand up to more ethnic cooking styles that have a lot of heat: IPAs with spicy= the beer neutralizes the heat. This would compare to a strongly flavored cheese or spicy sausage.

New Leaf Classes: From Pairings, to Cooking to Wellness Classes

In addition to the beer pairing events, Madia organizes classes of all types aimed at helping customers reach a better understanding of nutrition and health. “We seek to provide the latest information about health, nutrition and wellness to our community,” she explains. New Leaf offers a wide range of hands-on cooking classes, cooking demos and wellness classes. There are even classes and workshops for kids, like the baking workshop with Chef Lauren Hoover-West Monday June 19 – Friday, June 23.

Westside New Leaf Beer Pairing Event Schedule:

June 16: Beer Pairing with Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and Friend in Friend in Cheeses Jam Company
July 21: Beer and Cheese Pairing with Deschutes Brewery
Aug 4: Beer Pairing with Anderson Valley Brewing Co
Aug 18: Beer Pairing with North Coast Brewing Co.
Sept. 1: Pairing with Golden State Cider
Sept. 15: Beer Pairing with Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Each pairing event costs $10 and preregistration is required. To reserve your place, visit www.newleaf.com.events