People are always amazed when I tell them that I really like beer. I know that my moniker suggests otherwise, but my first love before wine was beer. I even brewed my own for several years — until my wife became pregnant with our first child and she had an “adverse” reaction to the smell of the wort. From that day on, my brew kit was relegated to the dark corners of the basement. But my love affair with beer continues. With the onset of Oktoberfest, my beer roots bubble up to the surface, so I was thrilled to be invited to join beer sommelier, Marc Stroobandt, for a food and beer pairing at Belga Cafe. Stroobandt, whose accolades include an honorary knighthood by one of Europe’s oldest trade guilds, La Chevalerie du Fourquet des Brasseurs, and the Commander in the Order of De Roze Olifant, first became intrigued with a wide variety of specialty beers during his first year in law school in Belgium. He worked very closely with Belgian brewers and gained an unparalleled understanding of the history and culture behind Belgian beer. A stint in catering school helped Marc develop a passion and expertise for pairing beer with food.

Marc’s passion is to enhance the appreciation of beer through product education, tasting sessions and, of course, food pairings. One of the highlights of the evening came when Marc poured a lambic beer (a beer blended from different “vintages” and crafted for long-term aging) and asked us to try it alone and then following a small spoonful of ranch dressing. The difference was astonishing and drove home the point that, just like fine wine, many beers are brewed to be paired with specific types of food.