The Perfect Pairing: Stella Artois Celebrates "Cuisine a la Biere" at Aspen Food & Wine Classic

ST. LOUIS, June 13, 2013 /mbb/ — Stella Artois is a product of one of the world’s most vibrant and diverse beer cultures. In Belgium, beer is featured at nearly every course, including dessert. This year, the Belgian brand’s food pairing expertise will be on display at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, where Stella Artois will serve as the official beer sponsor. The brand will be represented by two ambassadors: Master Belgian Chef Bart Vandaele and Master Beer Sommelier Marc Stroobandt.

"Aspen Food & Wine attracts the epicureans, who are always curious. The festival is for gourmands for whom food and drink is a daily thrill," said Elizabeth Price, Brand Manager, Belgian Brands, Anheuser-Busch. "This is a perfect showcase for our flavorful Belgian beers Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, and Leffe Blonde, paired with many different food courses."

This year, Aspen Food & Wine Classic has enlisted four lifestyle photographers to produce content for a new Food & Wine Tumblr initiative. One of the four, Nicole Franzen, is an acclaimed photographer based in Brooklyn who specializes in gorgeous still life images. Franzen has been commissioned by Stella Artois to capture the festival through her creative lens. All images will be posted to both the Food & Wine Tumblr as well as the bloggers’ own outlets.

"Cuisine a la Biere" refers to the Belgian tradition of culinary invention and improvisation, centered on finding the perfect complement between beer and food. Vandaele and Stroobandt will celebrate this tradition throughout the festival. They will demonstrate why a complex Belgian beer such as Stella Artois makes such an interesting culinary pairing to dishes featuring lobster, salad, chocolate, and much more.

Stella Artois alongside dark chocolate is a non-traditional pairing in the United States, but has a celebrated history in Belgium. Festival attendees will enjoy the pairing in recipes that Chef Vandaele has created for the event. These include Chocolate Panna Cotta, featuring endive foam, orange coulis and blue cheese. Chocolate will appear again in Vandaele’s Endive Salad, which features blue cheese, orange and dark chocolate. For seafood lovers, Vandaele has developed a Lobster-in-Aspic recipe, which also features cilantro, lemongrass, krupuk and pea-mint puree.

The Belgian beer’s mild malt and light hops also accentuate the richness of dishes such as lamb and shellfish without overwhelming the balance of flavors. Stella Artois’ bitterness also helps cut through cream sauces in pastas. It also contrasts the creaminess of flavorful semi-soft cheeses such as Havarti, Morbier and artisanal cheeses.

Beginning Thursday, June 13, Stella Artois will host the Welcome Reception, and will also open a spot in the Grand Tasting area, giving several thousand festival attendees the opportunity to delight in Stella Artois pairings created by Chef Vandaele. Vandaele and Stroobandt will also host Belgian Beer Pairing Seminars, as well as the famed Publisher’s Party.

Marc Stroobandt will be on hand to ensure that each serving of Stella Artois is delivered with perfection. This is possible through the brand’s famed 9-step pouring ritual, which will be on display throughout the festival. Pouring rituals are another reflection of the brand’s Belgian heritage; most of the 500 beer brands that Belgium has produced are intended to be served in a specific glass and poured in a specific manner. For Stella Artois, that glass is the Chalice, and the pouring ritual features nine steps. These include: