Brew and fish fries.
Jared Rouben has a great reason for bringing his Chicago-based Moody Tongue beer to Wisconsin. We like beer. “There are certain communities that truly celebrate beer,” Rouben said by phone. “I think Wisconsin as a whole and certainly Milwaukee fall into that category.”
The brewery is named for a term used to identify someone with a discerning palate. The Chicago tasting room, which opened last year, is said to offer a single salty choice and a single sweet choice: fresh oysters and German chocolate cake.
Not that he couldn’t pair any of his beers with cheese or a bratwurst. Rouben’s focus, his career, his education is “creating culinary beer,” which means beer that is meant to bring out the best of food.
And to do it easily. “People aren’t signing up for an organic chemistry class,” he said. “They want to enjoy their beer. They want to enjoy their food.”
Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Rouben worked with chef Thomas Keller before moving to Goose Island and opening Moody Tongue.
The mainstay beers include Applewood Gold, which pairs well with, um, oysters. The Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison would work well with a fish fry, Rouben said. Sliced Nectarine IPA has the aroma of a sweet beer, but there’s a welcome bitter taste to it all — totally drinkable on its own.
Rouben will be in Milwaukee on Sept. 27 for a beer dinner at 7 p.m. at Third Coast Provisions, 724 N. Milwaukee Ave., a seafood restaurant where they have, um, oysters. Tickets are $24. Call (414) 323-7434 for reservations. He’ll also be at Rumpus Room, 1030 N. Water St., for a meet-the-brewer event at 6 p.m. on Sept. 28.
There’s more this week:
Friday-Saturday: Raised Grain Brewing, 2244 W. Blue Mound Road, Waukesha, celebrates a second anniversary with a pre-party from 3 p.m. to midnight Friday that includes the release of Double Dry Hop Naked Threesome IPA. On Saturday, events begin at noon and run until midnight. Special releases are held at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Live music begins at 12:30.
Friday-Saturday: Join me at New Glarus Brewing for the third and final R&D special release of the year. The release is Champ Rouge, a fruited sour spontaneously fermented and blended with New York Rougeon grapes. Bottles are $15. The release begins at 10 a.m. Bonus: New Glarus (the town) celebrates Oktoberfest for the weekend.
Friday-Sunday: The Micro, with more than 50 craft beers, is open at Harvest Fair, 640 S. 84th St., in West Allis. Hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday: The Blue Harbor Craft Beer Festival opens at 11:30 a.m. at Blue Harbor Resort, 725 Blue Harbor Drive in Sheboygan. More than 30 breweries will pour samples of beer and cider. A VIP tasting opens the day followed by the Grand Tasting from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $75 for VIP and $39 for general admission. I’ll be here, too.
Saturday: Good City Brewing, 2108 N. Farwell Ave., releases its barrelaged Santé Saison starting at 10 a.m.
Wednesday: Goose Island Migration Week begins in Milwaukee. Look for special events at Draft & Vessel, 4417 N. Oakland Ave., in Shorewood and the Brass Tap, 7808 W. Layton Ave., in Greenfield. Beer dinners are scheduled for Sept. 28 at Bavette La Bucherie, 330 E. Menomonee, and also at Tess, 2499 N. Bartlett Ave. See the full list at