Shadow Play Perfect Pairing

At Stanley Park Brewing in chilly Vancouver, we love the holiday season. There’s something special about taking time to slow down, relax at home, spend time with family and friends cooking and enjoying a few beers. So, we decided it was the perfect time to launch our newest year-round beer – Shadow Play Dark Ale.

Our goal was to shake up impressions of what a dark beer could offer and create a brew that features the delicious roasted flavours and dark colour that we gravitate to in the fall and winter, with a crisp dry finish that you expect in a summer session beer. At 5.0% ABV and 30 IBU we think we’ve hit the mark.

The beer is meant to play (pun intended) between different categories of malt-forward beers, embodying some of their best features. A blend of dark specialty malt imparts a roasted, slightly nutty flavour reminiscent of a brown ale or porter. While the addition of Chinook hops and a blend of crystal malt create a smooth, deceptively easy-drinking beer with subtle aromas of pine, dark fruit and chocolate.

Using these flavour cues can make pairing Shadow Play Dark Ale with your favourite dishes easy. The medley of flavors presented in this brew offer something for everyone. When it comes to party fare—charcuterie boards reign supreme. Shadow Play Dark Ale will emphasize the flavours of smoked goudas, nutty gruyeres, and spicy clove capicolas while scrubbing the palate with a clean, dry finish.

If you’re looking for a creative way to elevate the beer and food experience—adding depth to the flavours in a dish—try incorporating beer into the cooking process. The combinations of different hops and malts in beer can draw forward sweet/caramelized notes in baked goods or emphasize capsaicin heat in spicy foods.

For expert guidance we reached out to Chef Nathan Taylor – Head Chef of Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub. With over 10 years of culinary experience under his belt -including residency cooking for 5-star hotels and representing Team Canada in the 2012 Culinary Olympics—Chef Nate has mastered the art of blending beer into his culinary creations.

Shadow Play Chicken Pot Pie

For this recipe Chef Nate has put a brewpub spin on one of his Mom’s holiday staples, chicken pot pie. Speaking on his inspiration for the dish, Chef Nate recalled the long list of friends hoping to have a seat at the dinner table for what was considered “the best chicken pot pie in the world, hands down.”

In the recipe Chef Nate has graciously shared with us, the new addition of Shadow Play Dark Ale adds an earthy, umami component to the roux and highlights the savory sauteed chicken. Pairing Shadow Play Dark Ale alongside the dish creates a harmonious flavour experience while the dry finish of the beer cleanses your palate and ready’s you for the next bite.

Cheers to new beers with old friends!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 100 grams butter**
• 100 grams flour
• 1 can Shadow Play Dark Ale
• 1500 ml chicken stock*
• Puff pastry**
• 500 grams chopped chicken
• 250 grams diced onion
• 250 grams diced carrot
• 250 grams diced celery
• 150 grams diced green bean
• 150 grams corn

Instructions

1. In a small pan melt butter and add flour to make a roux. Cook flour slightly, add small amount of Shadow Play and chicken stock (25/75 mix).
2. Whisk really well every time you add liquid to make sure there is no lumps in the sauce. Repeat adding liquid 5-6 times, until fully incorporated.
3. In a medium pan. Sautee the chicken until 75% cooked. Add all the diced vegetables and cook until tender.
4. Add roux made in step 1 and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Place in desired container and cut puff pastry to desired shape. Bake until golden brown.
6. Enjoy alongside a tall pint of Shadow Play.

*Vegetarian—Substitute Chicken for Mushroom
**Vegan—Substitute Butter for Olive oil, and source a Vegan Puff Pastry.