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A Beer Dinner with Harpoon's Brewmaster

By , About.com Guide

5 of 5

Beer Dinner Dessert: Pumpkin Flan and Harpoon Munich Dark
Beer Dinner Dessert - Pumpkin Flan Photo

Although I thoroughly enjoyed all of the beer dinner dishes, it was this pumpkin flan—topped with crisp cinnamon strips and paired with Harpoon Munich Dark—that I was still talking about days later.

© 2009 Kim Knox Beckius
Whenever a beer has "dark" in its name, people are afraid, Al Marzi told us as he introduced the final beer for the evening: Harpoon Munich Dark. I wasn't afraid of the beer. I was mostly worried my stomach would rupture, but I soldiered on, and boy am I glad I did. The pumpkin flan dessert topped with melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon pastry strips was my favorite dish, and the Munich Dark's chocolatey flavor proved something my husband's been trying to tell me for years: Beer goes with dessert.

The traditional, Bavarian-style Munich Dark "is one of our most award-winning beers," Marzi told us. "It's not heavy," he assured, adding: "It's one of the brewers' favorites."

Another beer pairing tip is to select a beer that shares a dish's flavor profile. Harpoon Winter Warmer, for example, pairs well with apple pie because of its caramel malt and cinnamon and nutmeg finish. The Munich Dark we tried, while a nice match for pumpkin-flavored desserts, is even better paired with chocolate confections. "It's all sweet," said Marzi.

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