An interview with brewmaster George Reisch
Brewmaster George Reisch literally grew up around beer. A fifth-generation brewmaster, Reisch’s family operated the Reisch Brewing Co. for 117 years. During his career, he worked for Schlitz and Miller before finally finding a home at Anheuser-Busch.
With a brewing pedigree like that, there’s no one better than Reisch to talk about the beers featured at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.
“You can’t have beer without food, it’s impossible,” says Reisch, citing a study by the Japanese brewing company, Suntori, which showed that a compound in the cereal grain used to make beer stimulates the appetite.
Pairing beer with food seems blatantly obvious, particularly with the popularity of brewpubs and gastropubs. And because more people are starting to cook with beer, Reisch collects recipes like the one below, which he gladly shares with anyone willing to experiment.
You can read the rest of my interview with George Reisch at hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com
Mozzarella and Tomato Stacks with Stella Artois Vinaigrette
4 each Small tomatoes (sliced)
4 each Small, egg-shaped fresh mozzarella balls (sliced)
8 each Large whole basil leaves
4 each Large whole basil leaves, chiffonade (for garnish)
1 1/3 cups Mixed baby salad greens
to taste Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette:
1 each Medium shallot (finely chopped)
2 tbsp Aged balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Stella Artois
to taste Salt and pepper
- Whisk together shallots, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Stella Artois
- Season with salt and pepper as needed
Presentation:
- Arrange alternating slices of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper as needed
- Top each stack with baby greens.
- Drizzle salad dressing around stacks and garnish with chiffonade basil.
- Serve with additional salad dressing as needed.
