Good Karma Artisan Ales & Cafe and Russian River Brewing Company Beer Dinner

Two favorites among many local beer fans unite for a beer-and-food pairing dinner taking place tomorrow (Thursday), Dec. 3 from 5pm to 8pm. As the blog post title indicates, I'm referring to Good Karma in downtown San Jose and Russian River Brewing Company. Additional information - which I previously wrote on Examiner.com - is below.

Carefully crafted vegan dishes will be paired with the following ales – all on tap – from Russian River Brewing: STS Pils (Czech Pilsener), Blind Pig IPA, Pliny the Elder (Double IPA), Temptation (Wild Ale) and Consecration (Wild Ale). While Russian River Brewing IPAs and wild ales continue to be the standards for their respective beer styles among many beer enthusiasts, having these five beers all on tap in the South Bay is a rarity.

Tickets are $55 per person, and reservations can be made via the dinner's EventBrite page. Payment for the dinner will be collected at the event. Good Karma will be open back to the public at 8pm.

Good Karma owner Ryan Summers, who has done much to elevate the local beer scene, recently took the time to answer a few questions regarding the upcoming beer dinner.

How did the idea for this dinner come about?
Natalie and Michael Benz from Russian River Brewing Company had been in town a few months back for business, and they were kind enough to stop by for dinner and a beer. At some point in the conversation, we threw around the idea of hosting a beer pairing and dinner. A few weeks and multiple emails later, the plan was in motion.

Can you please confirm that the five featured RRBC beers will all be on tap?
The lineup is all draught... Pliny the Elder, STS Pils, Blind Pig, Temptation and Consecration. We're lucky that we get Pliny on the regular in Santa Clara County. Blind Pig hasn't been down this way in 6 plus years. And STS Pils barely makes it out of the brewery, if at all. Temptation and Consecration – the sour, mixed fermentation barrel-aged beer components for the dinner – are such a treat.
The love, talent and care it takes to produce beers of this caliber is high art to say the least. We are beyond honored, and needless to say excited, to work with this great list of beers.

Can you provide a sneak peek of any of the vegan dish pairings?
There's a lot to play with when it comes to food and beer. We're excited to rehydrate Guajillo and California Chilis with Blind Pig for the Chili Colorado with young Jack Fruit. We'll be incorporating Temptation with an Exotic Mushroom Ceviche... That's too many spoilers already!

Anything else to add?
I've run Good Karma for almost ten years now. The relationships we've built, the experiences we've shared, the smiles we've inspired continue to inspire and us... day in, day out. The beer community continues to be some of the warmest, friendliest bunch of people I've ever encountered. Pair that with music, food, thought and reflection... the whole world just makes more sense.