What goes well with venison?  It’s not a thought that has ever really troubled us but recently RMTTB found ourselves roaming supermarket aisles in one of the more salubrious Dublin suburbs.  There’s a great variety of game out  there: pigeon, venison, rabbit… quail!

There’s something we like about game.  It’s primal.  Robust and ballsy.  Like so many of our favourite Irish micro brews.  Which then begged the question.  What DOES go well with game??

We picked up a venison rump, cracked open a few bottles and got to work…

Deciding not break the habit of a lifetime, we popped the meat in our slow cooker and followed Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Venison & Juniper Stew.  We steamed a few spuds, roasted a few root veg in Maple Syrup.  So far, so fab.

We settled down for a long night and worked our way through a couple of bottles.  Not all hit the right spots.  The strong food flavours clashed more than complemented the brews we had chosen.  Two, however, passed the test:  Dungarvan’s Coffee & Oatmeal Stout (a real personal fave) worked perfectly.  It was strong enough to match the robust taste but also sufficiently smooth to counter the ever so slightly sour venison notes.

A fresher, crisper and more complementary than challenging accompaniment came courtesy of Bo Bristle’s Pilsner, which knocked the socks off our testers.  Carried out in a growler from Tyrrelstown, it rose to the occasion and balanced the sour meat & sweet veg perfectly.

And there you have it.  In the battle between beer & deer: a draw!!

Cheers Bambi…