Grapefruit, vinegar, rhubarb, and a 9 volt battery. What do these things have in common? They are all foods (or a battery) that force you to rethink what you just tasted. Ever had a sour patch kid, warhead, or lemon drop? What goes through your mind after the sensation of eyes watering and mouth puckering set in? If you’ve derived some enjoyment from the flavor and sensation it inspired, then TanakaSan's Sour Beer Tasting and Pairing is for you.

Organized by beverage manager Nick Jarvis and Chef Brian Walczyk, this "mingling" happy hour featuring the following "bites" paired with the following beers.

• Smoked Beef Tongue, Salsa Verde, Horse Radish paired with Anchorage/Crooked Stave Between the Stave "American wild ale fermented with three strains of brett and aged for 11 months in cognac barrels. Alaska & Colorado collaboration"
• Teleme Cheese, Cornichon, on Caraway Toast paired with The Bruery Sour in the Rye
  "Sour and spicy oak-aged ale from Orange County's finest experimental brewery"
• Chicken Liver Terrine, Peach Mostarda paired with Epic Brewing Brainless on Peaches
  "Belgian-style ale with peach puree aged in French Chardonnay casks in Salt Lake City."
• Smoked Salmon, Concord Grape Vinegar paired with De Proef Brouwerji Zoetzuur
  "A sweet and sour flanders red ale brewed with cherry juice from everyone's favorite Flemish brewing engineer"
• Lemon Curd Tart paired with Epic Ales Huckleberry Sour
  "A complex solara-style sour aged in oak barrels by SODO's resident mad scientist of brewing"

On Monday March 31st, from 6pm to 8pm, TanakaSan and five beers (from five different breweries) are hosting a pairing "happy hour". Cost is $25 for five food and beer pairings, and tickets are available online.

Cheers