Science, Craft Beer & Chocolate Desserts

Wednesday, December 10th, 7-9pm

Hosted by: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Exec Chef Patrick Hartnett and the DMNS catering department

Presented by: Dr. Nicole Garneau Ph.D, Chair of Health Science Department and Curator of Human Health at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science; Jeff Mendel, Partner, Director and “Beer Ambassador” for Left Hand Brewing Co and CEO of Sapere Aude; and Sarah Amorese, Chocolatier and Chef Owner of Piece, Love & Chocolate

Class includes:

• a flight of 8 Colorado craft beers
• a pairing of more than 10 different PL&C chocolates & chocolate micro-desserts
• our take away compilation educational beer and chocolate pairing guide with anecdotes from Dr. Nicole Garneau and The Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• select craft brewery tasting coupons
• a custom selection of PL&C signature beer truffles and chocolates
• a $5 discount off your admission to Traveling the Silk Road exhibit at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science

$55 per person (must be at least 21 years old)

If you have never tried this decadent fellowship of beer and chocolate, you are missing something very special, indeed! For those lucky few that have already experienced this uncommon marriage of food and drink, you will instantly light up and say, “What have I been missing all this time?!”

Beer truly loves chocolate. Historic cousins, perfect partners, and scientific soul mates, beer and chocolate are perhaps, a match made in…  a tasting lab? Whether beer is served with a chocolate dessert or the chocolate is brewed right into the beer, the two work incredibly well together. Both share a molecular affinity for a wide variety of foods such as fruit, nuts, salt, and – have you heard – ? Yes, even bacon!

With a focus on the beloved and small batch artisan craft production of both chocolate and beer, this is an elegant and scientific exploration of the physiology of taste itself and the taste pairing of beer and chocolate together. It will excite and educate your palate unlike any other food pairing, and likely turn everything you thought you knew about taste upside down.

Nicole, Jeff and Sarah take beer and chocolate pairing to the next level by exploring the history and ingredients of chocolate and beer and the science of taste within these two celebrated fermented foods.  Why do beer and chocolate complement each other so well? It’s science!

In this class, we reveal the delicious similarities between chocolate and beer. They’re both fermented foods believed to be created by happy accidents many hundreds of years ago. Each has its own delicate balance of sweet and bitter flavors (amongst others).  Beer, due to its malted barley content, is naturally very sweet, and would not be palatable without the balancing bitterness of hops. In much the same way, chocolate is fermented and roasted to mellow some of the frontal bitter notes  in the raw cacao, then sugar is added to offset this bitterness. In both cases, a perfect union is created in the balance between bitter and sweet.

Beyond bitter, sweet, etc., what if our sense of TASTE was so much more than that? What if TASTE was: the SIGHT of exquisitely garnished chocolate desserts placed before you? The rich SMELL of chocolate wafting up through your nose and down, retronasal-ly to the backside of your palate? The auditory crunch that you HEAR inside your head of a thin, perfectly tempered chocolate shell…? The FEEL of the smooth and creamy caramel as it spills out of that shell across your tongue… ? The FEEL of the carbonic bite of a dark bitter beer on the backside of your throat or the FEEL of the soft tingle of a beer that has been lovingly injected with nitrogen as it journeys across your tongue…??

Yes, dear guests! This is exactly what this taste sensory science class is all about!

We are very proud to offer this wildly entertaining and educational class on site in the beautiful space overlooking the Denver city skyline at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This interactive class is sure to impart a deeper knowledge and appreciation of how the science of taste actually works – using fine chocolate and Colorado craft beers. All you need is a little curiosity, love of fine food and drink… and to register quickly! We have only 45 seats available and they are sure to sell out quickly.

Due to the extensive planning involved in this event, we cannot accept any late sign-ups. Registration for this event will end  on Sunday, December 7th at midnight.

Sign-up and registration on-line only here at the Piece, Love & Chocolate website. You will not be able to register or purchase tickets at the museum. If you have any questions, or would like to be placed on our waiting list, please give us a call (303) 449-4804 

***Cancellation policy – No refunds will be issued for this class.