FOOD

Cooking with beer? It’s not that weird was a guest speaker. In addition, a local company, Jalipeño, conducted workshops from previous page

Oby Martin Dunphy on inclusivity and diversity. “The industry is welcoming and a safe ne undeniable fact about beer is place to work, but minorities may not that a lot of Canadians drink it. think that because it generally tends to About 80 percent of us throw be a white male–dominated area, historback alcoholic drinks on a regular ically,” Beattie said. basis, and about 57 percent of those drink One B.C. group, Diversity in Brewing, beer, with wine numbers close behind. is dedicated to supporting more inclusion

And although many people are aware of by amplifying the voices of BIPOC and wine’s role in complementing and elevating LGBT industry workers on its website. A the experience of fine dining—including self-described “queer beer drinkin’ shark its use in sauces, reductions, and desserts, from the East Coast” posted a guide to LGfor example—fewer of them seem to under- BTQ2S inclusivity for breweries, listing 11 stand the major role that beer can play as an pieces of advice. They include using genderingredient in many dishes. neutral language when addressing patrons,

The fact is, just about anything you can respecting identities and pronouns, and cook with wine can also be cooked with offering to work with queer groups or indibeer. And, as with wine, part of the pleasure viduals in the area to promote the brewery involved is consuming varying amounts of as a safe space. that component during the cooking process. But a Simon Fraser University PhD

Beer’s versatility as a liquid ingredient student who studies craft industries, Benmeans that it can be used in lots of different jamin Anderson, remains skeptical. He ways. Look through any beer cookbook and told the Straight that although he expects you will probably be surprised at the range many workplaces to improve, long-lastof dishes the ancient brew helps bring to ing change will only occur when abusers savoury perfection. are rooted out of workplaces. To date, he

The taste of different kinds of beer, nat- noted, virtually all craft breweries have urally, needs to be taken into account when avoided becoming unionized. cooking. Some are savoury and even heavy- “It seems to me that the industry is dotasting; others are light and almost sweet. ing what an industry does at this point, and Still others, such as hop-heavy brews like Not only can you cook with beer as an ingredient, but with beer-can chicken, you can use the that is kind of insulating itself from criIPAs, can impart a bitter taste. But beer’s nat- partially filled can as a cooking tool to keep the bird moist and vertical. Photo by Yinko/Getty. tique,” Anderson said. “That doesn’t mean ural hoppy bitterness is pretty well balanced One of the first things to remember is to helps as a leavening agent to give cakes (even that good won’t come out of it.” by its malted sweetness, generally speaking, cook with beers you like, just as with wine. pancakes) a fluffier, lighter mouthfeel. It also According to Anderson, brewers and in most commercially available brands. If you enjoy the earthy, slightly bitter, and keeps things like cookies fresh and soft for brewing assistants tend to have the most

The craft-brewing revolution that swept robust taste of ales, educate yourself about days and can add complex and deep flavours positive things to say about their working Canada during the past two decades, which dishes you might like that flavour to to baked sweets. environments—and they very often tend though, has helped introduce hundreds of be a part of. That could mean substituting So, where to start? Well, our favourite to be white males. “But when you talk to variations on the dear old theme, and beer beer for water or stock in your favourite brews are already pretty much inextric- someone who works in packaging or who connoisseurs now gaze at, sniff, sip, and stew, chili, or soup. (Stouts and porters are ably linked in our minds with backyard works in service—somebody who is a barswirl beer with the same expert intensity as definitely in this category.) barbecues, picnics, and camping. It’s not tender or wait staff, that kind of thing—you the most devoted oenophile. The lighter, crisper taste of lager (like Pil- too much of a stretch, then, to start think- get a very different story.”

Aromatics and flavour profiles for differ- seners) might go well in a batter for shrimp ing about how that combination of malted The B.C. industry’s Me Too moment ent kinds of beers can include descriptors or with fish and chips, even as a glaze for barley, yeast, hops, and water can improve came last summer when another Instagram such as fruit, spice, florals, coffee, chocolate, poultry or in cooking shellfish. the flavour of whatever you might be account, @NotOurP49, highlighted missmoke, and any number of words you might Beer also has a place in baking and is throwing on the grill. treatment of employees at the Parallel 49 previously have thought should be re- used in many different breads (especially in That means adding beer to meat mar- craft brewery in East Vancouver. Since stricted to wine tastings. It is therefore best, combination with various cheeses), muffins, inades, barbecue sauces, brines, or as a then, the company has gone out of its way probably, to think in simpler terms when biscuits, and even crackers. It can impart braising liquid for meats that are finished to send a message that it has changed its starting to cook with beer. a nutty, toasty taste, and the carbonation off over the coals. ways, even stenciling the company values Beer-can chicken is a method of barbecu- into the bar for everyone to see and hiring ing poultry that looks as weird as it sounds. Navarro to offer guidance. Its aficionados, though, swear that upending “Front-of-house staff will be taking part and balancing a chicken by inserting its in a session with the Vancouver chapter of stuffing cavity over an open and partly filled Good Night Out, a volunteer society ‘combeer can and cooking it in a capacious bar- mitted to building community capacity to beque renders its meat as moist and flavour- prevent and respond to sexual harassment ful as any cooking technique ever devised. and sexual assault in all sectors,’” the comCome visit our new Downtown & False Creek market locations this summer! One great thing about beer-can chicken is that the vertical cooking position ensures even browning of the crispy skin on all pany stated on its website. As part of his research, Anderson has heard narratives of abusive workplaces Find out more at sides, as with a rotisserie. (Note: because of possible contamination by plastic linings on from about 10 to 12 craft-beer workers in the Pacific Northwest. None of them are eatlocal.org some beer cans, it is advised to switch to a employed by Parallel 49. can that you can be sure is made of noth- “I haven’t been able to talk to anyone ing but metal, or use one of the many com- who works there,” Anderson said. “It’s a mercially available substitute “cans”, usually with a drip tray.) g little shuttered up, especially because I’m a recognizable name at this point.” g