After a series of successful pierogi pop-ups at Component Brewing Co., 2018 S. 1st St.#169, Hot Dish Pantry has decided to level up the beer-and-pierogi-pairing experience with a series of “Flight Nights” at local breweries.

“We want to give people a more curated tasting experience,” says Laura Maigatter, co-owner of Hot Dish Pantry,  “The events will be more like the pop-up we did with Central Waters two years ago. It’s a way of elevating the beer and food experience much as people are used to doing with wine.”

Maigatter says they currently have numerous Flight Nights in the works, including an October event with Supermoon Beer Co. and another with Enlightened Brewing (see details below). Each one, she says, will be orchestrated a bit differently.

The first will be held at Component Brewing Co. on Friday, Sept. 29 from 5 to 8 p.m. and will feature a flight of four beers paired with pierogi from Hot Dish.

All flights will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with a limited quantity of pierogi available.

Perfect Pairings

Here's the line-up for the Sept. 29 event (with beer tasting notes provided by Component Brewing).

1. Helles Or High Water (Helles-style Lager): Light, slightly sweet with biscuit/bready notes on the finish. Saaz hops highlights the malt and creates a slightly bitter, lemony finish.  
   Pairing: Pierog with berbere shrimp and polenta filling, radishes, herb butter and tomato vierge
2. Hopuinox (Fresh Hop Cold IPA): Light in color, Hopuinox is brewed with pilsner malt and hopped with 100% fresh, flash-frozen Simcoe hops. Flavor notes include bright citrus, orange, stone fruit and mild bitterness on the finish.
   Pairing: Aloo chaat pierog with mint cilantro yogurt, fruit chutney and crispy lentils
3. Polka Juice (Marzen-style Oktoberfest): Roasted malts offer dark color and rich, sweet caramel flavor with notes of rye, barley, baked bread and a light balanced hoppy bitterness on the finish.
   Pairing: Apple cider braised pork pierog with roasted brussels sprouts and apple preserve
4. Funf (Munich-style Dunkel): More roasted malts offer darker color and deeper flavor, including strong notes of coffee, smoke, crackers and a slight bit of chocolate. There’s floral hoppiness on the nose and the finish offers up slight bitter notes.
   Pairing: Pumpkin cream cheese pierog with banana brûlée, spiced roasted pepitas, savory caramel drizzle

More to come

The next flight night will be a collaboration with Supermoon Beer Co., 3145 S. Howell Ave., on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m.

Maigatter says they are still ironing out the finer details for the pairing event, but she says there are likely to be three pre-sold pairings… and possibly a new beer release. 

“We’re really excited about the Flight Night series,” says Maigatter, “It’s going to be fun to highlight different breweries and their beers in a very different way.” 

Follow @hotdishpantry on Facebook and Instagram for all the details on future events. 

Breweries interested in hosting a future Flight Night can reach out to info@hotdishpantry.com.