Local businesses The Top and Alligator Brewing Co. are teaming up for a special dining experience.
The restaurant and brewery are offering an exclusive beer-pairing dinner at 6:30 p.m. Monday at The Top, located at 30 N. Main St.
“It’s something that you don’t see a lot of in Gainesville,” said Aaron Kahn, the head brewer at Alligator Brewing. “It’s becoming a more popular thing with craft breweries reaching out to restaurants they like and respect in the same city and putting this together.”
For the beer-pairing dinner, the event organizers have carefully paired six handcrafted beers with five delectable courses.
“As far as appetizers go, we have a welcome beer, which is a lemon and Rosemary Gose called The Traveler,” Kahn said.
While this is the first time the two businesses collaborate for a beer-pairing dinner, it isn’t the first time either business has participated in the trend. Alligator Brewing had a smaller beer-pairing event at local restaurant The Jones B-Side a couple of years ago, while The Top has previously collaborated with Swamp Head Brewery, Cigar City Brewing and Bell’s Brewing.
“I’ve known Aaron for a long time and enjoy working with him,” wrote Chase Rossi, the chef at The Top in charge of the event, in an email. “His beer is exceptional, and these beer pairing dinners give us a chance to do something creative outside the normal realms of the daily restaurant business.”
The Top has recently expanded its craft beer selection, motivating Kahn to collaborate with the restaurant.
“It seemed like a good fit in terms of the atmosphere and size and what I wanted to do,” Kahn said.
Rossi hopes the guests enjoy the food, the beer and the unique dining experience.
“I don’t want to give away the whole menu, but I’m looking forward to the salmon dish paired with the Viognier barrel aged pale ale, and the short rib braised with a brown ale and served with a Smoke Habanero Ale,” Rossi said.
Frankie Ramos, 25, a UF alumni and chef at Fork and Pasta, said he is attending the event because it “piqued his interest.”
“It’s interesting how the taste changes when you pair it with food,” Ramos said. “It’s something not a lot of people think about when making a beer selection, but people do it all the time with wine.”
When asked what he’s expecting, Ramos replied, “It’s at The Top. They always have great beer and great food. It can’t fail.”
