Best of the Day: ‘Brass Pair’ Dinner – August 10, 2015

Welcome to Best of the Day, our daily recommendation for what to check out around town. If you do one thing in Boston today, consider this.

Brass Union’s patio / Courtesy photo

As Bostonians, it’s our sworn duty to wring every last drop of summer fun out of patio season—and ward off the rampant vitamin D deficiency that plagues us—before we’re once again unceremoniously plunged into sweater weather. To that end, for some Monday-night al fresco action, head to Brass Union for “Brass Pair,” a monthly event in which Brass Union joins forces with local brewers, distillers, vintners, and sommeliers for a special pairing dinner.

Tonight, “Brass Pair” makes its outdoor debut on this Union Square restaurant’s newly renovated patio. Their co-headliner for the evening is local brewery Aeronaut, who’ve been making plenty of forays into the great outdoors this month—including hosting a field day out at local hops growers Four Star Farms.

Among the libations being showcased at tonight’s dinner is Aeronaut’s A Session with Dr. Nandu, which served as the inspiration for Aeronaut’s first canned beer, launched earlier this year.

With “Brass Pair,” you get four courses, plus an interlude of “flavor explosion,” this series’ signature flourish. Beverage director Paulo Pereira describes this mysterious intermezzo course as a “shooter” that cleanses the palate. It pairs a beverage with a flavor “puck” that chef Jonathan Kopacz makes using the molecular gastronomy technique reverse spherification. To “chase the flavor,” dunk the puck directly into your drink and pop it into your mouth. Tonight’s flavor explosion will be shiso lemon. According to Pereira: “The citrus and mint-like shiso complement the hops used in the session IPA and will be a great palate cleanser before the last savory course.”

And this isn’t even the only crossover episode Brass Union has planned this week—on Wednesday, August 12, Brass Union will also be teaming up with Somerville’s Pretty Things brewery for a German-style “Biergarten Party.” From 6:30-9:30 p.m., sit on the patio and sample Pretty Things’ American Darling German lager and their new “pre-prohibition double IPA,” Hopfenpop.

But first things first. Here’s the full rundown of what’s on tonight’s “Brass Pair” menu:

FIRST COURSE
Salmon tartare
Beer Pairing: Aeronaut Berliner Weiss

SECOND COURSE
Asparagus and lobster roe mousseline
Beer Pairing: Aeronaut The Eye of Sauvin

INTERMEZZO
Flavor explosion: Shiso lemon
Beer Pairing: Aeronaut Session with Dr. Nandu

THIRD COURSE
Pork cheeks and plantains
Beer Pairing: Aeronaut Red Galaxy

DESSERT
Housemade ice cream with basil shortbread and strawberry syrup
Beer Pairing: Aeronaut Saison of the Western Ghats

$45 per person, August 10, 7 p.m., Brass Union, 70 Union Square, Somerville, 617-623-9211, brassunion.com. Tickets available via brasspair8.eventbrite.com.