In preparation for our Epic Eve Dinner and the Stone Epic Festival: The Final Chapter, our all-out festival celebrating all 11 vintages in our Vertical Epic Ale series, Chef Alex Carballo and “Dr.” Bill Sysak teamed up to develop nearly two-dozen recipes for dishes that pair with each of the beers. Realizing not all of our fans will be able to make it out for these events, but are as amped up as we are to uncap their bottles of Vertical Epic Ale at their own tastings, we wanted to provide the means by which to prepare food that will fall perfectly in sync with those beers.

The following are recipes for four dishes that, when put together, make up a comprehensive meal. It’s our hope that this will excel what will likely already be one of the most heightened and interesting beer tasting sessions of your life. Bon apetit!

Appetizer

Black Truffle Deviled Eggs

Pair with Stone 03.03.03 Vertical Epic Ale • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 dozen eggs
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp paprika, plus more for garnish
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp chives, chopped
• 2 Tbsp black truffle, chopped or quality truffle oil

Place the eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain the water from the pot and fill it with cold water. Change the water twice so that the eggs will cool down quickly. Remove the eggs from the water and peel them. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the eggs yolks with a small spoon and transfer them to a medium-sized bowl.

Break up the egg yolks with a potato masher, or use an electric mixer to attain a smother texture. Add the mustard, lemon juice and paprika to the yolks. Season with salt and pepper and seasoning and mix until smooth and all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. Fold in the truffles and chives and transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a scalloped tip. Pipe the yolk mixture into the hollowed-out egg halves. To serve, arrange the eggs on a serving platter and sprinkle each of the eggs with truffle, chives and paprika.

Soup

Stone Smoked Porter French Onion Soup

Pair with Stone 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 yellow onions (preferably sweet), julienned
• ¼-inch thick
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups Stoned Smoked Porter
• 3 quarts canned beef consommé
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley tied together with kitchen string)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 dozen artisan small- or medium-sized dinner rolls, tops sliced off and insides scooped out to form 3-inch-wide cavity
• 1 cup Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, season with salt and sweat the onions for 2 to 5 minutes, being careful not to burn them. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are dark mahogany in color and reduced to approximately 2 cups, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add enough beer to cover the onions and raise the heat to high. Reduce the beer until it reaches a syrup consistency. Add the consommé and bouquet garni. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and season the soup with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Preheat broiler. Position oven rack in the top third of the oven. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and fill them up with the soup. Sprinkle cheese on top of each roll, place under the broiler and cook long enough to melt the cheese until it is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

First Course

Lobster Risotto

Pair with Stone 08.08.08 Vertical Epic Ale • Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1½ Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6½ cups seafood or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1½ pounds lobster meat, chopped into bit-sized pieces
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 6 cups of the stock, the garlic and zest, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add the rice and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 6 minutes. Stir in the cream, cheese and bitter and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the mixture from the heat and let rest for about 20 minutes. Lightly season the lobster with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high. Add the lobster meat and sauté very lightly until cooked (unless using cooked lobster, then cook until the meat is hot all the way through). Add the remaining stock and the risotto mixture. Bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning if needed. To serve, ladle the risotto in a bowl and garnish with parsley.

Main Course

Stone Imperial Russian Stout-braised Short Ribs

Pair with Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

Yield: 8 to 10 portions

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil
• 6 bone-in beef short ribs (about 5-6 pounds)
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 large onion, diced ½-inch thick
• 2 ribs
• celery, diced ½-inch thick
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced ½-inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 2 to 3 cups Stone Imperial Russian Stout
• 2 cups beef or chicken stock
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, secured with kitchen string 2 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 375° degrees F. (could vary with ovens) Coat a large pot over high heat with enough oil to accommodate all of the meat. Generously season each short rib with salt and add the ribs to the pan in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook the ribs until they are well browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the ribs from the pan and repeat with the next batch. Drain the fat from the pot. Coat the bottom of the pan with fresh oil and add the vegetables. Generously season the onions, celery and carrots with salt and sauté until they are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beer and use a wooden spoon to scrape bits of browned meat and vegetables from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture simmer and reduce it by 50 percent. Return the short ribs to the pan and add the stock, thyme and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the oven. Cook until the ribs are tender, about 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more stock, if needed.

Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven and keep warm. To serve, transfer the ribs and vegetables to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid into a separate bowl and ladle it over the meat. Serve with a side dish like mashed potatoes or yams.

—Recipes courtesy of Chef Alex Carballo, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens