Meal spread
Photos: Jeff Marini

Chicago has been slow to hop on the haute beer-pairing trend. Until last November, there was really just Band of Bohemia, Ravenswood’s Michelin-starred “culinary brewhouse.” Then Moody Tongue Brewing Company debuted its minimalist dining room (a more casual bar is next door), where brewmaster Jared Rouben and executive chef Jared Wentworth offer a 12-course tasting menu ($155). The dishes feature unexpected flavor profiles — like XO-sauce-tossed rice noodles and peanuts with king crab (a play on cheung fun) — and get matched with the brewery’s wildly creative offerings. In the case of those noodles, it’s a punchy watermelon saison, which, like all 12 of the paired beers, is served in a glass designed especially for it. (This one looks like a classic Champagne coupe.) If this is the future of drink pairings, bring it on.

Brown butter genoise, bittersweet chocolate cake with two pairing options: 12-Layer Cake Imperial Stout and Scotch Barrel-Aged Peated Scotch Ale, Kaluga caviar paired with Salted Gose, king crab paired with Sour Watermelon Saison, veal choucroute paired with Brûléed Banana Dunkel Weizenbock, and seared foie gras paired with Sour Peach Belgian Golden
1. Brown butter genoise 2. Bittersweet chocolate cake with two pairing options: 12-Layer Cake Imperial Stout and Scotch Barrel-Aged Peated Scotch Ale 3. Kaluga caviar paired with Salted Gose 4. King crab paired with Sour Watermelon Saison 5. Veal choucroute paired with Brûléed Banana Dunkel Weizenbock 6. Seared foie gras paired with Sour Peach Belgian Golden

Update:You’ll have to wait a little longer to get to experience the ever-changing array of seasonal dishes on Moody Tongue’s tasting menu, but beer is still available for carryout and delivery. You can get growlers and four packs of the likes of the Brûléed Banana Dunkel Weizenbock and Juiced Lychee IPA, plus mixed cases so you can try an array of different brews. New beers are being released regularly, so check the site or Instagram for the latest offerings.