1. Paella Valenciana, served with The Admiral’s Blend Lager
The Spanish seafood classic, paella, has become a signature dish at Thirsty Bear, brimming with prawns, clams, calamari, rockfish, and mussels. McCarthy adds an aromatic tomato sofrito, peppers, herbs, vegetables, and lemon, resulting in a richly layered dish bursting with Spanish aromas. It’s paraded out to the table in a cast-iron pan, piping hot, with the intoxicating aromas from the stream trailing behind and luring other diners into ordering it themselves.
“There is so much going on in this dish, and lots of full-bodied flavor,” McCarthy said. “I wanted a beer to complement and not overpower it.”
His chosen beverage pairing is a West Coast lager called The Admiral’s Blend, which melds perfectly with the dish. It’s bold enough to stand up to the robust flavors without washing out, and yet has a crisp and bright finish.
This beer is named after Admiral Maltings, a Malthouse co-founded by Silberstein, Thirsty Bear’s owner, to sustainably source grains and make a handcrafted malt which is sold to local breweries. The beer is hop-forward, lower in alcohol, and refreshes every mouthful of the unctuous seafood, rice, and aromatics.
