Review: ‘4 Reasons To Be Vegan’ Beer Dinner by Little Creatures Brewery
In mid-May my hubby and I had a ‘discussion’. The very condensed version of which went a little something like this…
Husband: “Before we had kids we always used to go out. We always used to try new food, enjoy good wine, explore new tastes. I loved that! It was part of who we were as a couple. We don’t do that anymore. We can’t explore food like we used to because of the ‘vegan thing’, we don’t enjoy nice wine because you don’t drink. Everything has changed and I miss all of that.”
Me: “Wow, I had no idea you felt that way!”
Just to clarify, yes we do eat out – just very rarely due to having 2 kids and pretty hectic schedules, and no I don’t drink anymore – this has nothing to do with being vegan and everything to do with smashing a few health and fitness goals this year. Regardless, I actually meant it when I said, “I had no idea he felt that way!”
I am a bit of a homebody and I also love a good routine. Hubby works crazy hours and really likes to let loose once in a while. I think I had lost sight of that.
Fortunately, while browsing on Facebook, I came across an event that was being run by the Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle called ‘4 Reasons To Be Vegan’ Beer Dinner. It was on a Friday night and after a little investigating I found out that round 1 of this dinner sold out pretty quick, so I jumped at the chance to get tickets. My hope was that this event would give my hubby a combination of what he was missing; the opportunity to explore some new tastes paired with an alcoholic beverage, and the night out he was longing for.
So here is how it went…
6.30pm
We arrived at Little Creatures Brewery a bit early to take advantage of the fact we had babysitters and to make sure we didn’t get stuck in traffic… that just goes to show how little we go out these days. 😉  We headed into the main brewery for a drink and to kill some time. The atmosphere was pretty chilled with groups and couples spread around either enjoying some food or a quiet drink. Hubby enjoyed an Elsie WA Ale and I settled on a lemon squash – couldn’t help but skull this just like I used to when I was a kid.
7.00pm
Just before 7.00pm we headed over to the Brew House to find our table. We were greeted at the door by a really friendly gentleman, who turned out to be the Manager, Wesley. He advised us that we would be seated on a large table with people we had never met before (unless we were opposed to that) as the event was about exploring great food, beer, and company.
As our fellow table guests began to arrive, it became clear that this wasn’t a dinner for the strictly vegan but an opportunity for food lovers of all kinds to try something different. On our table of 10, only 3 of us were vegan, 1 was pescatarian, 3 were mostly vegan by default, 1 was vegetarian and 2 were omnivores. Once this had been clarified, everyone seemed happy to come together to enjoy the atmosphere and what was on offer. I felt completely comfortable with this new group of friends and we all made light conversation until our first course arrived.
Course 1: Elsie WA Ale: Roasted Squash Salad, Radicchio, Walnut & Tahini Dressing
The first drink, an Elsie WA Ale arrived before the meal and the feedback from the table was that it was very enjoyable – so much so that a few had actually finished it before the course arrived. Our charming character of a waitperson, Iain, was super friendly and kindly made sure that those who had run out received a little more to taste with their food. I will admit that when I had read on the Facebook page what would be offered as a first course, I wasn’t particularly excited, however after listening to Wesley explain that the Squash used in the dish was from a small local farmer who specialised in this particular type of squash and only produced a crop of 150 per year, my interest had piqued. And… I have to say, this Squash salad was unlike any squash I had ever tasted before. It was simply delicious! It melted in your mouth and the combination of the gentle sweetness of the squash with the slight bitterness of the Radicchio, plus the creaminess of the dressing was definitely impressive. The whole table commented that they were surprised by the generous serving size as well as the delish combinations they had been served on the plate.
Course 2: Rogers: Buffalo Cauliflower Taco, Chickpeas & Hummus
Turns out a Rogers beer is velvety and smooth with notes of roasted toffee and caramel malt – or so I am told. This was paired with a roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea and Hummus soft tacos drizzled with a generous serve of buffalo sauce. Now I already knew how awesome Cauliflower tacos can be (as I have made them at home for the family a few times)… what I hadn’t explored, and may have been missing my whole life, is buffalo sauce. I guess it’s an American thing but let me tell you it was soooo good and had a nice kick behind it that very likely would have been nicely washed down by the Rogers beer. It was a hands-on course and we were fortunately provided with extra napkins to mop up the drips that were running through our fingers by the end. I have to admit though, I quite enjoyed this experience – most places never give you enough sauce!
Course 3: Pale Ale: The Ultimate Vegan Slider, Beetroot, Avocado, Rocket & Sweet Potato Chips
The Ultimate Vegan Slider… now I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this. I’m pretty picky when it comes to burgers. I need the patty to hold together and I find beetroot burgers, in particular, can go either way. This version was tasty, although I did find that it didn’t hold together as much as I would have liked. It also must have had fennel as an ingredient which isn’t really a flavour I like. Having said that, everyone else devoured theirs very quickly and even the omnivores were suitably impressed. I must say the thinly sliced sweet potato chips were a favourite of mine because who can go past some super crispy sweet potato chips any day! I really don’t feel qualified to comment on the beer, having never tasted it, and by this stage everyone was so deep in conversation that they didn’t last long. I’ll take that as a good sign that the Pale Ale was enjoyed by all.
Course 4: The Fuggle Is Real Winter Stout: Dark Chocolate Torte & Raspberries
The Fuggle Is Real Winter Stout… this is where I get technical… not at all, sorry. It’s dark and looks a little like Guinness. It may be nothing like Guinness. I don’t really know. By this stage, I’m sure you realise I know nothing about beer! Some on the table devoured it, some were feeling too full and saving room for the torte so opted to pass. So let’s get straight to the chocolate, as I know it is what most people want to hear about. For me, this torte was a little too heavy. The serving was really generous and I could only really manage a few spoonfuls. The raspberries were quite sweet and it didn’t seem to hit the spot for me. I really would have either liked something a lot lighter, or perhaps a much smaller serving paired with a few other elements so the rich chocolate wasn’t the main focus. A few on the table managed to finish their serves, however, I did not – I did bring it home what I was unable to eat in a box to test on the kids the next day though. They gave it a go, but also found it a bit too rich.
Overall, this event was a big win in my books. It was the right combination of atmosphere, education, exploration and great company. Hubby really enjoyed it too. We both drove away saying that it was one of the most enjoyable nights we had experienced in a very long time and that we would most definitely be quick to get tickets to the next one!
I would highly recommend this event to everyone, regardless of their food preferences, as I am confident that no one will go home hungry, or even worse ‘hangry’ or disappointed!
Thank you, Little Creatures, and well done!
