A chef in London for 10 years, before joining the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta eight months ago as executive sous chef, Alistair Carter was given a new, and interesting, challenge.

“I was asked to prepare a dinner for forty people, matching various Anheuser-Busch beers with every course, including dessert,” he says.

“In close collaboration with Brewmaster George Reich, I tasted and drank the beers that would be featured, making notes about what foods would best complement each. I then prepared these dishes and tasted each along with what I considered the perfect match.”

Here is what he served:

• Smoked Haddock with Poached Hens Egg and Hollandaise Sauce, Served with Anheuser World Lager

The World Lager is a classic Pilsner. Its light malty flavor goes well with soup and fish. Because of its malty flowery aroma, it is perfect with smoked fish. Smoked haddock is quite salty to taste but combined with the egg and hollandaise it is a perfect combination with this lager.

• Poached Organic Chicken with Wild Mushrooms and Sauce Bonne Femme, Served with Michelob AmberBock

This is a great Bock beer: rich, strong, malty with caramel undertones. Traditionally this would be served with barbequed food. But it is great with rich creamy food. This is a better way of truly tasting the beer. This dish is both light in the use of the poached chicken and rich and creamy with the sauce and mushrooms. First the mouth tastes rich and creamy, and then the rich caramel beer washes over. It’s a great sensation.

• Atlantic Dover Sole with Lobster Mousseline, Asparagus and a Lobster Nage, Served with Michelob Ultra Amber

Michelob Ultra Amber is a beautiful, light, smooth lager with a clean finish. It is a great summer evening drink. Because of these characteristics, the perfect dish would be fish. Sole and Lobster are a fitting combination. With a light lobster sauce, it is a beautiful tangy and vibrant combination on the back of your tongue.

• Chargrilled Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Mash and Sauce Bordelaise,Served with Spring Heat Spiced Wheat Ale

This is an unfiltered wheat beer that is fruity, spicy and flavorsome. It deserves to go with a hearty piece of red meat and robust sauce. Here the beef is chargrilled and served with garlic mashed potatoes and rich dark Bordelaise sauce. A dish that befits a great wheat beer like this one.

• Bitter Chocolate Mousse with Biscotti, Served with Michelob Honey Lager

This is a slightly sweet full-bodied beer with a light malty caramel taste. The chocolate is 100 percent cocoa to create a truly bitter chocolate mousse. The combination of this flavor with the honey lager is exhilarating, feeling tangy and alive. The floral flavor of the beer numbs the bitter taste of the chocolate to combine perfectly.

• Passion Fruit Mousse with Chocolate Ganache Served with Spring Heat Spiced Ale

Passion fruit is quite sharp and tangy. While the chocolate is a great combination with the fruit, it is the ale that truly combines all the flavors. It causes a sparkling effect on the tongue and helps deliver the true flavor of the fruit.

A Brewmaster's Comments
“All of our beers at Anheuser-Busch are craft beers,” said George Reich, brewmaster, Corporate Brewing for Anheuser-Busch. “Our beers are produced by brewmasters at twelve breweries around the U.S., and others around the world, including China. We’re not mass-produced, just very popular.

“To fully enjoy your beer, look at the color, at the creamy head of foam ... When you pour it into a glass, pour the beer down the middle of the glass, observing the tiny bubbles. Swirl the beer and enjoy the delicate aromas,” Reich continued. “Take a sip and savor the sweetness on the tip of your tongue and a bitter taste on the back of your tongue. Now swallow and gently exhale, allowing the aromas to again reach your nose.”

After this exercise, you’ll always be looking for a glass to pour your beer into, no more drinking from the bottle. With light beers he suggests a pilsner glass, for maltier beers he suggests a tulip glass with a big bowl, or a Bordeaux red wine glass, leaving room to swirl the beer. A one- to one-and-a-half-inch head on the beer is ideal.

Everyone at the dinner agreed on two things.

1) It was a superb dining experience, and 2) They have a totally new way of looking at beer. Kudos to Chef Alistair Carter.

Dave Steadman is editor and associate publisher, Hotel Wine, Beer, & Sprits.