This Valentine’s Day, a friend from our small group at Renewal Church was kind enough to watch the kids while Christina and I went out for dessert. At least, it was supposed to be dessert – dinner didn’t get finished in time, so we took off without it to spoil the meal!
Having recently discovered a Greenville gem in The Community Tap (look, a Drupal site!), I saw through their Twitter account that they were offering what sounded like an awesome opportunity – a Valentine’s Day beer, cheese, wine, and chocolate tasting. Christina and I had never done anything like that before, so it was a bit of a gamble surprising her, but she was suitably impressed.
The Community Tap Valentine’s Day course listing
Sadly, we didn’t grab any picture of the plates before diving in, but we did bring home a menu to remember. Ed did the pairings and presentation, including:
- Cuvee Stephi Ebullience (sparkling white wine) paired with Cazelle de Saint Affrique (soft white sheep’s milk cheese)
- Black and Blue (Belgian ale) from Dogfish Head (hey, another Drupal site!) paired with a bon bon w/ a cinnamon / whisky flavored caramel center from Sweeteeth Chocolates
- A German Spatlese Riesling (semi-weet white wine)paired with a Blue D’Auvergne (cow’s milk blue cheese) and walnuts drizzled with local honey
- Red Spanish wine (a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Carginan grapes) paired with Manchego (sheep’s milk cheese, aged 6 months)
- Port wine from Niepoort paired with a dark chocolate bon bon with a sour cherry center
To top it off, he gave us a taste of Allagash Curieux, a bourbon barrel-aged tripel. Since my wife can’t drink beer (pesky Celiac’s disease), I suffered through her Black and Blue and Curieux. Of course, polishing off that second tasting of Curieux I began to feel the effect of a day without food and an evening of beer and win(e). 😛
Best of all, Christina enjoyed it. I felt it was a gamble of a surprise, but the wine, cheese, and chocolate were more than enough to satisfy her. Even better, they were selling bars of Sweeteth chocolate, so we picked up a couple. The Cinnapsis (cinnamon apple) bar was amazing.
The whole experience was quite unique, and I’m sure we’ll take advantage of such an event again. I’m a Community Tap customer for life, especially after Ed hooked me up with a 64 oz. growler of Lagunitas Sucks before it ran dry a second time.
I picked that up along with a Bell’s Amber growler and a six-pack of RJ Rockers Son of a Peach for tonight’s festivities – my 30th birthday, featuring said beer, a gourmet burger buffet inspired by Grill Marks, assorted sides, and a Nutella crème brûlée for dessert. I’ll be following up dinner with a relaxing dip in Uncle Steve’s hot tub while some older friends in my life exhort me and my near-30 friends to live well in our 30’s.
The Community Tap made for a very special Valentine’s Day and will surely deliver for my birthday. I can’t recommend them enough.
One Ville to Another 