Beer vs. Wine Dinner at TAG photos and review

Craft Beer and Wine went head to head, for rights at the 'Head of the Table.'  Round two of TAG's Beer vs. Wine Dinner last night was an incredible matchup.

The creatives at TAG invited Doug Krenik, Master Sommelier, and Bryan Baltzell, beer expert at Great Divide, to pair their respective beverages with carefully crafted cuisine by Executive Chef Troy Guard and his team at TAG, and allow the pairings to be judged by the audience.  What was the outcome of the second Beer vs. Wine dinner?  This year's dinner ended with a complex result.  If the votes where tallied by courses, it would be a straight tie, 2-2, but, if the votes where tallied in total, Beer would have won with 70-68 votes. 

Both Master Sommelier Doug Krenik and Bryan Baltzell from Great Divide Brewery came to the throw down prepared to present fantastic pairings and put them to the test.  Both were incredibly knowledgeable, and each argued for their pairings while enjoying their competitors offerings.  In the end, there was a lot of synergy with both of the wine and the beer and how each was uniquely paired and enjoyed side by side.  I think that the vote shows that both wine and beer lovers' knowledge and understanding are growing with each of these unique dinners and guest are leaving with new found appreciations for both beer and wine. 

Rather than answer the question of Beer or Wine, this dinner may have raised a question of its own, Can you enjoy Beer and Wine side by side?  Maybe next year's Beer vs. Wine dinner will take pairings to the next level and answer my question, and can we pair wine, food and beer all together for the ultimate pairing?

Please click on the slideshow link to see food and beverage images from the dinner.

Article and photography by Ryan Conklin

Milwaukee St Tavern

Are you tired of your same old bar, looking for chill place to watch a game or just kick back?  Are you new to Cherry Creek and looking for a great neighborhood tavern that serves up delicious pub food in an unpretentious setting?  Let me introduce you to the Milwaukee Street Tavern.  This downstairs bar is located in the heart of Cherry Creek north and is accessible from the corner of 2nd and Milwaukee.  It caters to the Cherry Creek local as well as the friendly passer by.  If you stop by on the day of a Colorado Rockies game you will find a pub full of frenzied sports fans and bar with drink specials of the hometown favorite, Coors Lt. throughout the game.  If you miss the game and are just interested in some drinks at reasonable prices, the Milwaukee Street Tavern offers drink specials every day of the week including an all day Happy Hour on Sundays.  That's right, Happy Hour all day for NFL football.

Though the Milwaukee Street Tavern is a great place to watch a Rockies game, they offers something for everyone, with all the sports packages shown on HD plasma TVs mounted on walls and bar stocked with everything you'd want out of a great tavern.  Not only do they serve the hometown favorite, Coors, as well as other domestic beers, they also serve Stella Artois, 90 Shilling, Stone Arrogant Bastard, New Belgium products and an IPA served on nitrogen for the most discriminating beer drinkers.  For the sports fan, the tavern provides all of the major sporting events on some of the best looking TVs around and caters drink specials accordingly.  If you come hungry, Milwaukee St. Tavern serves a great full menu from 11am until 10pm. and a late night menu served until midnight.  If the food and booze or the sports don't bring you in to try the Milwaukee Street Tavern, let your curiosity guide you here to try ThunderBowl, a miniaturized, coin operated version of bowling.  Bowling in a bar you ask?  Yes, and it is free Monday and Tuesday from 10pm until they close at 2am.  Head over to the Milwaukee Street Tavern on 2nd and Milwaukee for the next big sporting event, a quick drink with friends or to get a bite to eat and try your hand at miniaturized bowling.  Service industry gets lots of love on Mondays and Tuesdays as well so if you have worked hard all weekend in a restaurant or bar, come in for a complimentary drink and wind down with others from the service industry.

Milwaukee Street Tavern's Hours
11am-2am daily
Full Menu: 11am- 10pm
LateNight Menu: 10pm-12am

Checkout the map below for directions.

Featured Bar

Tired of the same old scene?

Looking for a bar that serves a proper cocktail priced affordably enough that you don't have to mortgage your home to enjoy a night out with you friends?  Have I got an awesome hole in the wall to share with you.

This weekend checkout the Benchwarmer at 1855 E Main St Ventura, CA.


Though this place in not a glamourous favorite for all, it is a longtime local and neighborhood favorite that is not afraid to have a new kid in town over for a beer.  Though this nightspot is off the main bar circuit of Ventura, you will likely still encounter someone you know but never thought you'd run into here.  When you walk in to this long and slender sports bar you are immediately greeted by a well worn bar and an equally local bartender.  Straight ahead you see a seasoned jukebox, a pinball game and a quarter operated pool table that only requires $.75 to play.  With TV's peppered throughout the bar this venue is great on game day and well into the off season. This would be enough for most visiting a hole in the wall, but the Benchwarmer still has more to offer.  The "Warmer" is actually one of the best  venues in the city for Dart play with a whole room dedicated in the back.  With darts available for borrow (free) or purchase from the bar, it makes it easy to get a game of Cricket or 501 going any time.  In fact the bar plays hosts to multiple amateur and professional contests and exhibitions each year. As if that is not enough, there is a heated patio out back with tv's for smokers and fresh air junkies who can't imagine missing one play of the "big game."  


Take my advice:  Invite a couple of your good friends out for a drink (and plan to pay for a couple rounds).  You will be gladly surprised at how far your entertainment dollar will go at this classic Ventura watering hole and how much fun you and your friends can get into at this often overlooked bar on Main Street.  For the price of a night of drinks at most downtown bars, you could treat your friends all night at The Benchwarmer and still have some change to hear your favorite songs on the jukebox while you beat your friends at billiards .

*The Benchwarmer is great on game day so head over to The Benchwarmer for the big NCAA or NFL game this season, just avoid Dallas cowboy games, take my word.



Click on the map for an enlargement and directions.