Instead of giving each other gifts for Valentine's this year, Otis and I decided to go out for a fancy dinner together, and when we received the flyer advertising a Shelton Brothers Beer Dinner at Hugo's, it was obvious we should sign up.

March 11 was an unseasonably warm day, especially coming on the heels of a wicked cold snap that was making me wicked cranky. And, since we anticipated drinking a fair amount of beer, and are responsible citizens who don't drink and drive, we walked from the West End to Hugo's, spending the twenty minutes or so anticipating our dinner, and pondering whether it would be a really reasonable way to spend 200+ dollars.

It turns out, it is possible to experience a meal as simultaneously incredibly expensive, and yet a good deal. This meal was advertised as a six-courser, with paired beers that would compliment the food. We ended up with nine courses, including intermezzos, and nine beers. Even better, one of the Shelton brothers, Will, was present to narrate and embellish on each of the incredible beers, most of which were so outside the mundane norm that I'm not really sure if I even have the vocabulary to describe them.

Luckily, Will had the vocab, plus a droll delivery that complemented his eccentric bald head and geekish obsession with the minutia of each beer's provenance and specifications. He was a charming guy with an obvious love for his work, and a great sense of humor. Interestingly, he is a vegan who couldn't eat any of the normal courses presented. Of course the Hugo's folks created special dishes for him, which he said were delicious. I do find it hard to believe they were as tasty as what we had, though. Since I'm being fairly long-winded I'm going to use the extended entry field, so click the link below to hear about the details of the meal.