Beer vs. Wine: Which Pairs Better With Food? | Garrett Oliver episode artwork

EPISODE · May 14, 2026 · 38 MIN

Beer vs. Wine: Which Pairs Better With Food? | Garrett Oliver

from The Restaurant Guys · host The Restaurant Guys

This is a Vintage episode from 2006Why This Episode MattersLong before craft beer became mainstream, Garrett Oliver was arguing that beer belonged at the fine dining tableThis 2006 conversation captures the early days of American craft brewing before the explosion of brewery culture and IPA dominanceGarrett explains why beer may pair with food better than wine — then challenges Francis to prove him wrongThe episode explores brewing philosophy, Belgian traditions, and the business pressures of growthIncludes a fascinating snapshot of how small Brooklyn Brewery still was in 2006 — despite already becoming influentialThe BanterMark Pascal and Francis Schott discuss Frank Bruni’s four-star review of Jean-Georges in The New York Times and what happens when great chefs expand into restaurant empires. The conversation explores restaurant identity, and whether excellence can survive scale.The ConversationGarrett Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster’s Table, joins The Restaurant Guys for a spirited conversation about the early days of American craft beer, brewing philosophy, beer aging, Belgian traditions, and pairing beer with food. Things get competitive when Oliver argues beer pairs better with food than wine — prompting Francis to challenge him to a live beer-versus-wine showdown at Stage Left. BioGarrett Oliver is the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery and one of the most influential figures in American craft beer. He is the author of The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food and editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oliver has received numerous honors for his contributions to brewing and beverage culture, including a James Beard Award.InfoBrooklyn Brewery https://brooklynbrewery.com/Garrett Oliver http://www.garrettoliver.net/We're bringing our kitchen to the farm!Join us at Dreyer Farms in Cranford, NJ for a Table-to-Farm Dinner.Sunday, September 13 @ 5:30https://www.stageleft.com/event/91326-table-to-farm-dinner/ Subscribe: Restaurant Guys' Regularhttps://restaurantguysregulars.buzzsprout.com/Magyar Bankhttps://www.magbank.com/Stage Left Wine Shophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Our PlacesStage Left Steakhttps://www.stageleft.com/Catherine Lombardi Restauranthttps://www.catherinelombardi.com/Stage Left Wineshophttps://www.stageleftwineshop.com/Reach Out to The [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 14, 2026

Embed this episode

This is a Vintage episode from 2006 Why This Episode Matters Long before craft beer became mainstream, Garrett Oliver was arguing that beer belonged at the fine dining tableThis 2006 conversation captures the early days of American craft brewing before the explosion of brewery culture and IPA dominanceGarrett explains why beer may pair with food better than wine — then challenges Francis to prove him wrongThe episode explores brewing philosophy, Belgian traditions, and the business pressures ...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Beer vs. Wine: Which Pairs Better With Food? | Garrett Oliver

0:00 38:19

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Restaurant Guys?

This episode is 38 minutes long.

When was this The Restaurant Guys episode published?

This episode was published on May 14, 2026.

Is there a transcript available for this episode?

Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

Can I download this The Restaurant Guys episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!