(Credit: Chris Casella)

Wine and beer have been on the menu before anybody had the presence of mind, or the cognitive skills, to print menus. We’re talking Stone Age; the history goes back so far the origin of either beverage is largely theoretical, but wine has always been more revered. Beer was always seen as a functional beverage.

As society evolved and the concept of “cuisine” was perfected, wine went hand in hand with dinner. Because of its protein content, abundance of nutrients and relatively low alcohol content, beer was more of a meal replacement.

Eventually beer became an informal beverage that one might have with a simple meal, while chefs and sommeliers marveled at how well certain wines paired with certain foods.

The craft beer revolution didn’t get started until the late early ’80s. Yes, there has been a staggering selection of beers to be had for centuries, but American craft brewers tore down barriers. They deviated outside of style profiles, told King Gambrinus what he could do with his stupid Bavarian purity law and put taste at the forefront. Now it’s hard to find a bar or restaurant that doesn’t have a respectable selection of craft beers and the brewers who started it all have changed the game once again by experimenting with “estate” beers, crafted from ingredients grown on site, which subjects beer to the regional influences that are common among wines.

Now beers are every bit as complex and nuanced as their grape-borne counterparts and people in the food world are starting to take notice. The great thing about beer is that the differences from one style to the next aren’t as subtle as they are in wine. Sure, nobody is going to confuse a Pinot Grigio for a Merlot but how many people can readily discern a difference between a Cab and a Shiraz?

“I find that beer has a complexity that’s equal to wine,” said Chef Bill Glover of Sage American Bistro (www.sageamericanbistro.com). “Beer is very welcoming as a food pairing. I’ve featured tasting menus with beer and my approach is very similar.”

If anything, according to Glover, beer can be a little more forgiving. “Beer works very well as a companion to food. Some wines, like a big Cab, you can’t really have anything with them.

Last year we did a tasting with the brewmaster from Stone [Brewing Co.] and it was a huge success,” he added. “I’m planning to do that again in the early part of 2012. This time I don’t want to limit the selection to one brewer.

He added, “I’ll also throw a beer into one of the wine tastings. I don’t like to have a lot of rules, it’s really about enjoying the flavors in the pairing.”

Overall, Columbus has been a little slow to hop on the food/beer pairing bandwagon. With the exception of Barley’s Oysters and Stout events, our local brew pubs even fail to capitalize on actively promoting these pairings but it is a trend that is just starting to take hold in the trendsetting markets. You might run into a server who will make a keen suggestion, and almost all of the chefs seem to love craft beers, but the truth is that people are just starting to grasp this concept.

Lancaster’s Rockmill Brewery has been changing that landscape in Columbus. Matthew Barbee has been on a virtual tour of Columbus promoting his beers in sophisticated tastings at places like Hubbard Grille and Black Creek Bistro. Trish Gentile with Basi Italia in Victorian Village is finalizing details on a possible tasting with Rockmill in January as Basi, after dismissing beer for years, decided to make the plunge by reaching out to Rockmill to satisfy growing demand from customers who wish to partake of the grain rather than the grape. Rockmill is a great choice because their Belgian-inspired beers feature rich malts, subtle hops and complex spices that readily pair with food but one can’t help but think a nice American Pale Ale would go well with their rigatoni salumerie, and wouldn’t a nice smoked porter compliment the smoked chicken in the orecchiette affumicato?

Tasting events are great because they challenge chefs, brewers, foodies and beer geeks to appreciate beer on a different level. There are still beers that have no business accompanying anything more ostentacious than a hot dog – just as there are wines that have no value beyond holding up the illicit end of a sangria. But great beer is readily available and every day more people are realizing that it has a place along side the finest foods.