I had the opportunity last night to attend the Bacon Bash at the Royal Oak Farmers Market in Royal Oak, Mich.The Bacon Bash allowed attendees to savor "all things covered, wrapped and seasoned with bacon." Among the "brews" were local and national selections from Deschutes Brewery, Griffin Claw Brewing Company, Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Magic Hat Brewing Company and more!If you were one of the VIP attendees who were lucky enough to arrive at 6:30 p.m., one hour before general admission, you were one of the first to sink your teeth into some inventive "bacon" presentations by local restaurants and culinary schools. From candied bacon to pork belly mac 'n cheese, this was truly a celebration to bacon.Out of all of the beer-and-bacon pairings, I have to say that my favorite was the chocolate covered maple applewood bacon with Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss. The real Wisconsin honey helped enhance the sweetness of the bacon, while the earthiness of the beer complemented the smokiness of the bacon.In addition to a variety of bacon and brews, you could satisfy your sweet tooth by enjoying bacon brownies, bacon s'mores and even some things not bacon ... sweet potato cheesecake. I tried the sweet potato cheesecake with the Deschutes Black Butte Porter. The creaminess of the cheesecake matched perfectly with the creaminess of the porter, while still allowing the sweet potato and chocolate flavors to shine.With delicious craft beers, entertainment and more, Royal Oak was rocking all night long! I would highly recommend attending one of their events to experience all that beer and food pairing has to offer! For more details, visit www.baconbash.com.
