LIVING

Orange County Business Journal, Apr 28-May 4, 2008 by Leopold, Julie

REVIEW

Drink of the Week - Kimera's beer tasting, $14

Wine tasting is so yesterday. The new hip event is beer tasting. Kimera restaurant in Irvine has jumped on the beer bandwagon-or off the wagon might be more appropriate-with its Wednesday night world-class beer tastings. Each week, a private distributor brings in five or six brews from a different country or region that branch beyond the Guinnesses and Stella Artois of the international imports. A recent week's offerings featured hop-rich concoctions from English breweries with tongue-and-cheek names like the Monty python Holy Grail and Witchwood's Hobgoblin. Each tasting is $14 and includes a plate of garlic fries with a creamy aioli dipping sauce to "cleanse the palate." While the beer-for-your-buck ratio is a little low with each taste weighing in at three or four ounces (if you make friends with your personal beer guy/guide he might be a little more heavy handed with the pour), the experience is well worth the price. The most unique beer from the English breweries was the Meantime Coffee Porter, which, true to its name, tasted like supercarbonated coffee with a serious hops aftertaste. The abundant bubbles and strict separation of the coffee taste on your tongue and beer taste in your throat makes this an acquired taste, but from a hair of the dog perspective having coffee, caffeine and beer in one glass definitely has its plusses. Kimera is at 19530 Jamboree Road and beer tasting is Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m.

-Julie Leupold