Since its debut in April, La Cuchara has put a unique stamp on the local dining scene with its bar-centric vibe and signature bite-sized tasting dishes influenced by the flavors of France and Spain.
This Monday, the menu is expanding to include yet another regional specialty—Basque-inspired beer.
The restaurant’s owners have put their heads together with their Woodberry neighbors at Union Craft Brewing to create a special 10-gallon keg of cask-conditioned ale, also known as a firkin, to be featured each week.
“We’ve always been fans of Union, we have Union beers at the bar all the time,” says Jake Lefenfeld, bar manager and co-owner of La Cuchara. “We had spoken to them about doing something special for us, and once we knew they were on board, we jumped right on it.”
La Cuchara will tap a new cask that fuses its Basque ingredients with one of Union’s signature brews every Monday night, beginning this Monday June 29, at 5 p.m. For the inaugural event, the featured firkin will combine Union’s tart Old Pro Gose with bold ingredients like saffron, preserved lemon, and Muscat, a sparkling wine native to Spain.
“Being able to raid La Cuchara’s pantry filled with wonderful, unique ingredients is a thrill for our team,” says Jon Zerivits, Union’s co-founder and director of marketing. “The real team behind these cask creations is
Drew Lesoveck, our assistant brewer and a former chef, and Lynn Pronobis, our lead cellar person
and cask master. They felt this combination of bitter saffron and
salted preserved lemon would compliment the citrus and salt notes
already found in Old Pro.”
Some seasonal pinxtos (bite-sized skewered snacks) will be added to the menu to celebrate the first firkin being tapped on Monday, and guests that arrive early will receive a discounted glass of the new brew.