It’s my first time attending a beer brunch, and I hope it’s not my last. I was a bit skeptical if I would be in the mood to have beers in the morning, but lo and behold I did a pretty good job adjusting. Take that, champagne!

Chef Andrea Machuca teamed-up with Native Son‘s to host a three course beer brunch featuring some fun beer pairings. It was cool to be able to sit outside on the famed patio of Native Son’s and eat breakfast (ahem…brunch), albeit really sunny and shockingly warm. I opted to begin with a Fall Brewing Co.’s Jazz Hands – a 3.4% ABV Berliner Weisse that was light and funky to cut the heat that was starting to build as the morning progressed.

Course 1: Fromage Di Affinois brie grits, cardamom granola, cherry stout compote and a sugar frosted mint leaf. Paired with Deschutes 2014 Jubelale on Nitro. The grits were the perfect consistency, at least to my preferences. I like thicker grits, like I prefer a thicker oatmeal and a thicker risotto or mac n’ cheese. How many times can I say thicker? The granola was really crunchy, providing a needed contrasting texture, but the surprise was how great the compote was. It all came together with the bold Jubelale from Deschutes, making it a real wake-up call.

Course 2: Urfa Spiced Pork Belly from Electric City Butcher, Pearl Onions, Winter Squash, Beef Fat Fried Potatoes + Cage Free Egg Scramble. Paired with Modern Time’s Blazing World. I had inquired to Andrea before she started cooking about how she was going to be able to serve a group of people hot scrambled eggs and she replied simply, “oh, it’s easy.” Now, that didn’t exactly answer my question, but through some voodoo magic all the seeming plates of delicious eggs came out harmoniously at the same time. The pops of flaked sea salt put me over the edge with this dish, it was crazy yummy. People asked for seconds.

Course 3: Broiche French Toast, Gingerbread Crumble, Eggnog Chantilly Cream, Cap’n Crunch + Mint. Paired with New Belgium Whiskey Barrel-Aged Salted Belgian Chocolate on Nitro. In all honesty, this beer wasn’t exactly what I wanted with this dessert. It seemed like there was some issues with the carbonation because I was missing that silky head you get with Nitro. Regardless of the beer issues, the dessert was freaking delicious. I typically don’t give into sweets ironically (it’s because I prefer a mixture of salty and sweet – or a mild sweetness) but this was irresistible. The toast was crunchy, the whipped cream was airy, and before I knew it I had cleared my plate.

Congrats to Andrea and her talented team for a wonderful brunch! Native son was a great host and everyone really enjoyed themselves. PS… Rick Smets from the soon-to-be-open Stereo Brewing Company stole the show with his circus bear outfit. Too funny!