Behind The Food: Abominable Chili

Our Chef, Kaelyn Sharp, has worked like mad to put together the perfect pairing for our Abominable Winter Ale this winter, so we sat down with her to chat culinary and innovation and hear what that perfect pairing is. (Spoiler Alert: it’s chili!)

What’s up, Kaelyn!? Tell us about yourself! 

Well, my name’s Kaelyn and I’ve been the chef at Hopworks for the last three years! I run the kitchens and work on innovation, food specials, and beer cuisine, which is finding fun and new ways to incorporate beer into our pubs’ menus.

What’s happening on the menu this fall/winter?

We’re working on a ton of specials right now! Some of the new items that’ll be coming in the next couple months are a fall salad, seasonal vegetables in dishes, new additions to our pizza line up, and burger innovation! One of the biggest things that just came out, though, is our Abominable Chili!

All right, we’ll bite: tell us about Abominable Chili!

Nice pun. Abom Chili is something we’ve talked about doing for years. As chefs and home cooks alike know, darker beers can be difficult to work with in cooking, so we’ve been testing a bunch of different ways to get this one just right. What we’ve created is a delicious, three bean chili made with ground beef and pork sausage, peppers, onions, spices, and Abominable Winter Ale!

The white beans are the ones we specifically infuse with Abom, and the black beans are actually infused with Ferocious, so you’re getting a double whammy of beer goodness.

We found that infusing our beans with Abominable and then adding it later in the process really helps infuse those malty, sweet flavors without any bitterness. Paired with the sausage, jalapeños, and paprika, it creates a really nice balance of savory and sweet with just a hint of spice. And it gives us a fun way to dress up a number of other classics on the menu that are sure to keep our guests warm and happy this winter!

Awesome! Well, let’s wrap it up. What’s your favorite beer?

My favorite beer has to be Ferocious Citrus Blood Orange IPA, although when it’s summer it’s definitely Totally Chill!

Thanks for chatting with us, Kaelyn! Be sure to grab a bowl of chili this season to keep you warm—and don’t forget a pint of Abom to go with it!