Bacon & Beer Festival: Beer Infused & Bacon Topped Cupcakes
Bacon & Beer Festival: Beer Infused & Bacon Topped Cupcakes from Leaf & Crumb
Bacon anchored the Mile High City this past weekend. And some are still digesting. That’s what happens when Eat Boston and Denver off the Wagon team up to bring the Bacon and Beer Festival to Denver at the Exdo Event Center. This past Sunday, November 10th, some of Denver’s top chefs debuted brand new recipes special just for the fest. Bacon lovers responded- with 1,200 tickets sold to try out samples from 25 chews, and 25 breweries. Basically try a sample, wash it down with a beer and repeat 24 more times. The ticket price was worth the $49 because many likely didn’t have to eat Monday.
We will be rolling out a series of interviews with some of the featured chefs. First up is Jennifer Akina, Owner and Pastry Chef of Leaf & Crumb. They made cupcakes that went so far as to include beer in the recipes. The honey vanilla chamomile cake topped with wheat beer Swiss buttercream and topped with bacon bits sent lines soaring. For dark beer lovers, the chocolate stout cake covered in a dark chocolate espresso ganache with bacon on top was a hit.
- Carri: What trends do you notice around bacon and beer in Denver specifically?
- Jennifer: Bacon can really be deliciously combined with sweet and savory. We enjoyed combing it with our tea infused cupcakes. Beer in Denver is one of those things that everyone is searching for the most unique, small batch brewery. We found it combined well with our unique flavor infusions as well!
- Carri: What is most unique about the Denver food culture?
- Jennifer: The Denver food culture is big and ever growing, but still small enough to know many chefs and know what their individual contribution to the scene is. Each of our restaurants have their specialty.
- Carri:. Where do you find inspiration to cook up new menu items?
- Jennifer: Inspiration for us comes with the season. Sometimes flavor combinations at area restaurants inspire our tea infusions at Leaf & Crumb.
- Carri: What can customers expect when they visit?
- Jennifer: We try to keep our flavors of cakes and pastries in a rotation and try new flavors every couple weeks. We have different flavors every day!
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