Upstairs on the Square Aztec Beer Dinner

I have been to plenty of wine pairing dinners but Tuesday night was my first ever beer pairing. Sponsored by BeerAdvocate.com, I believe. The event took place at Upstairs on the Square, a restaurant that always presents a surprise with each meal. Tuesday was no exception.

The meal - both beer and food - had an Aztec theme. Each dish incorporated an ingredient (or two or three) that was part of the Aztec culture (that the Conquistidors so rudely eliminated upon their arrival in the Western Hemisphere). A beer was chosen to bring out not only the flavors of the meal but also for how the meal transformed the beer.

The first course was a seafood ceviche with avocado, lime & cilantro, paired with a Negro Modelo. A bite of radish and a sip of beer - they both transform into something sweet!
Second course: Duck prosciutto salad with white bean puree, honey roasted squash and pepitas. Paired with a bragget. Not really sure what that was, technically. But the pairing was tremendous. First, duck prosciutto? Fabulous. Had no idea duck had been a big part of the Aztec diet. The white bean puree was fantastic, especially with the drizzle of honey that really elevated all of the dish's ingredients. And the beer was really well-paired with it all, especially the honey. The beer's sweetness really came out.
Third course: Spiced chicken with a mole and corn spaetzel, paired with a German urbock that has been made the same way since 1400's. The beer company dries their hops the old fashioned way apparently - with fire and smoke. So the beer has a smoky aspect to it. On first sniff, my companions all said "where's the campfire?" Smoky beer with spiced chicken? It worked. The breast of chicken was so succulent, skin still on surprisingly. And the corn spaetzel - little balls of corn yumminess. Loved it. Couldn't eat it fast enough.
Dessert: A chocolate bread pudding paired with a chocolate beer. I knew it was coming up, so I saved a bit of my smoky beer to taste with my chocolate bread pudding. I wanted to see if I could conjure up a smores feeling. A little, but more appropriately, the beer they chose went extremely well with the dessert. Leave the pairings to the experts.
I left:

• feeling full, but not stuffed - just the way to appreciate food
• slightly tipsy
• with a greater knowledge of Aztec foods and culture
• with a greater conviction that beer is a meal in a bottle
• assured in my opinion that Upstairs on the Square is one of my top places for a consistently outstanding meals in Boston