Bodega + Beer Pairings

Green Bench enthusiasts might be privy that this year the brewery is turning ten! But all may not be aware that Green Bench’s beloved neighbor, Bodega, also turned ten on March 15th. 

In honor of the Edge District staples’ respective decades of delicious, here are some recommended pairings of Best Florida Beer medaling brews and eats from Bodega: 

Postcard Pils & Cuban Sandwich

Postcard Pils Best Florida Beer - Bronze 2023

First there was PB&J with a cold glass of milk, then there was the Cuban from Bodega and a Postcard Pils. The Bodega Cuban performs a beautiful balancing act. Between the citrusy kick of fatty mojo pork, salty ham, zippy acidity from pickles, nutty swiss cheese, rich and silky mayonnaise*, and the crunchiest-but-still-perfectly-chewy cuban bread to hold it all together, this sandwich has it all. Postcard Pils is a natural pairing because its zigs meet the Cuban’s zags. Postcard’s crisp and bitter finish brings a brightness to the unctuous Cuban. Soft and sweet malt character meets acidity in the middle. There is no finer pairing. 

*Let’s talk about mayonnaise. This is how Bodega makes their Cuban. Bodega offers a smattering of other spreads to adorn their wonderful sandwich including but not limited to mustard, spicy mayo, and mango mayo. Diners who prefer mustard to mayonnaise may substitute to their heart’s content. Additionally folks who prefer a sandwich as crispy as their pilsner may order it “extra pressed.”

Up in Smoke & Lechon Plato

Up in Smoke Best Florida Beer - Gold 2023

What better to go with a gorgeous pile of mojo pork and all the Cuban fixin’s than a bright and smokey rauchbier? Bodega’s Lechon Plato includes mojo pork and onions alongside sides of rice, beans, and maduros (sweet, ripe plantains). While bold in flavor and boasting a grain bill of 100% smoked malts, Up in Smoke’s crisp finish offers levity where other smoked beers might present weight. This vivacity counters the filling heartiness that is the Lechon Plato. Diners may find an unexpected delight in the pairing of the sweet, fibrous maduros with the smoked lager. It offers a similar, potentially more familiar experience that can be found in pulled pork and a sweeter barbeque sauce grocery store brand Sweet Baby Ray’s or a Western Carolina sauce. 

Malus (2020) & Lechon Sandwich*

Malus (2019) Best Florida Beer - Gold 2023

Pork and apples are a tried and true classic in the world of food and beverage pairing. Malus is our evolutionary vintage cider, each year the blend of apples changes to fit what our palates are digging and which apples are available that year. The 2019 vintage is a blend of Cox Orange Pippin, Dabinette, Wickson Crab, Golden Russet & Roxbury Russet Apples; the primary characteristics you’ll get from this blend is a citric-like acid profile with tons of tropical fruit and a dry, slightly tannic finish that just begs for another sip. A perfect pairing for some rich, juicy pork from our neighbors over at Bodega on Central. The first sip of cider washes your palate clean and sets you up for that perfect first bite of Bodega bliss. Fatty richness from the pork and buttery pan Cubano intermingles with the tannins left from the Dabinette apples in the 2019 blend. Another sip lends a fresh dose of acid which cuts right through those same fats, setting you up again for that perfect bite. Sip, Bite, Repeat. Grab that iconic Bodega brown paper bag, then head over to the Green Bench beer garden for a bottle of Florida’s finest cider.

*Cider pairing written by James Kerr, Green Bench/Webb’s City Cellar Bartender & Certified Pommelier