As you may remember from my last post, Battle and Brew is back open and catering to Atlanta’s geek community with tasty treats and cocktails, all sorts of gaming, and plenty of events to bring us together. My favorite events, of course, have always been their themed dinners. I’ve attended and covered every one of these events from their first Game of Thrones Feast for Kings, to their last Hogwarts’ Yule Dinner in 2016. Due to time constraints after BnB’s brief closing then re-opening, there was no 8-10 course dinner event last year.
However, being the events wizards that they are, the staff decided to transfiguratively make life’s lemons into liquid luck with a Hogwarts-inspired New Year’s Yule Ball that was nothing short of magical. I was personally invited to attend this event and spend the evening in V.I.W. (Very Important Wizard) Lounge where I sampled numerous culinary delights. Shall I begin to describe the wonders I witnessed (and tasted)?
Grotto Full of Fairy Lights…
I arrived to find the bar transformed — given their previous events, this should not normally surprise me. This time I was beyond impressed to find ledges frosted in icicles,
Winged keys flitting about the rafters,
Structures and curtains glowing with fairy light,
A Pensieve for collecting your inebriated thoughts,
Mirror of Erised Selfie!
And even a Quidditch-style Beer-Pong set for your wizardly amusement.
Witches and wizards gathered and entered the room, dazzling all with such glittering finery. The denizens of this event were dressed to impress.
Upon the DJ stand the Tri-Wizard Cup shone like a beacon, calling to all with its splendor. It stood as a challenge to the four houses. Those who could handle their Butterbeer and Polyjuice Potion were sure to win, casting their tickets into their respective house jars. I might be more than a little smug to report that Ravenclaw won.
But this is a food blog. Surely you came to learn about the food, right?
Sugar and Spice
As a V.I.W., I spent most of the evening savoring and photographing the following culinary delights. When I first arrived, I had my pick of such confectionary that would make the founder of Honeydukes blush.
Plates piled high with creamy butterbeer fudge, stinging lemon drops, soft and chewy house tie cookies, and frogs forged of solid chocolate graced the banquet tables.
I found, to my elation, that they baked up Harry Potter’s favorite treat: Treacle Tarts! These little bites of joy were full of crisp and crunch before giving away to a warm, melt-in-your-mouth toffee sweetness.
Of course, no magical sweet spread is complete without Pumpkin Pasties. I especially liked the crusts as it was neither too hard nor soft and seeped with spiced pumpkin flavor throughout.
A Yule Feast to Savor
I also felt myself port-keyed to the Three Broomsticks when our dinner selections arrived. Chef Teddy and the kitchen staff started out our evening with heaping platters of house-made Gillyweed Salad with Tuna Tataki.
As more guests trickled into the lounge, more delicacies arrived to fill the quickly depleting banquet. The next dish, however, barely even made it from the server to the table before being snatched up by hungry witches and wizards: Lamb with Basil Pesto.
This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. This tiny slice of lamb may have been sweet and perfectly tender, but it also roared like a Hungarian Horntail with slashes of peppery basil and meaty, full-bodied flavor.
The floodgates of food then opened upon us as the kitchens delivered enough to feed a horde of Death Eaters. Garlic mashed potatoes, cheesy polenta, and roasted brussels sprouts accompanied thick slabs of mushroom and puff pastry-encased Beef Wellington.
Korean steamed buns with crispy sweet and spicy pork belly, bok choy, cucumber, carrot, and, scallions, and sesame seeds both appeared and disappeared through the course of the evening.
Honey Glazed Quail Legs garnished with Fresh Thyme also graced our plates. This tiny bite of bird packed a Hippogriff’s worth of sweet and succulent flavor. Oh to have a Time-Turner so I could sample these again and again!
Finally the crowning gourmet achievement of the evening: the Arpage Egg! The Triwizard Tournament’s golden egg inspired this fancy Beauxbatons-imported cup of umami. To make an Arpage Egg, as Chef Teddy explained to me, one must separate the white from the yolk, gently poach the yolk inside the shell while slightly immersing it in a warm water bath. The egg white is then whipped with butter, salt, and maple syrup before being piped back into the shell.
Upon the first taste of the meringue, you may cringe with the bite of the briny deep. To discover this dish’s true treasure, though, one must plunge the spoon down through the buttery meringue to break and mix the yolk into the other melange of ingredients.
Giggle-Water and Firewhiskey
No New Year’s Evening would be complete without libations and General Manager Nate Sanders did not skimp when it came to treating Battle and Brew’s esteemed guests. In addition to the usual bar menu, the staff served Polyjuice Potion Shooters tasting of a shifting mix of tropical fruit, Butterbeer, and a complimentary glass of champagne.
In the V.I.W. section, though, we were most fortunate to receive a pour of Midwinter’s Night’s Dram. Out of the yearly limited run, only thirty bottles of this exclusive rye whiskey were made available to Georgia distributors. Battle and Brew purchased three. Finished in French Oak port barrels, this spiced sip of rye is layered with notes of plum and vanilla like a traditional Christmas Pudding — that is if the dish was also traditionally served soaked in alcohol and set on fire. If Ogden made a Yule seasonal Firewhiskey, this would probably be what it would taste like.
To toast the coming of 2018, though, we received a generous pour of a dry Cuvée Brut tasting of pear and almonds. The really cool thing about this champagne, though? It’s a taste of ancient magic in itself. Its mother yeast strain goes all the way back to 1785. It’s only appropriate toast the future by appreciating things that have stood the test of time.
A Toast to Battle and Brew’s Future
And on that note, I will conclude this recap with an appreciation of the past as we look forward to a new year and future of Atlanta’s geek community. Battle and Brew has been a home for fandom-loving friends for years. I’ve been blown away by their creativity and hospitality with every dinner event I’ve attended.
The increased enthusiasm, ingenuity, and drive I’ve seen in the staff since the change of ownership late last year, though, is in a word, phenomenal. If this Yule Ball event is any indication of Battle and Brew’s future, I’d say it’s a bright one. To pull off an event of this scale under such a short period is worth the utmost commendation.
I tip the Sorting Hat to you, Battle and Brew. We all won the House Cup with your return.
