F. Ron Smith and David Berg might be big on tequila but that doesn’t mean they’ll shy away from a nice, ice cold beer. And as luck would have it, the duo is close friends with David Altshuler: CEO and co-founder of Einstök, Iceland’s #1 craft beer.
Originally from West LA and a current Palisades resident, David is responsible for building an award-winning brand that has gained top industry recognition and consumer traction over the last 10+ years — all by virtue of incredible taste and quality. In fact, each Einstök beer is brewed with Icelandic glacier water: the purest water on earth.
In another episode of “F. Ron and David drinking and eating things,” we had the pleasure of filming a beer tasting amongst the three friends as they indulged in traditional, Icelandic foods (more details on that below). Expect lots of great beer and, well, some questionably fishy bites. Press play to join the party.
The Beer & Food Pairings
White Ale
The White Ale is Einstök’s Belgian-style witbier spiced with orange peel and coriander, making it a great complement to seafood. That’s why David pairs it with rúgbrauð (rye bread) topped with black lava sea salt and lox from Nordic Catch (whose products you can find at various farmer’s markets throughout LA, or get delivered straight to your doorstep).
Arctic Pale Ale
Einstök’s Arctic Pale Ale isn’t like your traditional, California-style IPA. It’s more of a smooth, rich, malt-forward pale ale, perfect for fish and chips. That’s why David pairs it with another kind of Icelandic fish: cod liver on wasa crackers. Yum.
Arctic Lager
Arctic Lager is Einstök’s newest style of beer that was introduced just last year. And what better pairing for this crisp, medium-body lager than cod jerky bites? Another Nordic Catch specialty.
Toasted Porter
With rich and roasty aromas of chocolate, Toasted Porter is David’s go-to beer, especially at night (and sometimes even over ice cream). This one’s paired with hárkal (fermented shark), a delicacy in Iceland. The Toasted Porter is also the perfect beer to braise pylsur (hot dogs) — the true Icelandic way.
Wee Heavy
The Wee Heavy is a Scotch ale brewed with smoked barley and native Icelandic angelica root. Its sweet notes of caramel and touch of smokiness make it an idyllic pairing with Icelandic chocolate.
For the first time in the company’s history, Einstök is raising capital from the public. Visit startengine.com, search for Einstök, and join the journey. Skál!