Nurturing my inner... no greek tragedy

The Greek make an okay little lager.  Had I not decided to go on my Beers From Around the World journey, I never would have tried this one.  And that would have been a true tragedy.  (Yep, I had been planning to say that from the get go.)  I picked this beer because I knew just what I was planning to eat with it:  dolmades.

Dolmades are stuffed grape leaves.  (I got these at the olive bar at Wegmans.)  Inside they have rice, pine nuts and herbs (dill/mint).  Once they are made, they are cooked and stored in olive oil and water to keep them moist.  You might think eating a grape leaf sounds like it would be tough or stringy, but I assure you, if you get good ones, they are thin and tender little wrappers around a soft, yet dense, rice filling.  I suppose they are the Greek's answer to ravioli.

Rolled up nice and tight, like a stubby cigar.
(They taste much better than that though.)

It would be hard to describe what a stuffed grape leaf truly tastes like, so you're going to have to go out and try one for yourself.  I've eaten many dolmades in my life and these were particularly good, so you'll want to go on a recommendation.  You definitely don't want to end up with one that is the consistency of a rain tarp and wrapped around the flavor of a foam cushion.

Gotta love a little nod to mythology on the label.
Who is that guy? Should I know?

Aris beer was the Greek brew I had picked out of a couple options at the store.  I found it to be light, neutral, effervescent and clean.  The taste did not compete with the delicate, distinct herbs in the dolmades.  It was a pairing that worked for me.  (Note: If you're looking for a full-bodied beer with lots of hops and rich flavors, this ain't it.  But I bet Aris would also work well with spanakopita.)

A clever and unusual evening snack.

And since you may want to see what the inside of a dolmade looks like, I split it down the middle just for you.  Normally I pick it up and it's gone in about three bites.  It's the kind of food you eat with your hands.  I tried to resist the urge to break the plate in Grecian fashion when I was done.  Opa!  (Plus I have carpet and it would have just bounced.)

Only a few ingredients, but what a
unique, bright taste!

Hey, anyone can have chips or cheese curls with beer when they are watching TV.  I'm far too creative to be confined to that kind of predictable limitation.  Thank you Greece for giving me a delightful new finger food option to accompany my fermented beverage.