A Community Driven Collaboration Creates a Pho Inspired Beer

The Makers: Tactical Brewing Company and Viet-Nomz Restaurant

The Beer: Pho Sho a ‘Viet-Style’ Gose: clean kettle sour ale with Thai basil, limes, and jalapenos.

We love a good mash up. We especially love one that brings together two seemingly unlikely Makers. Ones that set out to create something delicious by starting with a ’no limits’ ethos. Pho Sho, a ‘Viet-Style’ Gose with Thai basil, limes, and jalapenos is the result of a pairing like this. We spoke to Doug Meyer from Tactical Brewing Company and Chris Chen from Viet-Nomz Restaurant to find out what drove them to link up and create this pho-inspired brew.

TACTICAL BREWING COMPANY

Crafted: Where did the idea for Pho Sho come from and how did you connect with Viet-Nomz for the project?

Doug (Tactical): We first came up with the Pho idea for the “Florida Smash Festival” in 2021. For that competition, you have to utilize the same single malt and hops that all the other competing breweries are using in their beers. To stand out, you typically have to do something off the wall…or at least we like to because it’s just more fun that way. We took a chance with the wild style but it paid off and we won “People’s Choice” as well as “Judge’s Choice.” After the competition customers asked us to bring it back so we obliged. To make it even better we decided to team up with our friends at Viet-Nomz to get their input on ingredients, etc. They’re also UCF alumni owned which is always a plus!

Could you describe the beer and what goes in it?

It shouldn’t make sense but it tastes like pho! You get all of the flavor profiles of pho in a more subtle way followed by a umami presence and almost a kind of hoisin flavor from the grain profile. For the process, we brew up a clean kettle Sour Ale, finish fermentation on it then add all the ingredients on the back end. We hand prep all of the spices, thai basil, limes, and jalapenos. We then let those ingredients sit on the beer for a couple days while we rouse it periodically.

Why is it important to you and Tactical to partner up and collaborate with other local ‘Makers’ in the community? What does a beer like Pho Sho ultimately highlight?

One of the main reasons we started this company was to try and push the envelope on various beer styles and the liquid we create. It’s fun for us of course, but also a plethora of passion goes into it. We partner with local “Makers” we respect because in a lot of ways they’re doing the same thing within their field of expertise. A beer like Pho Sho emphasizes that there are so many creations out there that we haven’t even imagined yet. If we keep trying new things while still learning from other makers along the way there’s no limits.

I think beer and food pairing can sometimes be a struggle for people. Is this beer actually meant to be paired with Pho and if so how do they compliment each other?

It could absolutely be paired with pho, especially if you throw in some sriracha to kick up the heat. On the pho of course, not the beer. Or do both..why not? I’ve definitely never done this.

Where will people be able to find this beer when it’s out?

Pho Sho is available at Tactical Brewing Co. in Orlando, FL (while supplies last). We also distribute on a very small scale throughout the state. Check our social media outlets for up-to-date beer releases and information.

Social Media: @tacticalbrewing

Web Site: tacticalbrewing.com

Doug Meyer: Founder (on the left with the grain bags)

Kreis Holland: Co-Founder & Head Brewer (on the right with grain bags)

VIET-NOMZ RESTAURANT

Crafted: Please give us a quick background on Viet-Nomz and what kind of food you serve.

Chris Chen: Viet-Nomz started as an idea by my partner, Philip Nguyen, and I. We met for dinner one night and expressed our desire to open up our own businesses one day–he wanted to open a dine-in service Vietnamese restaurant; I wanted to do a coffee shop. We decided to combine our ideas to create the first fast-casual Vietnamese restaurant in Orlando.

After several months of planning and menu testing, we finally decided to leave our jobs and sign a lease to a very small [1000 sq ft] space. We also added our third partner and college friend Mike Cho who owns and operates an apparel printing company. Finally, after 6 grueling months of construction, inspections and final menu tastings, we opened our doors in June 2016 at our Winter Park location. Since then, we’ve hit the ground running.

Our concept was extremely new to Orlando and we were met with open arms. Within 1.5 years, we were able to expand to our second location near UCF. That location was an even bigger success and allowed us to build a strong foundation in Central Florida. Today, we operate three locations in Central Florida, with the newest one in Lake Mary, Florida. We cannot thank the foodie community enough for all their support these last 6 years, especially during the pandemic. We serve popular Vietnamese foods like pho [noodle soups], rice/noodle bowls, banh mi sandwiches, Vietnamese coffee, and street fare.

How did the collaboration between you and Tactical come about? Have you always been fans of pairing beer and food together?

Doug approached us to do a collaboration with a Viet-style Gose. We thought it was a really interesting concept and always wanted to be part of creating our very own beer. In the Vietnamese culture, beer is very popular to drink with food and good company, so of course it made sense for us!

What does a collaboration like this mean to you and Viet-Nomz? Is it important for two ‘Makers’ in the community to come together to collaborate on a project like this?

We love to collaborate with local restaurants and vendors in the community. We’re huge foodies and want to do our part in contributing something unique for the culture.

What do you hope that the end experience will be like for people? The beer sounds amazing!

We hope people can taste and appreciate our creativity and courage to think outside of the box. It’s not everyday you drink a beer that tastes like a bowl of pho!

What are some dishes at Viet-Nomz that would pair well with this beer?

I would definitely recommend a Grilled Chicken Rice Bowl or Tofu Banh Mi to pair alongside the Viet Gose!

Will the beer also be available at Viet-Nomz? How can people find out more about you?

The beer will only be available at Tactical Brewing but hope to see new faces at our stores because of the beer collaboration.

Instagram: @vietnomzfl

Website: www.vietnomz.com