A sugary-sweet slice of cake or gooey cookie wouldn’t seem to match up well with a sip of beer. Yet done properly, the flavors mingle together in harmony.
A robust and malty chocolate stout matches with a decadent brownie. Another stout goes with a pecan bar dressed in candied bacon. A lemon IPA couples with the perfectly sweet-tart lemon bar.
Two of life’s great delights come together Wednesday during Bakes & Brews, presented by Edinburgh’s Geri Girl Bakery and Hog Molly Brewing Co., based in Columbus. The two have put together a sampling event that features different bite-sized portions of baked goods, both sweet and savory, to go with 2-ounce pours of Hog Molly beer.
The event is an opportunity to give people a taste of what the two area businesses have to offer, while also allowing them to support one another.
“It’s very exciting to do this, to promote both businesses. Things have been so tamped down in the past year. It’s wonderful to be able to do these collaborations,” said Carrie Davies, owner of Geri Girl Bakery. “To not be able to do events like this has been difficult.”
Geri Girl Bakery has become a well-known name in the Edinburgh community over the past two years. Davies, an avid baker whose family has a deep-seated tradition in the kitchen, started the business out of her home. The name is a tribute to her mother, Geri, who taught her how to bake.
She started selling her goods at farmers markets, where her goodies were a hit. Through the farmers market, she met Mike Harding, company president of the Pixy Theatre in Edinburgh. He offered her a space at the theater to open her own bakery, taking advantage of the theater’s kitchen.
“I didn’t think I’d open a brick-and-mortar so soon, but it was a good opportunity,” she said. “(The Pixy Theatre) has a lot of history and is a great space.”
Geri Girl Bakery opened its physical bakery in October 2020. The focus is on sweets, particularly desserts in the British and Scandinavian traditions.
Every day, she makes croissants, scones, cupcakes and cookies, among other things. Cake by the slice and custom cakes are also available. On the savory side, she has developed ham-and-cheese pastry braids and sausage rolls. The bakery features soups and a sandwich — always served on a homemade bun — for lunch service.
“It’s all taken off very well. The lunch crowd has really picked up,” Davies said.
Bakes & Brews grew out of another one of Davies’ passions: craft beer. She and her family often visit local breweries, which led her to Hog Molly Brewing. The brewery is owned and operated by Lou and Martha Krempel, and opened in 2019.
On a visit to the newly opened taproom, Davies started talking with Martha Krempel. Both thought the other was familiar; turns out, they had been in the same MOPS, or Mothers of Preschoolers, program when their kids were younger.
“That was 20 years ago, so we’ve reconnected. (Martha and Lou) are a fun couple, and we got to talking about small businesses,” Davies said. “I told them, ‘What I really need to do is take your beer and make something with it.’”
The idea sparked a lot of excitement. Davies left that day with three different types of beers, and experiment with making baked goods that paired with the brews.
With the success of those baking projects, and the return of more public events over the past few months, Geri Girl Bakery and Hog Molly Brewing decided to team up for a tasting. They worked with the Edinburgh Community Center, and Bakes & Brews was born.
The evening will unfold at the Pixy Theatre, which has plenty of space for people to spread out safely. Two different sessions will be held: one at 5:30 p.m., and another at 7. Attendees will receive eight different baked good each served with a small sample of beer.
People will be able to purchase pints of Hog Molly beer, and larger sizes of the baked goods will be available as well.
Davies is optimistic about the event, and hope it leads to more team-ups and events with other local businesses in the future.
“I hope to be able to do other collaborations with businesses. This the first Geri Girl event we’ve done, but I want to do more,” she said.
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Bakes & Brews
What: A special tasting event pairing eight samples of baked goods from Geri Girl Bakery in Edinburgh with eight selections from Columbus’ Hog Molly Brewing Co.
When: 5:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Geri Girl Bakery, 111 S. Walnut St., Edinburgh
Cost: $10
Tickets: bakesandbrews.eventbrite.com
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