When most people think of pairing alcohol with food, they think wine - wine and cheese tastings, red wines with beef and pasta, whites with seafood and poultry. Fewer people are familiar with what is becoming an increasingly popular trend: beer and food pairings. While on the surface beer may not seem as sophisticated as its chic alcoholic sister, its ample varieties, tastes, and ingredients also pair well with fine foods, not just peanuts and pretzels. For proof look no further than Rohrbach Brewing Company, which offers monthly food and beer pairings catered to a variety of palates.

"Beer is becoming a large and acceptable part of what food has to offer," says Rohrbach's chef, Mary Jo Staertow. "It had this stigma in the past that the beer-drinking person was a Pabst Blue Ribbon-drinking, underwear-showing, sitting-in-front-of-the-TV type of person. But beer is actually very diverse."

Since Rohrbach's opened in 1991, it has established itself with popular microbrews (found at many local bars and convenience stores) and tasty food, from pub grub to German specialties to fine dining. The Cheddar Highland soup, made with the brewery's own Highland Lager, is something of a Rochester bragging point. For those who've never tasted Rohrbach beers or dined from its menu, the food and beer pairings offer a unique opportunity to do both.

September's sold-out pairing was titled "Asian Fusion" and featured food from Rohrbach's Staertow and guest chef Nick Grammatico from another Rochester institution, California Rollin'. On Tuesday, October 9, diners can get in on an Oktoberfest themed pairing; the evening starts at 6 p.m. with a guided tour of the brewery followed by a menu of harvest-type foods combined with a variety of ales and lagers.

The Oktoberfest menu starts with roasted acorn squash chowder followed by wild mushroom cakes served over sautéed escarole. For the entrée, diners have the option of either smoked pork chops with crabapple and onion compote or chicken stuffed with apples, apricots, craisins, onions, and brie. Even the dessert - pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting - gets paired with a beer.

Staertow and Rohrbach's brewer, Jim McDermott, select beers to go specifically with each menu item, making sure to pick the best local beers and microbrews - not just Rohrbach's brews - to complement the meal. All Staertow could reveal about the October 9 pairings is that Rohrbach's own Oktoberfest lager will be one of the chosen beverages. Diners get a five-ounce glass of beer with each of the menu's four courses, so while getting tipsy is possible, you won't be so loaded you can't enjoy the food.

In other Rohrbach's news, the brewery is expanding. Work has already started on converting an existing building near Rochester's Public Market into a new brewing facility with a tasting room. There will be no restaurant at the new location - for now - but moving some of the production to a bigger location will allow the owners to expand the dining area at the existing site, making for less wait time for diners and drinkers.

Rohrbach Brewing Company is located at 3859 Buffalo Road. Food and beer pairing events take place the second Tuesday of every month. Tickets for food and beer pairings cost $30 (subject to change) and reservations must be made in advance. Reservations for the Oktoberfest pairing must be made by Wednesday, October 3. For more information, visit rohrbachs.com or call 594-9800.