Foodland pairs its poke with various craft beers

If Foodland Super Market is your go-to for poke, you’ll find something new on your next visit: a Poke Pau Hana program that pairs seafood with select suds.

In partnership with Southern Wine & Spirits, Foodland and Sack N Save locations have begun displaying a weekly featured craft beer in their seafood departments, and offering free cards showing customers the craft beers that pair best with 10 of its 20 poke choices.

The cards give users a spot in which to record observations about what they liked or didn’t like about the pairings. Cards and information touting the program also will be available near the beer displays.

It will be “a whole new tasting experience … a whole new way of enjoying poke,” said Sheryl Toda, Foodland senior director of marketing and corporate communications, at a tasting event last week during which nary a green bottle was in sight.

Select stores will hold samplings, and each week a discounted price will be offered on a featured craft beer. Those wanting updated news can follow Foodland’s social media channels.

The pairings were designed by Foodland and Southern Wine & Spirits during meetings that included some “robust discussions,” said Keoni Chang, Foodland’s cor­porate chef.

Working their way through as many as 50 craft beers, they made their choices.

The hope is that the suggested pairings will be the beginning of “a journey” and further “conversation,” Chang said.

Officials at the event encouraged tasters to linger over the flavors in both the poke and the beer, to let their palates discern how the flavors in each poke and beer pairing balanced or complemented each other. They hope customers will do the same and add to their list of favorites by making new choices.