Whereas wine tastings call to mind white tablecloths and polished crystal, the more recently-popularized beer dinner seems inherently casual at its core. But don't get the wrong idea: Even when suds are served out of Solo Cups, this genre can be an elevated affair.

Take the most recent iteration of the Blaffer Art Museum-benefiting Feast: A Dinner Series, where Uchi chefs Philip Speer and Kaz Edwards collaborated with artist Miguel Amat and a bevy of local craft brewers to create a complex culinary masterpiece.

Edwards tells CultureMap that the flavors and intensity at the start and finish of each beer is the most important element of a beer dinner. Since attendees typically take a sip at the beginning and end of each dish, the interplay of beer between courses becomes almost as important as the exchange with the dish itself.

"We want the beer to highlight the food rather than overpower it," says Edwards, who found fitting matches from Houston-based craft brewers like Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company and Saint Arnold Brewing Company. "They're all artists in their own field."

Some approached the challenge by tailoring flavors to the cuisine: The guys behind 8th Wonder Brewery infused their Intellectuale with yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit, to create a perfect partner for a white peach gazpacho from Speer and Edwards. Their Alternate Universe, meanwhile, was joined with cold brewed coffee and house chocolate syrup for pairing with dessert.

"I thought it would be nice to give the chefs some extremes to work around," David Graham with Karbach Brewing Company says. He selected the Hopadillo IPA (ideal for fattier dishes, like the Wagyu tartar on the nine-course menu) and the Love Street Summer Seasonal Kölsch, which Graham cals a "delicate reception beer."

Want to discover the complexities for yourself? Haven chef Randy Evans and Jean Philippe Gaston of Cove Cold Bar are partnering with Eatsie Boy Matt Marcus on an 8th Wonder Beer Dinner at Haven on July 24.