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Have you ever wondered which craft beers go best with which foods?
A new cookbook has the answer for you, and it has a bit of a local flair.

“The Craft Brewery Cookbook” by John Holl will be available Tuesday.
“The Craft Brewery Cookbook” by John Holl, which will be released Tuesday, features more than 70 recipes and beer pairings from chefs and brewers across the country, including one from Lincoln.
The Lincoln entry in the book is a spicy shrimp cocktail paired with an American sour ale.
Sam Riggins, owner and brewer at Cosmic Eye Brewing, said he got the inspiration for the recipe after trying different versions of the brewery’s house bloody Mary mix and realizing there was something missing.
“After having a Mexican shrimp cocktail at El Chaparro, the flavors just clicked, and I knew what changes to make to the mix,” Riggins said.
He said that when Holl reached out to him about the book, he contacted Mike Vandenberg, executive chef of Course Restaurant, which is part of the Great Plains Culinary Institute on the Lincoln campus of Southeast Community College, to come up with his own recipe for a Mexican shrimp cocktail.
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“It was a no-brainer to get Mike involved,” Riggins said. “He’s a great chef, a good friend, and the restaurant is just down the street from the brewery.”
Vandenberg said he had never made a Mexican shrimp cocktail before but relished the challenge and was pleased with the result.
“I am not only very proud of how this dish turned out but also very humbled to be published in a cookbook with Cosmic Eye and many other talented brewers and chefs,” he said.
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Cosmic Eye will be hosting a tasting of the final recipe Saturday in its taproom at 6800 P St. Tickets for the tasting, which are available at cosmiceye.beer, will include an 8-ounce portion of the spicy shrimp cocktail featured in the book and one Cosmic Eye beer.
Riggins said the cookbook only features types of beers and not those from specific breweries, but Cosmic Eye does have three different sour ales to pair with the dish.
“Or it would also work with our premium American lager — Dead Man’s Run and Dead Man’s Light,” he said.
Mexican food places to try in Lincoln
Super Taco

Super Taco’s deep menu, full of Mexican classics as well as more casual choices, has many options. All tacos come with cilantro and onion. The restaurant is at 5501 Holdrege St.
Copal

Apple Habanero salsa and fresh tortilla chips with signature cocktails Copal Margarita, Princess Donaji and Cucumber Jalapeno are served at Copal. Copal is at 4747 Pioneers Blvd.
El Chaparro

El Chaparro is at 900 S. 13th.
Mi Tierra Family Mexican Restaurant

Hand-carved chairs and booths and murals on the walls add to the ambiance at Mi Tierra Family Mexican Restaurant at 5500 Old Cheney Road.
El Potrero

El Potrero is at Eighth and Q streets in the Haymarket.
Mazatlan II

Trio fajitas (bottom), rice and beans (left), and Morales shrimp salad (right) served with margaritas at Mazatlan II. The restaurant is at 2701 King Lane. The original Mazatlan is at 211 N. 70th Street.
La Paz

La Paz Mexican Restaurant is at 321 N. Cotner.
Cactus Modern Mexican & Cantina, 12.11

The short rib entree with creamy risotto and mushrooms at Cactus Modern Mexican & Cantina, 56th and Nebraska 2. The restaurant puts novel twists on common Mexican dishes.
Hacienda Real

Four different kinds of enchilada and Molcajete De Carne, with chicken, beef and pork, are among the offerings at Hacienda Real. The restaurant is at 3130 Pine Lake Road.
Tia Lety’s
Mexican dishes at Tia Lety’s include mixed fajitas (left), chicken enchiladas and steak tacos. The restaurant is at 2701 N. 27th St.
Tico’s

Tico’s is at 317 S. 17th St.
Neveria

Neveria is located in the Nort Bottoms at 1317 N. 10th St.
Pancho Villa

The Super Pancho Villa Plate is a signature dish at Pancho Villa Mexican Grill, 5800 Cornhusker Highway.
Cielito Lindo

The interior of Mexican restaurant Cielito Lindo includes hand-painted murals. Cielito Lindo is at 100 North First St.
D’Leon’s

Super nachos from D’Leon’s. The restaurant has a number of locations around Lincoln, with the original drive-through at 2140 W. O St. open 24 hours a day.
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or [email protected].
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.