By Miles Liebtag, Certified Cicerone ®
Cavalier Distributing Sales Representative – Columbus
A Practical Guide to Beer and Food Pairings
Beer is food’s perfect complement. Its wide range of styles, flavors, aromas and strengths mean that there’s a perfect beer for every dish, and its carbonation makes it a natural palate refresher. While wine has long commanded a place of prominence alongside fine food, the explosion in popularity of craft beer over the past decade has made smart beer and food pairings more prevalent, sought after and exciting.
The Basics
- Match intensity. Bold, intense foods call for bold, intense beers, or else the beer risks overpowering the food or the food risks making the beer a complete afterthought. A dark, roasty, 10% ABV imperial stout is not typically a great match for a dish with lighter flavors, such as fish or chicken.
- Find complementary flavors. Fruit flavors in food tend to complement fruit flavors in beer and vice versa. Dishes with toasted, bready, or nutty flavors find nice resonance with malty beers (such as brown ales) that share similar flavors derived from barley malt. A chocolate stout is a natural pairing for a piece of chocolate cake, etc.
- Create interesting contrasts. Contrast in beer and food pairings can completely change the way you experience both the dish and the beer. Carbonation and alcohol can “cut” through the richness of fatty dishes like pork, while hop bitterness can both balance out sweetness and enhance spiciness.
Some Classic Pairings
IPA/Double IPA and Blue Cheese
The bold, intense flavors of the beer stand up to the intensity of a funky blue cheese, like a Roquefort, quite well. Grassy, resinous or onion-like flavors sometimes found in hops echo the flavors of the cheese while the carbonation and alcohol cut through the fat and creaminess to refresh the palate with every sip.
- Mac and Cheese: IPA + cheese is a match made in heaven.
- Cheese Enchilada: Just like mac and cheese, a match made in heaven.
- Quesadilla: IPAs pair well with and accentuate spiciness, so anything with jalapeños is going to be a great match.
Pale Ale and Burger
Pale ales, with their medium-to-light body, moderate alcohol (less than 6% ABV) and strong hop presence balanced by bready or crackery malts, make for a great hamburger accompaniment. The bitterness and effervescence will cut fat from the meat and cheese, while the sweetness of the malt can echo sweeter condiments and pair nicely with a toasted bun.
- Burgers: The cheese and spices found in a great burger add complexity of flavor that can complement other beers like dark lagers, as well.
- Fish and chips: A classic pairing, the pale ale is bold enough to cut the heaviness of the breading and fat, but not strong enough to overpower the flavor of the fish.
- Pretty much any taco: Pale ale is a very versatile food pairing beer.
Porter and Barbecue
Porter, with its medium body and sweet, dark malt flavors balanced by a bit of dry roastiness, pairs extremely well with smoked meats, heavy sauces, and blackened fish. The sweetness of the malt will draw out sweet flavors from meats and sauces, while the slight roasted character of the beer matches beautifully any blackened bits from the grill.
- Pork tenderloin: Porters paired beautifully with grilled meats generally and pork specifically; the sweetness of the porter should complement the meat and a balsamic sauce.
- Charred short ribs: Again, look for the roastiness of the beer to echo and complement the char on the ribs. Porter also plays nicely with a sweet, rich sauce.
Lager/Pilsner with Fish and Salads
Lighter in body, color and hop presence, lagers generally and pilsners specifically are best-suited to light dishes, appetizers and (generally) healthier fare. Spritzy and crisp with typically high carbonation and light body, pilsners and light lagers are fantastic for refreshing the palate without overwhelming the senses.
- Spanish salad: A pilsner paired with a salad would be refreshing and light, but still have enough punch to cut through any fat from the addition of steak or shrimp.
- Fish tacos: Another classic pairing, a light lager or pilsner will not overpower the delicate flavors of the fish.
