Ever had a refreshing bottle of beer met with a disappointing plate of a meal? Sometimes, the art of food pairing might seem like a pass only for the epicures. But in real life, you don’t have to attend a beer school to relish a perfect combination of beer and food. Neither would you have to participate in a beer food festival to realize what’s ideal for your beer palate.
With our collection of the best food to pair with a beer, the last time you had an awry combo would be your very last one. Let’s go:
Dark Lagers
Dark lagers come in their varieties and are an excellent substitute for stouts. They usually possess chocolate and coffee flavors and are generally clean. Its ingredients aren’t far from what you know beer ingredients to be – malt, grains, and yeast. Of course, the dark malt ingredient provides the beer its dark color. This beer style is very much easy to spot in most England bars.
To give a satisfying belch after your last gulp, you can match your Dunkels with pizza and sausage. But that’s not all, we also highly recommend goulash and burgers for a yummy combo.
Stout
When you behold a dark beer in a mug, your mind probably screams, stout. Stout is a dark, malty ale typically brewed through the top-fermentation process. Irish brew Guinness while Americans brew imperial stouts. There are notes of chocolate and coffee in this beer style, and they also possess a creamy and smooth texture.
Oysters paired with Guinness have never failed a beer connoisseur before, and neither does barbequed meat go awry with American porters. Cheeses would make a blissful pair with stout ales also. Other delicious combos are chocolate truffles and chocolate mousse.
Brown Ales
As the name suggests, brown ales are typically brown, sweet, or hoppy, just like Durty Mud Season Hoppy Brown ale. Beer drinkers can enjoy a taste of caramel and chocolate as soon as the beer hits their palates. They can be crispy and clean like the Sweetwater Georgia Brown ale. Their flavor profiles and their country of origin help determine their characteristics. You can find this beer style on the alcohol shelves of most England, American, and Belgium bars.
Again, sausage is an excellent addition to brown ales. And when you have your barbeque on the table, there’s no better beer than this ale to complement the food. While you may not have any of these foods at sight, sushi and fish would make a perfect rescue team.
Porter
Porter has its origin from London, England. Like some other brew styles, there is American porter style too. Beer lovers may interpret the flavor of this beer style to be dry, sweet, moderately bitter, and even hoppy. This beer style has chocolate and coffee aromas.
Whether you’re having a brown porter or a malty one, we can guarantee that they pair well with smoked food such as smoked brisket. Its rich flavor would make an excellent combo with seafood such as lobster and crab. Mexican mole would also be a great match.
India Pale Ales
Is there a beer style hoppier in taste than India pale ales otherwise called IPAs? This beer style is a broad variety of pale ales. This beer can either offer a bitter or not-so-bitter taste to its drinker. This trait explains why there’s a conflicting description when IPAs drinkers try to interpret a pint of this beer.
We understand that too many IPAs are in the craft beer industry, but with the following food examples, you can’t go wrong. Ever thought of how Fajitas, Barbecue ribs, Steak, Burritos, French fries, and Mozzarella sticks can go with IPAs? Give it a try.
Light Lagers
Light Lager is a beer style quite famous in many United States breweries considering the number of brands brewing it. Seasoned beer lovers would agree that light lagers are a type of pale beer with a refreshing quality. They usually don’t have high alcohol content nor intense flavors.
Due to its refreshing quality, it’s only ideal that you pair light lagers with spicy meals. Nonetheless, this style of beer is quite friendly with any menu on the list. Preferably, when you think of light lager, think of your noodles, grilled fish, French fries, buffalo wings, and Hot dogs.
Wheat Beers
There is a variety of wheat beers. However, they all possess a higher percentage of wheat as one of their significant ingredients than any other beer style. Along with wheat grains, a good portion of barley grains has earned this beer style the smooth taste it offers the palate of beer drinkers. You can pair this go-to summer beer with spicy noodles, pastries, salads, and buffalo wings.
Overall, a trick to ensure a perfect interaction between your beer and food involves smelling its aroma. Then pour a bit in your mouth and swish it around. Check if it’s strong or light to know the intensity of the beer. By puzzling out the characteristics of your brew, you can tell which food would go well. Now you know the trick.
A Tip for Homebrewers
When using a water softener for your brewing water, we would recommend an easily cleaned system. So, you don’t mess up the thirst of your batches.
