The World of Beer and Food

Dining with Beer

Pairing Beer and Food

Beer lovers across the globe are all a-froth about the latest developments regarding their favorite brew. Beer, it would appear, is the perfect accompaniment for posh nosh.

Like wine, different types of beer have unique flavors and bouquets that can be complemented and enhanced by pairing them with the right foods.

Until recently, ordering a glass of beer instead of wine to complement one’s meal was considered a social faux pas among serious diners. Today, the beer list gets the same level of scrutiny as the wine list. The enthusiasm for serving complex, subtle flavored beers in eateries worldwide has started to persuade even the most entrenched wine drinkers to consider the alternatives.

Pairing beer with haute cuisine, however, is a relatively contemporary concept. The catering industry is keen to rise to the challenge and results, to date, are encouraging.

The Wine Analogy for Matching Beer and Food
As a general rule of thumb, the same basic rules for pairing food and wine also apply to food and beer. Match meats with red wine and white meats and fish with white wine. Translated into beer terms, you should pair red meats with darker beer like ale or stout and white meats or fish with lighter beer like lager.

Similarly, in instances when you would pair food with an acidic white wine, choose a beer with a high hop content as an alternative accompaniment. Other useful wine analogies include choosing a beer that contrasts with the cuisine, or a beer that doesn't overpower the food. In uncertain situations, the flavor of both the beer and food should be perfectly balanced, neither flavor dominating the other.

However, the rules for matching different types of beers with different cuisines tend to be less clearly defined than the more established approach to pairing wine and food. This, of course, gives beer aficionados plenty of scope! The Wine Drinkers Guide To Beer

Top Tip for Pairing Beer and Food
As with wine, your choice of beer to accompany food should be guided by your personal preferences. Let your palate be your guide!

Choosing a Beer to Complement Foods:

The variety of ingredients and the many different methods they are prepared give beer it's amazing diversity and ability to pair well with food. Take malt for instance. Wine does not have truly caramelized or roasted flavors, but beer does. These malt flavors can match, contrast or complement a wide variety of foods. Some beers are made with a single malt, others are used from a blend of malts, with each malt adding a different quality to the beer. The blending of these malt flavors and colors forms the basis of a beers character.

The bitterness of the hop balances out the sweetness of the malt as well as giving beer it's thirst-quenching qualities. Hops also act to cleanse the palate of strong flavors and hop aromatics can also pair up with food aromatics that add to the pleasure of the experience of the meal.

While vintners generally do not care about what strain of yeast are used to make wine, yeast strains matter a great deal to the brewer. This is particularly true for ales where the yeast strain contributes to the flavor of the beer. For example, a weissbier yeast strain imports aromas of bananas and cloves while an English strain may give a marmalade aroma. These yeasts are not interchangeable.

Even though there are no ridged rules, popular and expert wisdom have developed general guidelines on how to pair beer with food. What follows is a useful information to consult when pairing beer and food.

Beer and Food Recommendations

Food
Beer Ideas
salads American pale ale, pilsner, Belgian witbier, wheat beer, amber ale
soups porter, brown ale, pale ale, pilsner lager, Vienna-style lager
charcuterie German weizen, Oktoberfest, German rauchbier
seafood and shellfish dry porter, oatmeal stout, wheat beer, best bitter, German pilsner
sushi, pickled and smoked fish acidic Belgian lambic, rauchbier
fish American wheat beer, hoppy pilsner, Dortmunder export, Belgian whitbier, golden ale
egg dishes German weissbier, Gelgian witbier, oatmeal stout, wheat beer
pasta and pizza Vienna-style lager, hoppy American pale ale, lambic beer
spicy and Mexican food Vienna-style lager, hoppy pilsner, golden ale, wheat beer
poultry malty lager, bitter ale, brown ale
pork Vienna-style lager, Märzen, Oktoberfest
red meats fruity ale, Indian pale ale, British brown ale, porter, bock
cheese hoppy beer, English old ale, Belgian beer, best bitter, dry stout, wheat ale, German pilsner, pale ale, British brown ale
desserts Belgian witbier, Belgian strong ale, wheat beer, imperial stout, Irish Guinness, dark malty beer

More Tips for Pairing Food and Beer
The following are some more helpful guidelines for choosing the right beer for a particular meal:

   

Beer Types and Servings Suggestions

Here are some favorite common beers, with some food pairing and serving suggestions:

Matching Food & Beer
Apéritifs: This beer should arouse the appetite. Something hoppy and dry such as Paulaner Pils or Bitburger.
Soup: Good luck trying to match a beer with a soup, its just as hard with beer as it is with wine. If you are having a beer-flavored soup serve the same beer you added to the soup.
Shellfish: Oysters and Stout are a marriage in heaven. For just about any type of crustaceans you can serve a dry Porter Stout.
Raw, Pickled, & Smoked Fish: This is where acidity comes into play. A very acidic beer such as a Belgian lambic or red ale will complement the meal with no problems. If the fish is smoked, the beer should be too.
Fish: Just as a dry white wine would be the obvious choice with most fish, so would a hoppy Pilsner (Bitburger,) The hoppiness really helps out firmer fish such as cod, pike, or carp. Heavier fish, such as salmon, fair better with a Dortmunder Export. The dryness and refreshing characteristics of these beers seem to sharpen the flavors of the fish.
Pizza: It has become something of an American tradition to order beer when eating pizza. The only problem is that pizza has too much cooked-tomato sweetness and basil spiciness for an American lager. A Vienna-style lager,  Negra Modelo, has its own malty spiciness and sweetness. A hoppy American Pale-Ale from with a lot of Northwest hoppiness adds its own spiciness such as Anchor Liberty Ale.
Chicken and pork: These sweetish meats are accompanied by, a reasonably malty lager, perhaps a Dortmunder for chicken and a Oktoberfest/Märzen or Vienna-style lager for pork. Märzens and Oktoberfests have an abundance of maltiness and a touch of sweetness that works wonders with many lighter meats. At the Munich Oktoberfest, the festival's beers are served with spit-roast meats and stews. Try either Paulaner's Oktoberfest, or Beck's Oktoberfest.
Red meat: Red meats are better partnered by full-colored, fruity ales (Samuel Smith's India Pale-Ale or Anchor's Liberty Ale). A heavy brown ale such as Rogue Ale seems to game well.
Spicy Food: Wine is usually too subtle for spicy foods. For Mexican try Negra Modelo, a Vienna-style lager whose slight sweetness will help balance some of the spiciness. Hoppy pilsners also compliment spicy foods as well.
Barbeque: For marinating try any beer. Its acidity helps naturally tenderize the meat. For consuming, try a dryish, burnt-tasting porter such as Fuller's London Porter, or an Oktoberfest.
Sausage: If the sausage is German than German beer is the way to go. Just about any German beer pairs nicely with sausages but German weizens and Oktoberfests work exceptionally well.
Salads: The most extremely acidic styles of beers, such as Berliner Weisse or a gueuze, can be used instead of vinegar or lemon juice in salad dressings. If you fancy a raspberry vinaigrette try a framboise lambic instead. If nuts, or their oils, or if crisp salad ingredients have been used, try a brown ale such as Samuel Smith's Nut Brown.
Cheese: Many cheeses need a potent beer that is reasonably hoppy to be served with cheese. An English old ale, Fullers, Old Peculier, or a barley wine are potent, but lack hoppiness. The best choice would be a Belgian beer that is potent and hoppy at the same time. Although it is not very hoppy, any one of the Trappist ales from Orval or Chimay work nicely.
Dessert: Many wheat beers have just the right blend of tartness and sweetness to accompany pies and other fruit dishes. A White beer such as Hoegaarden, Blue Moon Belgian White, with its own orangey flavor, is splendid in this role. Sweet double bocks, Trappist beers, barley wines, and especially Imperial Stouts accompany dried fruit-cakes and puddings, chocolate, and anything creamy.

 

Some other tips:

The following are just a few favorite beer styles with food pairing and serving suggestions:

Lager: Smooth, light beer, slightly tangy.  Goes well with fish, hamburgers and curry dishes.
Pale Ale: Light, slightly fruity ale.  Goes well with green salads, fish, pork, hamburger.
Pilsner: Light bodied, mild malt beer with a flowery aroma.  Goes well with light soups, pizza and fish.
Brown Ale: Smooth rounded beer with a nutty taste.  Goes well with chicken, salad and pork.
Bock: Strong beer with a caramel taste.  Goes well with chicken, game, creamy desserts, lamb and sausage.
Porter: Dark ale with a rich taste.  Goes well with cheese, beef, barbeque, fruity or creamy desserts.
Stout: Opaque, dry ale with a chocolate taste.  Goes well with shellfish, chocolates, rich desserts or rich meats.

Other Tips:

 

Pairing Everyday Foods with Beer

To check out a fantastic resource listing 28 of the worlds’ major beer styles and their proper serving temperature and glassware, see the Beer & Food Matching Chart (PDF file, ~229 KB). This is an incredible resource on pairing beer and food. You may view the electronic PDF version; or if you would like a printed version, you may order copies of the American Craft Beer and Food Guide brochure.

Beer Types and Servings Suggestions

Here are some favorite common beers, with some food pairing and serving suggestions:

Some other tips:

Matching Food & Beer
Apéritifs: This beer should arouse the appetite. Something hoppy and dry such as Paulaner Pils or Bitburger.
Soup: Good luck trying to match a beer with a soup, its just as hard with beer as it is with wine. If you are having a beer-flavored soup serve the same beer you added to the soup. (Or see above under Some other tips)
Shellfish: Oysters and Stout are a marriage in heaven. For just about any type of crustaceans you can serve a dry Porter Stout.
Raw, Pickled, & Smoked Fish: This is where acidity comes into play. A very acidic beer such as a Belgian lambic or red ale will complement the meal with no problems. If the fish is smoked, the beer should be too.
Fish: Just as a dry white wine would be the obvious choice with most fish, so would a hoppy Pilsner (Bitburger,) The hoppiness really helps out firmer fish such as cod, pike, or carp. Heavier fish, such as salmon, fair better with a Dortmunder Export. The dryness and refreshing characteristics of these beers seem to sharpen the flavors of the fish.
Pizza: It has become something of an American tradition to order beer when eating pizza. The only problem is that pizza has too much cooked-tomato sweetness and basil spiciness for an American lager. A Vienna-style lager,  Negra Modelo, has its own malty spiciness and sweetness. A hoppy American Pale-Ale from with a lot of Northwest hoppiness adds its own spiciness such as Anchor Liberty Ale.
Chicken and pork: These sweetish meats are accompanied by, a reasonably malty lager, perhaps a Dortmunder for chicken and a Oktoberfest/Märzen or Vienna-style lager for pork. Märzens and Oktoberfests have an abundance of maltiness and a touch of sweetness that works wonders with many lighter meats. At the Munich Oktoberfest, the festival's beers are served with spit-roast meats and stews. Try either Paulaner's Oktoberfest, or Beck's Oktoberfest.
Red meat: Red meats are better partnered by full-colored, fruity ales (Samuel Smith's India Pale-Ale or Anchor's Liberty Ale). A heavy brown ale such as Rogue Ale seems to game well.
Spicy Food: Wine is usually too subtle for spicy foods. For Mexican try Negra Modelo, a Vienna-style lager whose slight sweetness will help balance some of the spiciness. Hoppy pilsners also compliment spicy foods as well.
Barbeque: For marinating try any beer. Its acidity helps naturally tenderize the meat. For consuming, try a dryish, burnt-tasting porter such as Fuller's London Porter, or an Oktoberfest.
Sausage: If the sausage is German than German beer is the way to go. Just about any German beer pairs nicely with sausages but German weizens and Oktoberfests work exceptionally well.
Salads: The most extremely acidic styles of beers, such as Berliner Weisse or a gueuze, can be used instead of vinegar or lemon juice in salad dressings. If you fancy a raspberry vinaigrette try a framboise lambic instead. If nuts, or their oils, or if crisp salad ingredients have been used, try a brown ale such as Samuel Smith's Nut Brown.
Cheese: Many cheeses need a potent beer that is reasonably hoppy to be served with cheese. An English old ale, Fullers, Old Peculier, or a barley wine are potent, but lack hoppiness. The best choice would be a Belgian beer that is potent and hoppy at the same time. Although it is not very hoppy, any one of the Trappist ales from Orval or Chimay work nicely.
Dessert: Many wheat beers have just the right blend of tartness and sweetness to accompany pies and other fruit dishes. A White beer such as Hoegaarden, Blue Moon Belgian White, with its own orangey flavor, is splendid in this role. Sweet double bocks, Trappist beers, barley wines, and especially Imperial Stouts accompany dried fruit-cakes and puddings, chocolate, and anything creamy.

Everyday Food and Beer Suggestions.

BBQ - Smoked Beer, Steam, Ale or Pale Ale, Porter These beers are medium to heavily bodied, with good bitterness to stand up to the strong flavors of a BBQ. While these beers are bitter, they are also full of malt and the porters are somewhat roasty and often coffee-like. The ale and pale ale are fruity and go well with all meats.

Spicy Mexican, SW USA - Mexican gold & amber lagers, Chinese, chili beer. It is no accident that most Mexican beer is in the Vienna lager style. A rich malty, roasty beer that absorbs the heat and provides a great counterpart to burritos, et al. And chili beers. I wonder why someone would want to drink something so hot with hot food, but they do match in style.

Pizza - malty dry beers like domestic lagers and brown ales. Brown ales go great with pizza. Brown ale tends to be lighter in body and sweeter than pale ales. More delicate in flavor.

Fresh fish - Wheat beer, dry lager, dry pilsner. Delicate fish need delicate light beers. Wheat beers have a unique tartness to them which are more appropriate before a meal. Pilsners and light lagers are excellent with fish.

Chicken - Lager. Roast chicken, any lighter lager or pilsner or brown ale or pale ale. Almost anything works with chicken. The method of preparation makes a big difference too.

Smoked salmon, turkey - Steam, Malty amber or ale; dry porter. Turkey and heavier fish need a stronger beer than chicken and lighter fish.

Beef, lamb, game - Pale ale, full fruity dark ale or amber ale. There is no better pairing of food and beer than a roast beef or steak with an English Bitter or a porter (porterhouse steak!). Hearty beers for hearty meats. The heavier body and bitterness of these beers just seems to blend wonderfully with beef.

Fruit dessert - Lambic, Belgian fruit Lambic. There is no such thing as a domestic lambic. Lambics are wheat beers fermented with wild yeasts in the Senne Valley in Belgium. Now a fruit flavored lambic, framboise (raspberries), kriek (cherries), peche (peach) are wonderful with fruit. Very dry and tart. Also wheat beers work well.

Sweet dessert - Belgian Trappist Dark Ales, Cream Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Imperial Stout, Double Bock, Scotch Ale. All heavy and sweet. The Imperial Stout needs something like chocolate, it is quite bitter and heavy. In fact all these beers could be dessert themselves.

More Beer & Food

Pale Ale - Roast beef, steak, roast chicken, smoked salmon, crab salad, bouillabaisse, sushi and spicy foods such as tandoori and Mandarin cuisine. Applewood grilled salmon, crabmeat Cutters, mussel stew, fried oysters, Caesar salad, aged Cheddar cheese with apples, home fries. Serve at 55 degrees in a straight sided pint or nonik glass.

Porter - Oysters on the half shell, Rockefeller or cajun style; clams, mussels, crab cocktail, lobster bisque and other shellfish. Also, veal with green peppercorns and chocolate. Serve at 55 degrees in a nonik or tumbler.

Brown Ale - Stilton cheese, game such as Grouse and roasted game hen, barbecued duck, pepper steak, paella, stir-fry teriyaki, Thai food, Chinese food. Serve at 55 degrees.

Stout - Pizza and salad, other Italian foods, steamed clams, grilled mahi-mahi, grilled tuna, lobster with drawn butter, steak and kidney pie, bangers and mash, ploughman’s lunch, crumpets, shish kabobs, dark flavorful bread with aged Stilton cheese. Serve at 55 degrees.

Lager - Chilled as an aperitif, or as an accompaniment to an alfresco buffet. Mixed with lemon-lime soda or ginger ale to make a "shandy."

Lambic Kriek - Roast duck with cherries, turkey with cranberries, apricot-glazed country ham, fresh cherries, crepes suzettes, cherries jubilee, tuna salad sandwiches, crab and shrimp salads, hors d’oeuvres, as an aperitif. Serve chilled, 45 degrees, in Champagne glasses.

Lambic Framboise - Chocolate desserts, especially chocolate decadence, fresh raspberries, ice cream with a raspberry demi-glaze sauce, caramel, Baked Alaska, Olympia oysters, caviar. Serve in a Champagne glass at 45 degrees.

Lambic Peche - Peach Melba, peaches in brandy, pear tarts, Salad Nicoise, sorbet, egg rolls, peach cobbler, Waldorf salad, haroses, free-run chicken crepes, Belgian waffles. Serve in Champagne flutes at 45 degrees.

Lambic Gueuze - As an aperitif in place of a dry sherry, with carbonnade a la boeuf, mussels in white wine or Gueuze, flavorful cheeses. Traditionally served in a tall, thick tumbler with cubes of sugar to sweeten to taste.

Abbey Ale - Espresso, cognac or Armagnac, fruit cake, Jordan Almonds, fresh deep purple grapes, melon with proscuitto, rabbit in prunes, pate’ de foie gras. Serve in balloon glass or brandy snifter at 60 degrees.

Rauchbier (Smoked beer) - Smoked ham, sausage, trout, salmon, or char-grilled beef; pumpernickel and rye bread, smoked Gouda cheese, liver pate’, Oklahoma barbecued ribs, Alabama style barbecue pork, Memphis "dry" ribs, apples, cheeses, walnuts. Serve in a glass mug at 55 degrees.

(This is by no means the only way to pair food and beer. I am sure some folks may disagree. Some may say Pilsners are better as a before dinner drink, or imperial stouts will destroy any food you put next to it. Not me. If it tastes good, it is. What do you think?)

 

(Some of the recipes and information is provided with the permission of the The National Beer Wholesalers Association.)