Beer and Food

As Canadians, we have, more often than not, come to believe that beer is a cold, refreshing drink that we have on a hot summer day or after a sporting event. The times, however, are changing. We are now getting to the same point where our European cousins have been for centuries. That is, beer is a wonderful companion to food; better in some cases, than wine.

Traditionally, we often think the perfect food to have with beer is pizza, wings & pretzels. There are very specific reasons why those types of foods work well with beer but there are many other experiences waiting for you. There are times when matching the right beer with the right food actually becomes better that each one individually. It’s the old sum of whole is greater than the sum of the parts theory.

Recipes

Matching Beer with Food

Putting the right beer with the right food may not be as difficult as you think. The basic principles are complement, cut and contrast

Complement – The goal of complementing is to match the flavours of the beer with the flavours of the food. Lighter beer with lighter fare and fuller flavoured beer with robust foods. The following are other examples of complementing food with beer.

Fish – Light Beer (the meat in this case is light and flaky and won’t be overpowered by the light beer)
Fish – Wheat Beers (especially German Weissbiers – are good because the delicate flavours and aromas are gentle and not too dramatic)
Poultry – Lagers (light to amber in colour) are generally light in body and will complement the lighter flavour of the meat
Beef – Dark Lagers and Dark Ales (the roasted flavours, coffee and chocolate characteristics match well with robust flavours in the meat)
Pork – Amber lagers or Amber Ales (not too powerful but have just the right amount of flavour – caramel to support the flavours of the meat)
Spicy dishes such as Thai – Belgian Wit/ German Weiss Bier (the spice notes and soft citric qualities are great complements to the spice [cilantro]
Chocolate dessert – Stout/Porter (the chocolate flavours of the beer will definitely complement the body of the dessert)

Cut – in this case, the beer will cut through some of the richer flavours and tastes in the food in order to cleanse your palate, so that you don’t feel so full.

Shellfish and Lobster – need a lighter flavoured beer with some good proportion of bitterness, like a Cream Ale or an India Pale Ale – the bitterness in these beers cuts through the richness of the meat
Caesar Salad or Alfredo Sauces – Dark Lagers or Ales (the higher levels of bitterness in these beers will cut through the thick texture of the food)
Sharp Cheeses (Blue, Stilton, Roquefort) – require a Lambic style fruit beer or a Trappist style strong beer (the higher carbonation in the fruit beer and the higher alcohol & sweetness of the strong beer will cut through the sharpness of the cheeses, resulting in a softer flavour in the cheese)
Creamy soups – Pilsners or Cream Ales (slightly more hopping and bitterness will slice through the richness of these soups and act as a palate cleanser)

Contrast – The goal of contrast is to provide an opportunity for both the beer and the food to be presented separately

Curries – India Pale Ales or British style ales with more pronounced bitterness (cut through the heat of the spice and showcase some of the more delicate and interesting notes)
Oysters – Stouts and Porters (the briny character of the oysters are contrasted sharply to the bitter and robust characters of the stout)
Spicy Mexican – Light beer (cold and refreshing, the beer puts out the fire, cleansing the palate and then showcases the actual flavours in the food)

A great beer and food match is apparent when you can’t tell where the food stops and where the beer starts. Each should make the other better. As Garrett Oliver says, “Beer and food should engage in a lively dance, not a slugfest”.

Here are some other thoughts on how to enjoy your beer and food together

The beer should be in the right glass (not the bottle)
Smell both the beer and the food
Taste the beer first
Then taste the food, followed by another taste of beer
Did anything change? Did the beer become softer? Did the food lose some of its edge?
Cook with the beer

Click here to read more information about cooking with beer.