Pairing Beer With Food

Thu, May 6, 2010

Photo credit: Jeff Harris

A gourmand’s guide to picking the right brew for the occasion.

By David Ramsey

Photographs by Jeff Harris

Good beer — skip the mass-market pilsners — doesn’t just go well with food; it can turn a good meal into something transcendent. Nothing against wine, but it simply doesn’t fit with certain foods — the highly spiced, for example. More to the point, sometimes you just want a beer. We asked Sang Yoon of Father’s Office, the beer-centric L.A. gastropub, along with Garrett Oliver, author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and Tom Peters of Philly’s legendary Monk’s Cafe, for their favorite pairings.

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TAILGATING - Pilsners

Pilsners, with their clean, palate-cleansing bitterness, are the “ultimate chameleon,” says Oliver. Peters suggests Stoudt’s Pils for “hot dogs, burgers — you can sit down and have 10 of them.”

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INTENSE FLAVORS — Belgian Tripels

Highly alcoholic tripels have an intense complexity of fruit, herb, and spice notes. Yoon recommends Tripel Karmeliet with fiery Thai beef salad: “It’s bold enough not to get overwhelmed by the food.”

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SUSHI — White Beers

At once ethereal and flavorful, a white beer can enliven breakfast (think of it as a decadent mimosa), salads, and delicate seafood. “Hitachino White is perfect with sushi,” says Yoon. “It doesn’t overpower, but it also has so many complementing flavors.”

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SPICY FOODS — India Pale Ales

The kick of stronger hops, bold carbonation, and sharp, bitter flavors make IPAs the best put-out-the-fire beer when you’re going for the hot stuff. Try Samuel Smith’s with chicken vindaloo or most any other four-alarm option.

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WILD GAME AND CHOCOLATE — Fruit Lambics

Fruit lambics can have explosively tart flavors — surprisingly good with game and fantastic with chocolate. Try the raspberry crispness of Lindemans Framboise with chocolate cheesecake.

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STEAKS — Brown Ales

Brown ales’ hints of fruit and nut create a nuanced and hearty companion to almost any great piece of meat. “If you have a nice rib eye with a dark sear, Brooklyn’s roasted malt tastes will grab right on,” says Oliver.

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GRILLING — Porters

Porters get their darker color from roasting the malts longer, which creates a succulent complement. “Anchor Porter is the barbecue beer,” says Yoon. “You get the long-roast flavor and kiss of smoke; anything straight off the grill is perfect.”

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DESSERTS — Stouts

With dark and often heavy notes of coffee and chocolate, strong dark stouts “are the clear winner for pairing with desserts,” says Oliver. Try Deschutes Obsidian over vanilla ice cream and you’ll know what he’s talking about.

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Ale, beer, Gourmet, Pairings, Pilsner, Porter, Stout

This post was written by:

David Ramsey - who has written 5 posts on Men’s Journal.

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12 Comments For This Post

taylor Says:
May 10th, 2010 at 2:08 am

all beers = good with tacobell

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