Guide to beer and food pairing: Everything you should know

Recommendation: Beer products are only for people over 18 years old.

If you’re new to pairing beer with food and want to learn more or even create your own pairing menu, these quick guides and tips from Websosanh.vn will help you get started.

1. Summary of beer characteristics

The limitless world of beer means a huge number of drinks are available for you to choose from. From classic draft beer to strong IPA to spicy draft beer, each beer has more sub-categories than drinkers know what to do with. Therefore, before diving deeper into Websosanh.vn’s beer and food pairing guide, you should clearly understand the following terms:

1.1 Types of light beer

Light beers are usually amber in color, have a lighter flavor, and create a crisp and refreshing feeling. And of course, most light beers are lower in alcohol, and they often fall into the pilsner beer category.

1.2 Dark beers

Dark beers have a cloudy brown or black color that reflects their thickness and weight. Because malt is used in the brewing process, darker beers can have a thicker consistency. Darker beers are typically higher in alcohol by volume (ABV) and higher in calories than their lighter counterparts.

1.3 Hops

Hops refers to the flowers of the female hop plant, used to make beer. Hops can help balance the sweetness of the grain by adding bitterness to the brew. To be clear, hops provide a range of characteristics other than bitterness (fruity, funky, hoppy, earthy, etc.). However, when someone who frequents a bar says a beer is “hoppy,” it means they can taste the hops more clearly (i.e. it’s usually more bitter). In modern beer, the most notable hop characteristics are seen in IPAs and Pale Ales.

1.4 Bitter taste

It is defined as a strong flavor that lacks sweetness and is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBUs). Beers with larger IBUs are generally more bitter, but there are a lot of factors that influence the final flavor, so there will be exceptions.

1.5 Malty and sweet

Rich and sweet beers are light to full-bodied beer styles with a wide ABV range. They are often delicious and have notes of caramel, toffee and nuts. An example of a malt and sweet beer is an English brown ale, which goes well with heavy dishes like roast pork and steak (a classic pairing for malt and sweet beer).

1.6 Mouthfeel

Consider the physical sensation you get in your mouth when you drink beer. Beers with a thicker mouthfeel tend to be thicker. On the other hand, beers have less mouthfeel, are generally lighter, and have a less pronounced sipping sensation.

2. Basic food and beer pairing suggestions

Beer is a wonderful food thanks to its complexity of flavor, ability to provide absolute refreshment, and interaction with many food flavors. When it comes to beer and food pairings, it’s all about pairing the flavors of the recipe with the flavors of the beers. Here are some tips on how to pair the best beers with your favorite dishes.

2.1 Light lagers: A “match made in heaven” with spicy food, burgers, salads

Crisp, refreshing and often more neutral in flavor, lagers can pair well with most savory recipes, but they really shine when it comes to spicy cuisine. Light beers are great for cutting through spicy flavors as they will act as a palate cleanser, ready for your guests when they want another bite. For example, grilled dishes like chicken, BBQ, sausages… go well with these styles of beer.

With an alcohol content of around 4.1%–5.1%, the soft drink is a more popular drinking choice that makes an appearance at many camping trips and parties with lots of food.

2.2 Stout: Pair them with pizza, burgers, hearty stews

We all love a little sweetness and smoke. Typically, these beers have a subtle, gentle sweetness complemented by a darker roast profile.

These beers really shine when paired with typical European dishes like sausages, goulash, potato dumplings, biscuits and mashed potatoes.

2.3 Wheat beer: Pair with spicy foods and fruit desserts

Wheat beers, which are typically soft on the palate with a light graininess and get most of their “flavor” from yeast properties, are another style that goes well with a variety of foods. Since they are wheat-based they are also light and often fruity, with low to medium bitterness, the best beer and food pairing recommendations would be spicy noodles, salads, fruit tarts and cakes.

2.4 India Pale Ale (IPA): Pairs well with steak, grilled meat and Mexican food

Spicy, bold and often delightfully bitter, IPAs are characterized by rich flavors and are often best served in rich, “fatty” meals.

Grilled ribs, french fries, mozzarella sticks, steak are just a few of the dishes you can think of with a bottle of IPA.

Best India Pale Ales (IPA) to try: Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, and Goose Island IPA

2.5 Amber beer: Best eaten with pizza, fried food, smoked pork

Amber beers are toasty and often slightly bready on the nose, with crisp, clean, toasty malts and caramel malts with low to medium-high hop bitterness. They work well to balance out rich and savory dishes. Therefore, amber beer goes well with hearty dishes such as grilled pork, shredded chicken, pizza and brisket.

Furthermore, Amber ale can go great with sharp cheeses. So why not try an amber ale with some sharp cheddar to satisfy your palate?

The best amber beers to pair: Bell’s Amber Ale and Samuel Adams Boston Lager

2.6 Brown Ales: Serve with sausage, sushi, fish

Brown Ales have a darker roast and have more roasted notes of coffee and chocolate, with a round and nutty flavor with a drier finish. Brown glaze goes well with a variety of foods, but here are a few ideas to get you started: sausages, pork roasts, grilled meats, fish and sushi.

2.7 Porters Beer: “Winner” with seafood, coffee-flavored desserts

Porters beer is brewed using roasted brown malt, which imparts rich flavors of chocolate, caramel and coffee to the beer. They are similar to brown beers but richer. They have a drier finish and while they have a similar flavor to stouts, they don’t have the same “creamy” texture. In general, Porters are excellent with lobster, crab, roast meat, rabbit, venison and other game meats.

2.8 Seafood sour beer

Sour beers are the perfect summer companion because they taste like the beach — salty, citrusy, refreshing. These beers often have high levels of acidity, so keep that in mind as you prepare potential food combinations. If you have a lot of seafood on your menu, then you must have a sour beer to keep the palate “happy.” Dishes like french fries and shellfish have a certain amount of salt and acidity, which perfectly complements the freshness of sour beer.

2.9 Pilsners beer: Pair with seafood and salad

Pilsners is a lager beer that tastes like malted bread. Perhaps the most popular pilsner beer is the German-style Pilsner. The light and balanced beverage pairs easily with lighter food recipes, like chicken, shellfish, and salads with light dressings. For example, you can try combining it with shrimp salad or plant-based dishes like cobb salad.

3. Rules for creating the best food and beer pairings

The point of combining beer and food is to create a bond that enhances the flavors of both. There’s nothing wrong with trying different combinations to see what works best.

The basic principles below guide your considerations when deciding which beer to pair with different recipes.

3.1 Add flavor

You can never go wrong with matching things. If you want to play it safe, you can create food and beer pairings based on items with a similar taste or appearance.

Pair heavier recipes with dark beers and lighter recipes with lighter beers.

Sweet should go with sweet, citrus should go with citrus, and bitter should go with bitter.

You get the idea? The ultimate goal is to marry two similar flavors without competing for “air”.

3.2 “Cleanser” of the palate

Sometimes, cutting back on bold or heavy food flavors is what your menu needs.

If you want to use really spicy, greasy dishes or rich recipes, then having lots of draft beer or wheat beer on the menu will be a great treat for your guests. .

3.3 Contrasting flavors

Combining similar flavors can get a little boring, so it can be fun to change it up a bit by pairing contrasting flavors. You might think that pairing beer and contrasting food wouldn’t work, but it can work if you try. Sometimes, even unexpected combinations can reap a huge flavor reward.

3.4 Pay attention to beer texture, temperature and time

“Beer bubbles” cut through fried and fatty foods, so opt for more carbonation when higher-fat foods are involved. Pizza, for example, is creamy, and it requires something that can withstand the acidity in the tomatoes, and cut through the rich cheese without overwhelming the dish. Stouts and porters are too heavy, while wheat beers tend to be light or less fruity. In this regard, the best options are ales, pilsners and lagers. To put it simply, the hops in these beers can counteract the cheese, while the beer bubbles are responsible for cleansing the palate.

Note that your beer may taste syrupy if it’s too warm. It is ideally used between 4.4⁰C to 10⁰C. Meanwhile, some refrigerators are even colder than 4.4⁰C, so leave the beer out for 15 minutes before using.

Ultimately, timing really does play a role in beer and food pairing. If you’re setting up an entire meal with different beers, or individual courses, make sure to start with a pale beer choice and work your way up to darker beers. Otherwise, it’s easy to overwhelm your palate early on and miss out on some of the subtle notes and aromas of delicate beers.

4. Conclusion

Choosing beers that complement the dishes you want to serve can take the flavor and richness of your dish to the next level. Remember that there are no “strict rules” here. Pairing beer and food is fun and ultimately, your taste buds will determine whether the pairing is a success or not.

Let Websosanh.vn’s suggestions inspire you to create your own flavor combinations and you’ll get a flavorful feast for every meal.