Beer’s diversity of style and flavour characteristics make it a natural partner for food. Beer and food should complement each other and should strike a balance between the food and beer.
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The five functions of beer with food
- AMPLIFYING one or more elements in the food – such as the sweetness in the food and the sweetness in the beer. Matching similar flavours aroma and / or texture in the beer and food.
- ADDING an element that is lacking in the food and can add to the taste experience for example the acidic, roasted, bitter or spicy character of a beer.
- BRIDGING – unite flavours and work as bridge between flavours splaying in different directions. Cutting through rich flavours to allow other flavours to prevail. Beer can cut through the richness of cheeses, stews or curries.
- CLEAN AND RESET – cleans or rinses the taste palette / mouth of fat or flavour with bitterness, carbonation or alcohol in the beer. Beer can cleanse the palette with fatty, salty or spicy food.
Characteristics to consider
- Sweetness, roasted notes and aromas from the malt
- Bitterness and aromas from the hops
- Esters and fruitiness from the yeast
- A certain degree of carbonation and acidity
- Alcohol content
- Added flavour from spices and fruit
Rules to remember to find the right beer
Always try to find balance and harmony between food and drink in your mouth. Here are some basic principles for the meal:
- Dry and lively before fruity or sweet
- Light and lively before heavy and full-bodied
- Weak before strong
- Simple food with light flavours should be combined with light beers
- Heavy food should be combined with strong beers
- Spicy food goes well with refreshing, sweet or fruity beers
- Salty food should be accompanied by a quenching, refreshing and not too dark beer
- Salt in food reduces the perceived bitterness of beer
- For fatty foods, we need a beer with good bitterness and/or higher alcohol content
- Remember that bitterness amplifies bitterness
- Fatty fish + bitterness may trigger a metallic taste
- Tart food works well with beer
Beer & Food Pairing Guide
Pilsner (Carlsberg)
Pale and frothy: complements rather than dominates lighter food Food match: Chicken, salads, salmon
Craft Lager (Brooklyn)
Crisp, smooth and carbonated: the bubbles disperse spicy or fatty food. Food match: Mexican, thai, BBQ, smoked or cured meats, seafood & sushi.
Wheat Beer (Erdinger)
Silky and citrusy: great for food where flavours add to the experience Food match: Seafood, light creamy desserts like panna cotta
Ale (Wainwright)
Aromatic and fruity, less carbonated. Differing in depth and intensity of flavour, there is an ale for the lightest to heartiest meal. Food match: Blondes for chicken and salads, reds for seafood chicken and burgers, golden for spicy food, brown ales for hearty roasts.
Pale Ale (Hobgoblin Amber)
Big, fruity or spicy flavours that go well with meaty dishes and cheese Food match: Hearty meat pies, burgers, cheddar.
IPA (Brooklyn Stonewall IPA or Hobgoblin session IPA)
Big fruity flavour that balances strong or rich, sweet flavours and brings out the fiery best in spicy food. Food match: Strong spicy foods like curry, sweet desserts such as apple pie.