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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. If you're looking to enhance your guests' dining experience and increase spend, discover how the right beer can transform your food offering.
AMPLIFYING one or more elements in the food – such as the sweetness in the food and the sweetness in the beer. Tip: Pair sweet dishes (e.g., glazed meats or desserts) with beers that have a similar sweetness profile like wheat beers or fruit-infused ales.
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. Tip: Offer tasting notes on the menu that highlight what the beer adds to the dish.
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. Tip: Label “bridge beers” on the menu to guide customers toward versatile options.
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. Tip: Offer small pairing samples to demonstrate how beer can refresh the palate.
Always try to find balance and harmony between food and drink in your mouth. Here are some basic principles for the meal:
Balance of Intensity:
Flavor Pairing Principles:
Fat and Bitterness Considerations:
When designing your food menus, consider adding some beer pairings too. Below are some ideas for different food categories and beers.
Pale and frothy: complements rather than dominates lighter food Food match: Chicken, salads, salmon
Crisp, smooth and carbonated: the bubbles disperse spicy or fatty food. Food match: Mexican, thai, BBQ, smoked or cured meats, seafood & sushi.
Silky and citrusy: great for food where flavours add to the experience Food match: Seafood, light creamy desserts like panna cotta
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.
Big, fruity or spicy flavours that go well with meaty dishes and cheese Food match: Hearty meat pies, burgers, cheddar.
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.