7 Foods that pairs well with Beer

Beer is actually more food friendly than wine because beer offers more room for flavor variety. Beer has barley (that adds sweetness), hops (that gives bitterness), yeast (that gives “bready” flavor), and you can add chocolate, fruits, nuts, spices, and vegetables while the wine gives only one flavor which is grapes.

Since beer has different variety of flavors, people tend to pair it with specific foods. Here are some suggested foods that you can eat that best match while drinking beer.

1. Beer and Chicken and Pasta

When eating chicken, do not take a heavy beer but instead a lighter beer. The herbed chicken removes the caramel taste of the lager and it removes its bitterness.  However, if the food has creams and sauces you need a richer and weighty beer. Lastly, pasta is slightly handier but it can pair well with similar brews such as German or American wheat ales and blond ales.

2. Beer and Cheese, Sandwiches, and Pizzas

Cheese is perfect while drinking beer because it boosts the fats in the cheese off the palate and creates a lighter acidity. For the lager, it works best with mild cheese.

3. Beer and Dessert

Chocolate notes fit perfectly with brownies and any rich dessert. To provide a balance or contrast, lighter, fruit-based lagers can pair nicely with these foods. If you want to have a little adventure while drinking fruitier beers, you can try different types of ice creams, puddings, or sorbets. When it comes to pudding, lemon-based desserts will give any citrus flavor in the lager and it doesn’t get too heavy to your meal. Baltic-style porter can help highlight the richness of the chocolates.

4. Beer and French Fries and Fried Foods

These foods are good in flavor profile so it is best to pair it with American Pale Ale which can help balance the strong flavors. American Brown Ale is also a good alternative without washing away all the salty flavors, cutting through, and bringing out the good taste of the food.

5. Beer with Hotdog, Steak, and Roasted Meats

The sweetness of the pork makes it a perfect match for English style brown porter. Unlike chop or steak, hotdog sausages don’t have to work as hard. Meanwhile, steak and Cabernet are typical but the brown ales or stouts can balance the larger meats. It’s about finding a beer that suites the meat.

6. Beer and Seafood

Seafood such as the crabs and oysters has their flavors ramp up by the opposing blast while calamari brushes the palate and removes the squid’s flavor intact. Belgian style saison brings out the natural sweetness of seafood. On the other hand, salmon is an oily but light fish and pairs perfectly with German-style Hefeweizen.

7. Beer and Spicy Foods

Foods such Buffalo wings, Mexican dishes, spicy Thai, and Szechuan Chicken goes together with pilsner because those beer help to cut down the spices in the food.

You can always experiment with different foods. Please feel free to comment down below with your own favorite beer and food combinations.