The craft-brewing renaissance has brought beer aficionados nationwide fine styles that have been known in Europe for centuries. Beer drinkers in the United States, in increasing numbers, are pulling away from the classic American-style lagers and experimenting with all of the classic brewing styles from both microbreweries and world-class imports. The growing number of beer connoisseurs are exploring the great versatility of beer, including the ability to distinguish between color, aroma, body and taste, and pairing food with beer.
Yes, different wine styles complement food. Did you know that the same holds true for beer? And there are even beers that go well with foods that may be difficult to pair with wine. Today's beer connoisseur knows that like wine, beer is brewed in a wide variety of styles. And like wine, careful consideration should be given to pairing food with beer. The right beer/food marriage can make an unforgettable and pleasurable dining experience.
How do you choose a beer to best complement a food? The general rule of thumb for wine can also be applied to that of beer, but not without exceptions, of course. We have been taught that red wine is best accompanied with red meat and white wine is best accompanied with white meat. When pairing beer with food, ales best complement red meat and lagers best complement white meat. This is a helpful rule and works most of the time, however, it leaves out many other styles of beer such as wheat, bock and porter.
When pairing other styles of beer with food, consideration must be given to the beer's hoppiness. In the book A Taste for Beer, author Stephen Beaumont suggests "treating beer in the same fashion as you would acidity in wine. Where you would use the high acidity of an Alsatian wine and food marriage, you can use a hoppy pale ale or German-style pils in its place." Another way to go about pairing food with beer is to try using complementary or contrasting flavors. In this approach, the flavor of the beer should either complement or contrast with the food. Don't be shy about "unconventional" pairings either. A rich stout is an excellent complement to a chocolate dessert, and how about a beer brunch, rather than a champagne brunch?
Pairing beer and food takes a little bit of practice and patience. Experimenting is recommended, and certainly a lot of fun! How about hosting a beer lover's dinner? You can select a variety of beers and practice pairing them with the food that you serve. Here are a couple of tips: First, you should choose your beers so that you begin serving the lightest and finish the meal with the darkest. Second, in order for you and your guests to enjoy everything, you should only serve approximately a half of a bottle per guest with each course, as the carbonation can have a potentially filling effect.
Another concept that was lost in our country during the years of prohibition is the idea of using beer as a recipe ingredient. Many pub dishes in Britain use ales, porter and stouts as ingredients. Our friends at the Pike Pub in Seattle use beer in the preparation of most items on the menu.
A few classic combinations for you to consider featuring our benchmark breweries:
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