Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Pairing Beer with Food


 Once the Nor’easter Brewing Company is in operation, we will revisit this release and recommend our specific beers for pairing with food. In the meantime, we wanted to document something now, because for ‘centuries’, it’s always been “which wine goes best with this meal”; today, beer has finally made it on to the menu.  In fact, more and more restaurants now boost a beer selection as large as the wine choices!  In fact, joining the ranks of wine experts at restaurants, beer sommeliers, or formally referred to as cicerones, have popped up in cities across the country in increasing numbers.

We, at Nor’easter, believe that beer may actually be more food-friendly than wine.  The carbonation from beer actually can serve as a cleanser to your palette and there are now so many beers and various beer styles to choose from.  It is our hope that you will soon discover that not only can beer enhance the flavor of food, but food enhances the flavor of beer as well.  Basically, delicate or light dishes work best with lighter bodied and noncomplex beers, and it is equally true that strongly flavored foods demand more assertive and heavy bodied beers. Intensity of beer flavor may involve many aspects: alcoholic strength, malt character, degree and variety of hop and its bitterness, sweetness, richness, body or mouthfeel, and so on.

Keep in mind that matching food with beer is not an exact science, even for the pros.  But most tend to agree, lighter beers tend to go well with lighter foods, and, heavier beers with heavier foods.  I will note, although the majority of beer cicerones look for commonalities, that is a spicy dish with a heavily hopped IPA, or fish with a pilsner; while a few cicerones believe that contrasting flavors is a better compliment, that is a stout paired with chicken or fish, or an Imperial Porter with a salad.

Some beer cicerones might even recommend to simply thinking ethnic. Try bratwurst (complete with grilled onions and horseradish) with a German dark lager or an English Stout with Shepherd’s Pie; perhaps an American pilsner with raw or steamed New England clams. How about beer from Mexico with Quesadillas, or Italian beer with Pasta. How can you go wrong with this method?  I might add, this makes a wonderful theme for a ‘beer’ dinner party.

Another thought is to treat beer like wine ….OK, you wine lovers, still confused?  Some people say lager is like white wine and ale is like red.  Ales tend to be ‘heavier,’ fruity, more complex, and robust, while lagers are lighter, crisp, and comparatively delicate. Recall the age-old rule, red meat; you should have red wine, the new rule …. Red meat, you should have an IPA. With beer, it may be simply said heavy food, heavy beer - light food, a lighter beer.

We offer the following to assist you wine drinkers trying to convert -  
>If we agree that light body wines examples include -Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Pinot Grigio

>Why not substitute these beers:  Lager, Pilsner, and Wheat
>Medium body wines examples include Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah
>Why not substitute these beers:  Ale, IPA, Bock
>Heavy body wines examples include: Cabernet Sauvignon, and Oaky Chardonnay
>Why not substitute these beers:  Stout, Porter, and Barley wine



I provide a simple chart created by Epicurious  -
Why not hang it up in the kitchen?
Ale:
Pair with: Burgers; buffalo wings; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food; nutty food; fried food; pizza; steaks; Cheddar, Parmesan, or Romano cheeses.


Bock beer:
Pair with: Gruyère, Emmental, and Swiss cheeses; Cajun food; jerk chicken; beef; sausage; seared foods.


Lager:
Pair with: Shellfish; light seafood; sushi; grilled pork and chicken; not-too-heavy pasta dishes (without cream or meat sauces); Southeast Asian food; Latin food; Mexican food; spicy food.


Pilsner:
Pair with: American cheese; Muenster, Havarti, and Monterey Jack cheeses; salads; light seafood; salmon; tuna; trout; asparagus; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food.


Porter:
Pair with: Smoked foods; barbecue; sausage; rich stews; meats; bacon; chili; braised dishes.


Stout:
Pair with: Roasted foods; smoked foods; barbecued/grilled foods; salty foods; oysters; rich stews; braised dishes; chocolate; desserts (ideally the beer is sweeter than the dish).


Wheat Beers
Pair with: Light soups and salads; vegetarian dishes; sushi; Gruyère cheese and Feta/goat cheese; sweet and fruity Asian dishes; citrus-flavored dishes, including dessert and salad dressings.



Above all else, remember, this is not a science and in the end, drink the beer YOU think is best with your meal. Reality is, like wine, drink what you like, truly, there are no right and wrong pairings.  Beer IS the new wine.


As outlined in prior Nor’easter Brewing Blogs, beer is normally served too cold, it is always best served between 40°F and 50°F.  Review our past releases for the perfect temperature for the beer style you choose.

Please drop us a comment on your thoughts for pairing your favorite craft beers.



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've been researching this topic on beer food pairings (as a past BIG wine drinker) your blog was very well done. My wife and I both not only enjoyed it, but thought it was very informative and direct! just wanted to pass this along. We'd love to try some of your beers. We live in Texas, in the Dallas area. Any idea when Noreaster will be there?