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Though wine is often paired with food, it's an uphill battle to convince beer drinkers that it too should be paired with a meal. Jimmy Carbone, owner of Jimmy's No. 43 and host of Beer Sessions Radio on Heritage Radio Network, has based his restaurant model on food and beer pairings, and over the years he has brought in guest chefs to create menus to which beer is paired.
When it comes to choosing a beer to go with food, some pairings seem obvious (raw oysters and Oyster Stout) while others are obviously terrible (caviar with Russian Imperial Stout.) So, which comes first: The food or the beer?
Well, if you’re pairing a chili with a Budweiser, there’s no right or wrong answer. But if you’re a foodie, you’ll want to select beers that complement or balance the flavors in your food—for example, a hopped ale will make a spicy dish more pronounced, whereas a Märzen or Fest beer’s malt profile will balance the effects of a capsaicin-induced hangover. Ultimately, you can choose your pairings based on personal tastes, but here are 15 food-beer pairings that will never disappoint.
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A dessert pairing that will please everyone.
The beer: Bridge & Tunnel Tiger Eyes Hazelnut Brown Ale
The style: Brown Ale/5.5%
The food: Strawberry Shortcake
Although it may be hard to believe it as you schlep through the city dressed in half your belongings, spring is on the horizon, and with spring comes fresh strawberries! Prepare now for their delicious return to the city's green markets by finding out which growler shops and pubs offer Queens' Bridge & Tunnel beers to go. When your dessert is ready, don't forget to bring an extra slice to the bartender.
Go crazy with "pumpkin" pie and real pumpkin ale.
The beer: Jolly Pumpkin's La Parcela
The style: Pumpkin Ale/6.0%
The food: Butternut Squash Pie
Did you know that canned pumpkin isn't actually pumpkin? Nearly all canned pumpkin is made from Hubbard squash, a gourd not dissimilar from the ubiquitous butternut squash found at winter farmer's markets. So skip the can, go to the source: Butternut squash pie is easy to bake and delicious when paired to something that actually does have pumpkin in it: Jolly Pumpkin's La Parcela.
Double down with beer and dessert.
The beer: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel's Route Des Épices (Ale Rousse Au Poivre)
The style: Rye Beer/5.0%
The food: Laurent Gerbaud Chocolate
Okay, this is a total cheat. The odds of you being able to do this pairing are slim, but that may be why it's probably my favorite beer-food pairing of all time. I bumped into Clay Gordon (The Chocolate Life) last summer after one of his many forays abroad, and with him he had this amazing peppery chocolate. I happened to have in my hand an amazingly peppery beer, Brasserie Dieu du Ciel's Route Des Épices. At first glance, you wouldn't think that pepper would go well with more pepper, but this is one of those rare circumstances.
Traditional cassoulet is on the menu.
The beer: La Blonde D'Esquelbecq Saison by Brasserie Thiriez
The style: Farmhouse Ale/6.5%
The food: Cassoulet
To paraphrase George Harrison, it's shaping up to be a long, cold, lonely winter. Well, you can do something about that last adjective. Fix up a cassoulet and invite everyone you know (don't have friends? your neighbors will smell this in the hall and come knocking.) This is not for solo dining. Cassoulet is a traditional French casserole dish made with beans, meat "parts" (duck confit, bacon, cracklings), and more beans. Julia Child's classic recipe isn't too hard to follow, if you want to give it a try. Otherwise, you can find it on the menu at Jimmy's No. 43 throughout the winter. Pair with the French Thiriez Saison and dream of warmer days to come.
Poached wild salmon or steamed mussels with witbier.
The beer: Anchorage Brewing Whiteout Wit Bier
The style: Belgian White/6.5%
The food: Poached Salmon
In the ideal world, you have a sister who lives in Alaska, her husband has a salmon fishing license and she packages up and ships you fresh salmon along with some Anchorage Brewing Company beers (I'm lucky.) Regardless, you can grab some wild salmon or fresh muscles from your local fish monger and use ½ cup of the Whiteout Wit Bier to infuse flavor into your seafood and enjoy the remaining beer with your meal.
Enjoy traditional Spanish paella and beer with friends.
The beer: Gisberga Trigo
The style: German Hefeweizen/4.3%
The food: Spanish Paella
Paella is a rice dish that originates in the Valencia region of Spain. It comes in as many flavors as people do, so you can experiment with the type of rice, seafood, exotic meats (escargot, rabbit) and spices to create a completely original dish. Gisberga Trigo is a yeasty, Hefeweizen exclusively imported from Spain by Iberian Beer United. If you can manage to get your hands on the beer, you'll practically be a torero of the kitchen!
Weizenbock and spaetzle for the win.
The beer: Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn's Aventinus (Weisse Tap 6 Unser)
The style: Weizenbock/8.2%
The food: Spaetzle
This is one of those "chicken and egg" pairings. It really doesn't matter if you're experimenting with German pasta or German beer, because the Schneider Aventinus (aka Weisse Tap 6 Unser) is arguably the best Weizenbock you can find in the USA. Impress friends and loved ones... even if you bought your spaetzle in the frozen food aisle at Whole Foods.
You actually like brussels sprouts.
The beer: Brouwerij Bockor's Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge
The style: Flanders Red Ale/5.5%
The food: Brussels Sprouts
There are certain foods about which everyone has an opinion, and there is never any ambivalence when it comes to Brussels sprouts. Those who hate it will not be placated, but you can try by giving them Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge, a vibrantly tart beer from a brewer with Flanders roots dating back more than 120 years. Sauté your blanched veggies with jowl bacon and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
You love cheese...but soup is too much effort.
The beer: Bronx Brewery Black Pale Ale
The style: "Pale" Ale/5.7%
The food: Grilled Cheese
This beer is a bit of a misnomer: A pale ale brewed with dark grains (a combo of Briess 2-row Brewers Malt, Blackprinz, and Chocolate Malt) that results not in a Black IPA, as some claim, but a more robust version of the brewer's flagship Pale Ale. It's a sweeter beer that complements cheese. For a bit more zing, use a more pungent fromage. A really nice sourdough bread with Gruyere as a base and a bit of bleu/Roquefort crumbled in is a great option.
Add some IPA to your hearty gumbo.
The beer: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel Corne du Diable
The style: American IPA/6.5%
The food: Seafood Gumbo
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel is in Quebec, where snowy, cold winters are not a rarity. This comforting IPA goes well with a savory dish like gumbo. Plus, you need to start thinking about Mardi Gras, right? If you have a slow cooker, you can put all the ingredients in before you head out for work and come home to yummy goodness.
You'd love some Gumbo...but you're a vegetarian.
The beer: Sly Fox Pikeland Pils
The style: German Pilsner/4.9%
The food: Beer & Cheddar Soup
Too many people think that you have to cook with beer in order to pair a food with the same beer. Very few recipes call for wine, so it's a mistake to assume you need to add beer to your food. Nevertheless, sometimes a bit of beer in your broth is a good thing. Pilsner in cheese soup is a perfect addition, and a six pack will net you five to drink. As an added bonus, Sly Fox Pils is vegetarian, so the beer is perfect for when you don't want meat additives in your soup recipe.
Don't be afraid of headcheese.
The beer: Brouwerij Rodenbach Grand Cru
The style: Flanders Red Ale/6.0%
The food: Headcheese
"Headcheese" is one of those unfortunate terms that turns people off (no one calls fois gras "ground up goose parts.") What you really need to know is that headcheese is a lovely pate/charcuterie that no one makes better than Sam Barbieri of Waterfront Ale House and Fuhgeddaboutit BBQ fame. It's not always available, so if you can score some, pair it with a Rodenbach Grand Cru, as this highly-rated beer (Beer Advocate gives it a perfect score) deserves a sublime food paring. The stone fruit flavors of the beer will balance out the fattiness of the meat.
The New Catch Holland Herring is almost here.
The beer: Brasserie Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic
The style: Gueuze/5.0%
The food: New Catch Holland Herring
I really cannot say it better than specialty foods' purveyor Russ & Daughters: "The New Catch Holland Herring is a piece of gastronomic heaven, a fabulous buttery and mild herring unlike any other..." And the Cantillon Gueuze is the original Brussels' brew to launch spontaneous bottle fermentation. Together, this food-beer pairing will make you hate winter even more than you probably already do this year...New Catch Holland Herring typically hits the city the first week of June.
Pair a German Keller Bier with a spicy sausage.
The beer: Mahr's Bräu Ungespundet Hefetrüb
The style: Keller (Zwickel) Bier/5.2%
The food: Spicy Wurst
There are certain things the Germans really understand: lagers and sausage. Don't try to fix what ain't broke, but get the most out of your malty Keller Bier by kicking it up a notch on the sausage: chorizo, blood sausage, or a garlicky/fatty Knackwurst is perfect.
Balance a barleywine with an aged stilton.
The beer: Brooklyn Brewery's Monster Ale
The style: English Barleywine/10.1%
The food: Aged Stilton
So, you've lucked out and were invited to a party with Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster, Garrett Oliver. How do you show your love? With evidence that you've actually read The Brewmaster's Table and you appreciate his recommendation of Barleywine and strong cheese. You get bonus points for pairing his Monster Ale with cheese from the Bedford Cheese Shop in Williamsburg.