Top 6 Food Categories to Try at a Beerhouse

As a food lover, you can never run out of beer and food pairings to try

As a food lover, pairing your favorite beer with a meal at a pub should be an adventure. However, you need to understand which beer and food flavors are best combined to get the best pairings.

Once you understand each beer’s flavor profile, you can make exciting and delicious beer pairings that accentuate your beer and food flavors. The goal is to bring out the best flavors in your food by pairing it with the right glass of beer.

If you’re considering hitting a beerhouse and wondering what food would pair with beer, the following are highly recommended:

Pizza, Cheese, Sandwiches

Cheese and wine are known pairs. However, people who have tried beer and cheese have never seen reasons to return to the good old wine and cheese.

While wine might cover some of the cheese flavors, beer’s carbonation creates a lighter acidity while lifting the cheese fats off the palate. Whether you’re having a goat cheese salad, sandwich, pizza, or straight-up cheese platter, you can combine your meal with any beer.

Fried Foods and Frites

Belgians originally make frites, but it’s still a popular American staple. Generally, frites or fries have a light flavor profile, so combining them with a brew that cleans your palate and brings out the food’s taste is best.

Your preferred beer shouldn’t wash away the salty flavors while cleansing your palate. You can ask the beerhouse server for recommendations if you’re unsure about which beer to choose.

Roasted Meats, Burgers, Steak

Cabernet and steak are classic. However, if you’re going for bigger meat, pair it with heartier, darker beers like stouts or brown ales. The trick lies in pairing the beer with equal meat to balance the bitter, aromatic hop and sweet malt.

A big meaty food or beef should combine perfectly with a beer that’s bold and big enough to withstand the meat, like a stout or fuller, darker porter.

Pasta, Chicken, Seafood

One rule with meals like pasta, salads, fish, and chicken is that you don't pair them with a beer that'll overpower their taste. Therefore, it's best to combine these foods with a lighter beer. If you're having fish or chicken, pair it with a Belgian Saison or German lager. However, if you include sauces or creams, you'll need a richer, heavy beer. While pasta is more versatile, it pairs excellently with brews like American wheat ales, German wheat ales, and blond ales.

Dessert

Stout’s chocolate notes go well with rich desserts like brownies. However, fruit-based, lighter ales or lagers can offer great contrast or balance.

Desert and beer is an unpopular combination but imagine the flavors you’ll unlock when you try fruitier beers with various sorbets, ice cream, or puddings.

Guidelines for Beer and Food Pairing

You won’t find any food and beer pairings rules, as most foods don’t clash with beer. However, if you want the best pairing to enhance your food flavor, consider using your beer to:

Complement the Food

A good food and beer pairing should complement each other. Match rich meals with heavy beer rich in flavor, like porters or stouts. Combine desserts like fruit tarts with wheat beers or light-tasting fish and salads with light beers.

Cleanse Your Palate

Your beer can also serve as a palate cleanser in dishes with strong overpowering flavors, such as fatty, fried food or spicy Indian food. For instance, you can use a light beer’s refreshing flavor to cool the heat from Korean fried chicken.

You can also cut through an IPA’s bitterness using fatty foods, like French fries.

Final Words

To make the perfect pairing, check the flavor level in your beer and food. With time, you’ll discover what beer works best with each food for you.

Note that dark and medium beer has a powerful and rich flavor that can overpower some dishes. While we’ve provided you with a guide for your food and beer pairing, it’s best to experiment further to discover what suits your taste.