Just like fine wines, a wisely chosen beer can add a new dimension to your dining experience!

When you are choosing a beer to pair, the first thing you need to keep in mind is that you need to match the intensity of the flavor of the food with the intensity of the beer. Lighter flavored dishes should be paired with more subtle flavored beers; whereas, bold flavored dishes require a more intense beer. The point is, you do not want either the food or the beer to overpower the other. To keep it simple, consider trying to create either a complementary pairing or a contrasting pairing. A complementary pairing produces a harmonious flavor combination that would not be present if either the food or the beer was sampled separately. Consider smoky meats or cheeses with a toasty or nutty brown ale or Dopplebock or with roasty porter or stout.

A contrasting pairing will either intensify or diminish a certain flavor attribute when combined. Malt forward beers are sweeter than hop forward beers and thus the malty beers can help to downplay the spiciness of a dish. On the other hand, pairing a bitter hoppy beer with a spicy dish can intensify the heat. That same hoppy beer or citrusy beer can be used to cut through a particularly rich meal as they tend to help cleanse the palate. Don’t forget that both the ABV and the carbonation level of a beer can also be an element to consider when pairing food and beer as both of those have an effect on the richness perceived in a dish because of their cleansing nature.

There can be a number of things to consider when pairing beer and food, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Just think about the flavors in the food you are eating and keep an open mind to all the different styles of beer that are out there and what they have to offer in ways that can elevate your dining experience!