Five Great Foods to Pair with Beer
It seems like some foods were made to go with alcoholic beverages. Cheeses and chocolates pair well with wine. Champagne without strawberries just isn’t as good. And borscht is incomplete without at least a couple shots of premium vodka (let’s face it; you need to be a little drunk to get that stuff down). But beer is such a super-drink (and there is such a wide variety) that there are a number of foods that pair well with it. Of course there are the classics. Pizza and beer is great for a weeknight, while a Super Bowl party practically demands that you eat a giant plate of nachos with your beer. But there is a wide variety of foods out there that you might not have even considered consuming with a beer, and once you try them, you may never go back to the old standards.
- Eggs and toast. Haven’t heard of breakfast beers? There’s a reason the Germans drink Hefeweizen with the most important meal of the day (well, besides the fact that it’s cheaper than other options and a little drinky starts the day off right). It just tastes good!
- MEAT! While your first inclination may be to pop the cork on a medium- to full-bodied red (like a Cabernet or Bordeaux) with that slab of seared steak on your plate, take a moment to consider how it might taste with a dark ale or a heavy porter instead. Likely you will bring out a bit more flavor and stay awake long enough to enjoy the whole meal if you opt for the beer.
- Sushi. Forget about the Sake for a second and consider that there are some really great, light Asian beers that blend well with raw fish and won’t leave you in a rice-wine coma after your meal. Try an Asahi Super Dry or Sapporo (Kirin is also good, but tends to be a little rich for sushi) or even a sweetish pale ale to compliment the light flavors of the fish without completely overpowering them.
- Enchiladas. You already know that your average beer goes great with nachos. So when you visit a Mexican restaurant, your first instinct is probably to order a margarita with your taco, burrito, or enchilada. This is generally a wise decision. However, you could get a lot more out of your meal by ditching the sweet strawberry margarita and opting for something with a lot of malt and caramel, like a brown ale, to go with your meaty, cheesy, tortilla-y goodness (it will help combat the spice). Well, that or you could choose the obvious Corona with lime, which is also delicious.
- Cake. Marie Antoinette may have actually said, “Let them eat cake…with their beer”. Hey, you weren’t there! It’s possible! Actually, beer goes great with a number of rich desserts that include chocolate and cream, as long as you choose the right one. So instead of reaching for the cognac or some fruity dessert wine, try a nice chocolate, coffee, or cream stout with leafy hops to go with your triple fudge death cake or tiramisu. You won’t be sorry!
About the author:
Dana Livingston is a writer for a culinary arts website where you can browse schools and the latest trends in the culinary arena.
