People have been pairing wines with foods for generations. Going to wine tasting and wine pairing events has been popular among socialites for centuries, and in recent years with the growth of local wineries, the activity of tasting and pairing has grown significantly in popularity. All alcohol can be paired with some kind of food to enhance the flavors of each.
It has also extended to the many types of beers. The growth of microbreweries, local beer flavors, and craft beers has opening an entirely new world of people, who enjoy a good beer, but still want to be part of the foodie crowd. Beer pairing events take the world of the micro brewery to a new level creating fun events for people of all ages and social groups.
Here are some ideas for basic pairings when hosting your own event for friends and family. The type of food you serve will be based on the type of beer you serve. Certain beers naturally go better with certain types of foods.
For example, if you are going to serve an ale, it is best to serve your more traditional bar food; hamburgers, wings, fried foods, pizza, or Mexican foods. Ale has a strong flavor, so you need to pair it with other strong flavors, so it doesn’t overpower the entire meal. It also goes well with strongly flavored hard cheeses such as Parmesan or Romano.
Bock beer goes better with southern Island type food such as Cajun food, jerk chicken, or grilled foods. It also taste good with Gruyere or Swiss cheeses. This may be an ideal beer to consider if you are cooking out or grilling for friends and family.
Fruit beers go best with sweeter foods because the two flavors compliment each other. So if you are serving sweet beers, you should serve foods like sweet pork dishes, pickled dishes, or fruity salads. Fruit beers also go well with fruit inspired desserts like fruit pies or cobblers.
Lager beers are perfect for pairing with shellfish, seafood, southeast Asian food, or light pasta dishes. Lagers are pretty popular throughout the United States and are made at a wide range of microbreweries.
Pilsner beer has a pretty even flavor and goes well with many different kinds of fish like salmon, tuna, or trout, but can also be served with a wide range of cheeses including Monterey Jack, Muenster, Havarti, and American.
nother popular option through the United States is Stout beer, which goes perfectly with smoked and grilled foods, as well as salty and rich foods. Stout beer is n the sweet side, it can be paired with a variety of chocolate desserts.
Wheat beers are typically much lighter than other beers and should be served with lighter foods such as broth-based soups, salads, sushi, or vegetarian dishes. Wheat beer is also emphasized with citrus, so citrus-based dishes or salads are ideal.
You may have heard people talking about the body of wine when going to a tasting or pairing event. You may not have realized, but many types of beers can be described according to its body as well. For example, Pilsner and wheat beers are considered light body beers while stout and porter beers are heavy body beers. Ale, bock, and IPAs all fall in the middle as medium body beers.
There are so many different beer brands and types of beers to chose from, you do not need to choose a beer based on the food you are eating. Rather, you can choose your food based on your favorite beer. The many different types of beers offers an equally large range of options.
