Pairing beer and food

[fretlessman71]

This will sound strange, but help me out here - I tend to have tastebud overload sometimes, and I can't quite imagine how to think of pairing one beer with a particular food. Are there some general guidelines to follow when choosing a beer to go with your meal? I mean, what goes with White Castle Hamburgers? (Sorry, chaz and steveh - I know you're groaning right now.... :D And no, I can't eat that stuff anyway.)

[BrewDog]

what goes with White Castle Hamburgers?

Usually the White Castles are consumed at 2 am AFTER an 18 pack of BMC through a funnel.

Just kidding-

[fretlessman71]

Heck - you can funnel most White Castles, IIRC... :p

[BrewDog]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Heck - you can funnel most White Castles, IIRC...


Good point! That goes for Krystal Burgers, too! ;D

[fretlessman71]

Don't tell me you have Krystan AND White Castle up there in Apple country!? :eek:

When we lived in Gnashville, we used to make fun of the Krystal TV ads - they were downright awful!

[BrewDog]

No, not up here. I haven't seen one in a long time, but I think they are still down in the south and southeast. I guess I'm about as far away as I can get from them and still be in the Continental US, which IMO is a GOOD thing.

[fretlessman71]

My wife misses White Castle and Steak N Shake.

I liked the shakes at Steak N Shake, but I don't think they'd go well with beer.... :rolleyes:

[Stodbrew]

Steak and Shake, that's funny! Kinda reminds me of the donuts & chicken place I saw once. Interesting combination.

Can I have the chocolate sprinkled drumstick, please? :D

[fretlessman71]

Or a gravy-drizzled longjohn. :D

[fretlessman71]

OK... SERIOUSLY trying to drag this thread back on topic.... ;)

Can someone help me out as to how to make a good decision on pairing beer and meals?

[Stodbrew]

An IPA goes well with spicy foods.

[fretlessman71]

Okay, that's a good start... but why?

[Stodbrew]

Here ya go, Fret, check this out.



http://www.beertravelers.com/lists/pairings.html

[fretlessman71]

AHHHHH.... thanks, stod! :)

[Fast_Eddy]

One of the best pairings I've had recently is boiled shrimp with strong horseradish cocktail sauce and Pilsner Urquell. It was astounding.

I got the idea from Garret Oliver's "The Brewmaster's Table". This is a great book for beer pairings with very thorough explanations about the "Why's".

[fretlessman71]

Hmmm... hope there's a section on vegetarian food.... ;)

[steveh]

Oliver's book and Jackson's Ultimate Beer have some great rules-of-thumb to follow in pairing beer with food. One way to look at it is to think similarly to how you pair wine with food (even though many of those rules are often thrown out these days).

On Saturday evening I had a Jambalaya/Paella cross-dish (rice and vegetable base with shrimp, calamari, muscles, clams, a large scallop and andouille sausage) that paired very well with the Goose Island Honker's ale I chose. G.I.'s crisp pale ale was excellent with the medium-thick broth and slight spiciness provided by the andouille - not to mention that it was light enough to wash down what turned out to be a rather substantial dish.

For dessert my friends and I enjoyed some chocolate fondue with fruits and sweets - my friends pairing a cabernet with the dish and I may have tried the Bell's Oatmeal Stout in the same manner if I hadn't been driving.

S.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by steveh
Oliver's book and Jackson's Ultimate Beer have some great rules-of-thumb to follow in pairing beer with food. One way to look at it is to think similarly to how you pair wine with food (even though many of those rules are often thrown out these days).
This would work better for me if I liked the taste of wine.... :(

[newportstorm]

Pick up a copy of Brooklyn brewmaster Garrett Oliver's "Brewmaster's Table".

Or take a look at one short article on BA:

Of Beer & Food (http://www.beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/217/)

This site is worth a look, too:

Beercook (http://www.beercook.com/)

IMO, anything too spicy is simply going to rip up your palate and trying to pair any flavorful beer will be pointless. I stick with a fresh, local pils or pale ale. Hell, even a macro lager like Stroh's, Rolling Rock or High Life can be refreshing with some spicy chili, wings or jambalaya.

Best rule of thumb - drink what you like. I've enjoyed a roasty/smoky porter with pizza many times, eschewing the "recommended" IPAs, Pale Ales, etc. Experiment and find your own pairings to enjoy.

Cheers!

[barleypopmaker]

I have made a list in MS word for my reference. It is just a general list no brands listed, let me see if I can find it. ............................................Ah here it is. Maybe this will help too.

Barley Wine-------------------Strong flavored cheeses, nuts.

Bitter--------------------------Strong Cheeses, Sausages.

Blond/Golden Ale-------------Fish or Fowl.

Brown Ale--------------------Wild Game, Spicy foods, Highly Seasoned Beef Dishes.

Dry Stout---------------------Oysters, Spiced Shellfish, Hearty Breads, Beef, Game, Chocolate.

Imperial Stout-----------------Before a meal or with snack foods.

India Pale Ale (IPA)----------Smoked Meats and Cheeses, Summer Salads (cole slaw, ect.)

Milk/Cream Stout-------------Light foods, or alone as an after dinner drink.

Oatmeal Stout-----------------Italian Dishes, Beef Dishes, Or Strong flavored Seafood.

Pale Ale-----------------------Fish, Shellfish, Strong Cheeses, Spicy Foods, Seasoned Seafood.

Porter-------------------------Shellfish, Veal, Light Meat Dishes.

Scottish Ale-------------------Strong Flavored Meats, Cheeses, and Melons. (Yes, Melons!)

Strong Ale--------------------Rich Foods.

Abbey/Trappist Ale-----------Cheeses, Breads, Hard Fruits,Shellfish, Freshwater Fish, Light Seafood.

Fruit Beers--------------------Foods that complement the fruit in the beer. Raspberry beers go well with chocolates, generally good with sweet foods or desserts.

Chile (red or green) Ale-------Mexican or spicy dishes, pork dishes.

Seasonal Ales-----------------Smoked meats, Wild Game, Hard Fruits.

Cream Ale--------------------Everything!

Steam-------------------------Cheeses, Moderately Spicy foods.

Wheat (Weisse)--------------Smoked fish, Beef, German Style dishes, with lemon.

American Dry Lager---------Hot Dogs, Hamburgers.

American or European Pilsner-Freshwater Fish, Salads, Tart Fruits

Bock--------------------------Any Meat Dish, Garden Salads.

Dopplebock------------------Pastries, Desserts, Smoked Meats.

English Dark------------------Good Alone.

Export------------------------Cold Cuts, Sub Sandwiches

Marzen----------------------Sausages, or Hearty Meat Dishes

Oktoberfest-------------------Sausage, Sauerkraut, Natural Casing Hot Dogs

I got this listing out of one of my books, but which one exactly escapes me at the moment.

[BluesHarp]

Never overlook dessert; nothing goes better with key lime pie than a nice Trippel. Both have that combination of tart and sweet that play off of each other.