Beer and Food Pairing Guidelines

Greg Engert, beer director for the Washington, D.C. based Neighborhood Restaurant Group, shared a few tips for pairing beer with food during the recent Oktoberfest in the area.  Earlier this year, he was the first beer professional ever to be named by Food & Wine as one of their “Sommeliers of the Year”.

“Because beer is a ‘cooked’ beverage, you learn a little bit about how your beer was made, how the grain was cooked, and match that to how your food is cooked.  You can do this with beer, but not with wine, since grapes are not cooked to make wine.” he said.  Here’s a summary of his matching suggestions grouped according to color, sometimes generically done with wine pairings as well but for different reasons:

• Straw to Golden Hues: very light beers pair well with proteins and produce that are boiled.
• Dark Golden to Light Amber Colors: roasted foods are nicely paired with these beers.
• Amber to Light Brown Shades: perfect brews for pairing with braised, fried or sauted food.
• Brown to Very Dark Tones: match and complement grilled dishes with the darkest brew.

He also notes that because of low alcohol content and high carbonation, beer matches up well with spicy foods.  Explains what many people drink when eating chicken wings.

Try hosting a tasting party with your home bar as a stage for a variety of combinations to experiment with.  Do your guests agree with the matching pairs advocated in this primer?

(Source: npr)