Pairings

Lager — for sushi, beer — for chocolate
«Gastronom» №5(40) May 2005

Beer is remembered as a last option when we talk about food pairings.

Yet, it can produce unexpectedly good results in cases when conflicts between wine and food are hard to avoid.

It is easy for wine: red for meat, white — for fish and chicken. Some general rules are applicable to beer, too. They can prompt in which direction to search for the right drink. Firstly, ale matches meat, light lager — fish and chicken. Secondly, check how hoppy your beer is, that is how much bitterness is present in the taste. Here we can draw comparison with acidity in wine: the stronger the bitterness, the brighter the dish. Finally, if you are organizing a special dinner with beer, don’t forget to serve lighter drinks at the beginning and heavier — towards the end.

Light and golden ales, lightly hopped lagers have a little accent on malt or hops. They are the best thirst-quenchers. Hot, spicy and salty food goes best with them. If you cook burning hot Mexican or Indian dishes, you can’t do without light larger. It is the only alternative that can adequately refresh the taste buds. Wine will be destroyed, and water won’t give the same effect. Light lager is also good with exotic Thai cuisine and with Japanese sushi. For an ideal combination it is worth looking for drinks brewed in the same countries.

White, or wheat, beer with original yeasty taste is rather delicate. Best pairings are dishes with neutral taste such as lean soups, light pastas and neutral cheeses. This beer goes well with grilled vegetables and chicken. It can be offered for desserts containing citruses — they will highlight similar nuances in beer.

Amber ale is a great option for various dishes. The important point is to serve unsweetened dishes — sugar destroys malty flavours. Amber ale is offered for sandwiches, thick soups, pizza. It ideally compliments tex-mex and spicy barbeque.

Like amber, Vienna lager, German marzen and bock are universal partners. Yet they have less calories than ales. These lagers make superb accompaniments for hearty meat dishes, such as chicken paprikash, goulash, stewed pork and various smoked meats, sausages and wursts. The Germans learnt to make perfect combinations of pork sausages with beer. The use the principle of complimenting sweetish malty taste of beer with fatty, but not spicy pork.

Bitters, German and Czech pils feature strong hoppy bitterness. This makes them an excellent aperitif. One should be careful when choosing gastronomic pairs, as they can dominate over food flavous. But correct combinations leave unforgettable impressions, like in the case with fried seafood. Bitterness, like a sharp knife, cuts through rich flavours of the dish. These types of beer are also brilliant when pairing ‘difficult’ dishes with vinegar. Bitters and pilsners compliment smoked, boiled, stewed seafood and highlight spices in dishes. In England a classic combination is bitter and Cheddar or even blue Stilton.

English and American brown ales are suitable for hamburgers and sausages, and for thick mushroom sauces served with chicken and turkey. English ale goes well with smoked fish, more bitter American — game dishes.

Thick dry stouts and porters are mainly served with heavy, rich dishes: meat with sauce, ragout, grilled and baked meat. The acknowledged ideal combination is Irish stout and oysters. Burnt barley contrasts with salty taste of oysters. These drinks are also acceptable for strong cheese.

Fruit beers, Belgian lambics are matched with starters containing a fruit component, like duck breast with raspberry sauce. Light fruit souffle is also a good choice.

Sweet stouts are destined for chocolate. An especially impressive marriage is Imperial stout with dark chocolate. They can also accompany chocolate desserts with fruit, such as cheesecake with raspberry sauce or caramel and nut desserts.

Strong beer, for example ‘barley wine’ is, undoubtedly, best as digestive. It can be served with very strong cheese or dark chocolate with high cocoa content. Or use as an alternative to cognac.