Beer Pairings

Some folks tend to get really in to pairing food with drink and that's all well and good but honestly, I don't often think about it until the last minute. If you are like me and want to impress but not stress over pairing your food and brew, check after the jump for a few simple ideas that will help you through the process. Remember, food is supposed to be fun, don't ruin it with worry and elitist snobbery.

Start with the Season and go from there. Since I like to drink seasonal beers when appropriate, my job is easier already since seasonal drinks tend to go well with seasonal foods. For instance if it's winter time, I love a good stew brewed and drank with a nice porter or stout.

Appetizers and beer can go very well together if you keep a few things in mind. Spicy foods go very well with IPAs, which stoke the fire or wheats that help to quench it. Cheese goes well with basically all beer but if you try to match a smokey beer with a smokey cheese you may overwhelm your palate. Try to mix it up and find complimentary flavor combos.

Light Before, Heavy After is a good rule to live by. The lighter beers with less body and sugar will help you feel less full during the start of your meal and the sweeter and heavy beers can help to top you off at the end alongside some beer friendly desserts. A lighter beer with salty snacks will do your palate the most good and help your guests pile on a nice buzz without feeling too full.

There are No Limits to what you can pair, so if you're a decent brewer I think your palate will be equipped well enough to make good decision. The only thing you really need to do is; relax and have a homebrew.

Cheers and bon appetit-