by Mike Retzlaff
Some time back I wrote a short article about Beer & Cheese Pairing. I don’t possess any great or insightful knowledge on the subject and had thought it pointless to write another pairing article until now. Just recently, something came up about beer pairing which illustrated just how effectively pairings can be done especially if you have only a few considerations and little time with which to deal.
A friend of mine is a trained chef who works as a Food Broker. He promotes manufactured food products. He sent me a text asking “What beer would pair well with spicy pot stickers?” First, I know that pot stickers are steamed before pan frying which involves some fat. The beer would need a bit of alcohol to cut that fat (most any beer would work). Next, I considered the spicy aspect. The beer would need some residual sweetness to balance the “spice”. Thirdly, the beer couldn’t be overpowering as to overwhelm the main dish. For some reason, my mind went immediately toward a Belgian Saison, or Wit. I caught myself at that point as there was at least one more point to consider – the beer would also need to be readily available. As my mind stripped away the plethora of beer styles and brands on the market. I had to narrow it down to what you could get from a grocery or convenience store. Blue Moon came to mind. I thought about it for a few minutes before texting the recommendation to my friend. He replied with a “thumbs up” emoji.
The next day I texted to find out if the Blue Moon suggestion worked out for him. He called me back to say that they had taken 1st place in the competition. “What competition?” I asked. His response was completely unexpected. He was with a group of fellow Food Brokers in Charlotte NC and they were engaged in a creative exercise at a Brew Pub. After my answer, my friend simply asked the brewer what beer they had on tap there which was closest to Blue Moon. It seems to have worked. I was happy that I was able to help him and somewhat surprised at the little effort needed to provide a good and apparently effective answer. If given enough time I might have done better but it worked.
When pairing anything, we’re hoping that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Carbonation can obliterate or enhance the texture of a food. Hoppiness can augment or overwhelm the flavor. A malty beer can completely negate any subtle nuances. A roasty beer can dominate delicate flavors.
The key rules of pairing are:
a) Find characteristics from the beer and the food that complement each other.
b) Find characteristics that contrast with one another.
Complementary examples include:
> Brown ales pair well with flavors like roast pork and smoked sausage.
> Pale ales pair well with pizza or pretzels.
Contrasting examples include:
> Stouts & Porters have some sweeter notes that actually work well with vanilla ice cream.
> Sour beers pair well with rich foods – especially those with stronger flavors.
There are numerous pairing guides on the internet. None are ever the final say-so as your mileage may vary. All tastes are subjective but it certainly seems a good place to start. It might even encourage us to try alternate pairings. There are plenty of other combinations to consider. In addition, particular breads and crackers can really enhance the experience. The inclusion of cured meats can certainly be worth the effort. Perhaps the best combination for you will be an unexpected surprise.
Keep good notes as a dull pencil is always better than a sharp memory!
Crescent City Brew Talk 