How to Pair Food and Beer
Explore crisp beers., Try a hoppy brew., Sample a malt-driven beer., Sample a beer with roasted flavors., Consider a beer that incorporates smoked malts., Try a fruit and spice beer., Sample a sour beer.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Explore crisp beers.
These light, clean, and refreshing beers are light to medium in body.
Delicate fruit styles, like wheat or cream ales, aren’t especially hoppy or malty and often have a hint of fruit flavor.
Malt-accented styles like amber lager or Oktoberfest have a bready or biscuit flavor.
Styles that exude a brisk hoppiness like pilsners, have a drier finish with floral or spicy aromas., With aromas and bitterness derived from hops, these beers are intense in flavor and are medium to full in body.
Earthy and dry styles like English Pale Ale or Belgian Indian Pale Ale have light malt profiles and grassy or woody hop flavors.
Styles like American Amber Ale or California Common have a malty backbone, while American Pale Ale and American Fresh Hop Ale are bolder with tropical fruit and citrus flavor notes., With notes of coffee, caramel, and nuts, these styles are light to full in body.
Styles like Doppelbock and English Brown Ale have a mild, yet crisp quality with bready and biscuit malt flavors.
Extra Strong Bitter and Scotch are also have a solid malty backbone, but also have fruity aromas., These medium-light to full bodied styles feature coffee and cocoa flavors.
Soft and silky styles like Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Brown Ale are dark and rich in malty flavor, but not overly intense.
Dark and dry styles like Black IPA and American Brown Ale feature notes of chocolate and espresso as well as fruit flavors like cherries and plums., These medium-light to full bodied beers feature malts that have been smoked, often over wood fired.
Styles with subdued smolder include Smoked Porter and Steinbrau and balance toasty malt flavors against spicy or smoked notes.
Spicy and meaty styles exude heavily-smoked flavors that overlay more subtle aromas like bananas, raisin, or nuts., Bright styles like Belgian Blond Ale or Hefeweizen have bright fruit qualities like peach, lemon, or pear as spice profiles that include clove, coriander, and vanilla.
Dark styles like Dubbel or Weizenbock have darker fruit qualities than their brighter counterparts, with malt flavors reflective of chocolate or caramel., These tart beers have rustic notes.
Delicate styles like Gose and Faro have mild acidity and are light in body with soft tart and fruity flavors.
Fruity and vinous styles like Wild Ale and Traditional Fruit Lambic couple a pronounced acidity with fruity aromas.
Earthy styles like Saison and Gueuze Lambic are typically quite sour and even funky in flavor, with earthy notes. -
Step 2: Try a hoppy brew.
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Step 3: Sample a malt-driven beer.
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Step 4: Sample a beer with roasted flavors.
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Step 5: Consider a beer that incorporates smoked malts.
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Step 6: Try a fruit and spice beer.
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Step 7: Sample a sour beer.
Detailed Guide
These light, clean, and refreshing beers are light to medium in body.
Delicate fruit styles, like wheat or cream ales, aren’t especially hoppy or malty and often have a hint of fruit flavor.
Malt-accented styles like amber lager or Oktoberfest have a bready or biscuit flavor.
Styles that exude a brisk hoppiness like pilsners, have a drier finish with floral or spicy aromas., With aromas and bitterness derived from hops, these beers are intense in flavor and are medium to full in body.
Earthy and dry styles like English Pale Ale or Belgian Indian Pale Ale have light malt profiles and grassy or woody hop flavors.
Styles like American Amber Ale or California Common have a malty backbone, while American Pale Ale and American Fresh Hop Ale are bolder with tropical fruit and citrus flavor notes., With notes of coffee, caramel, and nuts, these styles are light to full in body.
Styles like Doppelbock and English Brown Ale have a mild, yet crisp quality with bready and biscuit malt flavors.
Extra Strong Bitter and Scotch are also have a solid malty backbone, but also have fruity aromas., These medium-light to full bodied styles feature coffee and cocoa flavors.
Soft and silky styles like Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Brown Ale are dark and rich in malty flavor, but not overly intense.
Dark and dry styles like Black IPA and American Brown Ale feature notes of chocolate and espresso as well as fruit flavors like cherries and plums., These medium-light to full bodied beers feature malts that have been smoked, often over wood fired.
Styles with subdued smolder include Smoked Porter and Steinbrau and balance toasty malt flavors against spicy or smoked notes.
Spicy and meaty styles exude heavily-smoked flavors that overlay more subtle aromas like bananas, raisin, or nuts., Bright styles like Belgian Blond Ale or Hefeweizen have bright fruit qualities like peach, lemon, or pear as spice profiles that include clove, coriander, and vanilla.
Dark styles like Dubbel or Weizenbock have darker fruit qualities than their brighter counterparts, with malt flavors reflective of chocolate or caramel., These tart beers have rustic notes.
Delicate styles like Gose and Faro have mild acidity and are light in body with soft tart and fruity flavors.
Fruity and vinous styles like Wild Ale and Traditional Fruit Lambic couple a pronounced acidity with fruity aromas.
Earthy styles like Saison and Gueuze Lambic are typically quite sour and even funky in flavor, with earthy notes.
About the Author
Eric Harvey
Committed to making creative arts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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