By Aimee Welch

It’s the end of a long week and you’re enjoying the company of friends at a quaint restaurant under the stars, with the misters on full blast. It’s a special occasion so your friends are ordering a bottle of wine that “pairs” well with the fish of the day. But it’s still 110 degrees outside and you’ve sweated through your clothes on the drive over. You really need to cool off. Today, the only way to conquer the triple digits is with an ice-cold beer in a frosty frozen mug.

You’re in luck. Today, the craft beer industry is burgeoning and industry experts are coming up with many delicious ways to match beer with food. That means you can still order the fish of the day and a frosty beer that perfectly complements it. Yeah for beer pairings!

According to industry experts, beer and food pairings are growing in popularity as more and more people start to discover beer’s food friendliness.  Andy Ingram, co-owner and brewer at Four Peaks, says beer has more than 1,400 recognizable flavors, opening a world of opportunity. “The explanation is that beer is made from four ingredients: malt, hops, yeast and water. It can also be made with fruit and spices and herbs, even chiles. The possibilities are endless,” says Ingram.

Beer-Food pairings gaining popularity

Jon Lane agrees. Lane is the owner and director of hoppiness (yes, hoppiness) for O.H.S.O. Eatery and nanoBrewery in Phoenix, and a passionate proponent of local beers. “Like wine, beers have dramatic complexities and an amazing range of flavors. Beer and food pairings have gained a lot in popularity as the microbrewery scene has gained in popularity. With more available flavors, styles, and complexities, this was a natural step for chefs, resorts and restaurants to take on.”

If you’re an experienced beer drinker, you might be thinking, “But beer tastes good with any kind of food.” That may be true, but a good food pairing just may inspire you to broaden your horizons. Say, for example, you’re eating crab-stuffed mushroom with piquanté pepper aioli. Sure, you could order your tried-and-true brew – or you could try the Grand Canyon pumpkin ale recommended by the chef. For dessert, you could have coffee with your flourless chocolate cake with candied citrus zest, or you could splurge with a Mudshank full moon wit. Yum!

These were two of four pairings I tested out recently when a friend invited me to the Harvest Beer Dinner at O.H.S.O. The quarterly dinners feature four courses that cover spicy, sweet, and fun food dishes, each paired with primarily local beers. “The combos can be a bit surprising, as we are a friendly pub so we try to have fun,” says Lane. Fun, indeed. We sat eating and drinking for the better part of three hours. The food was amazing, the beer was delicious, the room was full of brewers and beer lovers from around the state, and the energy was positive and supportive.

Finding your own pairings

That being said, going to an establishment where a trained chef prepares and amazing meal, and talented brewers serve a perfectly complementary beer is a recipe for a perfect Beer Dinner. So what happens when it’s spaghetti night at my place – no chef, no brewmaster, just me?

Most experts will say that, while there are generally accepted guidelines, there are no hard and fast rules. You should drink and eat what tastes good to you. On Primer.com, homebrewer Billy Broas, who teaches people to brew beer at The Homebrewers Academy, wrote a list of guidelines about pairing food and beer. His only real rule about pairing is this:  “Choose a great beer. If you start out with something you love to drink, it’s hard to go wrong. The best pairing in the world won’t make up for a crappy beer.” If only a good beer could make crappy spaghetti taste better…

Beer pairings for the Fourth of July

Since hot dogs, burgers, brats and backyard barbecue fare will likely be on the menu for many of us this summer, it’s a great time to test out your own beer pairings. Lane chooses his beer based, in part, on the condiments. “It depends what’s on that burger or brat,” he says. “I love Sleepy Dog’s Monje Azul Belgian (a light sweet beer) with sweet peppers on a brat – it helps give a little heat and you have a rich, sweet very drinkable, light Belgian. I love a good IPA like Four Peaks Hop Knot or San Tan’s Hopshock with our AZ burger, because it calms the heat and has enough of its own hoppy character flavors to shine through and complement a burger.”

He agrees that beer and food pairings are mostly a matter of preference, but says there is some general knowledge that can help you put together a tasty combination. “Sweet beers generally intensify spicy items and rich creamy beers help to cool them off. IPAs go great with spice, Belgians are similar to red wines and, depending on the characteristics of the beer – smoky, roasted, sweet, candied, etc. – the pairings can be all over the place.”

Lane continues, “However, like anything, please let your mouth decide. Local is the best, so try one of those first!”

FOR MORE INFO

While “delicious” is ultimately in the tastebuds of the beholder, there are many great resources to help you find common beer and food pairings. Below are a few places to start looking.

craftbeer.com
epicurious.com
beerchow.com
beeradvocate.com

Top photo of beer sampler by Quinn Dombrowski
Other photos courtesy of O.H.S.O. Eatery
Cheat Sheet image courtesy of Primer Magazine