Beer & Food Pairings Part I - Men's Journal

Beer Luvvas,

I've been gathering a few items that talk about Beer & Food Pairings, and the March 2010 issue of Men's Journal included a Beer & Food Pairing article so I thought that I'd start a multi-part post to discuss by summarizing the MJ article (and adding my preferences of course), and follow up with some other material down the road....

First, MJ's 'expert panel' included:

• Sang Yoon of Father's Office, 'the beer-centric LA gastropub'
• Garrett Oliver, author of The Brewmaster's Table
• Tom Peters of Philly's 'legendary Monk's Cafe'

Tailgating - 'Pilsners, with their clean, palate-cleansing bitterness, are the "ultimate chameleon," says Oliver. Peters suggests Stoudt's Pils for "hot dogs, burgers - you can sit down and have 10 of them."'

Now, tailgating before AZ Cards games in August and September I could see a reason for drinking a Pilsner. We sucked down Corona Lites as fast as we could cuz it was soooo damn hot. However, for anyone who's tailgated where football is played where there is weather (Big-10, Pac-NW, Big East, etc.) you know that your beer requires more substance than provided by a Pils. My vote: Alaskan Amber (esp. w/brats) or Rogue St. Rogue Red.

Intense Flavors - 'Highly alcoholic tripels have an intense complexity of fruit, herb, and spice notes. Yoon recommends Karmeliet with fiery Thai beef salad: "It's bold enough not to get overwhelmed by the food."'

Regular readers are going to know that I can't recommend anything Belgian. It just doesn't satisfy my pallet. However, there are plenty of other options in my opinion. For Thai, and probably being from the Pacific NW, there are plenty of worthy IPAs to stand up to the bold, and complex flavors. Personally, I'll recommend Laurelwood's Prevale IPA.

Sushi - 'At once the real and flavorful, a white beer can enliven breakfast (think of it as a decadent mimosa), salads, and delicate seafood. "Hitachino White is perfect with sushi,"says Yoon, "It doesn't overpower, but it also has so many complementing flavors."

I'm not sure what beer selections are like at Sushi restaurants away from the West Coast, but the regular selection of Sapporo, Kirin, etc. is very disappointing. I'm not familiar with Hitachino, nor a big fans of Whites in general. If I had my druthers, I'd prefer a solid Pale like Boulder's Hazed n' Infused, or maybe a Sierra Nevada Pale.

Spicy Foods - 'The kick of stronger hops, bold carbonation, and sharp, bitter flavors make IPAs the best put-out-the-fire beer when you're going for the hot stuff. Try Samuel Smith's with chicken vindaloo or most any other four-alarm option.'

When it comes to spice - Go Big or Go Home! The same should approach should apply to your beer. Many IPAs will be too soft for the fire of most dishes today. This is not your grandfather's red pepper flakes. Break out your Imperial, Double & Triple IPAs: Ninkasi's Tricerahops up through Moyland's Hopsickle and Lagunitas Hopstoopid!

Wild Game - and Chocolate - 'Fruit Lambics can have explosively tart flavors - surprisingly good with game and fantastic with chocolate. Try the raspberry crispness of Lindemans Framboise with chocolate cheesecake.'

Now, MCO may go for this recommendation since he's a big fan of the Framboise/Gunniess combo (or a McMenamin's Rubinator for those of you from the greater PDX area). However, I have to say that if you can convince your spouse that chocolate can be paired with beer over wine, I have to go with an aged porter or stout over the fruit beers. My favorite is of course The Abyss, but Moose and Squirrel or Old Rasputin are some other great options.

On the wild game side, I'm also sticking with aged beers but also recommending that you pair 'wildly' - barleywines and bourbon barrels! The gamey-ness (word?) of the meat should also have robust flavors from your beer. Break out the Goose Island Bourbon Country (with a friend), or some aged Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws.

Steaks - 'Brown ales' hint of fruit and nut create a nuanced and hearty companion to almost any great piece of meat. "If you have a nice rib eye with a dark sear, Brooklyn's roasted-malt tastes will grab right on," says Oliver.'

Once I out-grew Newcastle, Browns have left me flat - although many seem to enjoy Rogue's Hazelnut Brown. I'm just not one of them. With a steak, my preference depends on the cut. Honestly, if I'm going fillet or prime rib, I'm going to pick a red wine - hopefully a Brunello di Montelcino. But if we're talking rib eye or a T-bone on the backyard BBQ, bring on a Winter Warmer (even in the summer) like Golden Valley's Tannenbomb!

Grilling - 'Porters get their darker color from roasting the malts longer, which creates a succulent complement. "Anchor Porter is the barbecue beer," says Yoon. "You get the long-roast flavor and kiss of smoke; anything straight off the grill is perfect."'

Here's the first style where I agree with the pairing. Just don't forget Stone's Smoked Porter, or my Beer of the Month discovery -Sante Fe Pen Porter!

Deserts - 'With dark and often heavy notes of coffee and chocolate, strong dark stouts "are the clear winner for pairing with deserts," says Oliver. Try Deschutes Obsidan over vanilla ice cream and you'll know what he's talking about.'

And I agree here too, but if you are going for coffee or chocolate flavors, pick some real winners: Rogue Chocolate Stout or Red Hook Double Black Coffee Stout!

Prost to Beer & Food pairings! So many combos, yet so far past my BMI target!