When talking about pairing drinks and food, it is common to establish categories that apparently make the choice of drink for a specific meal easier. For many years there was an unwritten rule that recommended pairing meat with red wine and fish with white wine. That rule did not even consider beer in the pairing options, and therefore beer lovers were not affected by that categorisation, although if we were, we would surely have been victims of similar rules.
That situation has been partially overcome now, and it is more common today for sommeliers to recommend red, white or rosé wines, sparkling or fortified wines with different dishes, not only based on the main ingredient, but also on how the ingredients have been cooked and the nuances of all the other parts of the meal. Similarly, when we are thinking about pairing with beer, we need to take into account the main sensory characteristics of the meal we are going to eat in order to find the ideal pairing.
In today's article on meat, we should bear in mind the animal the meat is from, since the milder flavour of chicken is very different to the taste of lamb or game. As a general rule on this subject, we should seek a certain balance between the strength of the drink and the food. A moderately alcoholic beer with a light body and subtle flavours will be more suited to white meats, whereas other more liquorice type beers, full-bodied and complex flavours, will go perfectly well with a cut of red meat.
On the other hand, the way the meat is cooked and the possible dressings or side dishes will also be a conditioning factor in the choice of beer. Grilled, barbecued or roast meat will have strong tastes of roasting and caramelisation, and they will therefore pair well with a roasted malt beer or stout. If we sprinkle a generous amount of spices on our meat, a beer with similar hints of the same herb or spice family will pair well, such as clove in wheat beers, which could make a good choice, or a more hoppy beer.
Finally, if we are going to make a stew with a thickened gravy, a dark, well-fermented beer with a fruity, roasted malty taste will make the perfect pairing.
Bearing the above guidelines in mind, we are going to give you three ideas to pair meat and beer, which I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy, whilst also being able to surprise your guests:
- Assortment of German sausages with Franziskaner Weissbier
- Roast pork ribs with Alhambra Reserva Roja
- Curried chicken kebabs with Tyris IPA Grimbergen Double Ambrée
Julio Cerezo - Beer Sommelier
Director of Sabeer Beer Academy
Cheers!
