Provided by The Food Channel
There are three general rules of thumb when matching food with beer or wine:
- Choose a beer or wine that either complements or contrasts with the dish. Think "Do I want a flavor that ‘goes with’ this dish or one the ‘cuts through’ this dish?" and select accordingly.
- Choose a beer or wine based on the "weight" of the dish … is it heavy, medium or light? Then choose a beer or wine that complements that weight … not by color but by "body."
- The kind of beer or wine you like can help you choose a new beer or wine. If you like lighter wines, you will like lighter beers and vice versa.
Light Styles
- Beer: lager, pilsener, dark lager, golden ale
- Wine: Pinot Grigio, White Zinfandel, Riesling
Great with salads, chicken sandwiches, spicy pizzas and calzones, nachos, light pastas
Medium Styles
- Beer: amber ale or lager, red ale, pale ale, doppelbock, bock, steam, ESB, IPA, dunkel, some wheats/weizens, most ales
- Wine: Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noirs, light Chardonnays
Great with burgers, meat pizzas, pepperoni, mushrooms, shrimp, fish & chips
Heavier Styles
- Beer: hefe’s, porters, stouts, barleywines
- Wine: Cabernet, Chardonnay, varietal blends
Perfect with lasagna, Bolognese and marinara, steak, beef, sausage pizzas and calzones
Pairings by Category and Style
Keep in mind that when pairing a beer or a wine with food, it is the same basic characteristics of both that should guide your choice … light, medium or heavy! Here are some more specific beer pairing recommendations:
- Amber Lager: Chili, burgers, BBQ
- Pale Ale: Burgers, meat pies, cheeses
- Amber or Red Ale: Chicken, seafood, burgers, spicy foods
- Pilsener: Chicken, salads, brats, salmon
- Porter: Smoked or roasted foods, BBQ, sausages
- Dry Stout: Steaks, oysters, any hearty/rich foods
- Märzen: Mexican foods, chicken, pork, spicy foods
Portions of this information provided by Old Chicago Pasta and Pizza, used with permission.
For more information, please visit www.foodchannel.com.
