Beer & BBQ Pairing Guide
During the hot weather, there’s nothing that tastes better with grilled food than ice-cold beers. But with so many styles and types of beer to choose from, how do you decide which beers go best with different foods?
While some people naturally gravitate toward wine when enjoying BBQ and grilled meat, there are several great types of beer that pair just as well — if not better. Try these savory pairings to fulfill your cravings.
Seafood + Wheat Beer
Grilled seafood pairs perfectly with a light, crisp beer such as a wheat beer. Generally medium-bodied and highly carbonated, wheat beer is light and refreshing. But selecting a beer should depend on the type of fish you’re grilling. The lighter, more delicate seafood should have a lighter, more delicate beer, while the heavier and oily richer seafood will pair best with a more full-bodied beer.
Veggie Kebab + Lager
Sometimes the opposite attracts. You can try mixing and matching smoother, sweeter, or subtle flavored food with a more intense, palate-grabbing beer, and vice versa. For example, pair veggie kababs with a traditional Pale Lager. Veggie Kababs - which often include onions, tomatoes, button mushrooms, bell peppers, and pineapple - pair well with the light malt and hops characters of classic pale lager beers. The natural sweetness of vegetables will be amplified by the slight sweetness of these beers.
Burgers + IPA
Burgers and beer are a versatile favorite, and a grilled burger paired with a distinctive craft beer makes the combination even better. Beer Fridge recommends choosing a pairing based on the burger’s toppings. For traditional burgers topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, try Indian Pale IPA. These hoppy beers bring out the vegetable’s flavors. But if your burger is topped with heavier condiments such as mushrooms, you should drink a heavier beer that works well with the meaty texture of mushrooms.
Sausages + Bitter
Sausages absorb the flavor of the beer and stronger beers impart stronger flavor. Using a beer that is well-matched to a sausage promotes optimum tasting. Subtly nuanced with a pinpoint bitterness and dry finish, a bitter livens up any sausages. These beers have effervescent characters, citral notes, a hoppy aroma, and a light-to-medium body, which balances the rich and fatty flavor of grilled and smoked sausages.
Steak + Stout
Steaks have an intense flavor that cannot be matched with an average beer. Stouts make a great companion with a variety of steaks from fattier steaks (i.e. ribeyes) to a leaner variety (i.e. filet mignon or sirloin). The high level of carbonation and roasted malt presence of a stout enhance your BBQ Steaks enjoyment. The smooth, full-bodied Stout is perfectly suited to hold its own against a rich and meaty steak without being overpowering.
As you can see, you’ve got a lot of great options to choose from. Now you know how to elevate your beer pairing game. Why not step out of your normal comfort zone and grab a chance to experiment and play around with different flavors.
Check out Beer Fridge offerings and choose your favorite out of 100+ flavors of ice-cold beers.