Beer and food paring tips for the 2022 Christmas and New Year

Food pairing is an onward-looking trend that has gradually earned popularity across the globe – be it amateurs or experts, pairing your food with the perfect drink is a fancy go-to dining etiquette.

This Christmas move away from the conventional ideas of food pairing with wine and gin rather resort to beer, as it is a more flexible food pairing option than any other beverage. Apart from being the favourite choice of most of the people. It is also so much easier to pair beer with foods as there are so many different variations in flavor, aroma, appearance, and mouth-feel. It has so much to offer!

Whether you are enjoying your chicken, or your favorite mashed potatoes, or piping hot curries, pairing it with the right beer can elevate your experience. 

3C rule of pairing beer with food

According to experts, when it comes to pairing food and beer, the combination should always be Contrasting, Complementing, and helps cleanse the palate. There are several key elements such as sweetness, bitterness, acidity, fruitiness, richness etc that one needs to consider when looking at how beer can complement the food.

Strike a ‘contrasting’ deal

An ideal pairing, by contrast, is when you choose a beer or food with one strong, dominant flavor. This will make your hero dish shine without its taste being overpowered. Such contrasts can be using beer and different foods to balance bitterness & sweetness, acidity &sweetness or crispness & richness.

Beer ‘compliments’ the flavors

You can't go wrong with pairing things that are alike. India, as we all know, is rich in spices and flavours and it will be incomplete if one does not indulge in its versatility. Complementing flavours of your dish with beer is one of the simplest ways to make a successful food and beer pairing. Beer and food that shares common flavors & characteristic will support each other.

‘Cleanse’ to rinse and reset

Cutting it through the flavors. While they enhance and amplify the flavours, beers also act as a palate cleanser. It has the unique ability to reset the palate through bitterness, alcohol and carbon dioxide. This type of beer pairing is ideal for a food menu that has a strong or overpowering flavor like spicy Indian food or fatty fried food. This pairing also works in the opposite way, and you can use fatty foods, such as French fries or nuts, to cut through the bitterness. 

Here are few suggestions that you can try with beer

1. A glass of light lager is crisp, smooth, and carbonated which goes well with your BBQ chicken or fish and chips or even Thai curry.
2. A combination of the Indian pale ale with a classic burger, chicken curry, biryani, and even desserts such as Apple Pie and Rum Cake.
3. A pilsner paired with your favourite sandwiches, pizzas, and even salad.
4. A creamy cheesy risotto with cider will bring alive the flavours,
5. Lastly, try pairing porter with rich chocolate-based desserts to wrap up the day. 

Source: Times of India