What Beer With Curry?

I was eating a curry dish tonight and all I had on hand was an scotch ale that didn't really seem to match up with the curry dish. What would be a nice compliment to curry? IPA maybe?

To quote Red Dwarf.

"Lager, the only thing that will kill a vindaloo."

Curry is Indian. So is an IPA. Something hoppy and refreshing. And, frankly, low on alcohol so you can drink a lot of it if need be.

40-60 IBU's, lots of flavor and aroma hops, and about 5.3%ABV would be about perfect.


If the curry isn't burning you up, then a higher ABV could work. If it is intense, then go a little lower.

I'd go with a red.

I'll chime in

To reinforce the suggestions above: A good English IPA (Brooklyn makes a nice one), an APA are good choices as is a Red. Stay away from malty beers, you want something more towards the dry side and the bitterness should be substantial. Either that or go with a more neutral Lager...a German Pils perhaps. It also depends on what type of curry you are speaking. Some curries aren't even hot. There are Indian, African, Thai, English, Korean....the list goes on and on.....some have huge competing flavors, while others lean towards more simple flavor schemes. I tend to lean towards Thai curries myself.

One fact though, alcohol strips the capsaicin out so it is a great choice for hot foods. I really don't know of a wine that would stand up to a beer in pairing with most curries.

I'd go with a malty lager like octoberfest or the Vietnamese 333 or a Belgian, strong blond or a triple.

....very compatible from recent experience

One fact though, alcohol strips the capsaicin out so it is a great choice for hot foods. I really don't know of a wine that would stand up to a beer in pairing with most curries.

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Interesting. Good thing I'm more of a beer drinker since I love HOT food. =)

Singha is a decent commercial lager that pairs well with curry. Otherwise, something English and malty would be my choice.

While I agree that an IPA is a fine pairing, it has very little to do with Indian cuisine and shares the name only because of a geo-political event. It matches well because hops pair well with spicy food and hops coincidently preserve beer for long voyages.

A similar mistake is made by pairing Mexican beer and Mexican food. The history of the beer and the food do not intersect.

brewt00l said:

....very compatible from recent experience

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Very tasty domestic Pils. I get it in Pittsburgh.

EdWort said:

Very tasty domestic Pils. I get it in Pittsburgh.

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And it was your thread that inspired me to try it in the first place as I generally don't go for many pils .

I just came across "Bank's Ultimate Curry Beer". According to the blurb, the recipe was derived from a competition for beer and curry pairing. From the description, the beer sounds like a more citrusy SNPA.

IPA all the way, Brother! Stone is probably my favorite commercial example; a Pliny the Elder clone is my favorite homebrew pairing.

Recipe Tip: Go to "World Market" or any decent ethnic section at your grocery, they have a curry paste that is incredibly simple and frickin' awesome!:rockin: You could use it on anything: pork butt, wings, pizza, you name it. Hell, I dip chips in it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.....