Beer should not be paired with food

[mightynintendo]

As craft breweries become ever increasingly popular, I am hearing more and more "pair this beer with that food." This topic is so prevalent that some upscale restaurants that offer an extensive beer list will even have beer pairing guidelines right on the menu. In fact the brewer's association even made this extensive pairing table: http://www.craftbeer.com/attachments/0000/0533/beerandfood.pdf

As a devout beer and food lover, I find myself in absolute disagreement with this. I don't just disagree with the chart and choices, I disagree with the concept of pairing food and beer entirely.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not entirely against having a beer with a meal. I think some beers are awesome when consumed while eating. If you were to ask me, "should I have a beer with my meal?" my answer is always a resounding YES. Any beer with a light palate and flavor is an awesome beverage with food. Other, more complex, beers should be enjoyed by themselves, BEFORE or AFTER eating. I have never enjoyed mixing the flavors of IIPA's with pizza. GROSS.

 

[android]

i agree that IIPA wouldn't go well with pizza, but get me some blue cheese and an IPA/IIPA... now we're talking. in general though, i think you can highlight or cut through flavors if you pair the right beer with a meal, but I also agree that I would prefer to enjoy the beer on its own.

 

[wildwest450]

Taste buds are like snowflakes, just because yours don't agree with beer and food pairings....

 

[terrapinj]

I think some beers are awesome when consumed while eating.

so you do like pairing food with beer

 

[drkaeppel]

A lot of the pairings on the chart actually sound pretty good to me.

Pizza is actually one of only a few foods I really enjoy with an IPA. I usually enjoy heavier beers (imperials, double IPAs) by themselves, though.

Taste is subjective. Eat and drink what you like!

 

[mightynintendo]

so you do like pairing food with beer

It's more how you go in to it. I disagree with the notion that if I'm eating a steak, I should pair it with something specific. If I have beer on hand, I will probably drink it with my food. If I have an option, I will go with something light. Ultimately, I much prefer beer by itself and food with water.

 

[HollisBT]

IPA + spicy pho = tasty bliss IMO.

 

[scotched]

IPA + spicy pho = tasty bliss IMO.

I've always like hoppy beer with spicy foods

 

[bernerbrau]

It's more how you go in to it. I disagree with the notion that if I'm eating a steak, I should pair it with something specific. If I have beer on hand, I will probably drink it with my food. If I have an option, I will go with something light. Ultimately, I much prefer beer by itself and food with water.

The notion of any drink being the "right pairing" for any food is pretty subjective... but the basic idea is that people who spend decades of their lives studying food and drink are making a recommendation as to a certain pair of things that a majority of people are likely to find more enjoyable when enjoyed together.

Disagreeing with a recommendation = no harm no foul.
Disagreeing that a recommendation should be made at all =

 

[DarthMalt]

OP: I'll have to disagree (and I'm sure MANY others as well.)

I find a good porter paired with a filet mignon is simply delectable.

 

[mightynintendo]

The notion of any drink being the "right pairing" for any food is pretty subjective... but the basic idea is that people who spend decades of their lives studying food and drink are making a recommendation as to a certain pair of things that a majority of people are likely to find more enjoyable when enjoyed together.

Disagreeing with a recommendation = no harm no foul.
Disagreeing that a recommendation should be made at all =

yeah ok so maybe i just disagree with the recommendations (most of them).

 

[mightynintendo]

IPA + spicy pho = tasty bliss IMO.

mmmmmmm spicy, brothy, life-sustaining pho.

 

[rifraf]

Great beer reference book called the Brewmaster's Table. It's by the owner of Brooklyn Brewery. In it he discusses pairing beer with food and the idea that because it has more varied ingredients, is better suited to pairing with food than wine.

He has put his money where his mouth is by competing in pairing competitions with NYC sommeliers, and at time of publishing was undefeated including a cheese and chocolate pairing.

It's all subjective in the end, but he makes a compelling case, and it's a great read/reference for almost all the major beer styles. Describes their history, good commercial brands to try, and of course pairings. Wife bought it for me while dating and it's my favorite coffee table book.

 

[motobrewer]

sprecher does a tasting where they pair cheeses to beer

pretty interesting once you starting doing it

 

[hopheaded]

While not necessary, a good beer/food match ups are amazing. Spicy/greasy food with ipas, sours with balsamic salad dressings, stouts and cheesecake, oh man...

Don't get me wrong, I love beer and food alone, but when they compliment eachother...bliss.

 

[binkman]

You should try bouza. It's a beer, it's a food. It's both.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/egypt/100114/cairo-homebrew-liquor-moonshine

 

[scrambledegg81]

I'm somewhat in the same boat as OP. Once the craft movement finally gained some momentum, people realized that the public's perception of beer needed to change and began making the food pairing comparisons similar to that of wine. Sheer snootiness imo.

 

[HokieBrewer]

You should try bouza. It's a beer, it's a food. It's both.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/egypt/100114/cairo-homebrew-liquor-moonshine

But what do you pair it with?

 

[klnosaj]

Pairing is also very helpful for people for whom craft beer is either new to, or only a small part of, their alcohol lexicon. Someone who doesn't know what "IPA" means or the difference between a Vienna Lager and a Light American Lager can be well served (and well educated) by pairings.

 

[hopheaded]

Pairing is also very helpful for people for whom craft beer is either new to, or only a small part of, their alcohol lexicon. Someone who doesn't know what "IPA" means or the difference between a Vienna Lager and a Light American Lager can be well served (and well educated) by pairings.

Couldn't agree more. For people without a battle hardend pallet, pairings can make subtle flavors obvious.

 

[binkman]

But what do you pair it with?

No pairing necessary.

 

[Piratwolf]

I prefer to pair beer with... another beer!

 

[TwoGunz]

There's a time and a place for pairing beer with food and for going it alone. I personally enjoy a well matched bite, often just a good cheese. This is particularly true for me with high gravity beers. I love a nice cheddar with an imperial stout.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

As craft breweries become ever increasingly popular, I am hearing more and more "pair this beer with that food." This topic is so prevalent that some upscale restaurants that offer an extensive beer list will even have beer pairing guidelines right on the menu. In fact the brewer's association even made this extensive pairing table: http://www.craftbeer.com/attachments/0000/0533/beerandfood.pdf

As a devout beer and food lover, I find myself in absolute disagreement with this. I don't just disagree with the chart and choices, I disagree with the concept of pairing food and beer entirely.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not entirely against having a beer with a meal. I think some beers are awesome when consumed while eating. If you were to ask me, "should I have a beer with my meal?" my answer is always a resounding YES. Any beer with a light palate and flavor is an awesome beverage with food. Other, more complex, beers should be enjoyed by themselves, BEFORE or AFTER eating. I have never enjoyed mixing the flavors of IIPA's with pizza. GROSS.

Drink what you like, when you like. Some of those pairings are just silly, I often have a porter or even a scotch ale with sushi. I'll have a brown ale with just about anything. I don't have IPA's with anything cuz I'm not a fan of IPA's. If somebody is having a party & wants to pair brews with food, great. If they don't want to pair a particular brew with a particular food, great. Life is too short to worry about such stuff, RDWHAHB.
Regards, GF.

 

[Homercidal]

I would never follow someone else's pairing guide. I can guess what a food will taste like and imagine what a beer would taste like with it. Most of the time I think a foodie's pairing tastes gross.

Yes, I'll have the stuffed sole and a Celis White, please!

 

[HIM_Tattoos]

I'm somewhat in the same boat as OP. Once the craft movement finally gained some momentum, people realized that the public's perception of beer needed to change and began making the food pairing comparisons similar to that of wine. Sheer snootiness imo.

I'm glad I read through all three pages, because I was about say this exact same thing.

I don't always agree with the suggested pairings that I'll see, but I/we know more about beer than the average dinner at an establishment with suggested pairings. We're subject to our own palets and tastes, but to someone who doesn't know, this is a great starting point for them.

And to say that this is "hurting" the craft community or that it's a "band wagon", is kind of silly. Don't we want more people drinking good beers so we can get better beers to drink? Don't you think that by trying to keep these great beers to ourselves, we are in fact, the snobs?

 

[mightynintendo]

There's a time and a place for pairing beer with food and for going it alone. I personally enjoy a well matched bite, often just a good cheese. This is particularly true for me with high gravity beers. I love a nice cheddar with an imperial stout.

There can be no doubt that beer and cheese go together very well indeed.

 

[HollisBT]

There can be no doubt that beer and cheese go together very well indeed.

What doesn't go well with cheese?