The Perfect Beer for Your Perfect Meal

Most people think the wine industry dominates food pairings, but they have a lot of competition with beer. Beer has more of a range of flavors than you can find in wines, making it a much better option for food pairing. Beer goes great with a lot of different foods. Most of the time when you drink a beer you have a burger with it, but burgers are not the only food to have with beer.

If you are really into that beer and burger combination Pale Ales are the best choice of beer to match the taste of a good meaty burger. The easy drinking quality of a Pale Ale makes it a very neutral beer that will not over power a burger. Pale Ales also pair well with buffalo wings, because Pale Ales typically have a refreshing taste that can cool down the heat of a good plate of wings. JP Brewing Co. has two Pale Ales on draft, Susy Q Pale Ale and Zesty Ale. Both are great options for a great greasy American meal.

Stouts and Porters are a perfect match for very meaty dishes like duck, barbeque or any other smoked meat. The intense flavors from the meats in these dishes make the coffee or chocolate flavors of the stouts come out and add an interesting twist on a what can be a boring meal. JP Brewing Co. has a stout called Short and Stout that has caramel and lavender notes that would make a perfect beer to go with a smoked goose.

If you are in the mood for a refreshing meal like a salad or something light a Wheat beer is the best bet for a beer pairing. The light mild flavor of a Wheat beer is a complimentary flavor for a mild salad or a vegetable dish. Flavored Wheat beers would go with similarly flavored dishes, for example a tangerine Wheat would make a great pair for a fruit salad. JP Brewing Co. just released a new Wheat beer for the summer called You Are My Sunshine Wheat, this is a very light refreshing beer that will make a perfect pair for a fresh summertime salad.

People all over the world go crazy for good sushi, if that includes you, next time you have a sushi night pair it with your favorite Pilsner. Pilsners are some of the lightest beer you can find which makes it a match for a dish like sushi because sushi is so flavorful, and it will not over power the flavor in the sushi. Most sushi lovers do not eat sushi for it to be washed down with something that will distract from the taste, making a light Pilsner a great pairing for this type of dish. JP Brewing Co. has a Pilsner named Easy Breezy for its light and easy to drink taste. We recommend this beer for your next sushi night!

Beer pairing is not as difficult as it may seem. Just think of it as matching the heaviness of the beer to the heaviness of the food. Lighter meals are going to pair better with lighter beer, and the same goes for heavier beer pairing better with a more rounded meal.