From our friends at Napoleon!
Beer is a staple to bars and beverages around the world. The sheer number of different beers creates infinite possibilities when it comes to that brilliant beverage that belongs with barbecue. Before you can successfully pair beer with BBQ, you need to understand the different types of beer and the flavour profiles they generally provide.
Learning how to pair beer with BBQ can be fun. Beer is forgiving, you can get creative and experimental, even when you use the same school of thought when it comes to pairing wine. Use the complement or contrast technique and you should meet with success.
HOW TO MATCH BEER WITH YOUR BBQ MEAL
There are a few other thoughts before selecting a beer to pair with the barbecued foods you are planning on for dinner. The alignment of these things will definitely go a long way to making your next meal transcendent like when pairing the perfect wine. The whole concept is the take the two separate experiences, a drink and some food, to meld them together into a cohesive whole that winds up being greater than the sum of its parts.
MATCH POWER WITH POWER
Further than the general rule of complement or contrast, you need to match the power of the beer to the power of the food you are serving. Power consists of the intensity of the flavours, the body or weight, and those things need to align. You do not want to pair a beer that will be too big, or too small, for the food being served.
ABV – ALCOHOL BY VOLUME
The low ABV of beer makes it a versatile companion for various foods, as it can enhance flavours without overwhelming the taste of the meal—a common issue when pairing food with wine or other spirits. Additionally, intensity in pairings is not solely about ABV; it also involves the impact of the flavours themselves.
CARBONATION
The carbonation in beer is very helpful for a multitude of reasons. It can be used as a palate cleanser; it helps to cut through but also enhances your understanding and appreciation of the deepness and richness of foods when paired properly. Carbonation is also beneficial, especially with lower ABV beers, when eating spicy foods as it can help wash away the capsaicin heat.
AROMATS
A beer’s aroma, the additional flavours and fragrances added during the process, can and do continue to season the food you are eating. This can be used to your advantage when pairing your favourite frothy flavour with food. The underlying citrus notes added to wheat beers and IPAs, spices like anise and juniper, and fruity esters from fruits like peaches and currants, all land on the tongue and enter the nose to create a bouquet that can enhance the food you are eating.
Smoky flavours from barrel-aged beers or beers with added smoke pair well with uncooked fish and meats, like steak tartare, to bring out that cooked and meaty taste even though the dish isn’t cooked. This is also true for beers that feature deeply roasted malt like brown ales, stouts, and porters which feature a toasted, roasted flavour profile that can enhance the cooked flavours of the foods you are eating.
Sour beers are fruit-heavy and can lend themselves to a glaze or sauce, enhancing them and adding to foods. Consider venison or boar, which would both taste fantastic with a fruity glaze of berries or stone fruit. Pairing a fruit-forward sour beer with undertones of berries or plums will create a beautiful harmony with some barbecued game.
BEER STYLES & PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
Understanding the different styles of beer helps to make an informed decision about the pairing with foods, especially the delicious barbecue meals you make. There are several main styles of beer, with hundreds of different varieties and flavours.
LIGHT LAGER
Light lagers are a light and sunny golden colour, crisp, light, and refreshing. Most light lagers are carbonated, and this effervescence scrubs your palate clean and can even tame the spicy heat of capsaicin. These qualities make light lagers quite versatile when pairing. For pairing, reserve your light lagers for light and fresh preparations, however, they are great for fatty and fried foods as well as noodle dishes as the crisp brightness can clear the palate of the cloying clinginess of fat. The carbonation will cool spicy foods, so hot wings and spicy curries will pair beautifully and allow you to enjoy the flavour of those spicy dishes. Try not to pair light lagers with overly rich-foods. While the carbonation and refreshing flavour of the beer will cut the fatty richness it can also reduce the flavour nuances found in both the beer and the meal.
TERIYAKI PORK BELLY POUTINE
A light lager style of beer will clear the palate of the clinging fat in this dish making you want more of the delicious Teriyaki Pork Belly Poutine recipe.
WHEAT BEERS
The pale and golden wheat beer varieties are brewed with barley and wheat grains. They get most of their flavour from the yeast, which provides a smooth texture on the tongue. Lightly carbonated, wheat beers usually have citrus and fruit flavours added for extra oomph. These versatile beers are well paired with spicy food, salad, fruits, and pastries.
INDIAN LAMB CURRY
Try a wheat beer to cut through the spice of this recipe for Kashmiri-style Rogan Josh Curry.
IPA BEERS
The sheer number of craft IPA (India Pale Ales) available on the market makes the IPA an incredibly adaptable beer when it comes to pairing it with food. Dark golden in colour, deeper and more rich than both light lager and wheat beer, this is the most popular style of beer for a craft brewer. IPA is generally bitter in flavour, however, brew meisters do enjoy adding the flavours of citrus, herbs, and other tastes to help balance that. Unless you are talking about double-hopped IPA beers, which are incredibly bitter, intentionally so.
That being said, variety has bred versatility and while not every IPA can pair well with every meal, you are incredibly likely to find an IPA that will work with the food you are serving or eating. IPA-style beers go very well with meaty, smoky, barbecued meals, Mexican food, curries, Indian, Thai, and Chinese. The citrus and herbal flavours will pair beautifully with basil-heavy foods or those filled with warming spices, however, the bitterness in an IPA could cause issues with the pairing. If you can find a fruit-forward IPA that has a lightly sweet finish, the bitterness of the IPA can be counteracted and create a delightful pairing.
PORK BELLY SLIDERS
IPAs pair well with Asian flavours like those in this recipe for Pork Belly Sliders
SMOKED ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
This Smoked Rotisserie Chicken is perfect for pairing with a hazy IPA
AMBER ALE
A beautiful red-gold to deep amber colour, the amber ale features the strong and malty flavours of sweet caramel that are not overpowering. Instead, amber ales are dry and crisp with a light and flowery or bread-y scent. Amber ale is perfect for balancing rich and umami-filled foods without overpowering them. Malt-driven foods pair beautifully with Italian, BBQ – especially smoked meals like brisket and pulled pork, as well as jerk and even pizza. You can also use these beers as a palate cleanser.
SMOKED BEEF SANDWICH
Accompany this Smoked Beef Sandwich with an amber ale beer for a delightful pairing that will balance the umami of the beef and goat’s cheese mayonnaise.
DARK LAGERS
These copper or brownish-gold beers are heavy with roasted malts to provide a delightful medium-dark colour. They feature notes of nuttiness and caramel which will provide a hint of sweetness. Dark lagers are a popular European-style beer and pair well with foods local to the area where they are made. These include sausage, tomato-meat-and-vegetable-based soups and stews, hearty burgers, and pretzels. Most roasted beers – dark lagers and those below – ones heavy with toasted malt, will pair well with salty foods.
BEER-CHEESE BURGER
Dark lagers are ideal for burgers and pretzels so why not get lots of bang for your buck and try one with this Beer-Cheese Burger on a Pretzel Bun!
BROWN ALE
Brown ales can thank their deep and rich brown colour to the toasting of the 100% brown malt. Brown ales feature a higher malt-to-hop ratio which makes these beers neither hoppy or bitter, with pleasant chocolate and coffee nuances to their taste, they can also be dry and nutty as well. Brown ales are not quite neutral, but they aren’t incredibly high in flavour like a double-hopped IPA. Instead, they are flexible and underrated because of the general preference craft brewers have for IPAs. Pair brown ales with sausages, BBQ, pork, and seafood – especially sushi.
LOBSTER ROLLS
Try a brown ale with these simple and hearty Lobster Rolls for an exciting combination that should highlight the natural succulence of the lobster and the nutty nuances of the beer.
PORTERS
Porters of today are mild and come in various flavours and styles. They are distinctively dark with a rich and toasted aroma thanks to the toasted brown malt which provides chocolate, caramel, and coffee nuances. Porters have a soft mouthfeel, not quite as silky as a stout, but they do feature similar tasting notes. Porters with foods that have a similar taste and texture. Shellfish, silky sauces, BBQ, and game meats are ideal accompaniments.
GAME STEW
Dark and dreamy, both the Game Stew and a perfectly paired porter will make any meal hearty and whole.
STOUT
Guinness is the quintessential beer that is made in the stout style. Thick, silky, roasted, not bitter, and well-rounded, with notes and scents of chocolate and coffee. Low in ABV, stouts are great for enhancing flavours of meals without overwhelming the taste of said meal. The light sweetness and creamy thickness of a stout make it perfect for pairing with desserts, shellfish, and BBQ; however, are not ideal for overly fatty or umami-leaden foods. This is true for most malt-heavy beers.
IRISH COTTAGE PIE
GUINNESS BROWNIES
The creamy texture and chocolatey coffee notes of the stout used in this recipe for Brownies provide the perfect balance within the dessert as well as a pairing.
PEOPLE ALSO ASKED:
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PAIR BEER?
Much like wine pairing, complement or contrast when pairing beer with your barbecued meals. Some prefer to pair lighter beers with lighter foods and darker beers with darker foods. However, the tried-and-true method is to experiment and have fun. It is the underlying flavours in beer, the bitterness, carbonation, and ABV (alcohol by volume) which can dictate how well a beer will pair with any given meal.
CAN YOU PUT BEER ON BBQ?
YES! Most beers will pair well with a meal made on the BBQ. However, you can also use your favourite beers to cook with, whether you are using them in a sauce, as a baste or spritz, or as a marinade/brine. Beer also goes well in stews, braises, and other hearty fare. Where will you sneak beer into a meal?
WHY DO PEOPLE PUT BEER ON BBQ?
Beer tastes good. Beer pairs well with a barbecued meal off the BBQ. The bitterness of the hops, the nutty sweetness of malt, and any additional flavours that come from the brewing process, all add to the whole and when incorporated into a recipe for the BBQ, can create wonderful balance and depth of flavour.
WHAT BEER GOES WITH BARBECUED CHICKEN?
It depends on what you are doing with the chicken. Light lagers and wheat beers will make spicy foods go down easier and help make the fatty fried chicken even more delicious. Smoked and foods made with warming spices like garlic and ginger, pair well with IPA beers. Amber Ale goes well with Jerk and Italian foods, while dark lager style beers will go better with heartier fare like a tomato-based stew. The neutral nuances of brown ales can pair well with barbecued chicken on a bun or a barbecued chicken salad. Porters and stouts will play well when barbecued or smoked chicken is paired with a silky sauce or a salad with creamy dressing.
WHAT BEER DO YOU LIKE TO PAIR WITH BBQ?
Pairing beer with BBQ is a blast, it’s about having fun, experimenting, and knowing that there’s no wrong answer. Once you get the basics of beer flavours down, the world of pairing is wide open to your interpretation. Imagine the perfect cold brew complementing your smoky ribs or spicy wings, enhancing every bite. So, make your favourite barbecued meal, crack open a few different beers, and enjoy the delicious journey of discovering the ideal match. Cheers to great food, great beer, and even greater times! Now that you know how to pair beer with your BBQ, what is your favourite, perfect pairing? Share your stories, perfect pairings, and photos of delicious barbecued food with us on social like our Facebook and TikTok pages using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.
To read more check out the Napoleon blog here!