Lianne Williams is a beer writer and Certified Cicerone based in Manchester. She has led brewery tours, guided tasting and food pairing events and judged at beer festivals including Chorlton Beer Festival and SIBA BeerX. Read her first blog article here.
You may have heard about food and wine pairing, but did you know that there’s a strong argument to be made for beer being a more complementary beverage to drink with food? This is not to say that wine is not well suited to food, but I personally believe beer makes the more ideal match for many reasons!
Firstly, beer - unlike most wines - is highly carbonated. This works well alongside food because each mouthful helps cleanse the palate ready for the next bite. Another important factor is the wide variety of flavour profiles that can be found in different beer styles. Lighter, fruitier styles can be well paired with more delicate dishes and stronger, more robust beers can stand up against more intense flavours.
Beer has four main ingredients - water, malt, yeast and hops. Each has its own unique appeal, which makes it a perfect partner for food.
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Malt goes through a chemical reaction called the Maillard process when it is kilned to prepare it for brewing. This results in caramelisation and other flavour changes - the same changes that take place when we cook our food.
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Water contains minerals that can change its taste significantly, meaning some types of water are better for brewing certain beer styles e.g. soft water with a low mineral content is ideal for brewing pilsner.
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Yeast consumes the sugars from malt during the beer fermentation process to produce alcohol. While it does this, it also imparts flavours into the beer through producing ester and phenol compounds, contributing to a unique aroma and taste e.g. the banana and clove flavours you can taste in a German Hefeweizen.
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And finally, hops act as the ‘seasoning’ for our beers - earthy, piney, fruity, peppery - the flavour possibilities are extensive and new hop varieties are being developed regularly. Importantly, hops also add bitterness and aroma to our beer.
Beer and food have been bringing people together for millennia. Enjoying a beer with a good meal not only helps to enhance the flavours of both, but enables you to drink responsibly in a way that encourages conversation and appreciation for the process of brewing and cooking.
How to pair beer and food
Beer and food pairing is really fun to do and can help you to get so much more enjoyment out of your drinking. I have included some food pairing suggestions below which I think match perfectly with the Tun Brewing range. If you’d like to try these pairings, you can order an All Beers Mix Pack with the five beers for £17.95. The beers very helpfully come with tasting notes included on the back of the can and they are all vegan and gluten-free. For these pairings, I have matched based on my own dietary requirements and preferences, but I have included one option for each that can be made vegan. I hope that you can find at least one pairing that works for you!
Little Monster from the Id New Zealand Session Pale, 4% paired with Baja Fish, Fried Chicken or Crispy Mushroom Tacos served with Mango and Avocado Salsa
With its fruity hop flavours, mild bitterness and high carbonation, I think Little Monster from the Id pairs wonderfully with Tacos. As a session ale, it’s intended as a fun, social beer which should be enjoyed with friends, and I feel a taco night is an ideal match. The high carbonation of the beer will cut through the fattiness of the fried meat/vegetables, and if you like things spicy, the mild bitterness of this beer will help ensure it doesn’t become too intense. Serving the tacos with a tangy, mango and avocado salsa will complement the stone fruit flavours from the hops in the beer and create balance.
Lemondrop Dry Hopped Pilsner, 4.7% paired with Calamari, Prawn Cocktail or Lemon and Pea Risotto
I love this beer. It’s incredibly lemony and hoppy, and I could also taste peppery notes, which I wasn’t expecting and really enjoyed. The subtle pepper and high carbonation make this a great beer for pairing with food - it’s very versatile and can work with a wide range of dishes. My first thought went straight to seafood, such as calamari or a prawn cocktail, due to the complimentary lemon and slightly spicy, peppery notes. The high carbonation of the pilsner also helps cut through the creamy aioli often served with calamari or the Marie Rose sauce with a prawn cocktail. A lemon and pea risotto, which is also creamy and has complementary flavours with the lemon and pepper, could also pair very well. This beer is definitely a crowd pleaser, and if none of these pairings sound right for you, it should work well with the majority of light, fresh, Mediterranean dishes.
Archetype Modern English IPA, 6% with Pulled BBQ Pork or Jackfruit served with Chips and Coleslaw
This modern take on an English IPA has high bitterness and is full of piney and resinous hop flavour. Marmalade comes through powerfully in the aroma and taste, as well as sweetness and light toffee notes from the Maris Otter malt. This beer would pair very well with barbecue and caramelised flavours like in a Pulled Pork or Jackfruit dish because of the malt sweetness and complementary flavours from the toffee and marmalade. The resinous hops and strong bitterness help provide some balance and contrast to the sweetness. As ever, the high carbonation also helps cut through the fried chips and the creamy coleslaw, balancing out the whole meal. A bold beer that needs equally bold flavours to stand up to it!
Gem State of Mind New England IPA, 6.5% with an Indian-style Curry
This beer is a juice bomb of pineapple, mango, and citrus, and the pillowy mouthfeel, created by the inclusion of wheat and oats, makes for a really clean and balanced beer. While the mouthfeel helps hide its fairly strong ABV, this is still a powerful beer that can pair well with a strong-flavoured, creamy and spicy dish like a curry. My choice would be an Indian-style curry, such as a Dansak or Pathia, which is medium-spiced, has sweet and sour flavours, and can also include pineapple, which complements the tropical hop flavour. The fruitiness from the hops will also marry up nicely with the curry, and the soft body and mild bitterness will help to balance out the heat of the dish. I’d also be reaching for the mango chutney for an extra fruity hit! If Indian curries aren’t your thing, I also think this beer would go well with a Thai curry. The aromatics, such as ginger and lemongrass, are complementary to the hop flavours, and the coconut in the sauce provides a similar soft mouthfeel.
Daradach Irish Stout, 4.5% with Black Forest Gateau
As soon as I tasted this beer, all I could think about was dessert pairings. The espresso and dark chocolate flavours from the roasted malt come through straight away and provide a lovely, balanced bitterness. I also picked up a slight cherry flavour, too, which made me think this would pair well with cherry-infused desserts, such as a Black Forest Gateau. Pairing this beer with a dessert featuring similar flavours will help enhance the slight cherry note in the beer, and the bitterness of the dark chocolate will help balance the sweetness of the cake's sugar and whipped cream. If you can’t get your hands on a Black Forest Gateau, I think a Bakewell Tart, an Almond Croissant, and a Cherry Pie with ice cream would also work very well. Hate sweet desserts? You also can’t go wrong with an Irish stout paired with a blue cheese. The intense flavours of each stand up against each other, enhancing rather than overwhelming.
How to learn more
I hope these beer and food pairings help to provide some inspiration and some encouragement to enjoy beer with food at home and with friends. I recommend trying out the above suggestions, but also give it a go yourself and experiment to find out what flavour combinations work best for you.
If you’re interested in learning more, my favourite books on the topic are Melissa Cole’s “The Beer Kitchen” and Garrett Oliver’s “The Brewmaster’s Table”. Both include plenty of recipes and ideas for you to try out. I’d also recommend keeping an eye out for local beer and food events in your area. A tutored tasting is a great way to discover your preferences with the guidance of an expert.
