Guide to Beer Food Pairing Charlotte, NC With Pilot Brewing Company
by Rachael Hudson, Advanced Cicerone®, Co-Owner/Head Brewer, Pilot Brewing Co., Co-Host False Bottomed Girls Podcast
GUIDE TO BEER FOOD PAIRING BASICS
There are many ways to enjoy the great, local craft beer and food scene in Charlotte, NC. Beer and food have many reasons why they pair well together. So if you’re looking to take a deep dive into matching local craft beers to dishes, here is a quick beer food pairing guide of “rules” you’ll want to consider.
First off, the intensity of the food and beer, as separate components is important because their intensities should match each other in strength. If you have a bold and flavorful steak it is going to pair well with a strong Barleywine or Imperial Stout. Pairing that steak with a light lager can make the beer flavor very underwhelming. The intensity of flavor is not just one component in particular, but of the taste experience as a whole. For beer, it includes things like malt character, hop bitterness, alcoholic strength, sweetness, roastiness, mouthfeel, etc. For food, intensity, or richness, comes from components such as cooking methods, fat, sweetness, spices, texture, and complexity.
Another element to consider is to find common flavors or flavors that harmonize within the dish and beer pairing. Combinations that share common flavors and aromas tend to work well. Think about a grilled cheese with a nutty brown ale, a roasted pork skank with a Schwarzbier (black lager), or an Oktoberfest lager with a soft, warm German pretzel. All of these pairings share similar flavor and aroma elements which allows for complementary pairings.
However, there are still more elements to consider. It is known that certain qualities of food and beer react to each other in particular ways that are different from intensity:
*Carbonation is effective in cutting richness, sweetness, and umami.
*Foods with a lot of richness or sweetness can be balanced with hop bitterness, roastiness, alcohol, or acidity.
*Malt sweetness will cool heat, while hop bitterness will accentuate it.
Pancakes from Snooze Eatery.
Guide to 5 Beer Food Pairings from Local Charlotte Breweries Featured in Season 3 of the Crafted Series
Pilot Brewing Company
BEER & DISH: Mimosa Gose paired with Brunch from Snooze Eatery.
Literally, all things brunch from Snooze Eatery, a brunch restaurant located right next to Pilot Brewing in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte pair with this Mimosa Gose, a German-style, tart, wheat beer conditioned with blood orange puree. I specifically recommend pairing this with Snooze Eatery’s pancake flight!
Pilot Brewing Company: 1331 Central Ave., Ste 104, Charlotte, NC 28205
Snooze Eatery: 1331 Central Avenue, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
Pancake Flight from Snooze Eatery.
Divine Barrel – When Will Then Be Now – Schwarzbier
Divine Barrel Brewing
BEER & DISH: ‘When Will Then Be Now?’ Schwarzbier and any spicy curry dish from Deejai Noodle Bar.
Divine Barrel’s ‘When Will Then Be Now?’ Schwarzbier is a classic German-style black beer that is a beautifully dark yet crushable lager. It has balanced notes of lightly roasted coffee, freshly baked bread, and a hint of toffee. Although the brewery doesn’t host a kitchen, they are located right next to Deejai Noodle Bar, where you can grab your favorite spiciest curry to pair with this beer. Don’t be afraid to turn up the heat for this highly malted beer that will help cool down your palate.
Divine Barrel Brewing: 3701 N. Davidson St. – Suite #203, Charlotte, NC 28205
Deejai Noodle Bar: 3629 North Davidson Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28205
Curry from Deejai Noodle Bowl
Wooden Robot ‘Overachiever’ Juicy Pale Ale
Wooden Robot Brewery
BEER & DISH: ‘Overachiever’ Juicy Pale Ale paired with your favorite North Carolina BBQ (we recommend Sweet Lew’s BBQ)
Wooden Robot’s ‘Overachiever’ Juicy Pale Ale exceeds expectations by packing the citrusy, juicy, hop character of a hazy NE-style IPA into an obsessively drinkable pale ale. Brewed with local malt from Epiphany Craft Malt, oats, and Simcoe and Centennial hops, its soft mouthfeel, and restrained bitterness will have you coming back for sip after sip. Grab a 4-pack of this beer and your favorite North Carolina BBQ for a match made in beer heaven.
Wooden Robot Brewery has two locations: 1440 S Tryon St #110, Charlotte, NC 28203 – or – The Chamber by Wooden Robot – NoDa, 416 E 36th St STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
Sweet Lew’s BBQ: 923 Belmont Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
A plate from Sweet Lew’s BBQ
Salud Cerveceria
BEER & DISH: Del Patio Lager and your favorite wood-fired pizza made in-house at Salud.
Salud Cerveceria’s ‘Del Patio Lager’ is a 4% Mexican Lager with flaked corn. This light-bodied lager is easy on malt character displaying a light water cracker flavor. The use of corn lightens up the flavor and body of the beer and provides a faint sweet corn aroma. Not only does Salud brew delicious beers but they also crank out amazing wood-fired pizzas. Pizza and lagers are a classic food pairing, and with 10 pizzas to choose from, it’s hard to pick a favorite! Feel free to go crazy with toppings and flavor combinations, for that light lager will provide a malt softness to balance heat, and carbonation to scrub away rich flavors, leaving your palate set up for the next bite.
Salud Cerveceria: 3306-C N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
Flight of beer from Pilot Brewing
Pilot Brewing Company
BEER & DISH: Pub Ale and your dish of choice from Good Wurst
This English-style pale ale is balanced perfectly between the malt and hops to allow for an easy-drinking, session ale. This beer is the perfect ale for butchers’ lunch. Grab a pint and head down the street to Good Wurst, a butcher, bagel, and sausage maker, with German-style bratwursts, Belgian-style frittes, and European style fair. The soft malt flavors of bread crust, toast, and slight caramel sweetness in the beer are the perfect pairing for the hardy meal.
Pilot Brewing Company: 1331 Central Ave., Ste 104, Charlotte, NC 28205
Good Wurst: 3001 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
FINAL NOTES ON THIS GUIDE TO BEER FOOD PAIRING
This guide to beer food pairing is a great start to exploring the amazing culinary and craft beer scene that Charlotte has to offer. However, don’t limit yourself and continue to try more pairings as you explore the Queen City.
Share some of your favorites in the comments below.