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.