Beer + Dinner

5 Methods of Pairing Beer with Dinner

With the wide variety of beers available, there is a flavor for every dish. Choosing the beer that best suits you to go with dinner, however, is a little more complicated. To help clear it up, we’ve assembled five methods of beer pairing proving that there is no single strategy for doing it right.

The Basic Method

Like to keep it simple? The following are common pairings, meant to heighten the flavor and experience of your meal to the beer that is accompanying it.

The Country-of-Origin Method

The other easy way to pair food is by matching regional styles: German-style lagers with German food, Mexican ambers with food from south-of-the-border, and so on. Beers like Sapporo, Kirin Ichiban and Tsing Tao are often served at sushi and Chinese restaurants for a reason.

The Maker’s Match Method

Go big and match your beer to the flavors of your dish. For example, this could be matching a fruity beer with a fruity dessert or a hoppy IPA to turn up the impact of a spicy dish.

The Contrast Method

For a more balanced approach, downplay the flavor profiles of your food by contrasting it with the flavors in your beer. In this approach, citrus beers would be paired with fried foods, sours with fruits and stouts with seafood.

The “Do You” Method

This is the most important one and highlights a simple fact: go with a beer you like and you’ll never go wrong. If you’re in the mood of a hopped-out IPA, drink it. A creamy stout sound like the right way to wind down your day? Cheers, my friend.

What are your favorite beer and food pairings? Do you have any unconventional ones that the world must try? Tell us in the comment section or on Twitter (@bigredliquors)! Learn more about beer by checking out our Beer Glossary or stop into any of our locations and ask one of our knowledgeable experts. They’ll be happy to help you find the right beer for dinner and won’t even ask for leftovers.