Foods with no great "beer pairing"

[Chris_Blum]

There was a recent point/counterpoint on MPR where two folks duked it out over “which is better at pairing with food” My answer was something like “totally depends upon the food. Glad to see beer pairings getting love, but some wine-food pairings don’t have a beer equivalent that is close” It got me thinking.

A couple that spring to mind is Chevre with Dry Sauv Blanc and Apple tarte Tatin (or creme brulee) with young Sauternes. I can’t think of a beer style that works nearly as well.

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Conversely, can you think of foods that pair better with beer than wine?

[Jim_Duane]

Chris, the short list of foods that never seem to pair with wine might be better suited to beer. Onions, asparagus, and artichokes come to mind first. The sweetness of onions can affect your perception of taste, leaving things more sour and bitter (perhaps a good thing with beer, eh?), where the cynarin in artichokes make things taste sweet. I’m no fan of sweetness in beer, but a high-gravity choice that already comes across sweet might work? I’ll give it a shot.

[Jorge_Henriquez]

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

[Corey_N]

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

While I’d prefer wine, I could see pairing with a heavy brown ale.

[Rick_Allen]

@Corey N.

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

While I’d prefer wine, I could see pairing with a heavy brown ale.

+1, but I would add a Dunkel Bock to the list of possible pairings.

[Matthew_Brown]

@Chris Blum

A couple that spring to mind is Chevre with Dry Sauv Blanc

I would throw some of the more unique, citrusy Saison styled beers in to take that Pepsi challenge.

[Rick_Allen]

@Chris Blum

There was a recent point/counterpoint on MPR where two folks duked it out over “which is better at pairing with food” My answer was something like “totally depends upon the food. Glad to see beer pairings getting love, but some wine-food pairings don’t have a beer equivalent that is close” It got me thinking.

A couple that spring to mind is Chevre with Dry Sauv Blanc and Apple tarte Tatin (or creme brulee) with young Sauternes. I can’t think of a beer style that works nearly as well.

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Conversely, can you think of foods that pair better with beer than wine?

I agree that Chevre and Sancerre is a very good match, but some of the sour beer, possibly a Berliner Weisse might be nearly as good a match. I’m still contemplating the Apple Tart/Creme Brulee.

As far as better with beer, just about any salad with a vinegar-based dressing will go better with beer. Something like Rochefort 8 or a proper Dunkel or Porter are great matches. Chocolate goes much better with beer. Schwarzbier and Stout come to mind with dark chocolate and a Sticke Alt is wonderful with milk chocolate. BTW, at one beer/wine dinner (two courses with beer and two with wine) we did, far and away the best pairing was our Schwarzbier with a vanilla panna cotta with cara cara orange sauce and dark chocolate shavings. It literally silenced the room.

[Linda_Baehr]

Most spicy foods like spicy Mexican, Thai, even hot Indian I like better with beer. I also usually prefer beer with sushi, although I know many people drink wine with it.

[Craig_G]

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

In a lot of places in Belgium they drink Kriek. We had a steak place we went to regularly in Jesus Eik where probably 75% of the people were drinking it with steak frites.

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

That’s a very good question. There’s countless wines I’d reach for before beer. But, if forced to go the beer route, I’d go with a really thick/oily/sludgy stout — something like North Coast’s “Old Rasputin” or Victory’s “Storm King.”

[Jorge_Henriquez]

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

That’s a very good question. There’s countless wines I’d reach for before beer. But, if forced to go the beer route, I’d go with a really thick/oily/sludgy stout — something like North Coast’s “Old Rasputin” or Victory’s “Storm King.”

Yeah, I don’t know about that. The sweetness in those kind of stouts would probably be weird with the flavor of the meat no?

[Eric_FW]

@Jorge Henriquez

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

That’s a very good question. There’s countless wines I’d reach for before beer. But, if forced to go the beer route, I’d go with a really thick/oily/sludgy stout — something like North Coast’s “Old Rasputin” or Victory’s “Storm King.”

Yeah, I don’t know about that. The sweetness in those kind of stouts would probably be weird with the flavor of the meat no?

I think I’d go with something more bitter for a steak, and probably something lower on the ABV scale. What beer does that mean exactly? That I’m not sure about.

[Andrew_Kotowski]

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

I frequently drink Double IPAs with steak. I’ve been on a Lagunitas Hop Stoopid kick lately (local store has it on sale) and there’s just something about the mix of the steak rub I make (salt-based, offshoot of Adam Perry Lang’s mix) and the malt/bitter/hops that is off the charts.

Totally agree with Linda re: Mexican and beer. Huevos Rancheros and home-made micheladas (using a regular IPA as the base) are God’s gift to Saturday morning breakfast, especially after a Friday night drinking wine.

[PeterH]

Regardless of what Rick said above, I would not chose to pair beer with any cream sauced dish, and probably not anything sweet.
Tastes vary. For many years people have been trying to get me to try a variety of dry red wines with chocolate. It never works for me.

P Hickner

[Rick_Allen]

Anyone interested in pairing beer with food should read “The Brewmaster’s Table” by Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewing. His passion for beer, and matching it with food really shows.

As far as a steak is concerned, while I’d prefer wine, if only beer was available, I’d probably go with a smoked beer like a Schlenkerla Marzen.

BTW, I’ve participated in a couple multi-brewery beer dinners, and in both cases, the IPA and DIPA were served between courses because there were better alternatives available to match with the food.

[Jorge_Henriquez]

@Rick Allen

I’d probably go with a smoked beer like a Schlenkerla Marzen.

Now THAT’S an interesting pairing! Have only had rauchbier with pork dishes and it worked well.

[Matthew_Brown]

@Rick Allen

Anyone interested in pairing beer with food should read “The Brewmaster’s Table” by Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewing. His passion for beer, and matching it with food really shows.

As far as a steak is concerned, while I’d prefer wine, if only beer was available, I’d probably go with a smoked beer like a Schlenkerla Marzen.

BTW, I’ve participated in a couple multi-brewery beer dinners, and in both cases, the IPA and DIPA were served between courses because there were better alternatives available to match with the food.

Best beer book written since MJ passed away, and easily the best beer and food book going (though he does have his pimp hat on for many of the Brooklyn beers mentioned in pretty much every category. Small nit, though). Have to go back and look, but I’m pretty sure he has a whole section of ways beers can partner with creamy dishes and sweets. I think beer is just inherently a more nimble beverage that you are much more likely to find one to tackle food pairing issues than wine.

[Chris_Blum]

@PeterH

Regardless of what Rick said above, I would not chose to pair beer with any cream sauced dish, and probably not anything sweet.
Tastes vary. For many years people have been trying to get me to try a variety of dry red wines with chocolate. It never works for me.

P Hickner

One exception…I’ve had stout with ice cream and it was terrific.

[Roberto_Rogness]

@Rick Allen

As far as a steak is concerned, while I’d prefer wine, if only beer was available, I’d probably go with a smoked beer like a Schlenkerla Marzen.

Also see Adelscott smoked malt ale from Alsace and Unibroue Raftman.

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

@Jorge Henriquez

@Brian G r a f s t r o m

@Jorge Henriquez

What beer would one pair with a nice, medium-rare steak?

That’s a very good question. There’s countless wines I’d reach for before beer. But, if forced to go the beer route, I’d go with a really thick/oily/sludgy stout — something like North Coast’s “Old Rasputin” or Victory’s “Storm King.”

Yeah, I don’t know about that. The sweetness in those kind of stouts would probably be weird with the flavor of the meat no?

Well, that’s subjective, I suppose. I actually think some sweet wines (i.e.: Sauternes, sweet Petite Manseng) work quite nicely with steak (especially short ribs), so … yeah.