Which Foods To Pair With Which Beer Styles!
Tailgater Magazine|July/August 2019

With all the styles and flavours of beers these days, it's hard to know which ones accentuate a food or simply drown it out. Here’s a primer on pairing to make the most of your tailgate tasting.

Amity Moore Joyce
Which Foods To Pair With Which Beer Styles!

You might think beer goes best with hot wings, brats and burgers, but the truth is, this favorite tailgate beverage is versatile enough to pair with foods sweet to savory. It goes with most anything these days, agrees Adam Dulye, executive chef at the Boulder, Colorado-based Brewers Association, in part because of the “diversity and the creativity that brewers are bringing to the styles today. They’re expanding the range of it and really pushing the flavours. Plus he adds carbonation makes beer an excellent companion to food— “It scrubs the palate, it cleanses, it refreshes, it keeps the palate awake.”

That said, every beer does not pair well with every food. To ensure you’re getting the best from both, the Brewers Association outlines three basic principles to follow when deciding which foods to pair with which beer styles.

1ST: MATCH STRENGTH WITH STRENGTH

First, match strength with strength, meaning you’re looking for equality across the partnership. For example, lighter foods require lighter beers. Think delicate foods match strong beers, which is why an imperial stout tastes so good with dark chocolate.

Bear in mind that equality comprises several factors, so, for beer, you’re considering alcohol strength (ABV), bitterness, maltiness, sweetness and roastiness. For food, it’s the texture, richness, sweetness, spicing and cooking methods contributing to the sum character.

This story is from the July/August 2019 edition of Tailgater Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July/August 2019 edition of Tailgater Magazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM TAILGATER MAGAZINEView All
Food Fight In Big D!
Tailgater Magazine

Food Fight In Big D!

Make plans now to witness this highpaced, multiday competition made to be watched—and tasted.

time-read
2 mins  |
September/October 2019
A Bicentennial Celebration-One State's History Crafted In Five Beers
Tailgater Magazine

A Bicentennial Celebration-One State's History Crafted In Five Beers

Alabama breweries cooperated over five years to formulate onetime-only, annual beer releases, each tied to one of the state’s five historical capitals.

time-read
4 mins  |
September/October 2019
11 Things To Know About Throwing A Tailgate
Tailgater Magazine

11 Things To Know About Throwing A Tailgate

Because 10 just doesn’t do it.

time-read
3 mins  |
September/October 2019
Roaring Good Times
Tailgater Magazine

Roaring Good Times

It’s not just wild, predator-driven football at Penn State. State College dwells amid startling natural wonders paired with fine dining and wineries that will turn your simple getaway into a restorative escape

time-read
7 mins  |
September/October 2019
Heroes And Throwdowns
Tailgater Magazine

Heroes And Throwdowns

AS IT SIT here writing this, we received the news that Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s airplane had crashed as he was traveling with his family to the race in Bristol, Tennessee.

time-read
2 mins  |
September/October 2019
Aloha, Nfl!
Tailgater Magazine

Aloha, Nfl!

Not Counting The Pro Bowl, It’s Been More Than 40 Years Since The Nfl Played In Hawaii. But With The Outpouring Of Fan Support This August From Islanders And Mainlanders Alike At The Preseason Cowboys Vs. Rams Game In The Aloha Stadium, You’d Wonder Why.

time-read
7 mins  |
September/October 2019
Suite Tailgate: Jacksonville Firm, Jaguars Transforming Aame Day Experience
Tailgater Magazine

Suite Tailgate: Jacksonville Firm, Jaguars Transforming Aame Day Experience

In a quest to improve the fan experience, the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars partnered with Jacksonville-area startup party suite to test the company’s new portable entertainment dwelling, the party suite.

time-read
1 min  |
January/February 2018
The Tailgate Quest
Tailgater Magazine

The Tailgate Quest

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004, I DESCENDED UPON THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION TO CATCH THREE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE GAMES IN THREE DAYS. 

time-read
4 mins  |
January/February 2018
Irish Coffee & Winter Warmers
Tailgater Magazine

Irish Coffee & Winter Warmers

Irish Coffee & Winter Warmers

time-read
1 min  |
January/February 2018
Tailgating Trucks To Make You Drool
Tailgater Magazine

Tailgating Trucks To Make You Drool

Trucks Built To Climb Snow-packed Mountains And Tailgates That Open Six Different Ways, The Detroit Auto Show Is A Mouth-dropping, Eye-opening Experience.

time-read
3 mins  |
March/April 2019