The Art of Beer and Food Pairing

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With the hot weather,barbecues are working overtime and so much more is being grilled these days in addition to burgers and steaks.

It stands to reason. With a little imagination and tin foil, excellent and unusual meals can be turned out on the barbecue.

Hot weather can make us a tad thirsty too. Not so much for wine but for craft beers that are lower in alcoholthan the wines, and truly wet the throat.

Enter the art of beer and food pairings.

As with wines, certain beers can either compliment or over-power certain foods.

Should you be turning out chicken quesadillas in foil on your BBQ, the best beer would be something light with lots of effervescence. An excellent craft beer would be the Sunrise Gose from Coal Harbour Brewing. Its light body and tart salty flavours refresh your mouth at only 3.8% alcohol by volume (ABV).

That said, if you are making your quesadilla spicy, opt for a good old-fashioned IPA like Driftwoods Fat Tug.

Beef or salmon burgers are well paired with a dark beer. The dark roasted malts in Riot Brewing Dark Mild will hit the spot. Aptly named “Working Class Hero”, what better beer to pair with a working person’s all-star food? This brew will mirror the richness of beef or salmon. The low alcohol levels, 3.8%, allow one to have a few.

If barbecued seafood is your thing, look no further than a refreshing Hefeweizen.The limited release of Red Racer Prost Hefewiezen is just the ticket. Light and slightly tart with mild spice and hops, this pale wheat beer delivers subtle flavors that enhance all that seafood has to offer.

A crowd pleaser that works with a wide range of dishes is pale ale. Not too heavy, not too malty, not too bitter, it’s a good smooth beer that works with most foods. One of the best pale ales of late is the Yellow Dog “Chase My Tail” Pale Ale. It’s super balanced with piney hops, rich cereal flavours and a nice essence of candied citrus peel. Bring this winner with you to the potluck. It pairs with everything!

A couple of beer styles should be avoided when cooking on the BBQ. Strong ales and barley wine will overwhelm most foods. These beers go well with bold cheese, game and some deserts, but are difficult to pair with most foods, especially off the grill.

All these craft beers are available at Lucky’s Liquor Store. Don’t hesitate to ask for beer-n-barbecue pairing advice

from our knowledgeable staff.

And, please, quaff any of these beers on their own. Food isn’t needed to make them taste good. Enjoy the sunshine! Cheers!

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