Here we discuss basic food & beer pairing concepts designed to provide context for understanding why some food and beer pairings work while others, not so much.
successful Outcomes
Desirable flavors are highlighted in both the beer and the dish
Combination of the two invokes memory, emotion, deeper thought
Pairing creates new flavors not present in either the beer or the dish
Pairing Process
Drink beer and evaluate
Eat a bite of the dish
Drink beer again
Evaluate the interactions
1.HIGHLIGHT DESIRABLE FLAVORS
Match Intensity of food item to beer
Light – Pilsner with Triple Cream Brie
Heavy – Imperial Stout with Blue Cheese
Complimentary – similar flavors present in both the food & beer
Toasty malty flavors of a Dunkel with a pretzel
Indian Curry with Cloves and Dunkles Weissbier (clove phenolics from yeast)
Contrast/Cut – Works two ways:
Contrast – opposing flavors highlight flavors in the other
Roasted malts with sweet creamy desserts
Mussels & a sour beer, food seems richer and sweeter due to the acidity of the beer
Cut – beer traits help refresh the palate by lifting, cleansing, or removing rich or fatty flavors from the palate. Common “cutting” beer traits include carbonation, sourness, and bitterness, and to a lesser extent, alcohol and roastiness
2.Combination invokes memory & emotion
Potential to tap into memories and create emotional responses
We all have memories around food and flavors
Varies from person to person / it’s a hard thing to plan
When this hits, it’s pretty magical
Example: nutty oatmeal stout with raspberry pie
3.Pairing creates new flavors
Create new unexpected flavors not present in either the beer or the dish
Harder to predict, but most impressive when this works
Surprising example: English Barley Wine with Stilton
What do you perceive?
Food & Beer pairing is a very personal experience. Curated food & beer pairings presented at Black Flannel Brewing Co. are tested by our staff of Certified Cicerone’s who found elements of success in the pairing.
We won’t necessarily present what we perceived so we don’t influence your perception. Of course we’d be more than happy to discuss any time, once you’ve formulated your own opinion.