MINI GUIDE TO BEER STYLE

My overriding recommendation for beer is, "Drink with the Season."  What does this mean?  Most styles of beer are suited for a particular season and they always seem to taste just a touch better during those times. So seek out these seasonal beers. Brewers take great pride in producing them, you should enjoy them when they are meant to be enjoyed.

Other general recommendations:

• Drink local brews. (Always support your local brewers!)
• Drink at a location that has a fast turnover, especially when it comes to draft beers.
  A properly refigerated keg can remain fresh from 30 to 90 days depending on if it is pasturized or not. (Cask conditioned kegs: less than a week)
• Drink at a location that knows its stuff. Ask questions. They should be knowledgeable.
• Don't be afraid to ask for a sample of a beer on draft.
• When NOT pairing beer with food, drink from lighter/milder styles to darker/stronger ones.
• Always try something new!

A subject that is usually dominated by the wines of the world is the pairing of food with alcoholic beverages. This is highly unfortunate because beer lends itself much easier to pairing with food than wine does for the simple reason that beer styles cover a much broader range of flavors and textures. I blame this oversight in part on the dark days of Prohibition as well as the major breweries that survived through it. Beer culture in America was pretty much left to the bland products of these major breweries until the 1970's when imported beer started to become more popular and the beginnings of the micro brewery revolution were on its way.

On its most basic level, beer, like wine, can be grouped into two basic groups for easy pairing. Ales and Lagers. Using the popular axiom for wines, Red wine for meats, and White wine for fish and poultry, you can use Ales in place of Red wines, and Lagers in place of White wines. Although oversimplified, even for wines, it is a good place to start until you wish to delve into more exact pairings.

Below you will find some guidelines as well as suggestions in pairing beer with meals...

Aperitif-

When using beer as a precursor to eating, you should try to pick out a beer that is crisp and somewhat dry. One of the more common choices for this purpose is a Pilsner style lager, such as Czechvar, or Pilsner Urquell. If you wish to be on the more extravagant side, choose a Belgium abbey or strong ale such as Chimay, Orval, or Duvel. If ales are more your style, try an IPA (India Pale Ale), such as Anchor Liberty.

Salads & Veggies-

There are a lot of different ways you can go here. Try a Brown Ale such as Newcastle, with its slightly nutty, clean taste. If you’re having a salad as main course, or if you’re eating outside, nothing beats a wheat beer for its very fresh and gentle fruitiness. Franziskaner, Blue Moon’s White, or a Hoegaarden are good examples.

Fish-

Because Lagers usually are very refreshing and not very overpowering, they go very well with fish. A mild pilsner such as Bitbuger Pils of even Czechvar (a.k.a. Budvar) will do nicely. If you are barbecuing, try going a with a darker (dunkel) style German lager or even a bock style. Shellfish deserve something more assertive, such as a stout or a porter, I’m not kidding. Try steaming them with the same beer.

Chicken-

A good choice for chicken is a Vienna style lager, which includes Märzen/Oktoberfest beers. These beers are usually a tender hue of amber/red, and impart a somewhat sweet, malty flavor with a hint of spiciness. These beers work well with most preparations of chicken, from roasted, to sweet & sour, and even some mildly spicy versions. As with fish, barbecued versions might need a bit more umpf, such as dunkels and bocks.

Beef-

Full-bodied ales are the way to go here. A good place to start would be with the Pale Ales, such as from Bass, or Sierra Nevada. These won’t overpower the meat, and will not be lost in them either.

Pizza-

This one is a hard one to pin down because of all the available toppings that are used. A good place to start is with the Amber/Red type beers such as Dos Equis. The Vienna styles also work very well, which means Märzen & Oktoberfest beers are good matches.

Desserts-

A clear choice for desserts is the fruit Lambics from Belgium, especially when served with a dessert that contains the same fruit it is flavored with. Creamy desserts go well with certain stouts, especially of the oatmeal variety, such as Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout. If your dessert is of the decadent chocolate variety, try a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.

Digestif-

Instead of reaching for a Scotch or a Brandy, try a higher alcohol style beer such as a Barley Wine. Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot, Anchor’s Old Foghorn, and Young’s Old Nick are a few examples. Complex, rich, malty… A perfect way to end the evening.