Summer is here, so let’s enjoy some beer, shall we? You might want to put this on your fridge, or maybe study it and impress all your friends with your beer geek knowledge. This guide will help you understand what beer to pair with what food. And if you’re really into it, what beers to use when you cook with food.
To start, you might not know the differences between the types of beer. I’ll give a general outline of the types you could find in a liquor store or a pub near you. For all you craft beer geeks like me, you will know more examples, and probably more intricate ways of describing the brews. I’m doing this to inform, so let’s replace the pompous, oversized faux Ray Bans with some beer goggles, yes?
7 beers to bind them, and fruity beers to unite them all
Lagers in North America are the lighter, smoother, easy-drinking beers. Typically, you’ll see econo-lagers advertised on TV like Molson Canadian, Coors Light and Budweiser. These are typical beers that sell at the same price as much better beers that people don’t know about.
Want something that’ll go down smoother? Try an Okanagan Springs 1516, or High Country Kolsch lager. You’ll see on the infographic that lagers generally go well with spicier foods, but I think they go better with drinking games that lead to nights you can’t quite remember.
Red or Amber ales are designed to be served cold, but not quite ice cold like a lager. These are perfectly chilled when put in the fridge, and taste better when between 5 to 8 degrees celsius. They will have a little bit more flavour, and depending on your brew, will have varying strengths of flavour.
Some examples you will find include Rickard’s Red, Keith’s Red and Stanley Park Amber Ale. If you’ve tried those, see if you can find the Elysian Men’s Room Red Ale. That’s probably my pick for this year’s best red or amber ale. These ales go best with pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, or slightly spicy foods.
Wheat ales (also called hefeweizens) are thicker and can catch a new beer drinker off guard. A lot of people say that these beers go well with desserts, but honestly, I can’t eat much variety with these brews. I’d say have one of these with a plate of yam fries, or some cornbread. Pretty much, the rule here is this beer will go well with more carbs. I’m just not a fan of having desserts with this beer.
Wheat ales aren’t generally brewed in the big breweries, but I’d go for a Rickard’s White for a beginner wheat ale. Some others you can go for are Driftwood White Bark ale, the Unibroue Blanche De Chambly, and the Steamworks Raspberry Frambozen. Whatever you do, don’t try Molson’s Canadian Wheat ale. It’s garbage.
Pale ales aren’t pale on taste. They are more full bodied than most other beers. Slightly below an IPA (India Pale Ale) in punch, these beers go well with bold foods. Think of some bold-tasting wings (not spicy), a beef dip sandwich, or a deep-dish meat lovers’ pizza. Some examples of common pale ales that you can try are the Granville Island Pale Ale, or the Okanagan Springs Pale Ale. If you can, try the Red Racer Pale Ale, the Mill St. Tankhouse Ale, or the Crannog Beyond the Pale Ale.
India Pale Ales (IPAs) are a branch of their own. This is the step before the Strong Ales, which I won’t even get into with this article. IPAs brewed here on the west coast are brewed with fermented peels of citrus fruits, roasted malts, and lots of hops. The hoppy, bitter taste, with citrusy hints, give the IPA their unique character flavours.
You won’t normally find many IPAs at your local bar aside from maybe Granville Island IPA (a common misconception is the Alexander Keith’s IPA. It’s not actually an IPA; it’s a lager! They are damn liars is what they are).
If you look hard enough, you should try the Dead Frog Fearless IPA, the Whistler Brewing Lost Lake Unfiltered IPA, and if you’re a brave soul, try the Alameda Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA (this sucker has bite!). As for what foods go well with IPAs, similar foods to pale ales will go well with IPAs. However, IPAs will generally enhance spicy flavours. I normally don’t eat anything with an IPA, because they are so full of flavour and fill me up quickly.
Pilsners from North America are like the Oscar the Grouch of beer pairings: people generally order these if they want a garbage beer to go with their meals. However, Pilsners are some of the best beers that are brewed in Europe, and Euro-pilsners are delicious. I’d really only pair stuff like fish and chips, or really doughy pizza, like from Panago (not Domino’s — if you ever think Domino’s is a good idea, you’re probably way too drunk. Get some water and sober up). A pilsner might also go well other things that are battered and fried.
Stouts and porters are my favourite brews. They are dark, thick, and often full of flavour. Have you ever had a Guinness? That’s a stout. Stouts and porters are heavy beers, which means they go well with heavier foods. Poutine is a solid pairing with a stout, as are stews, or something with a bold brown gravy. There are many flavoured porters and stouts to choose from as well, and these can become excellent marinades for stir-fried steak strips, among other things.
Some of the best stouts and porters are brewed right here at home in BC. If you get a chance, try the Phillips Brewing Longboat Chocolate Porter, the Crannog Hand Truck Porter, and the Elysian Dragonstooth Stout. A secret that you might not know: pair a coffee or chocolate-flavoured stout or porter with a decadent, rich, chocolate cake.
I’m not one to pair fruity beers with food very often, but you can use my infographic to determine what you might want to eat with them. Fruit beers aren’t a type to themselves: they can be wheat beers or ales or anything else, so can be a bit trickier to match up easily with food. These are all beers you should try this summer, regardless of whether you have them with food or not.
Firstly, Steamworks makes their Raspberry Frambozen, which is brewed as a wheat ale. It stands at 8.5 percent Alcohol-by-volume (ABV), which is at the strength of some cheap wines. Ergo, drink slow. You won’t even notice it’s very strong, and I think a solid apple pie with ice cream on top would go with this. I know, I said wheat ales don’t belong with desserts, but this raspberry-flavoured one definitely does.
Granville Island makes a raspberry flavoured version of their pale ale called the False Creek Raspberry Ale. This pours frighteningly fruity pink — as if something has gone wrong with the brew — but goes down ultra smooth. It has more of a fake raspberry flavour to it than most beers, but mixed with the pale ale works out quite nice. Pair this one with some barbeque wings, fries, potato chips, or bacon (but then again, doesn’t bacon go with anything?).
There are also other beers like Fruli Strawberry Beer and Liefmans Fruitesse. These taste more like coolers than anything else. Pair them with ice cream and sweet North American desserts.
Hitting close to home
Think you can’t find a great beer and food pairing on campus? Think again. Both the Highland Pub and Club Ilia have some great foods and better brews. At the Highland Pub, try their wings on Wednesdays. Depending on what flavour you get, you can pair it with different brews. Try hot wings with pale ale, or sweet chilli with either a lager or raspberry ale. My personal favourite combination at the Highland Pub is the chicken strips, side of fries, and a Farmhand Ale.
If you’re at Club Ilia, try their Pizzetta Polo with a smooth lager like a Grolsch or Okanagan Springs 1516. You can also go for something heavier like a Graduate Burger with an IPA or Stout. My personal favourite combination at Club Ilia is their fish and chips at lunch time, paired with a White Bark wheat ale. Still confused? Don’t worry — all it takes is a little bit of understanding of how the flavours like to mingle, and you’ll be able to narrow down your taste buds to your niche in no time!
Get in my belly
There are some general rules of thumb when it comes to using beer in food. Firstly, let’s get one thing straight: cooking with beer is like cooking with wine — only cook with beer that you would actually drink!
Secondly, if you’re pairing beer with food, and you don’t have this guide with you, pair lighter beers with lighter food, and heavier beers with heavier food. For example, a lighter lager will go well with some light seafood, while a stout will go well with a delicious cheese-and-gravy loaded poutine.
There are a lot of different ways beer can be incorporated into recipes. For example, I’ve made meatloaf while using an IPA in the binding. When you’re mixing the eggs, starch / panko / breadcrumbs, thyme, and rosemary (or whatever your recipe calls for), mix in a half cup of IPA for every 3 pounds of meat you’ll be binding.
If you wanted to use beer as part of the sauce (or double down and use it in both), for every half cup of ketchup you use, add a cup of IPA. There are a lot of other beer recipes online, so explore and experiment for yourselves!
There are countless varieties of beer, each with its own nuanced palette. There’s no exact science for cooking with beers, but these are the most common ones you’ll run into. I hope this guide sparks your interest a bit, and maybe encourages you to broaden your beer horizons as well.
