Starfm

There are two different methods for making beer resulting in essentially two different kinds of beer:  ales and lagers.  Very generally speaking, ales are stronger in flavour and more complex where lagers tend to be smoother and less robust.  If we were to translate that into wine speak for the wine drinkers in the crowd, we would say in only the broadest terms that ales are the red wines of the beer world while lagers are the white wines.  But as every wine drinker knows there are so many different kinds of red and white wines… some are light in taste and body while others are heavy and quite substantial.  The same thing is of course true for beers.  You cannot lump all ales or all lagers into any one given type, there is a range within each category.  There are pale ales and brown ales with a whole range of colours and flavours in between them, and there are light lagers and strong lagers also with a whole spectrum in between.  The guideline that I would stick with if I were creating a menu where the food and beer are intended to complement each other is to choose food and beer of similar flavour intensity to be served together.  Light lagers and pale ales go great with seafood or chicken, IPA works really well with meat and vegetable stews, and dark ale or porter is best with heavier meats like beef and game.

It’s fairly easy to get good results when you keep these few tips in mind, and you will surely gain confidence from your food and beer pairing successes.  Confidence will inspire you to try even more combinations, so get prepared for some sublimely brilliant new experiences!