I'm a big fan of salty/sweet combinations and this pairing has a lot of that going on.
The “Big Game” is coming up and I know I’ll be excited to dine on some epic football fare. Nothing goes better with these foods than delicious craft beers. I’ve highlighted a few of my favorite beer and food combos and why these make great pairings regardless of who you are rooting for. Hope you are hungry!
Pizza And American Pale Ale
Pizza can go with many beers but I like the hoppiness and fruitiness of a pale ale. This pairing contrasts the saltiness of pizza with the sweetness of the beer making each bite a salty/sweet explosion. Pale ales are mild enough to pair with all manner of toppings from the normal pepperoni to veggies and even pineapple. There’s just something about all that gooey mozzarella cheese mingling with the tropical and citrus notes of a pale ale that just works.
Suggested Options: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale, Harpoon Rec League
Cream ale is a classic American beer style from Western New York so pairing it with a famous dish ... [+]
Buffalo Wings And Cream Ale
Cream ale is a style of beer that is popular in the Rust Belt of Western New York, Western Pennsylvania and Ohio. No one really knows why it’s called a “cream ale” as it is more akin to an American lager and does not contain any cream at all. It’s a great old school drinking beer and will refreshing your palate after each spicy bite. Give this to macro light lager drinkers and I bet that they will enjoy this style a lot given their similarities.
Suggested Options: Prison City Cream Ale, Genesee Cream Ale, Little Kings Cream Ale
You want a beer that will stand up to the bold flavors of the spicy dipping sauce and fatty tiny ... [+]
Pigs In A Blanket And Brown Ale
Don’t forget about the humble brown ale, a beer that doesn’t get enough love nowadays, which is very sad as it’s an excellent food beer. There are two types of brown ale: you can go either English brown (which will be slightly more nutty and fruity with notes of toffee and pear) or you can go American which will be more chocolatey. Either will be great with the saltiness of a tiny hot dog cradled in delicious flaky pastry and dipped in cocktail sauce, ketchup or whatever you prefer.
Suggested Options: Bell’s Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brown, Newcastle
Light lagers have a sweetness to them as well as higher carbonation which makes them the perfect ... [+]
Potato Chips And Light Lager
A lot of people think light lagers don’t go with any foods as they are so light but there’s a subtle sweetness to these beers that work really well with potato chips, creating my favorite salty/sweet combo that I love so much. If you want to steer away from large macro breweries options, many craft breweries are making light lagers nowadays so you can support local and independent beers.
Suggested options- Night Shift Nite Lite, Rhinegeist Cincy Light, Short’s Local’s Light
Many IPAs can accentuate heat, making the dish too spicy but hazy IPAs usually have lower bitterness ... [+]
Chili And Hazy IPA
West Coast and American IPAs have higher bitterness which can accentuate spiciness in foods. I’m not a big fan of that but I do love hazy IPAs with spicy foods as their usual lower bitterness allows me to have hoppiness and spice together. Plus they lend flavors of tropical fruit and orange/tangerine, which allows the palate to reset before digging back in.
Suggested options- Tree House Julius, Alarmist Le Jus, Samuel Adams Wicked Hazy
So cheers all! I hope you all eat and drink well, enjoy the game responsibly and may the best team win!
