The New Age Bon Vivant - Pairing Beer with Gourmet Dishes for a Fine-Dine

Experience!

Pairing wine with food has long been an art, a connoisseur and Bon Vivant's delight. Departing slightly from tradition is the new and modern pairing of beer with food. This has been in practice in Europe for a while now, and is slowly being explored in other parts of the world. Food lovers and connoisseurs are now exploring the potential of Beer as an accompaniment to fine-meals as beer is not overly sweet, has a slight bitterness to balance other flavors, and serves as a palate cleanser owing to light carbonation. Beer has moderate alcohol content and makes a fine accompaniment to French, Italian and other Continental Cuisines.

Pairing Gourmet Dishes with Beer

The key to good pairing is balance. The flavors of beer and gourmet food compliment each other perfectly, enhance aromas and flavors for a delicious, satisfying meal. Unlike wines that must be perfectly matched with each dish, pairing beer is more fun as it is still in its nascent stage and offers diners an opportunity to experiment. Brewers from around the world can control alcohol content and beer taste by choosing from an array of malt, yeast and hops and brew them in a variety of ways for interesting combinations with various cuisines.

The Perfect Coupling

To create a fine-dine experience with beer, match strength with strength. The stronger the flavors in the dish, the stronger your beer accompaniment and vice-versa. To help diners enjoy a unique experience with beer, outlined are a few tried and tested favorites. Rice dishes like stews are complimented well with Nut Brown Ale, seafood pairs well with Wheat Ale, meat dishes are well-matched with Strong Belgian and desserts are excellent with Fruity Beers. 

Popular beer like Lager goes well with baked food, Lager light beer with curry dishes, while Pale Ale Light works surprisingly well with fish, pork and salads. An interesting pairing is Pilsner Light Malt Beer soups and pizza, its flowery aroma complimenting the herb flavor in both, and Brown Ale Smooth, popular among beer drinkers is excellent with pork, chicken and salads.

Given beer pairing with food is still in the customary stage, diners can enjoy unusual combinations for a delightful gourmet experience, with the beer enhancing the dish and the dish enhancing the beer!