Beer and Food Pairings

The Salem, Oregon Statesman-Journal published a story about the Blooms and Brews festival held over the past weekend. While it was a fairly typical article about a beer festival, I thought the advice on pairing beers and food was pretty interesting. I have reprinted it here:

If you're going to Blooms & Brews and want to know which beer to have with your Apricot Chipotle Pork Ribs (one of the menu options), or if you just want to know which microbrew to serve at your next dinner party, try some of these tips from [Jay] Zink:

Appetizer/first course

Hefeweizen, a beer made with malted wheat and often served with a lemon, is a good choice, Zink said. These beers work as an aperitif before you've tried any food, or with salads and other light appetizers. Another option is to try a fruit-infused wheat beer, especially with a fruity dish (such as a raspberry vinaigrette). Try something like Pyramid Apricot Ale or Widberry (a wheat berry infused with black raspberry).

Main course

Any kind of pale ale or lager will usually work, whether you're eating pizza or steak. Zink said pales or lagers especially compliment spicy foods and help wash away the spices from your mouth.

Fish dishes also are well-matched with lighter beers or wheat beers. Pork is a bit sweeter, so Zink recommends amber beers with pork dishes. For instance, with the barbecued pork ribs, he recommended a Drop Top Amber Ale from Widmer Brothers.

Dessert

There isn't a dessert option at Blooms & Brews this year, but pairing sweets with beer is an increasingly popular option.

Any kind of rich dessert -- whether it's a chocolate torte or cheesecake -- can be served with a dark beer such as a stout or porter. Many restaurants and brewers now combine beer and sweets to make desserts such as the Terminator Chocolate Milkshake, which the McMenamins restaurant chain serves at some of its locations. Dark Terminator Stout beer is mixed with ice cream and chocolate syrup for a decadent treat.

For lighter, fruity desserts such as cherry pie, an amber beer would be recommended.