Are you a Beer Buff? Know the Best Beer and Food Combinations.

If you are a connoisseur of wine, you probably know which white wine or red wine to serve at your dinner table. But likewise, do you know your beer food pairings? The first and easy way is — visit one of the best pubs in Bangalore, or go to a bar with large open spaces and peep through the recommended food pairings on their menu and act as a beer lover! The second is to read ahead and get to know everything about the perfect beer food pairings, starting with the role of food with beer. Of course, everyone’s palate is not the same, but this is a good enough start to initiate pairing with the infinitely varied beverage.

Role of food with beer:

Just like wine, beer also goes hand in hand with different cuisines. While hops in the beer stimulate appetite, the food absorbs the alcohol content in the beer. Foods high in protein and fat can also get balanced by beer. As acids and ethanol in beer trigger the bitterness receptors in the taste buds, sweet and salty food helps balance and detract from the bitterness. (And you wonder why this multi-cuisine restaurant near me serves salted peanuts and wafers with my beer?)

A beer even helps digestion by stimulating more gastric acid to break down the food in your stomach!

How real beer lovers describe their beer:

Most people categorize beer as strong, dark, or light. But a beer enthusiast will lovingly describe a beer using three terms – Taste, Body, Mouthfeel.

Taste: A beer can taste balanced, bitter, crisp, complex, floral, fruity, roasty, or robust. The taste of the beer, especially craft beer, depends on the mix of ingredients used. 

Body: The texture of a beer can be creamy, thin, light, medium, or full-bodied, depending on the sensation of fullness or viscosity on the palate. 

Mouthfeel: A beer can be termed warm (alcoholic), dry, or carbonated depending on the sensory experience of the beer in the mouth and throat.

Types of Craft Beers:

Attitude towards beer drinking is changing, especially among the young urban-dwellers who are gaining a taste for different types of beer. The willingness to experiment with new flavors has led to an exponential rise in demand for craft beers. Microbreweries are no longer just the perfect place to unwind but the epicenter of changing cultural attitudes. Here are seven types of craft beers that are most popular among beer lovers: –

India pale ales (IPAs), Light lagers, Wheat beers, Amber ales, Dark lagers, Porters, Stouts 

Basics of Craft Beer Food Pairing:

Now that we know eating food is good with a glass of beer and a little more about the different types of craft beers, there are three basic rules to follow while pairing the two together:

1. Use strong contrasting flavors – a rich and cheesy burger with light beer

2. Use complementing flavors – a light salad with a light beer

3. Use beer as a palate cleanser – a spicy tandoori chicken with a light beer. 

The Best Beer and Food Combinations:

Fine craft beer is a rich and interesting brew that demands a great food partner. It can uplift your taste buds to a different level when paired with the right foods. There is an art behind perfecting craft beer food pairing, but here are some tips to get it right. These beer and food pairing suggestions are a must-try at your favorite microbrewery. 

1. IPA Food Pairings 

Today, India pale ales, or IPAs, are among the top 10 craft beers in India. The medium amber color bitter beer has added flavors of citrus, herbal, pine or honey tones. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to food pairings. But, here are a few favorite food and beer pairings that work for all types of IPAs: