Beer Pairing for Grilled & Smoked Foods

Most people are aware that you can pair different types of wines with your recipes to enhance the flavor of your dish. As the craft beer craze is on the rise, the same food science can now be applied to serve your favorite frosty beverage with your smoked and grilled foods.

And beer pairing concepts shouldn't just apply after a dish is ready to serve. You should be applying these food sciences as you leverage beer as an ingredient in preparing your dish as well. Beers make incredible marinades, rubs, sauces, brines and basting liquids. They can also be used to keep moisture in during the smoking process if your smoker is equipped with a water pan.

Just like in wine pairing, generally the rule of thumb is the lighter beers should be paired with a lighter dish such as poultry meats or vegetables. Conversely, red meats make a perfect harmony when paired alongside a stout or richer beer. The table below will provide more information on the suggested beer pairing for different types of grilled or smoked foods.

Light Beers & Lagers - Lager comes from the German word lagern which means 'to store' based on the process of making them. These beers are made with smaller amounts of hops and barley to produce a light color and taste. They typically range between 4-5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Light beers go great when paired with poultry, fruits, salads and appetizers.

Pilsners & Blonde Ales - Pilsners and blonde ales are light in flavor but can pack a bolder taste than light beers and lagers. They typically have more aroma from hops and a little sweetness from malt compared to a lager. They both tend to be clear and crisp with low-to-medium bitterness. These beers are typically around 5% ABV. Pilsners go great with poultry, seafoods and smaller plates.

Hefeweizens & Wheat Beers - These beers tend to be a little more cloudy in color from light yellow to pale gold due to the large amounts of wheat used in the brewing process. The wheat gives these beers a very crisp and refreshing flavor that is popular during the warm summer months. Hefeweizens and wheat beers are great when combined next to a soups and grilled vegetable dishes.

Fruit Beers - Flavored fruit beers are typically made using fruit extract, syrup or processed methods to flavor the beer to taste like a fruit. Some breweries actually use real fruit or veggies during the process. Practically every fruit has been used to make these beers but apple is the most commonly used ingredient. Fruit beers are great when paired with appetizers, salads and, of course, dishes with a similar fruit.

Cream Ales - These beers are brewed as an ale though are sometimes finished with a lager yeast. Other ingredients are added such as corn or rice to provide the creamy flavor and provide a straw to pale gold color. Cream ales have a low amount of hops to provide a well carbonated and well attenuated flavor. Cream ales are great when paired with poultry, soups, salads and seafood.

Pale Ales & India Pale Ales (IPA) - Pale ales have a cloudy and slightly dark look to them with a high amount of hops used during the brewing process. IPAs get their name from history when Europeans crafted these beers with high hops to help preserve the beer for the long boat ride around Africa on their way to India. Pale ales and IPAs are great when pairing with pork, poultry and even red meats.

Red & Amber Ales - These beers are darker with red hues. These typically focus on high amounts of malts, but hop character can range from low to high. These beers taste balanced with a toasted malty flavor that is great for the fall. Oktoberfest beers are typically brewed with a red or amber ale style. Some of these beers can have up to a 7% ABV. Red and amber ales are great when paired with red meats, vegetables and anything off the grill.

Seasonal Brews - Seasonal brews can range in all different types of colors and varieties to suit all 4 seasons. Spring and summer styles are typically light with a crisp flavor that is intended to be refreshing. Fall and winter beers are darker with more ingredients that tend to be heavier to warm your stomach on a cold evening. Seasonal brews go best when paired with dishes meant for their season. For instance, pair a winter ale with a nice warm bowl of chili.

Bocks - Bocks are a bottom fermenting lager that  take a few extra months of lagering (cold storage) to smooth out the otherwise strong brew flavor. Bock beer has a robust malt flavor and is dark amber to brown in color. These beers can be hoppy but they are generally balanced with the strong malty flavor. Bocks are typically made with 5-7% ABV. They are great when paired with red meats, hearty soups and potatoes.

Brown Ales - Brown ales get their color and flavor from a high malty content. Some versions also add coffee or nuts to enhance the brown color and bold taste. The bitterness and hop flavor has a wide range and the alcohol content is typically on the higher end of the spectrum between 5-8% ABV. They are great when paired with warm or hearty dishes and red meats that come off your grill or smoker.

Porters - Porters offer a slightly lighter color than stouts and use smoked malts, coffee or chocolate to complement the burnt flavor associated with this style. Some can even be barrel aged in Bourbon or whiskey barrels to enhance the flavor and deep color. The hop bitterness range is quite wide but most are balanced. Porters range from 4-7% ABV. These beers are great when paired with hearty foods, red meats and are particularly good with smoked foods.

Stouts - Stouts are the quintessential winter beer due to their deep rich flavor. Stouts offer a heavy roasted, robust flavor from their burnt malty ingredients. Guiness, the most popular stout, was discovered by accident after brewmasters overcooked the malt. Stouts have a wide range of ABV from 4-10%. They are great when paired with stews, red meats, potatoes, desserts or any barbeque foods.