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Working Together

Why Do Craft Beer and Food Work So Well Together?

By Julia Herz , Certified Cicerone™

In general, there are four main ingredients in craft beer: malted barley (or malted wheat or other cereal grains), hops, yeast and water. Malt and hops work extremely well with food served in the United States today. Additionally, beer's carbonation plays a role in food pairing. Let's take a look...

Malt

• The sweetness of malt reduces the heat of spicy food. Try it out. Sip a malty brown ale with a spicy Thai dish or try a Scotch Ale with some spicy Mexican food. With spicy foods a popular component of today's American diet, craft beer’s ability to dimish heat is a huge attribute. Wine cannot do this because wine’s acidity actually accentuates spiciness which can be undesirable.
• The flavors of malt harmonize with grilled, roasted and smoked foods because malt contains many of these flavors.

Hops

Much of what we eat today has rich sauces with added fat or butter.

• Hops’ bitterness cuts through the fat in food thus lessening the dense heavy feeing in your mouth. This is pleasurable as it allows you to more fully taste the ingredients of your dish and enjoy the flavor of your craft beer pairing.
• Hops balances malt’s sweetness and is the soul of many craft beers.
• Be careful. Hops may intensify spice so a good rule of thumb is to pair malt forward beers with spicy foods and hop forward beers with rich or fatty foods.

Carbonation

• Beer's carbonation (bubbles) scrubs the tongue of fat and prepares it for the next bite.

Photos © 2010 Shutterstock, LLC.