
Article contributed by IB staff writer Matthew J. Scott
Food is art. At Imperial Beverage, we couldn’t agree more! Through exploration, this art is constantly transforming, as food lovers everywhere are continuously looking for new ways to blend ingredients and discover new tastes. Historically, the best way to accent a meal has been to pair the dish with a complementary beverage. Until recently, that pairing of choice was always wine, but in the midst of the craft beer movement a shift is occurring. No matter your choice, the following offers a guide for pairing your favorite foods with a delicious, complimentary beverage.
When pairing wine or beer with food the possibilities are vast and everyone’s palate is different. However, we submit the following suggestions:
- Don’t overpower a light meal with a strong libation or vice versa. (match strength with strength)
- Acidic wine pairs well with acidic food.
- Try to match characteristics such as a similar scent or a smoky flavor. (find harmonies)
- Contrast or compliment, don’t settle in-between.
- Match origins, they have been drinking those beverages with that food for centuries for a reason.
- Tannic wines pair well with fatty dishes.
- When pairing beers with food, study the seasonality of the ingredients of each. Stick to a single season.
- Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, heat, richness, and texture. There are more elements at play than strictly taste.
The following websites may further your understanding of the pairing process.
Wine Beer
Pairing with Wine
Food and wine should stay balanced, but this doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it. Rather than matching flavors, try to contrast flavors as to counteract one another and create contradicting harmony. For example, think of a sauce such as mango habanero. Although the flavors are wildly different, the outcome is well balanced and very interesting. This same concept can work with wine, a spicy dish with a sweeter wine, or a dessert with a bold Port.
Pairing with Beer
Wine can definitely make a meal, but if you are looking for complete customization, craft beer is a choice option. Though there are plenty of grape varietals and blends out there, the endless possibilities of unique and even wacky craft beers opens up the door for some really specific, sometimes off the wall pairing options.
When pairing beer with food it is important to have fun, experiment, and realize people like what they like. If someone hates porters it doesn’t matter how well it is matched, it will not be appreciated.
Whether to pair with wine or beer is a labyrinth of thoughts that can leave you baffled. The best way to go is work with what you have and again it all depends on preference. If you’re interested in a true challenge, why not try both a craft beer and wine pairing with a dish and decide for yourself which you prefer.
Can’t decide? Here is yet another reference.
Although this querry of wine versus beer will never be resolved, it creates a great opportunity to use the debate to stir things up. A new craze in the world of fine dining is wine vs. beer dinners. These pre-planned displays of culinary expertise provide several courses that are paired with both a hand selected wine and beer that they feel best compliments the dish. The customers are then asked to decide which beverage they prefer and a tally is kept throughout the night. Simply enough, the beverage with the most votes wins.
Ask this writer, and I’d say everyone wins, gourmet food paired with exceptional wine and craft beer. Sign me up! Imperial Beverage has teamed up with many restaurants around the mitten recently to make this happen, and the outcome is nothing short of success.
Using Beer and Wine as Ingredients to enhance the Pairing
Cooking with beer and wine can add another element to food that takes it from superb to stellar. Both beer and wine can be used in sauces, as baste, a marinade, an injection, a reduction sauce, or simply poured overtop a dish. When cooking with beer or wine choose carefully and understand the characteristics of the beverage are going to change due to the cooking process. Be careful when using hoppy bitter beers such as IPA’s when cooking because it brings out the bitterness while undermining the malts, and can result in an overly bitter and unpleasant result. This same affect can occur with the smokiness of porters and the creaminess of Belgian style ales.
Examples of cooking with beer
Now that the road is paved, use this information to come up with your own unique pairings or dishes prepared with beer and wine and feel free to share them with us here at Imperial Beverage! We always love your feedback and comments on our blog entries. Speak up!
ADDED TO POST: 2.22.12
Just found: a fun video featuring Wolfgang Puck on this topic. Check it out!