Ten Food & Beer Pairing You SHOULD Try - October 2008
Last month, I gave you ten food and beer pairings so unfortunate that they proved the validity of planning well your mealtime beverages. This month, I offer further proof in the form of ten positively delectable partnerships.
10. Brie de Meaux and Oatmeal Stout: The soft, almost sensuous character of this engaging black ale tempers the slight edge the unpasteurized milk imparts to the cheese while accenting its equally smooth and silky texture. (I recognize that this is simply the inversion of last month's #7, but it's so good it bears repeating.)
9. Pizza and Vienna Lager: I discovered this one while working on my 1995 book, A Taste for Beer, and I've got to say, it came as a bit of a surprise. The key is how marvelously the sweet front and dryish finish of a good Vienna accommodates both the sweetness and acidity of tomato sauce.
8. Chips and Pale Ale: Whether it's the British version of chips, aka fries aka frites, or the American one, aka crisps, pale ales simply love fried and salted potato. Period.
7. Wood-Grilled Steak and Barrel-Aged Strong Ale: A direct reference to the Firestone Walker 11 and cowboy ribeye pairing I savored at Monk's Cafe earlier this year, a marriage of food and beer so good that I still drift off thinking about it from time to time.
6. Citrus-Filled Dark Chocolate Truffle and German-Style Pilsner: I discovered this one at last May's Savor event and, in all honestly, I'm still not entirely sure why it works. But I guess the sharpness of the hops and the tang of the citrus filling simply bring the whole thing together.
5. Soft, Stinky Cheese and Saison: With apologies for including two cheese pairings in ten, a good saison is the ideal accompaniment to a soft, reeking cheese - unsurprisingly, like the Moinette they make at Belgium's Brasserie Dupont - as both beer and cheese are bullies up front, but gentle kittens in the finish.
4. Roast Turkey and Gueuze: I'll admit to great enthusiasm for the pairing of Champagne and turkey, but if anything, a traditional gueuze does an even better job of taming the fattiness of the skin and dark meat while softening in taste alongside the breast meat. I served this a few years ago to a table of friends, many of whom would classify themselves as non-beer drinkers, and couldn't refill their glasses quickly enough.
3. Roast Pork and Märzen: While we're talking roast meat, how about this dynamic duo? With just enough hop character to address the crackling and sufficient body and sweetness to pair with the tender meat, märzen is arguably the ultimate in beers for pork.
2. Weisswurst and Weissbier: Millions of Bavarians understand the charms of pairing this lemon and parsley accented veal sausage with their traditional morning beer, and they're right!
1. Flourless Chocolate Cake and Strong Abbey-Style Ale: Specifically, Rochefort 8, which to my mind is one of the world's all-time great companions to chocolate. I don't think I could even begin to tally the number of tasters I've amazed, enthralled and delighted with this match made in gastronomic heaven.
We're very interested in your news, notes, comments and questions, so please feel free to contact SBWoB by clicking on the link below. Or you can add your comments when you sign up for the World of Beer Update, a mid-month e-mail newsletter that brings even more of the world of beer to your computer.
