Food pairing: why it's more interesting than just salty snacks with beer

Beer has accompanied food for many centuries. The culture of drinking lager with something for a snack has captured many countries. With the advent of the renaissance of traditional brewing and the development of the craft movement, the combination of food and various types of beer again attracted the attention of people.

The main "enemy" of beer at the dinner table is wine. Many people think exclusively about wine when they decide which drink will accompany their dish. Wine, of course, is wonderful and complex, and it is rare when brewers do not get the same pleasure from it as from beer. But beer has a much more extensive taste profile than wine. The reason for this is simple-wine is created from one ingredient, and beer can easily consist of a dozen. Beer can be dark and taste like coffee or chocolate, it can have a pronounced acidity and have complex shades of earthy. Also, beer can be bread and have subtle floral shades, or it can be smoked like bacon, or obsessively bitter, as well as rich, sweet and buttery. There are such delicate beers that can interestingly shade the most delicate fish, and also beer can be so bright as to emphasize the most expressive cheese. Beer can taste like wine. Brewing is more like cooking food than making wine, and this fact provides the basis for combining it with food.

All combinations of drinks and food should be perceived more as a field for creativity, and not just a set of rules. We can eat any food washed down with beer, and quite a few combinations will be really unpleasant. To begin with, it is worth considering the intensity of tastes. Saturated beer should not interrupt a delicate dish and vice versa. The main goal here is to find a balance. The saturation of beer is based on several factors that the taster feels in combination: sweetness, maltose (bread-like taste), bitterness, burnt notes, alcohol strength, carbonation level and, sometimes, acid. Despite the fact that at first it seems that it is difficult to catch the balance, this process can be compared to listening to music on a stereo system. You will understand how it feels when it is "too loud".

In most styles of beer, carbonation gives freshness to the taste. It gives a physical sensation on the tongue, but it can also increase bitterness or acidity. Also, carbonation gives beer the opportunity to break through fats and clear the receptors. For example, such highly carbonated styles as Bavarian weissbeer or Belgian witbir, fruit and with a slight bitterness are perfect with egg dishes at brunch. And they will also make a great company with fatty fish-salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Most hops (especially American ones) give the beer a citrus aroma. Hopped on dry IPA often has notes of lemon, lime and orange. These flavors are harmoniously combined with similar elements in the dish, such as sour orange sauce, in which pork is baked. A lot of Thai food contains citrus juice in the composition, which helps to perfectly combine with beer.

We offer to visit our partners in SOS.Cafe and try the tomato cream soup in combination with Milk of Amnesia. You will be surprised how much the citrus notes in the beer emphasize the delicate creamy tomato and slightly sour mozzarella.