Beer and food: what to eat with each beer style
Beer and food pairing by style: a main dish, a cheese and a dessert for each of the 31 beer styles on BeerCorp.
Beer works with food the way wine does, and a few ideas help you choose. Match strength with strength: a delicate dish suits a light beer, a rich stew a strong one. Let bitterness and carbonation cut fat, the way a pils clears your palate after fried food. And look for echoes, the roast of a stout with chocolate, the citrus of a witbier with seafood.
Pairings by style
For each style, the Brewers Association suggests a main dish, a cheese and a dessert.
| Style | Try it with |
|---|---|
| Altbier | Grilled salmon, Emmental, apple pie |
| American Brown Ale | Grilled meats and vegetables, aged Gouda, pear fritters |
| American IPA | Spicy dishes, tuna rolls, blue cheese, persimmon rice pudding |
| Belgian Blond Ale | Sweet and sour chicken, Brie, angel food cake |
| Belgian Dark Strong Ale (Quadrupel) | Roast duck, aged Gouda, bread pudding |
| Belgian Dubbel | Apple-smoked sausage, washed-rind cheeses, milk chocolate |
| Belgian Tripel | Roast turkey, triple-cream cheese, caramelised banana, crème brûlée |
| Berliner Weisse | Ham on pretzel bread, Havarti, cheesecake with raspberries |
| Best Bitter | Roast chicken, fish and chips, firm English cheeses, oatmeal raisin cookies |
| Czech Pilsner | Shellfish, chicken, salads, mild white cheddar |
| Doppelbock | Pork or ham, strong cheeses, German chocolate cake |
| English Barleywine | Moroccan duck, Stilton, dark chocolate |
| English Porter | Roasted or grilled meats, Gruyère, chocolate peanut butter cookies |
| German Pils | Shellfish, chicken, salads, white cheddar, shortbread |
| Gose | Watermelon salad, queso fresco, Greek yoghurt lemon mousse |
| Gueuze | Mussels, mascarpone with fruit, rich chocolate cake |
| Hazy IPA (New England IPA) | Hawaiian pork tenderloin, goat’s blue cheese, matcha crème brûlée |
| Imperial Stout | Foie gras, aged cheeses, flourless chocolate cake |
| International Pale Lager | Pho, smear-ripened cheeses, kettle corn |
| Irish Dry Stout | Oysters, ham, Irish cheddar, chocolate desserts |
| Kriek and Fruit Lambic | Pineapple ceviche, chèvre, chocolate crème caramel |
| Kölsch | Bratwurst, nutty cheeses, light apricot cake |
| Lambic | Mussels, mascarpone with fruit, rich chocolate cake |
| Munich Dunkel | Sausages, roasted vegetables, washed-rind Munster, candied ginger cake |
| Munich Helles | Samosas, Colby, baklava |
| Märzen | Kielbasa, Jalapeño Jack, coconut flan |
| Saison | Mussels and other seafood, Brie, lemon ginger sorbet |
| Strong Bitter (ESB) | Roast chicken, fish and chips, English cheeses, maple bread pudding |
| Wee Heavy (Scotch Ale) | Meats and game, pungent cheeses, creamy desserts with fruit |
| Weissbier | Seafood, chèvre, key lime pie |
| Witbier | Moules frites, mascarpone, panna cotta |
Sources
Checked .
- Beer Styles (glassware, serving temperature and food pairings for each style) — CraftBeer.com, Brewers Association
- 2021 Beer Style Guidelines — Beer Judge Certification Program