Beer Pairing Guide from the Best Brewery in San Diego

With so many varieties of beer, it can be challenging to decide on good combinations for each. A good pairing with a well-concocted beer is worth the effort!

How to Define Tastes in Beer

As a beer lover, you need to be familiar with the terms that you’ll encounter. Here are some of the most-used beer terms when it comes to its taste.

• Light

Popular for having a fresh and crisp taste, light beers don’t have a strong flavor. Moreover, most light beers also have a low alcohol content.

• Dark

Nope, it’s not only the color! “Dark” can also be used to tell how a beer tastes. Dark beers are typically made with malt grain that is roasted until it becomes dark in color, but also giving the brew a thicker, heavier taste and mouth feel.

• Malt

Malt, the toasted grain that goes into beer, is normally roasted before it is added to the brew. Roasted barley gives the beer a sweet flavor and rich aroma as the sugar in the barley becomes caramelized. 

• Hops

A hoppy beer is not necessarily a bitter beer. Only some hoppy beers are also bitter. When the hops are added earlier in the brew process, it gives a more bitter taste. Hence, the bitterness can be controlled based on when the hops are mixed in. Hops can also enhance the fruitiness of the beer.

• Bitter

Bitterness is the most distinct beer flavor. The amount of bitterness depends on the beer style. International Bitterness Units (IBU) tell how bitter a beer is. The higher the IBU, the bitterer the taste.

Food and Beer Pairings

Now that you know the flavor notes of beer, it is time to learn how to properly pair those with food. Fortunately, there are not many food flavors that do not combine well with beer! If you want to get the best out of your beer pair, remember the following.

• Pair by Contrasting

Contrasting means selecting a beer or dish that has one dominant taste that is dissimilar to the flavor profile of the beer. For instance, try pairing oysters with stouts. They make a perfect pair in terms of contrast because an oyster has a strong taste that can match the richness of the stout.

• Pair by Complementing

When complementing, you need to match the food’s taste to that of the beer’s. Complementing flavors is probably one of the most basic methods of pairing food with beer. Rich flavors of food complement well with the heavy and thick feel of beers. On the other hand, the light taste of salads jives well with wheat beers. 

• Pair by Cleansing

Who would have thought that beer can be a cleanser? Cleansing pairs dishes that have overwhelming flavors like spicy or fatty food with beers that have light flavors (and vice versa). For example, you can use the fresh taste of light beer to cool down the fiery flavor of a hot dish. 

• Pair by Not Overpowering Flavor

There are many levels of flavor both in your food and drink. Various medium and dark beers have a strong taste that can overpower any type of meal. One of the most common scenarios is pairing a strong beer with a light dish. Expect that the flavor of the beer will completely shadow that of the light dish (then never do that again). 

Style-Based Pairing

If you want to create unique beer and food combos, you will need to fully grasp the flavor profiles of each beer kind. The many types of beer vary greatly in their characteristics making a wide range of pairing possible.

Grab the Best-Tasting Beer from Bear Roots Brewing Co. 

Our mission is to stay unique and versatile and to connect with our community. Enjoy fine beers you won’t find just anywhere with the best brewery in San Diego, Bear Roots Brewing Co.! Visit our site to learn more at http://bearrootsbrewing.com  or call (760) 726-4204 for more info.