Drinking in Boston: Pairing Beer

Tired of trying to guess which wine goes with which dish? Afraid you’re not going to impress the guests? This year really impress them by pairing the right beer with the right dish. Or maybe the right dish with the beer, depending on your priorities.

Daria Labinsky and Stan Hieronymus of BeerTravelers.com maintain that you must strive for balance in the pairing. First decide what style beer you would like to try and then determine your particular beer’s taste characteristics. Labinsky and Hieronymus remind the chef and imbiber that “the keywords to keep mind are ‘cut,’ ‘complement,’ and ‘contrast.’” In other words, some beers can be used to reign in an especially strong or rich taste; another beer can bring out the flavors of a dish in its similarity; still another can emphasize a flavor in its difference.

An example of a good match and a good “cut” would be the pairing of an IPA with fish and chips, the hoppiness cutting the grease. Ahh, pale ale and fried food: two of our favorite things here at Bostonist. A complimentary pair might be something like a dry stout and beef stew. If you’re in the mood for dessert try contrasting a fruity lambic with dark chocolate cake.

Of course, some places will do the pairing for you. For example in New York, there exists a delightful little cupcake shop called Sweet Revenge that will, if you choose, pair your amazing cupcake with beer or wine. They know their cutting, complimenting, and contrasting.

But wow your own Thanksgiving guests with your beer pairing abilities. Exchange the goblets for the pints.