Six beers you should always have in your fridge for killer pairings
September 6, 2014 7:46 PM   Subscribe

"With a well-picked sixer by your side, there's hardly a dish out there that can't be made better." Serious Eats gives you six beers you should always have in your fridge for killer pairings.

Above link best paired with another from Serious Eats: Ask a Cicerone: The Best American Pale Ale.

Two bonus links on pairing:

Beer & Food Pairing Guide at Beer Advocate

Craft Beer and Food Pairing Chart, which can be downloaded as a PDF, from Craft Beer and the Brewers Association.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (39 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
I appreciate that it's six solid food-pairing beers with great selections of specific beers to try. You really can't go wrong with any of the ones they suggest, they're all great examples of their style, and all pretty approachable.
posted by JauntyFedora at 7:54 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


Have Sierra Nevada rolled out their stout again? If so, fantastic - I haven't seen it (or their porter) on the shelves in 15 years.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:11 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


The mornings are getting chill, and the days are starting to shorten.

That brings my favorite time of year - Crockpot Pot Roasts and Stews consumed right out of the pot with a choice DoppleBock or a Stout. I get to go play in the mountain snow, and then warm my bones with beers that are a sturdy as an oak log.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 8:19 PM on September 6, 2014 [4 favorites]


No Anchor Steam? I guess it would be hard to fit in a category with other options, but it's one of the most versatile food-pairing beers I've tried.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 8:21 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


We bought a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Porter just a few weeks ago.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 8:24 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


These are good suggestions, but if you enjoy various kinds of asian food, you really need to add in a standard lager to pair with anything from sushi to a thai curry.
posted by modernnomad at 8:45 PM on September 6, 2014


The beer and cheese pairings in the PDF make me want to get my house ready and throw a beer and cheese party.
posted by immlass at 9:02 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


From the link title I was afraid this was going to be one of those 'Make sure you have Russian River's Pliny the Younger the next time you make a honey-glazed bison burger with onion brioche and chicory aioli' but this was actually useful.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:04 PM on September 6, 2014 [16 favorites]


From the link title I was afraid this was going to be one of those 'Make sure you have Russian River's Pliny the Younger the next time you make a honey-glazed bison burger with onion brioche and chicory aioli' but this was actually useful.

I agree. I liked that it focused on wide styles rather than specific brands which are never available locally.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:20 PM on September 6, 2014 [3 favorites]


I think they made some good choices, although lets face it we can argue over which six they should have picked all night long. What is indisputable is that they got it wrong with one of six each. Toss the ketchup and other fridge fillers and get six sixes of each so you can really enjoy whatever it is you slap together for dinner and so can your friend.
posted by 724A at 9:46 PM on September 6, 2014


Wheat beer. Just say no. Every time.

Firestone. What a bad example. Weak crap. Avoid.

Not a good list.
posted by cccorlew at 10:02 PM on September 6, 2014


There are plenty of excellent wheat beers. Dismissing them entirely is just dumb.
posted by oddman at 10:06 PM on September 6, 2014 [22 favorites]


This is cruel… I am here in Mumbai for nearly four months, and it is Kingfisher or Cobra as far as the eye can see. The chance to choose a type of beer to have with food would be a fine thing.

To give you an idea, last year the hotel put on a “beer festival” and called it Oktobeerfest. Hopes were raised. And what happened? Bud Light, Fosters and Sol were added to the Kingfisher and Cobra.

But I did find a couple of bottles of Fuller’s (London brewery, for those who may not know) at the back of the chiller cabinet in the local supermarket a week or so back. Lord knows how they got there, but they are in my minibar waiting for a special occasion.

Pro tip #1: do not be tempted to try a beer called “Indus Pride”, should you ever come across it.
Pro tip #2: Indian red wine is way better than you might expect
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 10:19 PM on September 6, 2014 [2 favorites]


Hmm. I guess the Bavarians have just plain been doing it wrong for the past 1200 years, then.

There's more to wheat beers than Blue Moon, ya know...
posted by hwyengr at 10:25 PM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


My wife likes Tank 7. It's horrid, bitter with no point, ugh. It's showing up on tons of lists lately. Hate it when that happens with a beer I don't like.

Boulevard is the weirdest place. My 25th HS reunion was held there. They closed at like 10 O'clock. What the hell...

Their Sixth Glass is pretty solid, but I've not liked anything else thay've made.

Sorry for the derail.
posted by Windopaene at 10:43 PM on September 6, 2014


Wheat beer. Just say no. Every time.

...what? Wheat beer is such a broad category that this isn't even an opinion.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:46 PM on September 6, 2014 [14 favorites]


Wheat beer. Just say no. Every time.

Your argument is invalid.

A crisp wheat beer with a slice of lemon is the perfect accompaniment to a hot day on a patio.
posted by modernnomad at 11:28 PM on September 6, 2014 [4 favorites]


Re: a couple of recent comments, Boulevard makes a damn good wheat beer.
posted by saul wright at 12:18 AM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


Light beers? Ew. No. Just don't.

Dark Beers? Horrible. Why would you. No way.

The list is bad.
posted by naju at 1:08 AM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


This list seems pretty good, but I'm not sure I'll use it. Usually I just like to skip the middleman and pair beer with other beer.
posted by koeselitz at 1:14 AM on September 7, 2014 [6 favorites]


I never even liked sardines until I had them grilled up and topped with lemon, parsley, and olive oil and served alongside a glass of Saison Dupont.

Ffuuuuuuck now I'm hungry again
posted by en forme de poire at 2:06 AM on September 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


Yep, fresh sardines over a charcoal grill with a squeeze of lemon are tremendous. And beer can only improve this experience.
posted by Wolof at 2:20 AM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


It is with heavy heart and encumbered conscience that I take the conch and confess that I, too, hate all wheat beers. Okay, maybe not all, but I've tried dozens.

Nine thumbs up on grilled sardines, though. Nine.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 2:41 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Light beers? Ew. No. Just don't.

We recently started buying Bud Light (no panicking, we also buy many very fine beers) and here's why: after three or four hours in the hot sun gardening, pushing a wheelbarrow around filled with mulch or compost or cow poop, hammering stakes into the ground, digging holes for trees, edging mulch, weeding, sweating, flicking away mosquitos, moving rocks, being covered in dirt and bug spray, grabbing an icy can of Bud Light from the refrigerator and drinking it as you stand in the shower is a mid-July Christmas miracle.

It took me decades to understand light beer but I came to understand it when we bought the house: people complain it's watery beer--yes!!!--it is both ice water and beer.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:19 AM on September 7, 2014 [18 favorites]


I don't know most of the beers on his list (the first one) so I can't speak to how good they are. I just want to derail (maybe, lightly) to say I despise being told what I 'should' in order to make great 'pairings.' I hate this trend. Leave it at 'these six beers? They are fantastic with these foods'. The telling me I should have them... No, buddy, no I shouldn't.
posted by From Bklyn at 4:19 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


after three or four hours in the hot sun gardening, pushing a wheelbarrow around filled with mulch or compost or cow poop, hammering stakes into the ground, digging holes for trees, edging mulch, weeding, sweating, flicking away mosquitos, moving rocks, being covered in dirt and bug spray,

That's the sort of situation in which Heineken comes in its own; it's slightly irony taste is perfect to quench thirst.
posted by MartinWisse at 5:22 AM on September 7, 2014


Lager with fried chicken, oh, you mean like Yuengling? Let's drop the facade.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:42 AM on September 7, 2014


I may have recommended this on the blue before, but The Brewmaster's Table is my go-to guide for great ideas with beer and food. It's by Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery. It starts with a great beer history and science primer, then gives great descriptions and histories of each style, with recommendations, has a pretty good list of foods with what beer he suggests with each. The best part (and I reread this part once a year) is his little essay on HOW to come up with good pairings on your own.

This is list good, and nothing jumped out at me as wrong or bad advice. It kind of bugs me to see it get supper specific with Pilsner, Dubble, Saison, and to a lesser extent Dark Lager and then pretty vague with "Stout or Porter," and "Wheat beer." But hey, it's not my list, and if you're going to pick 6 those have almost all of your bases covered.

My favorite beer food combos are as follows:

Scottish ale with chili
Milk Stout Nitro (from Lefthand, and yes it is that specific) with cheese souffle
Barlywine or old ale with Stilton cheese
Duchesse De Bourgogne with marrow.
Imperial Stout with cheesecake (which might be too much for some people)
posted by Gygesringtone at 7:19 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Wheat beer? You need to get it fresh at where it's made (so no Paulaner in North Germany, for instance), and even then it can upset sensitive people's stomachs.

Wheat beer in bottles, carted around the globe? Nope.


(Our summer has been rolling along on Fat Tires and some local Shenandoah Valley beers. I'm feeling quite content right now. Food pairing? Yeah, moar beers...)
posted by Namlit at 7:35 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


I really don't have a problem with any of these, though some may not be my personal first choice for those cuisines.

It's nice to see articles like these taking beer and food pairing seriously regardless of whether or not you agree with them. Anything that gets people to try new (to them) beers is a good thing.
posted by tommasz at 9:15 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Thanks for this - I love trying new beers, but I usually get overwhelmed by the options and grab whatever darker beer is on sale, which doesn't always end well.

I picked up a 6 pack of Sieera Nevada's Fireside Red IPA, and it's a bit too "spiced" for my liking, but it pairs very well with ice cream. I've had two beer floats with it in the past couple days, mixing some quantity of vanilla shake or vanilla ice cream, which cuts the hoppy spice nicely.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:02 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Milk Stout Nitro (from Lefthand, and yes it is that specific) with cheese souffle

You just blew my mind. Great beer, and that sounds like a fantastic match.
posted by kryptondog at 12:16 PM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Imperial Stout with cheesecake (which might be too much for some people)

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
posted by clavicle at 1:02 PM on September 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


Marylander here. Natthy Boh and crabs.
posted by imjustsaying at 1:51 PM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]


Gygesringtone wrote:

"I may have recommended this on the blue before, but The Brewmaster's Table is my go-to guide for great ideas with beer and food. It's by Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery."

Just submitted my inter-library loan request; thank you!
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 2:15 PM on September 7, 2014


That's the sort of situation in which Heineken comes in its own; it's slightly irony taste is perfect to quench thirst.

For reasons I've never totally gotten, I just don't like Heineken. It always tastes skunked to me. I haven't tried it in maybe six years, but I guess if I'm drinking a mainstream beer I'd just as soon have Molson's or something. I don't know. I think I'd have to say our 'house beer' is Sierra Nevada.

I'm as psyched as everyone else for porter/stout season. We did a porter-off recently. We couldn't decide between Smuttynose Porter (which was my preference) and Mayflower's (which was Mr. Llama's).

So we did a blind taste test and it turned out that I really like Mayflower and he liked Smuttynose.

It was very weird.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 3:20 PM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]


Beer is now too complicated for me. I like it. a lot. But I can't keep up, and I don't really want to. But if I don't, I end up bringing home something I will not enjoy, or something standard, like Sam Adams, which I like, but it seems a shame not to support smaller breweries and try new things. Gold Star to breweries who put the description on the 6-pack carton, as well as on the bottle, someplace where I can find it. Going to the beer section in a new state means a half hour of reading, trying to figure out what the heck is in the bottle. kids, lawn, you know the drill.
posted by theora55 at 7:02 PM on September 7, 2014


know what I do like, though? listicles. they're fun to read.
posted by theora55 at 7:02 PM on September 7, 2014


Imperial Stout with cheesecake (which might be too much for some people)

Ever since I tasted the Dieu de Ciel Aphrodite stout, I've wanted to try it over ice cream.
posted by Lexica at 12:38 PM on September 14, 2014


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