Skip to content

Top Navigation

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Course
  • Baking
  • Global
  • Healthy
  • Favorite Ingredients
  • Holidays and Occasions
  • Quick and Easy
  • Convenience Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling
  • How To
  • Extra Crispy
  • Well Done
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Recipe Box this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore MyRecipes

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 1 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty.Ā For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. Read More Next
    • 2 The Brilliant Secret to Making Better Mashed Potatoes

      Trust me, it’s so worth it. Read More Next
    • 3 65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party

      From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party.Ā No forks or spoons required, justĀ easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time.Ā  Read More Next
  • Course

    Course

    See All Course
    • Appetizer Recipes
    • Drink and Cocktail Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup and Stew Recipes
    • Menus & Parties
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Main Dishes and EntrĆ©es
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
  • Baking

    Baking

    See All Baking
    • Bread Recipes
    • Our Most-Loved Cake Recipes
    • Cookie Recipes
    • Pie Recipes
  • Global

    Global

    See All Global
    • Spanish Recipes
    • Thai Recipes
    • Vietnamese Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • Mexican Recipes
    • Malaysian Recipes
    • Korean Recipes
    • Japanese Recipes
    • Italian Recipes
    • Indian Recipes
    • Greek Recipes
    • French Recipes
    • Chinese Recipes
    • African Recipes
    • American Recipes
    • Cajun and Creole Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Southern Recipes
    • German Recipes
  • Healthy

    Healthy

    See All Healthy
    • Easy, Healthy Recipes
    • Healthy Breakfasts
    • Healthy Dinners
    • Healthy Desserts
    • Diabetic Recipes
    • Gluten-Free Diet and Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Low Carbohydrate Recipes
    • Low Cholesterol Recipes
    • Low Fat Recipes
    • Low Sodium Recipes
    • Low Calorie Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Favorite Ingredients

    Favorite Ingredients

    See All Favorite Ingredients
    • The Ultimate Guide to Chicken
    • Vegetable Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pork Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Shrimp Recipes
  • Holidays and Occasions

    Holidays and Occasions

    See All Holidays and Occasions
    • A Foodie's Guide to Halloween Recipes
    • The Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
    • Hanukkah Recipes
    • Your Ultimate Christmas Recipe Guide
    • Our Most Festive New Year's Recipes
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • Best Valentine's Day Recipes
    • Mardi Gras Recipes
    • Easter Recipes
    • Labor Day Recipes
    • The Ultimate Fourth of July Guide
    • Memorial Day Recipes
    • Tailgating Recipes
    • Wedding and Shower Recipes
  • Quick and Easy

    Quick and Easy

    See All Quick and Easy
    • 15-Minute Recipes for Busy Home Cooks
    • 45-Minute Recipes
    • 5 Ingredients or Less
    • Dinner Tonight
    • No-Cook Recipes
  • Convenience Recipes

    Convenience Recipes

    See All Convenience Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Kid Approved
    • Our Top Make-Ahead Recipes
    • Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling

    BBQ and Grilling

    See All BBQ and Grilling
    • Grilled Beef Recipes
    • Grilled Chicken Recipes
    • Grilled Fish Recipes
    • Grilled Pork Recipes
    • Grilled Shrimp Recipes
    • Grilled Vegetable Recipes
  • How To

    How To

    See All How To
    • 7 Ways With
    • Cooking Questions
    • Ingredients and Tools
    • Kitchen Cleaning
    • Videos
  • Extra Crispy
  • Well Done

    Well Done

    See All Well Done
    • Homemade vs. The Internet
    • How-to and Explainers
    • Mom vs.
    • Recipe Videos
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Recipe Box this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Menus & Parties Chevron Right
  3. The Best Craft Beers to Pair with Food

The Best Craft Beers to Pair with Food

Updated June 20, 2011
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Ray Kachatorian

Get crafty this season and pair summery dishes with one-of-a-kind beer finds, courtesy of The Beer Chicks, beer sommeliers Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune.

Start Slideshow

1 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Find Your Best Beer

Find Your Best Beer Tout

A lot of people just think of beer as a way to wash down their meals, but with all of its varieties and complexities, beer can be paired with food much in the same way that a sommelier pairs wine with food. In fact, beer often makes an even better complement to foods that are traditionally difficult wine pairings. For example, spicy and ethnic foods, rich chocolate, and earthy asparagus, mushrooms and artichokes have long given wine sommeliers a challenge, but there is a beer out there that works with all of those flavors -- and more.

1 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo and Sherry Vidalia Onions

Credit: Anna Williams; Styling: Pam Morris

Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo and Sherry Vidalia Onions Recipe

Make hamburgers extra-special by topping them with onions dressed with sherry vinegar and fresh thyme, and mix up some easy, blue cheese mayo for a fabulous finish. Choose Racer 5 IPA, Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsburg, California, to quaff with these tasty burgers. "The crisp bite from the piney and citrus hops in this beer cut through the big flavors of the meat, cheese and onions, offering a balance on the palate," says Perozzi.

2 of 9

3 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Grilled Shrimp, Mango and Avocado

Credit: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Cindy Barr

Grilled Shrimp, Mango and Avocado Recipe

For a taste of the tropics, briefly grill mango and avocado and serve with zingy skewers of lime-chile marinated shrimp. A great match? Maui Coconut Porter, Maui Brewing Company, Lahaina, Hawaii. "It's counterintuitive to have a dark beer with seafood, but this bright porter has amazing notes of coconut that will harmonize with the other tropical fruits in this dish," says Perozzi.

3 of 9

Advertisement

4 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Grill-Braised Clams and Chorizo in Tomato-Saffron Broth

Credit: Anna Williams; Styling: Pam Morris

Grill-Braised Clams and Chorizo in Tomato-Saffron Broth Recipe

Hickory-grilled corn, poblano pepper and chorizo add deep smoky flavor to this Spanish-inspired dish. Pair with Saison Foret, Brasserie DuPont, Belgium, says Beaune: "This farmhouse-style Belgian Saison has notes of citrus and pepper with a complex grassiness and a dryness that holds up well against foods like tomato and chorizo."

4 of 9

5 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Grilled Halibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa

Credit: Gentl and Hyers; Styling: Kendra Smoot

Grilled Halibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa Recipe

Wake up mild halibut with a vibrant, summery salsa that’s made with peaches, red bell pepper, green onions, and arugula and dressed with lemon juice, oregano, habanero pepper, and garlic. Play up the citrus notes in the dish with Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co, Portland, Maine. "This Belgian-style Witbier or White Ale is brewed with coriander and Curacao orange peel. It's light, crisp, fruity and spicy," says Perozzi.

5 of 9

6 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Fried Fish Sandwiches

Fried Fish Sandwiches Recipe

Fry fillets of your favorite firm, white fish in a zesty beer batter, top with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce, and serve on hamburger buns. A great beer to serve with (and include in) this recipe is Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel, Brasserie d'Achouffe, Belgium, says Beaune: "This Belgian IPA has complex notes of sweet grain, grassy, floral hops and a nice bite that will hold up against the tartar sauce."

6 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Barbecued Chicken

Credit: Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Barbecued Chicken Recipe

For juicy, flavorful grilled chicken that’s far from ordinary, soak it in brine first, and make your own homemade barbecue sauce – the taste payoff is well worth the extra effort. Strong grilled flavors like these call for 1554, New Belgium Brewing Co, Fort Collins, Colorado, says Perozzi: "This Belgian-style dark ale is light in body, but offers a hint of smoke and toasty malt that will add something special to barbecued chicken."

7 of 9

8 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Spicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lydia Pursell

Spicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce Recipe

Rub pork tenderloin with Caribbean jerk seasoning and grill it to juicy perfection while you whisk up an unexpected sauce made with blackberry preserves, Dijon mustard, rum or orange juice, and fresh ginger. Beaune suggests pairing it with Caracole Amber, Brasserie Caracole, Belgium: "This Belgian Amber ale has a lovely complexity of fruit and spice with a dry finish that will stand up well to the sweet and tart flavors of the blackberries."

8 of 9

9 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Grilled Beef Skewers with Moroccan Spices

Credit: Ray Kachatorian

Grilled Beef Skewers with Moroccan Spices Recipe

Cumin, red pepper, and herbs add an exotic accent to skewers of grilled flank steak, bell pepper and onion. An ideal beer match? Maudite, Unibroue, Quebec, says Beaune: "This Belgian-style dubbel has notes of dark fruit and spice that go perfectly with Moroccan spices."

9 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 9 Find Your Best Beer
2 of 9 Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo and Sherry Vidalia Onions
3 of 9 Grilled Shrimp, Mango and Avocado
4 of 9 Grill-Braised Clams and Chorizo in Tomato-Saffron Broth
5 of 9 Grilled Halibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa
6 of 9 Fried Fish Sandwiches
7 of 9 Barbecued Chicken
8 of 9 Spicy Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce
9 of 9 Grilled Beef Skewers with Moroccan Spices

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email

Login

MyRecipes

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Advertising this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
MyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.myrecipes.com

View image

The Best Craft Beers to Pair with Food
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.