Pints of Depiction: Impossible Beer Pairings

An illustrated guide to three seemingly difficult beer and food pairings, soup to dessert

All illustrations by Em Sauter.

You can find a beer that goes with every food, right? Well, not exactly. The right food will go with the right beer. The clashing of flavors can occur for sure (if you want to see what I mean, enjoy a piece of salmon with an American IPA—the bitterness will create a metallic sensation that’s none too pleasant). But what happens when you choose foods some people think can NEVER go with beer?

I put the question to Twitter about this “impossible food pairing challenge” and got a bevy of responses and I’ve chosen three foods (a three course meal if you will) that I’ve paired with beers I think will go well together. Taste can be subjective but remember this: beer and food should harmonize with each other, like a fine singing group. Flavors should meld or be heightened. New flavors can emerge as well. It’s actually pretty exciting stuff!

Clam Chowder and Munich Dunkel

With soups and stews, I usually take a “be the bread” approach. After all, beer really is fermented liquid bread. Since clam chowder usually comes with oyster crackers, I wanted more of an Irish brown bread approach. The slight roast of the Munich Dunkel will be a nice contrast to the cream but since it’s a lager, its cleanliness will not bump into any of the flavors of the chowder. Each sip will be like a palate cleansing bite of bread between spoonfuls. I recommend Trapp Dunkel Lager.

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Vienna Lager or Italian Pilsner

Tomatoes and beer just don’t go is what I heard time and time again. But this isn’t true. Sure, with spaghetti I’m more prone to reach for a glass of wine but beer can work as well. A beer like Samuel Adams Boston Lager has enough flavor to stand up to the umami richness of tomato sauce but not push it around. Once again, this is the “be the bread” approach: either a lovely whole grain loaf (Vienna Lager) or a zippy herby Focaccia (Italian Pilsner) would be an excellent choice. For Italian Pilsners, I love Birrificio Italiano TipoPils.

Apple Pie and Wee Heavy

Caramel and apple just go together. Why not just add caramel flavor to the apple through the beer? Scotch ales are boozy enough too to meld well with the sugary pie with a smooth caramel flavor that’ll complement the apple, sugar and spices. Oskar Blues Old Chub is a reliably great and easy to find Scotch Ale.

Tip: If you’re wondering if a pairing will work? Just try it! Experimentation with beer is what sets it apart from other beverages.

Bon appetit and cheers until next time.