A consistent beverage favorite worldwide, beer has been cherished by humans for millennia. Getting together to indulge with this much-loved beverage is a tradition for nearly all cultures and communities.

Pairing your favorite foods and drinks with beer will only add to the appeal.  However, given the wide range of flavors of beer, you can have a hard time coming up with the right pairings.

Generally, beer makes good contrast and complement pairings with food and drinks. It’s also an excellent palate cleanser. While trying out different pairings, the main idea is to avoid combinations of overpowering flavors and enjoy the pairing with all the tastes retained.

Here are ten perfect food-and-drink combinations to try with beer:

1.    Beer and Cheese

Did you know that like with wine, cheese pairs remarkably with beer also? The beer’s fizz makes it mildly acidic and removes the cheese’s fat content from the palate. Most beers make a perfect match for cheese.

So, you can happily wash a straight-up cheese plate, cheese pizza, and cheese sandwich down with your favorite beer. 

For the ultimate cheese-beer pairing experience, go for darker lagers or ales with strong-flavored cheeses. Full-flavored but moderately heavy pale ales do a great job in reducing the greasiness of yummy cheesy pies.

2.    Beer and Mushrooms

The typically earthy taste of mushrooms works well with hoppy, malty ales, and lagers. For instance, shiitake mushrooms, with their intensely earthy smell, pair perfectly with a brown ale or a dark lager.

While having a rich, creamy mushroom soup, try a brown ale such as a Belgian-style Dubbel. However, if you are into psychedelics before you buy shrooms to pair with the right beers, take an expert opinion. Also, you can try infused beers like hemp infused beer with mushrooms. For making this beer you can buy hemp flower online and brew it with your beer.

3.   Beer and Fried Foods

What better way to use beer to cleanse your palate than to team it up with fatty, fried foods? The hoppy bitterness of beers contrasts nicely with the saltiness of fried foods. Try sipping on a pale ale between bites of fried chicken.  The full-flavored, refreshing beer complements the chicken perfectly without overpowering it.

Conversely, using light-flavored fried snacks like french fries helps to balance the bitter taste of beers.

4.   Beer and Whiskey Shots

Beer and whiskey make an excellent pair, thanks to some of their common ingredients – yeast and basic and specialty malts. This twosome has similar flavors with strikingly different intensities. So, pairing whiskey with beer is a sure shot treat!

Try a shot of light, crisp whiskey with spicy, caramel-like Bourbon beer. Else, chase down a shot of smoked whiskey with a sweet, roast-y flavored stout or porter.

5.   Beer and Salads

Whether sweet, sour, spicy, or funky, beer can team up well with various salads. Beer is an equally good match for a strongly acidic vinaigrette as it’s for certain bitter greens.

Try different flavors of this drink with all that you chop, cube, or toss. For instance, choose light, citrusy beers for strong-flavored leafy salads with vinaigrette dressing. On the other hand, sufficiently hoppy or bitter beers will pair well with creamy, mayo-dressed salads.

If you’re adding fruits to your salad, choose a fruity wheat beer to complement the salad’s fruity flavor perfectly. For protein-rich chickpea salads, spicy, herbal-flavored beer is the best choice.

6.    Beer and Desserts

Rich desserts such as brownies and cheesecakes go well with stouts and ales—the hints of dark chocolate in a stout beer complement chocolate-based confection perfectly.

Ice creams and sorbets work in harmony with lighter, fruit-based lager beers. How about trying a yummy beer and ice cream float?

7.   Beer and Rum

Certain rums with spicy flavors and grassy (hop-like) notes make a good match for beer. Jamaican rums with notes of overripe bananas pair well with a typical Hefeweizen.

Try pairing dark, sugary rums with dry beers like Porters. Enjoy the dessert-like taste in your mouth by sipping on the beer first and then chasing it with dark rum. A soothing, sweet finish indeed.

You can also do it the other way around. Cut the spirit’s sweetness by chasing it down with the dry porter.

8.   Beer and Spicy cuisine

Grab a malty beer when you’re eating spicy dishes. Light lagers help reduce the spiciness in typical Thai, Mexican, and Indian cuisines. Porridge-like small beers, more commonly called table beers, team up excellently with such foods.

Beer hops deal well with the spice with their grassy and peppery tastes and won’t let it coat the tongue. Also, dry and crisp lagers like Pilsner marry perfectly with classic Mexican food such as chicken tacos.

9.   Beer and Sushi

Several Japanese lagers pair perfectly with this well-loved Japanese food. A classic example of regional food-and-beer pairing! Sushi, with its light flavors, complements the dry, crisp, and light-flavored lagers perfectly.

What’s more, a Japanese lager can also substitute pickled ginger, an essential accompaniment to sushi, thus cleansing your palate nicely.

Other light lagers like pilsners and ales such as hefeweizens are also excellent choices with sushi, making a fantastic dining experience. Keep in mind never to go for strong-flavored or hoppy beers. Besides overpowering the sushi rolls, some can also amplify the heat from the spice in sushi.

10.   Beer and Vodka shots

Are you aiming for a guaranteed hangover? If you aren’t bothered about the next day, drink a vodka shot together with a mug of beer. A swift intoxication is guaranteed!

Conclusion

Now you know some of the best food-and-drink combinations worth trying with beer. Whether it’s your favorite food or preferred liquor, combine it with the right beer in terms of flavor, for the best of both worlds.