Food pairing
Beer with beef stew
Long-braised beef in a savoury, reduced sauce with soft vegetables.
Slow-cooked beef in a thickened sauce: rendered fat, deep savoury depth and no crisp surface at all. Nothing here can be scrubbed off the palate, so a beer that works by cutting will simply be lost.
What is needed is presence — malt body and enough weight to sit beside the plate. This is the clearest counter-example to the assumption that fatty food always wants a crisp beer.
Beef stew rules a lot of beer out, but several beers do the job it needs equally well. Pick between them on preference — the reasons matter more than the order. The attribute doing most of the work is umami.
What to drink
American stout — outstanding
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Belgian IPA — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Tripel — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Double IPA — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Tropical stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free pale lager — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Alcohol-free wheat beer — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Blonde ale — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.