Food pairing
Beer with brownies
Dense chocolate cake with a fudgy centre and a faint bitterness from the cocoa.
Dense chocolate with a fudgy centre and a real cocoa bitterness under the sugar — which makes it easier to pair than a purely sweet dessert.
Roast malt and cocoa are the same flavour family, so a dark beer bridges rather than contrasts. The beer must be at least as sweet as the brownie or it will taste thin beside it.
Brownies narrows the field sharply, and one answer stands clear of the rest. Most beer falls down on at least one thing this dish demands. The attribute doing most of the work is sweetness.
What to drink
Imperial stout — classic pairing
The most reliable dessert pairing in beer: cocoa and roast malt are the same flavour family, and both carry a little bitterness under the sweetness.
Caution: Something lighter will let the food lead. This pairing works only if you want the beer to be the main event.
Pastry stout — outstanding
Chocolate, coffee and caramel notes in the beer are the same flavour family as the dessert, so the two read as one thing rather than two.
Eisbock — strong
Chocolate, coffee and caramel notes in the beer are the same flavour family as the dessert, so the two read as one thing rather than two.
London brown ale — strong
Chocolate, coffee and caramel notes in the beer are the same flavour family as the dessert, so the two read as one thing rather than two.
Belgian dark strong ale — strong
Brisk carbonation lifts residue off the palate between bites.
Doppelbock — strong
Chocolate, coffee and caramel notes in the beer are the same flavour family as the dessert, so the two read as one thing rather than two.
Weizenbock — strong
Brisk carbonation lifts residue off the palate between bites.
English barley wine — strong
Chocolate, coffee and caramel notes in the beer are the same flavour family as the dessert, so the two read as one thing rather than two.
What not to drink
- Lichtenhainer — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Bock — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Best bitter — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.