Food pairing
Beer with buffalo wings
Fried chicken wings in a cayenne and butter sauce, where vinegar sharpness and capsaicin arrive together.
Buffalo sauce is cayenne hot sauce emulsified with butter, so the heat comes with both fat and vinegar. That is three separate demands on a beer: cut the fat, survive the acidity, and do not amplify the burn.
The last one rules out the obvious answer. Alcohol and bitterness both increase the perception of capsaicin heat, so the IPA that would handle the fried chicken makes the sauce worse. Something cold, light and moderately carbonated is a better plate than something impressive.
Buffalo wings 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 chilli heat.
What to drink
American lager — classic pairing
The cold light lager is the right answer and it is worth saying why rather than treating it as a failure of imagination: capsaicin is amplified by both alcohol and bitterness, so the IPA that would handle the fried chicken makes the sauce worse.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Sweet stout — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Czech dark lager — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Munich Dunkel — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
American porter — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Double IPA — The wings and the sauce want opposite things. The sauce wins, because heat is an irritant rather than a flavour and it accumulates.
- Milkshake IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Lambic — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.