Food pairing
Beer with burger
Grilled beef with melted cheese and a soft bun — rich, fatty and salty in equal measure.
A burger is char, fat and salt arriving together, under a soft bun that absorbs everything and contributes nothing. The char from the grill is the part most pairings ignore, and it is a bitter, roasted flavour that decides more than the beef does.
That points at a beer with its own roast or caramel character to meet the crust, and enough bitterness to handle rendered fat and melted cheese. An American pale ale does both without adding weight. Anything delicate is lost under the salt, and anything very heavy competes with the char instead of matching it.
Burger 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 fat.
What to drink
American pale ale — classic pairing
Enough bitterness and carbonation to handle the fat, enough citrus hop character to stand alongside the char, and not so much of either that you stop tasting the food.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Tropical stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
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.
American porter — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Czech dark lager — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Bock — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Old ale — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free IPA — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Milkshake IPA — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Dark mild — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.