Food pairing
Beer with crab
Delicately sweet and intensely savoury, easily overwhelmed by anything assertive.
Delicately sweet and intensely savoury, and easily overwhelmed by anything assertive. It is one of the few foods where a beer being interesting actively hurts.
Something dry, aromatic and light stays out of the way and lifts the sweetness. Roast, heavy bitterness or high alcohol will bury it.
Crab 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 umami.
What to drink
Saison — excellent pairing
Delicate and intensely savoury food needs a beer that is dry and aromatic without weight. A saison's pepper and high carbonation clear the palate and add lift.
English porter — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Munich Dunkel — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Czech dark lager — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dark mild — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
English brown ale — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dry stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Altbier — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Double IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- New England IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Tripel — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.