Food pairing
Beer with crème brûlée
Set custard under a burnt sugar crust, rich and lightly bitter at the top.
Set custard under a burnt sugar crust — rich, very sweet, and lightly bitter at the top where the sugar caught.
The burnt sugar is the pairing hook rather than the custard. A beer with caramelised malt meets it, and high carbonation cuts the cream.
Crème brûlée 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
Pastry stout — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Sweet stout — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Tripel — good pairing
Set custard under burnt sugar. Carbonation cuts the cream, and the tripel's own sweetness meets the caramelised top.
Caution: Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
Belgian dark strong ale — strong
Brisk carbonation lifts residue off the palate between bites.
London brown ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Weizenbock — strong
Brisk carbonation lifts residue off the palate between bites.
English barley wine — good
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dessert rather than being flattened by it.
Wee heavy — good
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dessert rather than being flattened by it.
What not to drink
- English IPA — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- English pale ale — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Ordinary bitter — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.