Food pairing
Beer with doughnuts
Fried sweet dough, sometimes filled, always heavy on sugar and fat together.
Fried sweet dough, often filled, heavy on sugar and fat together and light on anything else.
Residual sweetness and a soft body suit it better than sharp carbonation, which fights the fat rather than clearing it.
Filled versions add fruit acidity or custard richness on top, either of which shifts the answer — the jam ones are noticeably easier to pair than the plain sugared.
Doughnuts 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
Sweet stout — good pairing
Fried sweet dough wants residual sweetness and a soft body rather than carbonation, which would fight the fat.
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.
Pastry stout — good
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dessert rather than being flattened by it.
Milkshake IPA — 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.
Doppelbock — good
A big beer has the presence to stand alongside a rich, sweet dish.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free pale lager — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- American lager — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Alcohol-free stout — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.