Food pairing
Beer with feta
A brined sheep cheese, sharply salty and lactic with a crumbling texture.
Feta is brined rather than aged, so it is sharply salty and lactic instead of deep and savoury, and it crumbles rather than melting. The brine is the dominant note by a distance.
Sharp, dry, well-carbonated beer suits it — and so does most other beer that is not heavy or sweet. Feta rarely appears alone, and the salad, dressing or grilled vegetables around it will shape the pairing more than the cheese does.
Feta does not constrain the beer much: nothing clashes and nothing is clearly best. Drink what you like, or choose for the sauce, the seasoning or the sides, which will decide more than the dish itself.
What to drink
Gueuze — outstanding
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Berliner Weisse — outstanding
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Australian sparkling ale — outstanding
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Grisette — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Grodziskie — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Saison — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
Belgian single — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
India pale lager — strong
Bitterness, carbonation and a dry finish scrub the fat off the palate, so each mouthful of food tastes as good as the first.
What not to drink
- Sahti — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Milkshake IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Imperial stout — Something lighter will let the food lead. This pairing works only if you want the beer to be the main event.