Food pairing
Beer with fish and chips
Battered fried fish with chips — the definitive test of a beer’s ability to cut fat.
The problem is a hot fried coating and a great deal of salt, not the fish. Batter fat sits on the surface where a beer can genuinely clear it, which is why this is one of the few pairings where a light beer beats a heavy one on purpose rather than by accident.
Carbonation and bitterness do the work, and vinegar on the chips means the beer must not be sharp itself. A pils or an ordinary bitter is right for structural reasons; a stout is not wrong so much as beside the point.
Fish and chips 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
German Pils — classic pairing
Crisp bitterness and firm carbonation strip the frying fat off the palate between mouthfuls, and the beer is light enough not to compete with the fish. Deliberately not a match of weight — the beer works by clearing rather than by keeping up.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Ordinary bitter — classic pairing
The British pub answer. Bitterness cuts the batter and the low strength lets you finish the plate and order another. Cask ale’s gentle carbonation means it cleanses less aggressively than a lager, but the malt sweetness handles the salt better.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
American stout — strong
Dry roasted bitterness against saline, savoury seafood is one of the sharpest contrasts in beer and food — the classic case being oysters with dry stout.
Irish extra stout — strong
Dry roasted bitterness against saline, savoury seafood is one of the sharpest contrasts in beer and food — the classic case being oysters with dry stout.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Tripel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
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.
What not to drink
- Eisbock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Pastry stout — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Wee heavy — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.