Food pairing
Beer with fried food
Anything deep-fried — the pairing problem is fat and salt, whatever is underneath.
Surface fat, salt and a hot crisp coating. This is the fat a beer can genuinely clear, which is why fried food is one of the easiest categories to pair.
Carbonation, bitterness and acidity all work, so the answer set is wide. What matters is that the beer stays light enough to keep doing the job through a whole plate.
Fried food 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
Gose — excellent pairing
Lactic acidity and salt together do to fried food what a squeeze of lemon does. Light-bodied enough to keep working through a whole plate.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Gueuze — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
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.
Belgian golden strong ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Weizenbock — strong
Malt sweetness rounds off the salt rather than compounding it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Lichtenhainer — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
Märzen — 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.
- Wee heavy — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Alcohol-free wheat beer — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.