Food pairing
Beer with grilled vegetables
Charred vegetables with caramelised sweetness and a smoky edge.
Char is the flavour here rather than the vegetables, along with whatever oil they were cooked in.
Roast malt echoes the char directly. The oil needs some bitterness to clear, which is why a beer with both works better than one with either.
Grilled vegetables rules a lot of beer out, but several beers do the job it needs equally well. Pick between them on preference — the reasons matter more than the order. The attribute doing most of the work is char.
What to drink
English porter — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Czech dark lager — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Lichtenhainer — strong
Smoke in the beer meets smoke on the plate — the same family of compounds on both sides.
Vienna lager — good pairing
Toasty amber malt matches the char without the roast bitterness that would make bitter vegetables harsher.
Dark mild — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Irish red ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Kentucky Common — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Alcohol-free stout — good
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Caution: Light food needs a beer that does not shout over it.
What not to drink
- Old ale — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Doppelbock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Baltic porter — Something lighter will let the food lead. This pairing works only if you want the beer to be the main event.