Food pairing
Beer with grilled white fish
White fish cooked plainly, which is the most easily overwhelmed thing anyone is likely to pair a beer with.
This is deliberately separated from fish and chips, which is a fried-food pairing problem wearing a fish costume. Take the batter away and almost nothing is left to stand up to a beer: mild sweetness, a little salt, and a delicacy that any assertive flavour will erase.
The rule here is subtraction. Low bitterness, moderate carbonation, no roast, no heavy malt, and nothing above about 5%. It is one of the few pairings where the right answer is the plainest beer on the list.
Grilled white fish 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 weight.
What to drink
Munich Helles — classic pairing
Plainly cooked white fish is the most easily overwhelmed thing anyone pairs beer with: no fat, no coating, no salt crust. A Helles is soft, clean and quiet enough to sit beside it without erasing it, and this is one of the few pairings where the plainest beer on the list is the right one.
Alcohol-free IPA — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Alcohol-free pale lager — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American lager — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American wheat beer — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Belgian single — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Belgian table beer — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Berliner Weisse — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Imperial stout — Fish and chips is a fried-food pairing. Take the batter away and almost nothing is left to stand up to a beer.
- Dry stout — Light food needs a beer that does not shout over it.
- British strong ale — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.