Food pairing
Beer with hot dog
Salty, fatty cured sausage in a soft bun with sharp condiments.
Salt, fat and smoke in a soft bun, with mustard and often something sweet on top. Simple and heavier than it looks.
Carbonation clears the fat, and roast or smoke character in the beer meets the sausage. Mustard sharpness means the beer should not be sharp itself.
Hot dog 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
American wild ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Australian sparkling ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Berliner Weisse — strong
Brisk carbonation lifts residue off the palate between bites.
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.
Saison — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
California Common — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Pastry stout — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- 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.