Food pairing
Beer with jerk chicken
Scotch bonnet and allspice marinade over charred chicken — hot, aromatic and smoky at once.
Scotch bonnet heat and allspice arriving together, over charred chicken. The heat is at the top of the range and the aromatics are unusually loud, so the beer has two problems and they pull in opposite directions.
Sweetness and low bitterness relieve the burn; banana-and-clove yeast character sits naturally with the allspice. A wheat beer does both. A hoppy or strong beer does neither and makes the heat harder to handle.
Jerk chicken 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 chilli heat.
What to drink
Weissbier — excellent pairing
Scotch bonnet heat wants residual sweetness and low bitterness, and banana-clove yeast character sits naturally with allspice.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Rauchbier — outstanding
Smoke in the beer meets smoke on the plate — the same family of compounds on both sides.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Tropical stout — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Irish extra stout — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Dunkelweizen — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Czech dark lager — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Alcohol-free wheat beer — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Irish red ale — strong
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
What not to drink
- American IPA — Hop bitterness sharpens chilli rather than relieving it. A sweeter, lower-strength beer will do far more for the heat.
- Belgian table beer — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Lambic — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.