Food pairing
Beer with kippers
Oily fish split, salted and cold-smoked, which is about as intense as breakfast gets.
Herring is among the oiliest fish there is, and smoking concentrates rather than lightens it. What arrives is oily, salty, smoky and strongly fishy all at once — a combination that would overwhelm most things it was put next to.
The traditional accompaniment is tea, and the reason is instructive: tannin cuts oil. A beer needs to do the same job, and firm bitterness with high carbonation does it. A smoked beer alongside is possible and doubles down on the one flavour that was already loudest.
Kippers 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 smoke.
What to drink
American stout — outstanding
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
American porter — outstanding
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Rauchbier — strong
Smoke in the beer meets smoke on the plate — the same family of compounds on both sides.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
Czech dark lager — 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.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Munich Dunkel — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
American brown ale — 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.
What not to drink
- International pale lager — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Low-alcohol bitter — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Session IPA — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.