Food pairing
Beer with mince pies
Sweet spiced dried fruit in short pastry, heavily perfumed with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
Sweet spiced dried fruit in short pastry, heavily perfumed with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
Dark candi sugar and Belgian yeast spice run almost exactly parallel to the filling. It is one of the neatest bridge pairings in the catalogue.
Mince pies 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 aromatic spice.
What to drink
Belgian dark strong ale — excellent pairing
Dark candi sugar and Belgian yeast spice run parallel to the cinnamon, clove and dried fruit in the pastry.
Weizenbock — strong
Peppery and clove-like notes from the yeast pick up the warm spicing in the dish — the same aromatic family on both sides.
Sahti — strong
Peppery and clove-like notes from the yeast pick up the warm spicing in the dish — the same aromatic family on both sides.
London brown ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Sweet stout — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Pastry stout — good
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dessert rather than being flattened by it.
Caution: Something lighter will let the food lead. This pairing works only if you want the beer to be the main event.
Milkshake IPA — good
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dessert rather than being flattened by it.
Wee heavy — good
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dessert rather than being flattened by it.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free stout — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Lichtenhainer — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Best bitter — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.