Food pairing
Beer with ploughman's lunch
Cheese, ham, pickle and bread — salt, fat and sharp vinegar together.
Cheese, bread, pickle and cold meat on one plate — salt, fat and sharp acidity together, and nothing hot.
It was assembled around beer rather than the other way round. A bitter has the malt for the bread and cheese and the bitterness for the fat, which is why the pairing feels obvious.
Ploughman's lunch 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 salt.
What to drink
Best bitter — classic pairing
Built for each other. Malt handles the cheese, bitterness handles the fat, and the beer has enough acidity of its own not to be flattened by the pickle.
Munich Dunkel — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Bière de Garde — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Czech dark lager — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
American brown ale — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dubbel — outstanding
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
American wild ale — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
English brown ale — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
What not to drink
- Milkshake IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- American lager — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Imperial stout — Something lighter will let the food lead. This pairing works only if you want the beer to be the main event.