Food pairing
Beer with risotto
Creamy, buttery rice with parmesan — rich and savoury with a soft texture.
Starchy, creamy and savoury, with parmesan and butter carrying most of the richness. Soft throughout.
The cream and cheese coat the palate. Carbonation and acidity both lift them, and the beer should stay light enough not to add to something already heavy.
Risotto rules a lot of beer out, but several beers do the job it needs equally well. Pick between them on preference — the reasons matter more than the order. The attribute doing most of the work is fat.
What to drink
American stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Tropical stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
American brown ale — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Tripel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Czech dark lager — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free stout — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Alcohol-free pale lager — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.
- Dark mild — A light beer against a heavy plate tends to disappear.