Food pairing
Beer with sausages
Seasoned pork with high fat and salt, plus herb and pepper spicing.
Fat, salt and usually a good deal of pepper and herb. British and German sausages set different problems — one is coarser and fattier, the other finer and more seasoned — but both want the same two things.
Bitterness cuts the fat and malt meets the seasoning. Onion gravy, if present, pushes the answer maltier still.
Sausages 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 fat.
What to drink
Märzen — classic pairing
The Oktoberfest pairing. Toasty malt meets the browned sausage skin, and there is enough carbonation and clean finish to handle the fat over an evening.
American wild ale — strong
Tartness resets the palate between mouthfuls, the way a squeeze of lemon does.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Dubbel — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Bière de Garde — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Czech dark lager — strong
Malt sweetness rounds off the salt rather than compounding it.
Oud Bruin — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Rauchbier — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
American porter — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Sahti — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Milkshake IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.