Food pairing
Beer with thai curry
Coconut-rich, chilli-hot and aromatic with lemongrass, lime leaf and fish sauce.
Coconut fat, chilli heat, lime acidity and aromatic herbs, usually all at once. The richness cushions the heat more than a dry Indian curry does, which widens the answer.
Sweetness still helps and bitterness still hurts, but the fat means a slightly fuller beer holds up. Wheat beer works for both reasons: soft body against the coconut, gentle sweetness against the chilli.
Thai curry 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 chilli heat.
What to drink
Witbier — excellent pairing
Citrus and coriander in the beer meet lemongrass and lime leaf in the dish, and the low bitterness leaves the chilli alone. The wheat body stands up to coconut fat.
Caution: Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
Sweet stout — outstanding
Gentle sweetness and modest strength take the edge off the chilli rather than sharpening it.
Caution: A richer dish than this beer can clear from the palate.
American porter — outstanding
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Czech dark lager — outstanding
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.
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.
Dubbel — 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.
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.
What not to drink
- Alcohol-free pale lager — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Lambic — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.
- Milkshake IPA — Expect the beer to refresh rather than to stand up to the food.