Food pairing
Beer with toad in the hole
Sausages baked into Yorkshire pudding batter and served with onion gravy.
Sausages baked into Yorkshire pudding batter and served with onion gravy. The batter is the interesting part: crisp at the edges, soft and eggy in the middle, and it soaks up whatever fat renders out of the sausages.
Nothing here is sharp, sweet or spicy, so no beer is ruled out and none is obviously required. A bitter or a brown ale suits the gravy and the sausage well enough; beyond that, the onion gravy decides more than the dish does.
Toad in the hole does not constrain the beer much: nothing clashes and nothing is clearly best. Drink what you like, or choose for the sauce, the seasoning or the sides, which will decide more than the dish itself.
What to drink
American wild ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Gueuze — strong
Brisk carbonation lifts residue off the palate between bites.
Australian sparkling ale — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Belgian golden strong ale — 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.
Belgian IPA — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Saison — 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.
Cold IPA — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Bock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- American barley wine — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Baltic porter — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.