Beer and food: learn to match fruit beer to different dishes successfully

Do you love to finish off a good plate of food with beer? You are not alone. Brew lovers everywhere take their meals to the next level by complementing them with the right pint. Keep reading to learn how to match your favorite fruit beer and food delicacies successfully.

Beer and food pairing

Nowadays, beer is considered more food-friendly than wine. This has to do with the fact that brewers have more ingredients to play with when creating drinks that pair well with different dishes. They can experiment with barley, hops, yeast, and specialty elements, like spices, herbs, and fruit (Oliver, 2018).

This trend is visible anywhere that sells beer and food, for example, at beer festivals people can try the strongest beers in the world or the best Oktoberfest beer along with meals and snacks. Some beer games may even be best played with some food to help fight off feeling tipsy too soon.

Things to consider when pairing beer and food

These are some useful guidelines when combining brews and dishes (Brewers Association, n.d.):

• Match strengths. Pair delicate food with lighter beers. The opposite applies to strongly flavored options.
• Find common ground. The best combinations share common elements, like flavor or aroma.
• Master specific interactions. Some qualities in beer and food play off each other well. For instance, sweetness in brews balances out spiciness and acidity in food. (See also: Beer Festivals)

Fruit beer and food: a savory match

If you are fond of beer tasting, you may have tried fruit brews. Some of the best sour beers draw their tartness from fruit, for example. Simply put, this type of beer stands out as having a base style and featuring fruit flavors and aromas. The fruit character should never be perceived as cloying, insipid, or artificial. Balance is also central to a classic fruit beer.

The most prominent notes in fruit beer are usually acidic and sweet. Next up you can find some food options that pair wonderfully with this general taste profile (Larman, 2018. Oliver, 2018. Pints and Plates, n.d.):

• Cheese. Berry-based beers bring out the best in baked Brie cheese. Their sweet and tart flavors also work with creamy, buttery cheeses.
• Salads. Any fruit beer contrasts salads with toasted nuts, feta cheese, or acidic or fruity dressings beautifully.
• Herbal and spiced dishes interact well with such brews.
• Pickled food goes great with tart fruit beers, like lambics.
• Sweet duck or pork dishes are often paired with sweet fruit beer.
• Chocolate. Acidic brews with raspberry or strawberry notes complement cocoa-driven desserts perfectly by cutting through their sugar.

As you can see, the possibilities when pairing fruit beer and food are many. You can match these brews to a meal from the main courses, right down to dessert. So, don’t let beer yoga be the only fun way to explore new exciting avenues in your love affair with beer. Try your hand at mixing and matching fruity brews and your favorite dishes now!