When it comes time to grill out or turn some seasonal, freshly-picked produce into a pie, you’re going to want the perfect beer to go along with it. Here are some food-and-beer pairings that work, according to Brewers Association. What will you be drinking with your favorite fall foods?
Blonde Ale ► try lighter foods like chicken, salads, salmon, bratwurst and Monterey jack cheese. For dessert, try light apricot or mandarin cake or a lemon custard tart.
Try Backshore Brewing Co.’s Boardwalk Blonde.
British-Style Bitter ► a wide range of food works, especially roast chicken or pork, fish and chips and mild cheeses (try Lancaster or Leicester). For dessert, try oatmeal/raisin/walnut cookies.
Pale Ale ► again, a wide range of food works, especially burgers and English cheeses. For dessert, have a pumpkin flan, maple bread pudding or bananas foster.
Try 3rd Wave’s Shorebreak.
India Pale Ale ► strong, spicy foods (like curry!) will taste great. For dessert, try a caramel apple tart, ginger spice cake or persimmon rice pudding.
Try Tall Tales’ Excalibur.
Double/Imperial IPA ► smoked beef brisket, grilled lamb, and southern chicken-fried steak go well with double IPAs. For dessert, try something super sweet like carrot cake, caramel cheesecake or crème brûlée.
Try EVO’s Lot 6 Double IPA.
Amber/Red Ale ► a wide range of foods including chicken, seafood, burgers and anything spicy will taste delicious when paired with an amber ale. For dessert, have poached pears with dulce de leche, banana pound cake or pecan lace cookies.
Try Tall Tales’ Back Draft Amber Ale.
Brown Ale/Altbier ► try hearty foods like roast pork, smoked sausage and grilled salmon. For dessert, have almond or maple-walnut cake, pear fritters or cashew brittle.
Try Crooked Hammock’s Backyard Brown Ale.
Abbey Dubbel ► have some barbecue, meat stew, a thick steak or a smoked rib roast. For dessert, try milk chocolate, butter truffles or chocolate bread pudding.
Old or Strong Ale ► will taste fantastic with big, intense dishes like roast beef, lamb or game, grilled or roasted. For dessert, have a spiced plum-walnut tart, a classic canolli or a toffee apple crisp.
Barley Wine ► will easily overpower most main dishes and will taste best with strong cheese or a rich, sweet dessert like chocolate hazelnut torte and toffee caramel cheesecake.
Porter ► try with roasted or smoked foods including barbecue, sausage, roasted meat and blackened fish. For dessert, try chocolate peanut butter cookies or toasted coconut cookie bars.
Try EVO’s Lucky 7 Porter.
Sweet or Oatmeal Stout ► pairs well with rich, spicy foods like barbecued beef, Oaxacan mole or hearty Szechuan dishes. For dessert, have chocolate espresso cake, cream puffs or profiteroles.
Try Crooked Hammock’s Haulin’ Oats.
Imperial Stout ► will easily overpower most main dishes, but does well with foie gras, smoked goose and long-aged cheese like gouda, parmesan and cheddar. For dessert, have dark chocolate truffles or chocolate raspberry mousse cake.
For a stout that’s uniquely Eastern Shore, try Fin City’s Backfin blue crab stout.
Hefeweizen ► goes great with lighter foods like salads, seafood and sushi. For dessert, have strawberry shortcake or key lime pie.
Try Mispillion River’s War Kitten.
American Wheat Ale ► also goes best with lighter foods like salads, seafood and vegetable dishes. Wheat ales are generally too light for dessert but pair well with fresh berries or a fruit soup.
Try Fin City’s Sneaky Wheat.
Witbier ► goes well with lighter seafood dishes, especially steamed mussels. For dessert, have banana orange crêpes, blood orange sorbet or panna cotta with lemon.
Try Mispillion River’s Wolowitz.
Classic Pilsener ► try with lighter foods like chicken, salads, salmon and bratwurst. For dessert, have lemon shortbread or fresh berries.
Try Big Oyster Brewery’s Hansel.
Oktoberfest, Märzen, Vienna ► try with Mexican or any hearty, spicy food, chicken, sausage and pork. For dessert, try mango or coconut flan, almond biscotti or spice cake with pine nuts.
Try Big Oyster’s Shuckin’ Pumpkin.
Dark lager, Dunkel, Schwarzbier ► goes great with hearty, spicy foods including barbecue, sausage and roasted meat. For dessert, try pomegranate tart with walnuts or candied ginger pear cake.
A note for Thanksgiving: after you’ve carved the turkey, try a malty, mild Belgian ale–and if you’re eating pumpkin pie, a creamy stout will do wonders to balance out the sweetness.
