Crisp beers tend to pair well with spicier dishes, seafood and
salads.
•? Hop beers are all about the aroma and bitterness provided from
the substantial addition of hops throughout the brewing process.
Hop beers span the color spectrum and have varying degrees of
alcohol. India pale ales, American amber, and ordinary bitters
are all examples from the hop category. Hoppy beers (not to be
confused with happy beer – even though hoppiness is happiness
for hop heads) are great beers to pair with pub food and food
typically present at BBQs. Beers with an elevated hop profile
complement fried foods, burgers, hard cheeses and rich foods.
•? The last flavor profile we will cover is the fruit and spice
category, which includes such beers as tripel, Belgian strong
dark ale, kristalweizen and saisons. These beers have a vast range
of alcohol, colors and an infinite range of flavors. Fruit and
spicy beers rarely have hop character and tend to be defined by
the bold fruit and spice flavors they encompass. The sweetness
of these beers balances out spicy dishes, but also complement
shellfish, cured meats and poultry. At Benson Brewery we have
a spiced mild English ale called Karha-T. Karha is the miracle
blend of spices that give chai tea its unique flavor and aroma. In
our Karha-T, Head Brewer Andy Elliott infuses a mild English
ale with fresh ginger, green and black cardamom pods, cinnamon
sticks, star anise, fennel, black and pink whole peppercorn, clove,
almonds, rose petals, saffron, whole nutmeg and coriander. This
session beer has a very unique flavor and we found Karha-T pairs
very well with spicy sausages as well as cashew ice cream and
other desserts.
“Beers with an elevated hop profile
complement fried foods, burgers,
hard cheeses and rich foods.”
•? Malt beers tend to have high levels of sweetness, often yielding
flavors such as deep toffee, nut and caramel. As you may have
deduced from the description, these beers tend to have a golden
copper to deep brown color and can range from light to fullbodied. We would recommend pairing malty beers such as
Dunkel Lager, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, and Irish Red Ale with
root vegetables, a nice winter stew, blue cheese, wild game and
pork dishes.
•? Roast beers usually have coffee, chocolate, plum and cherry
flavors associated with them and tend to have a creamy mouth
feel, complemented by a deep copper to black color. Many people
see a dark beer and assume it’s harsh, but th