WHAT BEER GOES BEST WITH WHICH FOODS?

Some beer-food pairings suggested for summer grilling parties:

Beer & Mustard – a great compliment for dark ale are foods or sauces with mustard. The tangy and sour note of mustard melds with the hops acidity in beer, and is balanced by the thick malt residual sugars in ales.

Beer & Cheese – not many folks realize that beer and cheese have far more in common than wine and cheese. Both are simple and nutritious, and carefully nurtured in an ancient fermentation process. Semi-soft cheeses, Muenster, Gouda, Havarti, American, Colby, Monterey Jack and similar cheeses all go well with more energetic and flavorful beers such as English brown ales.

Beer & Chili – beer adds an incredible amount of flavor to a thick chili with meat and spices – another great summer recipe.

Beer & Brats – a popular recipe, but not often used with dark ales, is brats and beer. As with other meats the richer flavor of the dark ale adds to the overall taste of the brat. Spread a spiced mustard on the cooked brat and the flavor of the dark ale really comes to life.

Most of the time brats are boiled in a light beer, and although it gets the job done, boiling in a dark beer adds flavor. Boiling beer brings out the hops and malt accents, making it that much more flavorful when it hits your tongue.