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Beer and food – the perfect combination. Whatever you happen to be eating, there’s a type of food-friendly beer that pairs perfectly with your meal. Lager is the classic choice for a wide range of dishes, and for good reason. If you’re keen to know why lager is the best beer for food pairings of all types, we answer your question below.
As with any beverage, there are a few factors that determine whether a beer is food-friendly or not. Some of the key points to consider include the following:
If the answer to these questions is yes, then the beer you’re thinking of might be the best match for your planned meal. Or, if you’d prefer to get expert insight into what beer goes with food, from pilsner to dark lager, we’ve covered everything you need to know to make the decision effortless.
If you’re not sure what to drink with dinner, a beer with a clean and crisp flavour is always a good pick. Lagers are well-known for being light, bright and crisp, enabling them to act as a neutral companion to your meal. Importantly, lager doesn’t overwhelm even delicate flavours, ensuring you get full enjoyment from your meal without masking any subtle tastes.
Lagers have a balanced bitterness that makes them an appropriate pairing for fatty foods. For example, fried food and cheese pair excellently with a lager, serving as a way to enhance those strong savoury flavours. Lager cuts through fat and provides refreshment, effectively lightening your meal while allowing you to enjoy every flavour.
The high level of carbonation in lager makes this beer particularly refreshing. If you’re looking for a drink that helps clear your palate between bites, this beer delivers. The refreshing nature of lager also makes it a good fit for rich meals, enabling you to eat more and preventing the overwhelm that can occur with heavy, richly flavoured dinners.
Lager is best served cold, which not only enhances the refreshment of this beer but also makes it a solid pairing for hotter foods. For example, Indian and Thai curries are a natural choice for lager, complementing the flavours and easing the heat with each sip. A perfectly chilled lager is also a good match for spicy sauces to cool down after each bite.
There’s no better lager food pairing to start with than fast food. Fatty, salty and hitting exactly the right spot, fast food is an outstanding combination with a high-quality beer like our Stirchley Lager, providing satisfaction and reducing the heavy, greasy feeling that can accompany burgers, pizza and chips.
If you want to make the most of your curry, Thai or Mexican dish, then lager is the ideal addition to your dinner table. As a highly carbonated, slightly sweet beer, lager has a cooling effect that allows you to get maximum enjoyment out of your spicy food. Lager also works well as a palate cleanser, ideal for small-plate and tapas dining to get more out of every flavour.
The light, bright flavour of lager allows grilled and BBQ foods to shine, cutting through the grease and fat and ensuring those all-important smoked flavours are in the forefront. Instead of overpowering BBQ meat, lager offers a refreshing break from the intensity of flavours so you can enjoy it all over again with each bite.
Pub snacks are a common pairing with lagers, cutting through the saltiness of crisps, nuts and pork scratchings with each cleansing sip. The carbonation and slight sweetness of lager complement the highly savoury taste of most pub snacks. Cheesy snacks, in particular, are also an excellent pairing for lagers.
Dishes that are lighter or with more delicate flavours are an ideal combination with lager. This beer has a crisp taste that doesn’t overwhelm other flavours, particularly in salads or dishes where strong sauce isn’t utilised. The nuanced, understated flavours in lager offer a little extra without completely overpowering your chosen dish.
Pale lager is the jack-of-all-trades of the lager world, pairing well with every type of food listed above. If you want an all-rounder you can turn to for a wide range of meals, a pale lager is a good choice.
Crisp, clean and subtle, with a slight bitterness, Pilsner is the classic choice for seafood and spice. While it is more bitter than some types of lager, it is still refreshing and cooling.
Helles is a bright or light golden lager with a low bitterness and slightly sweet flavour, making it a great choice for light meals. The mild and subtle taste of Helles reduces the risk of overpowering your fish.
Dark lager is smooth, malty and often has a slightly roasted taste, making it an easy complement for BBQ meats and similar high-fat content meals. The sweetness helps to bring out the savoury taste in foods for a delicious contrast.
Whether you’re eating BBQ or seafood, the versatile nature of lager means it pairs perfectly with your meal. The mild, entry-level nature of many lagers also means they suit a wide range of tastes, offering a satisfying addition to any social setting. Lager is also a safe choice in pubs and restaurants, with a wide range of choices from craft beer to household name brands.
At Birmingham Brewing Company, we believe that beer goes with everything. From salty snacks to Sunday roasts, our Stirchley Lager is the perfect complement to any dish. Our beer is vegan and gluten-free, allowing everyone to enjoy a crisp, refreshing lager with their meals.
Want advice on the best beer to pair with food? Contact our team directly for our recommendations, or shop our range of beer online today to discover unique craft stouts, lagers and more to suit every dish.
