Snooty sommeliers like to boast that there is a perfect wine for every food. But sometimes, a beer is even better. “The flavors of grilling, lemony citrus, and spice are areas where many wines struggle,” says Brian Jacobs, assistant general manager and beer director for The Red Cat restaurant in New York. “Well-made beers are every bit as sophisticated as wine,” he adds, noting that their coldness and refreshing carbonation can make them better companions than vino for certain types of foods and meal events.
What’s more, specialty beers are easier to find than ever: Check your local premium grocery store or order online from retailers like HalfTimeBeverage.com, Bevmo.com or Brewforia.com, wherever shipments are permitted.
Pairing beer and food is a great excuse to explore some tasty new brews, but there’s no need to get too serious, says Jimmy Carbone, owner of New York specialty beer restaurant Jimmy’s No. 43 and host of Beer Sessions Radio on HeritageRadioNetwork.com. “Beer is much more forgiving than wine. Unlike wine, it’s really hard to go completely wrong.” So with that in mind, here are Jacobs’ and Carbone’s top picks for making your corkscrew jealous.
Yes, it’s an indulgence
Anytime you enjoy a beer, whether it’s Pabst Blue Ribbon or the fanciest, priciest Belgian brew, you’re making the decision to enjoy a frosty cold infusion of nearly empty calories (thank you, trace amounts of B vitamins and the oft-debated health benefits of alcohol), plus a fairly hefty load of PointsPlus® values.
See our Beer Cheat Sheet to find the PointsPlus values for a few common regular and light beers; most clock in at 5-6 and 3-4 PointsPlus values, respectively. But some of the lesser-known, high-brow brews in this article? It’s anybody’s guess, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require beer companies to reveal their products’ caloric or nutritional information to the public. (Seriously.) That’s one reason why you won’t find many specialty beers in the PointsPlus database.
Very tasty beers are usually very tasty for a reason. Many (though not all) will likely run from 6 to 10 PointsPlus values per 12-ounce can or bottle. Also, keep in mind that the higher a beer’s alcohol content, the more calories it packs. A general rule of thumb? Plan on 8 PointsPlus values per 12-ounces of fancy brew. Imbibe accordingly, and you shouldn’t be popping any buttons due to your enjoyment of malted deliciousness.
The food: Steaks and burgers
Top pick: Yuengling Traditional Lager, PA
(4.4% ABV [alcohol by volume], 12 oz. bottle)
Yuengling.com
America’s oldest brewery, located in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, offers a basic lager that serves up more gusto than the mainstream brands. “This beer has a little more malty backbone to stand up to fattier meats and grilled flavors, yet it’s still approachable enough to please a crowd,” says Jacobs.
Also try: Sly Fox Brewing Dunkel Lager, PA
(4.9% ABV, 12 oz. can)
SlyFoxBeer.com
“If a crisp, cold lager is a 10, dunkel lager is an 11, with some dark malt and caramel notes for added flavor,” Jacobs says.
The food: Jerk chicken or pork
Top pick: Lagunitas Brewing Company IPA, CA
(6.2% ABV, 12 oz. bottle)
Lagunitas.com
“This is where beer really shines over wine, to quench the slow sear of spicy foods,” says Jacobs. India pale ale, or IPA, was originally conceived to withstand the voyage from England to India, so it’s fortified with extra everything — malt, alcohol and hops. This American version is robust with citrus and grapefruit flavors from 43 kinds of hops. Spicy foods also benefit from the thirst-quenching ability of a cold mainstream brew like Bud Light (3 PointsPlus values per 12-oz. can), which will at least put out the fire.
Also try: Arcadia HopMouth Double IPA Ale, MI
(8.1% ABV, 22 oz. bottle)
ArcadiaAles.com
Copious hops give this potent beer piney and floral aromas and a bitter finish. “With 8 percent alcohol and intense flavor, this will handle jerk spice or curried cuisine,” says Jacobs.
The food: Fish and shellfish
Top pick: Blue Moon Brewing Company Belgian White, CO
(5.4% ABV, 12 oz. bottle)
BlueMoonBrewingCompany.com
Made in the traditional Belgian style by our pals at Coor’s, this widely available brew works well alone or with delicate foods. “Belgian white, or wit, beers traditionally have flavors of coriander and citrussy orange peel that are natural pairings for seafood,” says Jacobs. Some popular pale ales, like Sierra Nevada and Bass Ale, have a bitterness that also goes well with grilled fish.
Also try: Rogue Ales Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, OR
(5.8% ABV, 22 oz. bottle)
Rogue.com
“Dry stouts may be dark, but they are more delicate than most people imagine, with roasty flavors, a creamy texture and mild alcohol,” says Carbone. No wonder they are classic partners for oysters and shellfish.
The food: Summer salads
Top pick: La Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont, Belgium
(6.5% ABV, 750 ml. bottle)
Brasserie-Dupont.com
This benchmark for the saison style comes from a Belgian farmhouse brewery that is an actual farm. “Saisons are some of my favorite beers of all time. Light, crisp and acidic, they will really lift the salad dressing, while this beer’s earthy, peppery notes match well with greens and vegetables,” says Jacobs.
Also try: Brewery Ommegang Hennepin, NY
(7.7% ABV, 750 ml. bottle)
Ommegang.com
This American-made Saison rendition from Cooperstown, New York, delivers all the lively effervescence and refreshing qualities of the best Belgians.
The food: Grilled vegetables
Top pick: Schneider Weisse Original, Germany
(5.4% ABV, 500 ml. bottle)
Schneider-Weisse.de
“I think of German wheat beers as some of the most friendly drinks — period,” says Carbone. “You can pair these wheat beers with almost anything, but they are especially good here, where you don’t want to overpower the dish, but you typically have some olive oil to cut through.” This beer has the classic aromas of clove and nutmeg, with a frothy texture.
Also try: Two Brothers Brewing Ebel’s Weisse, IL
(4.9% ABV, 12 oz. bottle)
TwoBrosBrew.com
An American interpretation true to the German style, with moderate alcohol — which saves on calories — and big flavors of vanilla, banana and fresh bread.
The food: Fresh fruit and fruit pies
Top pick: Lindeman’s Kriek Lambic, Belgium
(4% ABV, 375 ml. bottle)
Lindemans.be
It may be pink, but don’t confuse this Belgian fruit beer with a wine cooler, says Carbone. “It requires a lot of sophistication and complexity to perfectly balance malty sweetness, tart acidity and fruit flavors,” He says. This kriek is fermented in barrels with cherries, making it a great complement to many fruits.
Also try: Brouwerij F. Boon Kriek, Belgium
(4% ABV, 375 ml. bottle)
Boon.be
Made using traditional methods, like fermenting with wild yeast, this beer has a pleasingly tart, dry finish, and incredible fruity and earthy complexity, according to Carbone.
The food: Chocolate cake
Top pick: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
(5.2 ABV, 500 ml. bottle)
Wellsandyoungs.co.uk
As long as you’re being decadent, Carbone suggests adding a chocolate stout to the mix. This English version is cool and creamy in texture from the nitrogen can (think Guinness), while the flavor layers chocolate, coffee and nutty aromas. “Despite being made with real dark chocolate, it has a long, dry, roasty finish,” says Carbone.
Also try: Goose Island Big John, IL
(11.5% ABV, 22 oz. bottle)
GooseIsland.com
This high-potency stout, known as imperial stout, clocks in with 11.2% ABV. “The big chocolate flavors here come from both roasted malts and cacao nibs, but it’s not cloyingly sweet,” says Carbone.