Pairing Beer and Food

Restaurants long ago discovered that dinners and menus that play up the complementary strengths of food and wine pairings promote wine varietals and at the same time build business. Matching the right menu and beers, say many of its staunchest advocates, has the same potential.

By Staff -- Restaurants & Institutions, 6/25/2007

Restaurants long ago discovered that dinners and menus that play up the complementary strengths of food and wine pairings promote wine varietals and at the same time build business. Matching the right menu and beers, say many of its staunchest advocates, has the same potential.

“Today’s robust, flavorful beers can do a lot more with food than any beer Americans have had access to in the past,” says Scott Kerkmans, chief beer officer for White Plains, N.Y.-based Four Points by Sheraton. Kerkmans recently joined the hotel company to direct its beer-promotion program, which will include beer sommeliers who can suggest pairing options to diners.

At Firkin, a brew-centric American eatery in Libertyville, Ill., beer selections rotate regularly, so staff are trained to match the various choices with menu items based on general flavor styles, such as light and floral or dark and malty.

“Beer is able to stand up to so many foods, so it’s even easier to do beer-and-food pairings than wine and food,” says General Manager Tom Olsen, who recently hosted a beer dinner at the restaurant with a local brewer.

Meanwhile, beer isn’t the only beverage getting a boost from complementary cuisine.

• Chef-owner Jeffrey Fournier’s spring menu at upscale restaurant 51 Lincoln in Newton Highlands, Mass., offers food-and-liquor pairings such as lavender liquor with rosemary-skewered shrimp and lavender honey; cilantro-infused vodka with fresh day-boat scallop seviche; and porcini–infused gin with spring goat cheese and roasted wild mushrooms.
• Custom House, a high-end steakhouse in Chicago, recently introduced a Sunday-night event featuring live jazz performances and seasonal food-and-beverage pairings. A recent “Bubbles and Bites” theme matched several varieties of champagne with a selection of Chef-owner Shawn McClain’s antipasti, while another menu will partner specialty meats and beers.
• At upscale pizzeria and bar Rustico in Alexandria, Va., Executive Chef Frank Morales’ “Mosaics” menu lists seven categories of food (toasts & spreads, pot pies, pork, etc.) with three selections each. To the right is a suggested beer to complement every dish. Diners can sample all three items with an accompanying flight of 6 oz. beers, or order just one of each.

Recommended Reading:

“The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food” by Garrett Oliver (Ecco, 2003)

“Ultimate Beer” by Michael Jackson (DK Adult, 1998)