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Chicken Wings and Beer

How to Pair Beer with BBQ | Tips for Matching Flavors

Beer is a staple to bars and beverages around the world. The sheer number of different beers creates infinite possibilities when it comes to that brilliant beverage that belongs with barbecue. Before you can successfully pair beer with BBQ, you need to understand the different types of beer and the flavour profiles they generally provide.

Learning how to pair beer with BBQ can be fun. Beer is forgiving, you can get creative and experimental, even when you use the same school of thought when it comes to pairing wine. Use the complement or contrast technique and you should meet with success.

How to Match Beer with Your BBQ Meal

There are a few other thoughts before selecting a beer to pair with the grilled foods you are planning on for dinner. The alignment of these things will definitely go a long way to making your next meal transcendent like when pairing the perfect wine. The whole concept is the take the two separate experiences, a drink and some food, to meld them together into a cohesive whole that winds up being greater than the sum of its parts.

Match Power with Power

Further than the general rule of complement or contrast, you need to match the power of the beer to the power of the food you are serving. Power consists of the intensity of the flavors, the body or weight, and those things need to align. You do not want to pair a beer that will be too big, or too small, for the food being served.

ABV - Alcohol by Volume

The low ABV of beer makes it a versatile companion for various foods, as it can enhance flavors without overwhelming the taste of the meal—a common issue when pairing food with wine or other spirits. Additionally, intensity in pairings is not solely about ABV; it also involves the impact of the flavors themselves.

Carbonation

The carbonation in beer is very helpful for a multitude of reasons. It can be used as a palate cleanser; it helps to cut through but also enhances your understanding and appreciation of the deepness and richness of foods when paired properly. Carbonation is also beneficial, especially with lower ABV beers, when eating spicy foods as it can help wash away the capsaicin heat.

Aromats

A beer’s aroma, the additional flavors and fragrances added during the process, can and do continue to season the food you are eating. This can be used to your advantage when pairing your favorite frothy flavor with food. The underlying citrus notes added to wheat beers and IPAs, spices like anise and juniper, and fruity esters from fruits like peaches and currants, all land on the tongue and enter the nose to create a bouquet that can enhance the food you are eating.

Smoky flavors from barrel-aged beers or beers with added smoke pair well with uncooked fish and meats, like steak tartare, to bring out that cooked and meaty taste even though the dish isn’t cooked. This is also true for beers that feature deeply roasted malt like brown ales, stouts, and porters which feature a toasted, roasted flavor profile that can enhance the cooked flavors of the foods you are eating.

Sour beers are fruit-heavy and can lend themselves to a glaze or sauce, enhancing them and adding to foods. Consider venison or boar, which would both taste fantastic with a fruity glaze of berries or stone fruit. Pairing a fruit-forward sour beer with undertones of berries or plums will create a beautiful harmony with some barbecued game.

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RecipeBlog - Pilsner Chicken Wings - Serve3

Beer Styles & Pairing Suggestions

Understanding the different styles of beer helps to make an informed decision about the pairing with foods, especially the delicious barbecue meals you make. There are several main styles of beer, with hundreds of different varieties and flavors.

Light Lager

Light lagers are a light and sunny golden color, crisp, light, and refreshing. Most light lagers are carbonated, and this effervescence scrubs your palate clean and can even tame the spicy heat of capsaicin. These qualities make light lagers quite versatile when pairing. For pairing, reserve your light lagers for light and fresh preparations, however, they are great for fatty and fried foods as well as noodle dishes as the crisp brightness can clear the palate of the cloying clinginess of fat. The carbonation will cool spicy foods, so hot wings and spicy curries will pair beautifully and allow you to enjoy the flavor of those spicy dishes. Try not to pair light lagers with overly rich-foods. While the carbonation and refreshing flavor of the beer will cut the fatty richness it can also reduce the flavor nuances found in both the beer and the meal.

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Recipe Blog - Pork Belly Poutine - Serve3

Teriyaki Pork Belly Poutine

A light lager style of beer will clear the palate of the clinging fat in this dish making you want more of the delicious Teriyaki Pork Belly Poutine recipe.

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Wheat Beers

The pale and golden wheat beer varieties are brewed with barley and wheat grains. They get most of their flavor from the yeast, which provides a smooth texture on the tongue. Lightly carbonated, wheat beers usually have citrus and fruit flavors added for extra oomph. These versatile beers are well paired with spicy food, salad, fruits, and pastries.

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Wheat beer paired with Indian curry

Indian Lamb Curry

Try a wheat beer to cut through the spice of this recipe for Kashmiri-style Rogan Josh Curry.

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IPA Beers

The sheer number of craft IPA (India Pale Ales) available on the market makes the IPA an incredibly adaptable beer when it comes to pairing it with food. Dark golden in color, deeper and more rich than both light lager and wheat beer, this is the most popular style of beer for a craft brewer. IPA is generally bitter in flavor, however, brew meisters do enjoy adding the flavors of citrus, herbs, and other tastes to help balance that. Unless you are talking about double-hopped IPA beers, which are incredibly bitter, intentionally so.

That being said, variety has bred versatility and while not every IPA can pair well with every meal, you are incredibly likely to find an IPA that will work with the food you are serving or eating. IPA-style beers go very well with meaty, smoky, grilled meals, Mexican food, curries, Indian, Thai, and Chinese. The citrus and herbal flavors will pair beautifully with basil-heavy foods or those filled with warming spices, however, the bitterness in an IPA could cause issues with the pairing. If you can find a fruit-forward IPA that has a lightly sweet finish, the bitterness of the IPA can be counteracted and create a delightful pairing.

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Pork Belly Sliders

IPAs pair well with Asian flavors like those in this recipe for Pork Belly Sliders

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Recipe Blog - Charcoal Chicken- Serve2

Smoked Rotisserie Chicken

This Smoked Rotisserie Chicken is perfect for pairing with a hazy IPA

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Amber Ale

A beautiful red-gold to deep amber color, the amber ale features the strong and malty flavors of sweet caramel that are not overpowering. Instead, amber ales are dry and crisp with a light and flowery or bread-y scent. Amber ale is perfect for balancing rich and umami-filled foods without overpowering them. Malt-driven foods pair beautifully with Italian, BBQ – especially smoked meals like brisket and pulled pork, as well as jerk and even pizza. You can also use these beers as a palate cleanser.

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Smoked beef sandwich paired with an amber ale

Smoked Beef Sandwich

Accompany this Smoked Beef Sandwich with an amber ale beer for a delightful pairing that will balance the umami of the beef and goat’s cheese mayonnaise.

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Dark Lagers

These copper or brownish-gold beers are heavy with roasted malts to provide a delightful medium-dark color. They feature notes of nuttiness and caramel which will provide a hint of sweetness. Dark lagers are a popular European-style beer and pair well with foods local to the area where they are made. These include sausage, tomato-meat-and-vegetable-based soups and stews, hearty burgers, and pretzels. Most roasted beers – dark lagers and those below - ones heavy with toasted malt, will pair well with salty foods.

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Recipe Blog - Beer Burger Pretzel Bun - Serve1

Beer-Cheese Burger

Dark lagers are ideal for burgers and pretzels so why not get lots of bang for your buck and try one with this Beer-Cheese Burger on a Pretzel Bun!

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Brown Ale

Brown ales can thank their deep and rich brown color to the toasting of the 100% brown malt. Brown ales feature a higher malt-to-hop ratio which makes these beers neither hoppy or bitter, with pleasant chocolate and coffee nuances to their taste, they can also be dry and nutty as well. Brown ales are not quite neutral, but they aren’t incredibly high in flavor like a double-hopped IPA. Instead, they are flexible and underrated because of the general preference craft brewers have for IPAs. Pair brown ales with sausages, BBQ, pork, and seafood – especially sushi.

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Recipe Blog - New England Style BBQ Lobster Roll - serve2

Lobster Rolls

Try a brown ale with these simple and hearty Lobster Rolls for an exciting combination that should highlight the natural succulence of the lobster and the nutty nuances of the beer.

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Porters

Porters of today are mild and come in various flavors and styles. They are distinctively dark with a rich and toasted aroma thanks to the toasted brown malt which provides chocolate, caramel, and coffee nuances. Porters have a soft mouthfeel, not quite as silky as a stout, but they do feature similar tasting notes. Porters with foods that have a similar taste and texture. Shellfish, silky sauces, BBQ, and game meats are ideal accompaniments.

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Recipe Blog - Elk Stew - Serve2

Game Stew

Dark and dreamy, both the Game Stew and a perfectly paired porter will make any meal hearty and whole.

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Stout

Guinness is the quintessential beer that is made in the stout style. Thick, silky, roasted, not bitter, and well-rounded, with notes and scents of chocolate and coffee. Low in ABV, stouts are great for enhancing flavors of meals without overwhelming the taste of said meal. The light sweetness and creamy thickness of a stout make it perfect for pairing with desserts, shellfish, and BBQ; however, are not ideal for overly fatty or umami-leaden foods. This is true for most malt-heavy beers.

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Recipe Blog - Cottage Pie - Serve2

Irish Cottage Pie

To up the savoury aspects of this Cottage Pie and balance the umami use the same stout pairing for cooking and drinking.

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Recipe Blog - Guinness Brownies - Serve1

Guinness Brownies

The creamy texture and chocolatey coffee notes of the stout used in this recipe for Brownies provide the perfect balance within the dessert as well as a pairing.

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People Also Asked:

What is the Best Way to Pair Beer?

Much like wine pairing, complement or contrast when pairing beer with your barbecued meals. Some prefer to pair lighter beers with lighter foods and darker beers with darker foods. However, the tried-and-true method is to experiment and have fun. It is the underlying flavors in beer, the bitterness, carbonation, and ABV (alcohol by volume) which can dictate how well a beer will pair with any given meal.

Can you Put Beer on BBQ?

YES! Most beers will pair well with a meal made on the BBQ. However, you can also use your favorite beers to cook with, whether you are using them in a sauce, as a baste or spritz, or as a marinade/brine. Beer also goes well in stews, braises, and other hearty fare. Where will you sneak beer into a meal?

Why do People put Beer on BBQ?

Beer tastes good. Beer pairs well with a grilled meal off the BBQ. The bitterness of the hops, the nutty sweetness of malt, and any additional flavors that come from the brewing process, all add to the whole and when incorporated into a recipe for the BBQ, can create wonderful balance and depth of flavor.

What Beer Goes with Barbecued Chicken?

It depends on what you are doing with the chicken. Light lagers and wheat beers will make spicy foods go down easier and help make the fatty fried chicken even more delicious. Smoked and foods made with warming spices like garlic and ginger, pair well with IPA beers. Amber Ale goes well with Jerk and Italian foods, while dark lager style beers will go better with heartier fare like a tomato-based stew. The neutral nuances of brown ales can pair well with grilled chicken on a bun or a grilled chicken salad. Porters and stouts will play well when barbecued or smoked chicken is paired with a silky sauce or a salad with creamy dressing.

What beer do you like to pair with BBQ?

Pairing beer with BBQ is a blast, it's about having fun, experimenting, and knowing that there's no wrong answer. Once you get the basics of beer flavors down, the world of pairing is wide open to your interpretation. Imagine the perfect cold brew complementing your smoky ribs or spicy wings, enhancing every bite. So, make your favorite barbecued meal, crack open a few different beers, and enjoy the delicious journey of discovering the ideal match. Cheers to great food, great beer, and even greater times! Now that you know how to pair beer with your BBQ, what is your favorite, perfect pairing? Share your stories, perfect pairings, and photos of delicious grilled food with us on social like our Facebook and TikTok pages using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.

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Hot chicken sandwich paired with beer

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