Garrett Oliver with one of his Brooklyn Brewery beverages.

Beer Pairing

A smoky Gouda, a buttery brie, a simmering spicy stew of lobster and chorizo, a decadent slice of chocolate cake . . . and beer?

Oliver suggests matching a Trappist ale with hanger steak.

"Beer can contrast the food, and it can also harmonize with it."

"Believe it," says Garrett Oliver, "brewmaster" of New York's Brooklyn Brewery. "Beer can contrast the food, and it can also harmonize with it. It also cleanses the palate so every bite is fresh."

For years, Oliver has been spreading the gospel of good beer and the joys of pairing it with food. He's been tasting beers from around the world as well as brewing his own for two decades. His book The Brewmaster's Table discusses many of the surprising and delicious beer-food matches he's discovered. Beer with cheese, beer with seafood, beer with a caramelized charbroiled steak - he's a believer that there's a brew for nearly every dish.

"Beer actually has a wider range of flavor to work with than wine does," says Oliver. "Traditional beer can taste strongly of caramel or oranges, coffee, chocolate, bananas, smoke, and other flavors. It's easy to find harmonies with particular foods once you're familiar with the full range of beer flavors."

Don't know where to start experimenting? You can always enroll in Oliver's periodic pairing classes in New York City. (Similar pairing nights are also held at Chicago's Goose Island Beer Company, Dogfish Craft Brewed Ales in Philadelphia, and at the Jack Tar Bar and Grill at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco.).

Or, you can just start by trying one of Oliver's favorite combos: a smoked beer (a specialty of Bamberg, Germany) with Mexican food. "Spicy food is a hard match for wine. But the smoky flavors of this beer link up with the earthy flavors in beans and in corn masa." Other unusual combos he recommends include sharp cheddar with an India Pale Ale, a Trappist ale with a hanger steak, or a Belgian Pale Ale with turkey.

And what about that beer with chocolate cake?

"Strong stouts match up perfectly with chocolate," he says, "as do the sweet raspberry beers Belgium is famous for. Try it! Get out there and explore."

Posted on May 29, 2006