Beer
How to pick the perfect beer
When choosing the perfect beer, the starting point is the time and place: what’s the occasion? For example, a summer barbeque will demand something ‘sessionable’ and refreshing, whilst a dinner party will suit beers to savour.
The first aim is to match the intensity of the beer and food flavours. We can make the beer complement the food, or be in contrast. Beer is better than wine for food matching because its carbonation and acidity make for perfect palate cleansing.
The flavours in beer come from three sources: the malt, the hops, and the yeast. Classic ales are malt-driven, often with caramel and toffee notes. Hops provide both bitterness and aroma. Yeast makes its own fruity flavours in ales, whilst wild yeasts and bacteria make sour and funky flavours in lambics.
There are well over a hundred recognised beer styles, including different geographic interpretations (such as British and American IPA), but the most commonly available are:
BRITISH PALE ALES AND BITTERS: Quenching bitterness, balanced with toffee and fruity notes, these beers boast sufficient cleansing power to complement fried foods and meals such as lasagne or vegan mac and cheese.