Everyone has heard about how to pair wine with food for a successful dinner party, but if you are looking to do something a bit more unique, you’ll want to learn more about beer pairing dinners. With the growing popularity of craft beer and even cooking with beer, this is becoming one of the favorite ways to entertain. Here are a few tips for successful beer pairing dinners that you and your guests will enjoy and remember.
- Taste Test Beforehand– Just as you wouldn’t make your guests be guinea pigs with a wine you’ve never tried, you’ll want to have a taste test in advance to make sure the beers you’ll be serving are palatable. If you are determining the pairings yourself rather than use a catering professional, be sure to sample the foods with the beers so you can be confident the pairing works as you expected.
- Consider Heat of Dishes– Spicy, hot foods pose more of a challenge than other types of foods because alcohol can exacerbate the heat. If you do plan a spicier menu, consider malt-forward beers.
- Pair to Entire Meal- A common mistake is to pair the beer to the protein only when sometimes it is the sauce that takes center stage. This is not unlike how a red wine can go with chicken when it has a rich sauce.
- Expect it to Take Time– Pairing beer with food can be challenging and that is complicated by the fact that someone else could have a different reaction than you do. Keep in mind that there isn’t one right way to pair and that pairing is a personal experience, so don’t get so caught up in it that you forget to have fun.
If you want to skip the challenge part and get right to scheduling beer pairing dinners where the pairings are done by a professional, give us a call at Purple’s Side of the Table. Chef Purple has teamed up with one of Charlotte’s beer experts, Certified Cicerone® Kit Burkholder from Trackside Crafts in Pineville, North Carolina, to create amazing beer pairing dinners you and your guests will love. We will customize the dinner with beers you personally select to provide an exceptional experience. Contact us today to learn more.