As one of the world’s oldest prepared alcoholic drinks, Beer plays a part in the culture of many countries and in our social lives. With so many different kinds of beer, it can be overwhelming to decide how to pair beer with food for the best experience. Fret not! Whether you’re a casual beer drinker or a zythophile (Yes, that’s an official term for beer lovers!), we’ve got an easy pairing guide from the experts at Niang Brewery Co. It’s even tailored to local Singaporean tastes!
3 Simple Pairing Tips
While there are no set rules on how to pair beers and food, here are a some simple guidelines to keep in mind:
Complementary flavours – An easy way to pair beer and food is to choose flavours that complement one another. Try to find similar taste and aroma profiles of food to complement with the beer. Examples include Roast pork with hoppy pale ales, and pizza with IPA.
Contrasting flavours – When making a pairing by contrast, try to pick a beer or dish with distinct flavours that won’t overpower each other. For instance, darker style beers like Stouts/Porter go well with dessert or cakes, Malty IPA can go with the spiciness of Thai food, and savoury umami dishes go well with sour beers.
Body – The term ‘body’ simply refers to the weight or thickness of a beer. Beers with higher carbonation go well with high fat dishes as they help to cut away the richness of the fat – the ideal choice for refreshing your taste buds!
Food Pairings by Type of Beer
We can take a closer look at pairings by choosing food based on the type of beer and specific flavours. Have a look at these local beer and food pairings from Niang Brewery Co:
Warming Spirit – Saison Ale (6.3% ABV)
Spicy | Bright | Fruity
This farmhouse style Saison is delectable, with its champagne like dry crisp & long complex finish of banana & white grapes, coupled with hints of spicy aromatic of black pepper, ginger, coriander seeds & bitter orange peel.
Suggested Food Pairings:
Confection Cure – Pale Ale (5.2% ABV)
Refreshing | Crisp | Hoppy
This Pale Ale is inspired by the humble dessert Cheng Tng, and embodies it with it’s amber hue appearance, balanced malt flavour and lingering bitterness, paired perfectly with its subtle fruity aroma of melon, mango & lychee.
Suggested Food Pairings:
- Roasted Pork (Sio Bak)
- Teochew Braised Duck (Lor Ark)
- Margherita Pizza
- Chocolate Truffle Cake
Trooper’s Arrow – Porter (6.0% ABV)
Nutty | Bittersweet | Biscuity
This dark Porter style ale is brewed with roasted malts and fresh hops, leaving behind a luscious nutty, chocolate & caramel flavour with hints of prunes, dark cherries, molasses & even Luo Han Guo (Monkfruit).
Suggested Food Pairings:
- Orh Luak (Fried Oyster Omelette)
- Char Kway Teow
- Rogan Josh (Indian Lamb Curry)
- Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake
Forbidden Ballad – West Coast IPA (6.5% ABV)
Aromatic | Bold | Velvety
This India Pale Ale (IPA) has a full bodied forest profile, intertwined with distinct notes of pine, tropical fruits & honey, coupled with hints of tangerine, grapefruit, dried apricot & pineapple.
Suggested Food Pairings:
- Charcoal Grilled Pork Ribs
- Sambal Stingray
- Satay Beehoon
- Walnut Carrot Cake
Not Home Alone – Sour Ale (5.8% ABV)
Fruity | Tart | Nostalgic
This Sour Ale is kettled sour with Lactobacillus and brewed with delicious White Peach & Rock Melon. Its refreshingly balanced juicy & tart mouthfeel is finished with peach & melon nuances, and wisp of rambutan and watermelon from the Galaxy hops.
Suggested Food Pairings:
- Steamed Flower Crab
- Smoked Pork Ribs with Slaw
- Thai Green Curry Chicken
- Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Wild Card – DDH Pale Ale (5.5% ABV)
Hoppy | Vibrant | Tropical
This Double Dry Hopped (DDH) Pale Ale balances unconventional flavours. Its light to medium body masks the explosion of pineapple, honeydew, lemon rind & herbal tea
Suggested Food Pairings:
Until We Travel – Farmhouse Ale (6.3% ABV)
Floral | Dry | Earthy
Brewed with pilsner, rye & wheat malt, fresh hops, sweet Osmanthus & dried Kumquat, this farmhouse ale emulates subtle notes of floral & earthy aromas, & finished with a complex & tart mouthfeel.
Suggested Food Pairings:
Now you’re all set to experiment and try your own beer and food pairings! As the experts at Niang Brewery Co say, “We believe that there is no scientific metric to define how beers should pair with a particular food/dish. Ultimately, food is a subjective, cultural & personal experience and we want to enable our customers to develop the palette to be able to decide which beer tastes with which food.”
Stay tuned for more beer and food pairing tips coming up on our Instagram @helloyoripe
About Niang Brewery Co
Niang Brewery Co (酿) is a local craft beer brewery that started in Nov 2020 with the premise to make fresh local beer and to use food as a catalyst to invoke a sense of exploration & discovery.
Shop for their inspired craft beers on their website – https://www.niangbrewery.co