People constantly talk about how awesome wine pairs with food. What people aren’t quite aware of is that craft beer is often as good and sometimes better when paired with food.

 

Beer, with its wide range of flavours, can go places where wine simply cannot. For example, wine struggles to pair well with extremely sweet dishes like chocolate where beer excels. For every dish that wine does well, likewise there is a beer that will be more than up to the task.
 

Here are examples of food-beer pairings that may tantalize your taste buds:

 

If pork and Saison is a brilliant pairing, siew yoke and Saison Dupont is a revelation. The salty crust of the siew yoke is brilliantly balanced by the inherent sweetness of the saison while the spiciness of the beer picks up on the peppery notes of the pork.
 

The dish’s meatiness stands well amidst the earthy tones of saison, leading to a meld of lovely porky flavours. The gentle carbonation of the saison will lift the oil and fat off your tongue, cleansing your palate for another meaty assault.

 

Beef Rendang is my favourite Malay dish. It’s sweet, salty and spicy all in one. Kooinda’s Milk Porter is the ideal match for beef rendang; it’s robust enough to stand up to the dish’s strong flavours while bringing out the subtle sweetness and bursts of spice.

 

The sarsaparilla note brings out the star anise in the dish while the lactose dose gives the santan an apparent lift. The beer’s full body adds a touch of creaminess to every mouthful.
 

If you’re chasing heat and spiciness, pair a big hoppy beer with a curry.
 

Mikkeller’s The American Dream is an Imperial Pilsner, which goes brilliantly with dry goat curry.

 

The subtle flavours of the goat curry stand out with the floral and citrusy hoppiness of the beer, giving it an added dimension. The beer further lengthens and intensifies the heat.
 

That said, the crispness and carbonation brilliantly lift the oils off your tongue and refreshes your palate making the pairing incredibly moreish.