made TO MATCH

Matching food and beer isn’t fussy or formal – it’s about exploring and experimenting to find what works. When talking about beer and food matching, try our three guiding principles – selecting a beer to complement, contrast or cut.

INDIAN

The spice in Indian dishes means they pair really well with refreshing, cleansing beers like lagers and pilseners. Try a hoppier pilsener or pale ale to cut through the spice of a hot curry.

ASIAN

For very subtle, delicate fresh flavours in asian cooking, lighter lagers are often the best match. Creamy or citrusy asian dishes are also a great match with wheat beers. 1. You can choose a beer because of a flavour that complements the meal, like the rich maltiness in a dark beer paired with roast beef. 2. Or you can choose a beer because of a flavour that contrasts with the dish – like a hoppy bitter beer with a sweet dessert. 3. Because of the hop bitterness in beer, it also does a fantastic job at cutting through certain flavours like spicy foods and cleansing the palate. Remember, the best beer and food match is the one you like the most!

RED MEAT

Darker meats tend to be great matches with darker beers. Ales, dark beers, NZ draught styles, and some specialty styles typically have a malty sweetness, and can have roasted, nutty flavours, which complement red meat very well.

POULTRY & FISH

The more subtle flavours of chicken or fish dishes can be overpowered by intensely flavoured beers, so think about pairing with lighter beer flavours. Lagers, pilseners, pale ales and ales can be great choices.

MEXICAN

The clean, fresh tastes of Mexican food pair well with lagers and pilseners, which are refreshing, cut through spice and won’t overpower the more delicate flavours of fresh Mexican food.

ITALIAN

Italian dishes are often characterised by rich tomato and herbs, or by creamy, cheesy sauces. Pilseners do a great job of cutting through the rich or creamy sauces, while a pale ale complements zingy fresh herbs.

CHEESE

Here are some broad suggestions for different styles of cheese – Soft, rich cheeses are often well matched with lagers or pilseners, Tangy, nutty cheeses with ales and dark beers and strongly flavoured aged cheeses are fantastic matches with dark beers.

DESSERT

There is a huge variety of flavours in desserts, here are some broad ideas: Dark beers are a great match for any dessert with chocolate, coffee, toffee or caramel flavours. Wheat beers are also a great match for desserts. Desserts with hazelnuts or walnuts are fantastic with amber ales or best bitters. Go to madetomatch.co.nz for more information and great recipes!