CRAFTconditioned

I admit it, I’m a big nerd for a good flavor profile, whether that’s a meal, a cocktail, a beer, or even coffee. One area that I haven’t been so well versed, though, is pairing flavors together.

Although I claim that I don’t drink beer while I’m eating (I’ll enjoy it before or after a meal), beer and food pairings have always appealed to me. A well-thought-out pairing has the ability to enhance a meal in a unique way. So, last month, I decided to begin exploring the topic by learning the basic principles and thinking more consciously of complimentary flavors (and mouthfeels).

To get inspired, I reached out to some local beer-industry people, who I knew were doing their own experimentation with pairings. I posted the result of these conversations on DC Beer (read A Winter Beer Pairing Primer).

Those conversations gave me some basic pairing guidelines and ideas for how to approach food in the coming winter months. To practice, I now select a beer that I think will pair well with one of the meals I eat each day. Even if I have a meager selection in the fridge (or I’m not drinking), I consider what I’d enjoy pairing with the meal in front of me. I then assess what I like and don’t like about the pairing I chose, which helps me refine my selections in the future.

My favorite pairing to date? It’s hard to say, but I had a particularly good time sampling a flight of farmhouse and pale ales, looking for the perfect mate for a wild mushroom pizza.

Which beers and foods do you best like together?