Tips for pairing food and beer for the holidays
At the 2025 Alesong Holiday Pairing Dinner, we paired Petite Cherry Parliament with a pear and blue cheese salad. The creaminess of the cheese and the honey-mustard vinaigrette perfectly married with the acidity of the beer, resulting in a refreshing opening course that was neither too tart nor too rich.
Beer. Food. Beer AND Food.
They go together like Taylor and Travis. Like Laurel and Hardy. Like Lucy and Desi. Like John and Yoko. Like Peas and Carrots. Like PB & J. Did I get enough multi-generational references in there?
I'm not here to convince you that beer is the perfect partner for your feast this holiday season—I'm here to TELL you it is. And furthermore, I'll provide a little insight into how I pair food with beer, especially Alesong Brewing & Blending beer with menu items you might enjoy during the holidays.
Tips for pairing
When pairing up beer with food, it's important to keep in mind the idea of matching intensity of both the beer and the food. As with wine, lighter beer styles often work with lighter foods (salads, seafood, etc) and bolder beers will often work better with bigger foods (grilled meat, spicy food). Make sure one partner doesn't 'bury' the other. Next, understand the following terms: complement, contrast, and cut.
Complement
Are there flavors in the food that will complement the beer, providing a flavor hook. For instance, could the roasted bits in a juicy beef tenderloin complement a toasty American Brown ale? Would the aromatic lemongrass in your favorite Thai food marry with a dry-hopped Saison? Make sure the flavors sing together but be careful that 'like' flavors don't cancel out similar flavors in the other. That's where the next tip comes in.
Contrast
Often, contrasting flavors can really bring new flavors to the mix. Think how great that sweet and salty trail mix is. In the similar way, a big chocolatey stout can be a great pairing with a cherry cheesecake. Or perhaps a mildly bitter IPA and a sweet and spicy carrot cake? Just make sure that there isn't too much dissonance that they make both untouchable. Think orange juice and toothpaste. Yuck!
Cut
In the culinary world, chefs pay close attention to 'cut'. They are looking for acidity to cut through fatty and rich foods, hence the use of lemon juice or other acid to brighten up flavors. Wine's acidity is a great foil for cutting through these flavors. In the beer world, we have the whole realm of sour beer styles. The increased attention to beers with low ph has opened up a new beer style that goes great with SO many types of foods. Do you have a light chicken salad? Try a lightly tart farmhouse ale. Do you have a rich juicy burger with blue cheese? Try a Flanders Red ale with the perfect balance of tart acids and sweet malty character.
Hops can also provide that 'cut'. One of my favorite things to do is to just pick a hoppy pilsner and have it with any large meal. Slightly bitter hops and light bready malts do the trick in cutting the richness without making you too full. Pale ales and IPAs can do the trick as well if you consider yourself a hophead.
Menu planning
Once you've matched intensities in your beer and food, and thought about how complement, contrast and cut will work, it's time to plan your menu. There are a ton of resources out there. First, go to craftbeer.com. This knowledge heavy site is produced by the Brewers Association and is my go-to resource with several links to articles, videos, and beer style descriptors. Check out this awesome pairing chart - it might be all you need to get started!
Next, you can buy a book. There are a lot on the market. One of my favorites is Beer Pairings: Julia Herz and Gwen Conley cover a ton of information on beer, food, and how we tasted them. It's a little sciency, but very practical. Another great one, partially written by Oregon Brewer (Wolves and People Brewing), Christian DeBendetti, is Beer Bites. You'll find all kinds of pairings and recipes to get started on your exploration. I get hungry just looking at the pictures.
Alesong with your holiday meal
So, you recently grabbed some Alesong beers and you want to show off your newfound pairing prowess. Well, here are some suggestions, and let us know what surprise pairings you find!
Appetizers
Petite Cherry Parliament + Baked brie en croute
You know how some baked brie recipes call for smothering it in fruit? Well, smother it in this tart beer with Oregon grown cherries instead. The tartness will slice through the rich creamy cheese and the beer becomes the ‘preserves’.
Bright Copper Kettles + Duck rillettes, morel pate, and the rest of your charcuterie plate
The deep earthy flavors of the rillettes and pate will hold hands with the fruit character and the mild acidity will clear the richness of the meats.
Salad course
Blossom + Arugula salad with dried cherries and chevre
Again, the tartness from the lemon will cut the creamy cheese and the brettanomyces yeast esters and waft of lavender will marry with the dried fruit.
Main course
Rhino Suit + Cocoa braised lamb
The cocoa notes in the stout are a great complement to the deep chocolate flavors on the outside of the lamb.
Farmhouse cider + Honey glazed ham with pineapple and cloves
The higher carbonation and medium acidity will cut the richness of the meat and the pineapple will compliment with the fruitiness of the cider apples.
Dessert course
Señor Rhino + Mexican flourless chocolate cake with cherry sauce - Chocolate covered cherries with Bourbon anyone? The cinnamon in the cake will marry with the spices in the beer and the cocoa and vanilla flavors will carry it home. The cherry sauce provides an acidic cut to the richness here.
For snacking
Any Alesong beer + Christmas cookies = Santa approved. Trust me.
The possibilities are endless. Most importantly, there are no real right or wrong answers. It is your preferences and your own palate. Experiment and take risks. Eat well. Drink well. Pair well. Be safe and have a great holiday season!
Cheers!
Matt and the Alesong team
