The beauty of pairing beer with food is that you don’t really need a sommelier to help you make your choices.  Really, taste is subjective and you don’t need a specialist to tell you what you think tastes good.  For soon-to-be-serious beer and food epicures, though, here are some suggestions on how to start your journey toward taste rewards.

You can start by thinking of beer and food combinations along the same lines as wines—by associating heavier ales with red wines and lighter lagers with white wines, for simplicity’s sake.  As a general rule, heavier red wines (and ales) will pair well with heavier foods, as lighter white wines (lagers) would with lighter foods.  Matching strength with strength in this manner will not allow the craft beer to overwhelm the food, or vice versa.

Another way to match foods and beer is to look for commonalities within a group.  These like characteristics will help you choose a good combination—sweet with sweet, nutty with nutty, tart with tart, hearty with hearty, and so on.  It is important to find balance, though, and to always try to make your beer the lesser of the flavors in the profile.  You want your beer to accent the food you are eating, not to overpower it.  Conversely, you have heard the saying “opposites attract?”  This holds true with beers and food as well.  Find those common traits and then switch it up with by contrasting flavors rather than complementing them.  Instead of pairing a spicy Thai dish with a spicy IPA, take a shot at a contrasting flavor, like spicy Pad Thai with a fruity hefeweizen.   And although a light pilsner well complements shellfish, a bitter stout can go a long way toward cutting down the sweetness of oysters or lobster.

When in doubt, you can also go regional.  After all, there is a reason Mexican brews pair well with fajitas or burritos, or German beers taste fantastic with bratwurst.   Development in the same region lends itself naturally to a winning combination.  However, you may limit yourself if you fall back on this standby method every time because a great Belgian blonde ale may be the perfect accompaniment to sushi, but how would you know that unless you ventured beyond the region?

Mostly, though, I would like to leave you with this advice:  because taste is subjective, what works for you may ultimately surprise you.  It’s okay to throw out all the rules and just experiment.  Follow your cravings and your mood of the day, and don’t be afraid to try pairing even the oddest of flavors.  Practice really does make perfect, and there is nothing more enjoyable than practicing with great craft brews and delicious foods.

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Drinkability:  Beer isn’t too sweet and won’t bog you down too much when drunk in large quantities.  So when you find yourself at a festival drinking beer for the weekend, you can have several without feeling as though you’ve overdone it.  And, strange as it may sound, beer is somewhat nutritious.  Well, it’s fat-free and cholesterol free, and packs fewer calories per ounce when compared to most juices, milk, and sodas.  Studies have shown that there are some cardiovascular benefits to drinking beer, too, because of the antioxidants found in the cereal grains used to brew up a batch of beer.

Alcohol:  Yes, some people at times drink beer because there is alcohol in it, and alcohol relaxes your nervous system, helps you unwind after a stressful day, or on a date, or whatever reason you may have for needing to loosen up a little.  That same alcohol content is responsible for starting the beer-drinking trend way back in ancient times, when drinking the water could literally make a person sick.  Thus beer was a staple for the Egyptians and Greeks, young and old alike.  It’s been said that the workers who built the infamous pyramids were given beer three times daily, and scenes of ancient Egyptian breweries could be found on the walls of tombs.  Nowadays, nearly 2/3 of American adults drink alcohol, and of those adults, approximately 41% report that beer is typically their drink of choice.

Cost:  This one is simple. The ingredients in beer (malt, grains, hops, yeast, etc.) are not all that expensive.  It can be made relatively easily on an industrial scale (Budweiser or Coors, anyone?) and even microbreweries, while more expensive to operate, are still overall fairly cheap.  And distribution is easy, too, because once the beer is bottled or put into a keg, it is ready to drink.  No need to add juices or other ingredients to make the perfect beverage.

Food compatibility:  Burgers and beer.  Beer and pizza.  Need I say more?

Variety:  Although beer is comprised of few ingredients, the flavors are complex, varying, and abundant.  Like snowflakes, no two brews are exactly alike, and brewers eager to show off their mad skills are forever working to perfect their craft.  It may be nearly impossible for even the modest beer drinker to not find something they like—or even love.  The result is that brewers are constantly deriving better beers with more flavors, which in turn attract more drinkers, who then encourage brewers to come up with an even better recipe.  The result is a never-ending cycle and as the market continues to grow the competition grows right along with it.

Beer drinking has been around since ancient times, and there is no indication that the love affair will die down any time soon. With new varieties cropping up nearly every day, there will always be something out there for you to love.  Cheers!

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The high demand for these specialty beers, though, is creating a black market, and unauthorized dealers are selling them underground or online for inflated prices.  All in an effort to profit from another’s time, hard work, and passion.

Besides simply taking from what the brewer so whole-heartedly put in to the craft beer, there are other reasons they are opposed to this black market of beers.  Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Company, says that quality control is at the heart of the issue.  “Beer is a food product and it does not take much to spoil it,” she states.  Imbibing in beer that is not at its best can harm the reputation of the brewer, but still, this is not the end of the harmful effects of bootlegging.  There are costs involved in making and selling the beer, underlying costs beyond the obvious expenditures for materials.  There are business licenses, taxes, production costs that aren’t accounted for when the beer is sold underground.

Unscrupulous black market beer geeks work around the alcohol regulations, too, as they often lack the proper permits to sell alcohol.  By marketing the rare craft brews as “collectible beer bottles” and not mentioning the content of those bottles, they have found a way to divert the system, at least temporarily, as eBay for one is working to prohibit these sales.

So what is a beer-lover to do?  How do you legally get your hands on these scarce relics of the industry, the “whales” in the beer community?  First, try beer trading.  You can find traders online on Craigslist, or Beer Advocate (which, by the way, also posts a “Bad Traders List” to help you avoid price gougers and unethical sellers.)  Or you can join a membership club.  You can find friends who are visiting the area around where your favorite beer is located and have them help you obtain a few bottles or cases.  When there is a will, there is usually a way, and there are opportunities out there for nabbing the vintage beers. You may have to be creative, and you may have to be flexible in your choices, but it is possible.

And what should you do if you do manage to score a rare brew?  Devon, from an article found on www.drinkcraftbeer.com, tells of the five basic rules he follows if he is ever able to get hold of his favorite rare beer, Heady Topper, from The Alchemist in Vermont.  First, he says you should never be greedy.  Don’t buy up all the beer in one purchase—the reason you found it in the first place is because the person before you didn’t do just that.  Second, don’t sell it.  He says that “not everything has to be about money all the time.  Just enjoy the beer.”  Third, drink it now!  As I mentioned earlier, beer is a food product and is meant to be enjoyed soon after purchase.  And as Devon says, there is always new beer coming out.  Fourth, share it.  You may get a little less of your favorite but karma dictates that someone you share it with will likely share their next score with you—win-win in my opinion.  And he is quick to point out that you should share some with your not-so-savvy beer-drinking friends.  Help them learn to love craft beer the way you do!  And lastly, beer should be fun.  If you don’t get the exact beer you wanted, no worries, there will always be new and exciting beers out there.  If you ever take beer too seriously…well, just don’t do that.

Do you have a favorite special artisanal beer?  How do you go about obtaining it?  I bet there are plenty of beer lovers out there who would love to hear your secrets!

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So what, you may ask, is a food hall?  It is like a public market, but it is more.  It is a comparable to a food truck, but it is more.  It shares similarities with a mall food court, but it is more.  It is an extended galleria of local vendors, convened for the same purpose—to sell their craft to consumers.  Local, sustainable shop ranging from soaps to cheese to fish to beef, and everywhere in-between.  Restaurants, artisan bakeries, coffee shops, wine and beer stalls, butchers, produce grocers, and much more, all under one roof, where vendors are eager to talk to customers, to share the stories behind their craft.

Food halls, though, aren’t a new concept.  They have been a staple in Europe, Japan, and other places throughout the world.  But in America, we were drawn to the convenience of “fast food” or to the elegance of “fine dining,” and therefore there was no need for any sort of food hall in our culture.  A shift is being made, though, as we are developing a hunger for authentic, homegrown products, real food that we can connect to via the farmers who grow produce without chemicals or even to those who raise livestock in a humane manner.   Food halls give us the opportunity to feed that hunger.

Also, according to the New York Eater, food halls are “another sign of an urban and culinary renaissance that’s happened over the past decade,” that food markets and restaurants have been successful when they are a “destination” for consumers. Customers can find every gourmet food item imaginable, all in the same place, all ready to eat at communal dining areas or ready to take away and be prepared at home.    A food hall is a haven for artisanal and specialty purveyors, buzzy food stalls and upscale restaurants, and as Anthony Bourdain, American chef and television personality, tells M Live, “I think there’s a real appetite for more low-impact, more casual, yet good-quality meal options.  That goes along with a shift in dining habits in general.  On one hand we demand more variety, better quality, more options.  On the other, we seem fatigued with the conventions and time investment of a multi-course, full-service meal.”  So really, we aren’t heading in a direction opposite of convenience, but rather in the direction of local vendors and restaurateurs available to us in one single location.

In short, the food hall trend catching fire across the United States will allow consumers to shop for groceries, for toiletries, for beer, for wine, that is grown or made locally, while also having the option to dine on meals of the same quality.  When all is said and done, who won’t appreciate the convenience?

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We began to see the early signs of our current wing shortage as early as January 2014, when the cost of chicken feed began to drop, but the price of chicken stayed high due to a lack of production. Over the following spring and summer, chicken prices continued to climb despite feed costs remaining low. While chicken production in the forth quarter of 2014 was up, many industry analysts predict chicken prices won’t begin to decline until March 2015; this of course being less than ideal timing as we approach Super Bowl weekend, less than two weeks away.

Over the course of the last year, restaurants across the nation have been testing ways of working around the increased prices of wings. Restaurant owners are responding in one of three ways: increase the price of the wings and continue selling specific quantities, sell wings by the pound rather than a specific count, or present customers with alternative menu offerings. Andy Weiderhorn, Buffalo’s Café CEO, points out that this decision should be based on the surrounding market, since some customers order specific quantities with the notion of splitting the meal, while others aren’t concerned whether they order by quantity or by the pound.

Selling wings by the pound may offer the restaurant more peace of mind. Buffalo Wild Wings tested this tactic in their markets, and it proved to smooth out the volatility in their quarterly earnings. Rather than providing additional profit, this strategy may provide more consistency. Selling wings in specific quantities will result in some quarters with a fewer wings per pound, while selling by the pound means consistency in that the restaurant is selling the wings in the same manner in which they were bought.

Another added expense to keep in mind is transportation and delivery costs. Chicken wings will cost more on the coastlines because the majority of the chicken farming is done inland, in the mid-west for example, and shipping the chickens out to the coast lines takes time, money and resources; though the recent decrease in fuel prices should help to ease transportation costs.

Many restaurants are looking to other options and limiting the impact of the chicken wing shortage on their establishment(s). While Americans consumed over 1.2 million wing portions during the Super Bowl in 2014, there are a host of other popular snack offering available to restaurants as well:

Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest day of the year for pizza restaurants who, on average, will sell twice as many pizzas as they would on any other day of the year, according to the National Restaurant Association.

• Super Bowl weekend is the most popular grilling weekend of the year, second to only Forth of the July, when approximately 14 billion hamburgers will be made.

• More than 11 million pounds of potato chips, 4 million pounds of pretzels, and 2 million pounds of nuts will be consumed on this one day. Anyone care to guess how much salt is consumed?

• For those who like a little avocado on their burger, or guacamole with their chips, nearly 70 million pounds of the super food are consumed during the Super Bowl alone.

• For a lighter, possibly healthier option, get to popping – the popcorn that is. Americans will east more than 3.5 million pounds of popcorn during the game, and for those who skip the butter, this is one of the healthiest snacks of the day.

• Obviously nothing pairs better with football than beer, and that could be indicated by the almost 50 million cases sold on the day of the Super Bowl alone.

Other obvious menu selections will include offerings such as nachos, meatballs, macaroni salad, potato salad, hot dogs and brats. No wonder antacid sales typically increase 20% the day after the Super Bowl.

What’s on your Super Bowl menu? Are you going with traditional finger foods (like chicken wings), or experimenting with something different this year?

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As medical researchers learn more about the health benefits of the darker-roasted coffee beans, touted for their higher level of antioxidants, Americans are buying into the slightly bitter taste of espresso, for example. Consumers who used to brew pots of Folgers in their homes are now heading out to coffee shop where they are “more than willing to wait over a minute for their ground-on-the-spot, individually brewed cup of Joe,” states Katherine Sacks of CulinaryTrends.net. And customers are essentially putting their foot down when it comes to “waterlogged coffee made with over-roasted beans.

Chocolate, likewise, is gaining momentum in the world of healthy eating. The latest research backs up claims that dark chocolate, without being deluged with sugar, milk, and butter, is good for you, working well with exercise to strengthen your cardiovascular health, and thus lowering your risk of heart attack. And the chocolate that we reach for when we are stressed? Imagine our joy at learning that stress hormone levels are reduced as we indulge in a dark chocolate bar!

But what is bitter, exactly? Turns out it is more difficult to define, if not nearly impossible, because the taste is so complex and somewhat elusive. Often it is our tastebuds that determine a bitter flavor, but seemingly as often our sense of smell detects it before our mouth does. And, crazy as it may sound, it may be the texture of a food, or the temperature, that tip us off that a food is bitter. Even scientists are a bit baffled because the “compounds that are perceived as bitter do not share a similar chemical structure,” as concluded by A. Drewnowski in his article written about the science and complexity of bitter taste in an NCBI article published on PubMed.gov.

And this complexity and elusiveness is precisely what is causing the bitter trend expected in 2015. Try it out for yourself with a small piece of 65-70 percent dark chocolate; simply put the piece in your mouth and experience it on your tongue. Your tastebuds pick up many different flavors, and its texture is much more exciting than a bite of mainstream milk chocolate. The same complexity is found in hoppy, bitter beers; in cocktails with a splash of Angostura bitters; in foods that impart a touch of bitter with sweet or with creamy. “It adds a new dimension, and perks up the tastebuds,” says Jorge de la Torre, dean of culinary education at Johnson and Wales University. “It makes you want the next bite.” As Americans are exposed to more exotic tastes, you can bet chefs and brewers, chocolatiers and coffee roasters will continue to experiment with bitter as a means to entice their customers in 2015 and beyond.

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Today, all beers are distinguished as either ale or lager. Really? Only two types? It is true, and it is also true that it is the type of yeast that is the differentiating factor. Brewing techniques, however, play a role as well, and the cold brewing process of a lager serves to slow down yeast activity which then requires the beer to have a longer aging (lagering) period, and the cold environment also inhibits the production of fruity aromas common to ales, which are warm-brewed.
Read on to learn about different versions of ales and lagers and some food pairing and glass suggestions as well.

Ales are produced by top-fermenting yeast, usually at warmer temperatures than the typical lager. They tend to be sweeter in flavor, but sometimes have a fruity or spicy component. Their complexity makes them flavorful, and suggested serving temperature is sometimes warmer than you might expect.

Barley Wine: strong and intense, this beer chimes in at a whopping 8.0-15.0% alcohol by volume (ABV). Sometimes sweet, sometimes bittersweet (depending on the hops), the color is expected to be anywhere from an amber to a deep mahogany brown. The consistency is typically thick. Barley wine ages similar to wine and can be cellared for longer periods of time. This style beer is an excellent pairing for cigars or dessert and is best served in a pint glass or a snifter (06-2774, 08-0278).

Pale Ale: in the UK this beer is malty and woody, but in the US the hops are typically augmented, resulting in a spicier flavor profile. A good balance of malt and hops makes this beer a popular choice, and its ABV is more in keeping with what one would expect from a beer—typically 4.0-7.0%. Easy to drink and light yellow to light copper in color, try pairing your American Pale Ale with smoky or sharp cheeses or grilled foods to complement the flavors and a good, sturdy mug or pint glass is the best option for glassware (08-1147, 07-0764).

Brown Ale: with overtones of toffee, nuts, and chocolate, this beer can be earthy or hoppy. One of the best features of brown ale is the creamy bouquet, noticeably missing any burnt, skunky flavors or aroma. Not too heavy, not too light, the 4.4-6.5% ABV brown ale is perfect with flavors of the fall—root vegetables, squashes, cheeses, and sausage. Serve your brown ales in a mug or a pint glass (08-1548, 06-2730).

India Pale Ale (IPA): over 175 years old, this beer is a mainstay in the realm of beer-drinking. The beer is all about the dominant hops, which gives it its characteristic bitter flare. Ranging in color from light golden to dark amber, with an ABV of 5.5-7.5%, this medium-bodied beer is nicely balanced with citrus overtones and malty sweetness. An excellent pairing with salty and fried food, it also fares well with curries, fajitas, and even spicy desserts (think gingerbread or carrot cake.) This beer is best served in a mug or a pint glass (08-0511, 07-1980).
Porter: A unique blend of old-style and new-style beers, porters have been around forever, but made a grand comeback with the micro-brewery revolution of the late 70s and early 80s. Typically brewed with a malt base the flavor is complex and interesting, with notes of chocolate and a slightly hoppy bitterness balanced neatly by the malt. Dark in color with a 4.0-7.5% ABV, porters are an optimal match for red meats and rich, heavy desserts. Use a mug or a pint glass when serving this beer (09-1190, 07-0764).

Stout: Rich and roasty, a good stout should be full of body, creamy, and silky, opaque in its dark brown to black color, not overly heavy but never watery. A bit on the bitter side, it is balanced by malty sweetness. The bouquet of the beer is similar to its taste, with hints of coffee, chocolate, and molasses. ABV runs between 4.0-12%, with the type of stout determining the various percentages. Heavier foods can be paired nicely with a good, dark stout—marbled steaks, full-fat burgers, and yes, desserts too (in fact, one of my favorites is a scoop of chocolate ice cream submerged in a nice mug of draught stout!) The mug or pint glass is also the best option for serving up a good stout (08-0546, 08-0141).

Wheat: also commonly known as Hefeweizen (Hefe—yeast and Weizen—wheat), is a traditionally unfiltered wheat beer with yeast in it. Pale gold to amber in color, a good wheat beer should be cloudy due to the unfiltered brewing process (but please note that some of the best wheat beers are brilliantly clear!) ABV is similar to the pale ale, generally 4.0-7.0%, and the light citrus notes of the beer are a great complement to summer salads and lighter fish plates. Serve up your wheat beers in a mug or a pint glass, or a pilsner works nicely for better presentation of the foamy head (09-1193, 07-1980, 07-1868).

Lagers are fermented and conditioned at low temperatures and the yeast settles at the bottom of the fermenter resulting in a beer that is less fruity than its ale counterpart. Smooth and refreshing, the beer has become the most popular American style, especially pale lagers such as Budweiser, Miller, Coors, etc. There are other lagers, however, that veer away from the American mainstream and are competitive with microbrew ales in flavor.

Bock: Traditional bock is sweet and very lightly hopped, with a flavor profile of rich, toasty malt and perhaps a bit of caramel. There should be no hint of the hops except to ease the sweetness of the beer, no fruitiness should be found on the palate. Typically this beer is only lightly carbonated, it is clear yet light copper to brown in color. With an ABV between 5.5-7.5%, the bock style ranks high among the lagers. There are variants to the bock as well: maibock is somewhat lighter in color, less malty, and often hoppier than traditional bock, whereas doppelbock is a stronger version of the traditional. While a mug or pint glass serves this glass well, for fun you may try something straight-sided, such as a zombie glass (08-0545, 06-2730, 08-0025).

Pilsner: a type of pale lager, this beer is simple and refreshing. While sometimes rich and creamy on the palate, the balanced bitter and sweet make this a very drinkable beer, and the finish is always clean. An average ABV ranging from 4.5-5.5% puts this beer right alongside most of its counterparts. The lightness of the beer makes it a nice match for roasted meat, chicken, and fish. Pilsners are best served in, well, pilsners, but a nonic style will also enhance this beer (08-0336, 09-0533).

Marzen (Oktoberfest style): Originally brewed in March to be served at the Bavarian Oktoberfest, this beer was cold-brewed and then kept in cold storage over hotter months to protect it from the heat of summer. The ABV ranges from 5.0-6.0% in this full-bodied beer that imparts a dominant malty sweetness and flavors of caramel and earthy nuttiness. Try pairing this beer with sausages such as bratwurst and pepperoni. Serve your marzen beer in a stein or a pint glass (08-0544, 06-2772).

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BEER SERVICE

Pint/Tapered/Mixing:  The simplicity of this glass makes it a good choice for most types of beer.

Mugs/Stein:  Heavy and thick with sturdy handles, these mugs are built to hold beer without breaking, and are often used when the beer is meant to be very cold.  A stein is similar to a mug with one exception:  it includes a thumb rest or a lid.

Pilsner:  Flared at the top to help maintain a stronger beer head that is not desired in darker beers, these glasses serve pilsner and lager beers well.  They are also perfect for holding water, soda, or ciders.

WINE SERVICE

Red Wine:  Generally a larger glass, although one should only be poured to about a third full to allow the wine to aerate.  Designed with a larger rim, this glass will allow the person to smell the aroma while sipping the wine.  Stemless red wine glasses also work well as there is not a concern with the heat transfer from a guest’s hands since the wine is already served at room temperature.

White Wine:   Typically a smaller glass than a red wine glass, the goal is to keep the chilled wine at temperature for the duration of the drink.  Although stemless white wine glasses are available, the wine will stay chilled longer if held by a stem.

Sherry:  Also called a “copita,” this glass resembles a red wine glass, though smaller.  Its narrow rim enhances the strong aroma of sherry or port wines.

Champagne Tulip/Coupe:  Part of the fun in serving or drinking champagne is to see the bubbles rise.  For this purpose, and to keep the sparkle from going flat, the tulip-shaped glass is a perfect choice.  The coupe is an elegant choice for a toast, but keep the serving size low—the short, round bowl of the glass is not optimal for bubble retention.

MISCELLANEOUS GLASSWARE

Beverage/Water/Iced Tea:  Similar in size and shape, these are generally considered a multi-purpose glass and are great for holding main beverages—from water to iced tea, sodas to milkshakes.

Highball:  Usually holds 8-12 fluid ounces.  This glass is typically taller than an Old Fashioned but shorter and wider than a Collins.  Use for mixed drinks that require large amounts of juice, soda, or ice, or as an all-purpose beverage glass.

Brandy:  Often referred to as a “snifter,” this glass is balloon-shaped with a short stem, which allows the glass to be cupped to transfer heat from the hand to the glass, naturally warming the beverage.  The balloon shape traps the aroma of the beverage in the glass.  Typically associated with brandy and Cognac service, the glass has evolved to present aged whiskeys as well.  The bowl of the glass should only be filled to a quarter or a third of capacity to allow the beverage to breathe.

Coffee:  Serves the same purpose as a coffee mug, but with a more elegant appeal.  This glass is perfect for adding a decorative touch to alcoholic coffee beverages.

Collins:  Originally designed to hold a Tom Collins, the glass is now used for serving many different types of mixed drinks.  This tumbler usually holds between 10-14 fluid ounces.  It is distinguished from a high ball by its narrow, cylindrical shape.

Cordial:  Small and dainty, this glass can be used to serve any sweet liqueur, and can also double as a beer sampler when an establishment wishes to maintain an elegant theme.

Margarita:  This glass has an exceptionally wide bowl, specifically designed for the salted or sugared rim often associated with a margarita.  The glass will often have a smaller bowl beneath the large bowl, although this is a purely aesthetic addition.

Martini/Cocktail:  For beverages that don’t call for carbonation or ice.  The drinker can hold the glass by the stem, thus maintaining the chilled temperature of the drink.  The shape of this glass also ensures the full effect of aromatic beverages as the drink is placed directly under the drinker’s nose.  Cosmopolitan glasses are stemless versions of a Martini/Cocktail glass.

Rocks/Old Fashioned:  Generally small enough to hold only ice and the liquor of choice.  Sometimes drinks served with “a splash” of water, soda, etc., or a mixed drink that is smaller (such as its namesake, the Old Fashioned) will be served in a Rocks or Old Fashioned Glass.  A Double Old Fashioned maintains the same shape as a Rocks or Old Fashioned, but holds about one and a half times as much, making it an ideal candidate for beverages served with fruit or other solid ingredients.

Shot/Shooter/Whiskey:   Typically designed to hold just 1-2 ounces of a single liquor or liquor mixed with another spirit or non-alcoholic ingredient.  In general the beverage is not sipped but rather “shot” quickly, although this is not always the case.  The shot glass is also often a bartender’s choice for measuring the alcoholic ingredient in a mixed drink.  Shooters are normally taller than a shot glass, and whiskey glasses are usually a bit wider to accommodate ice when requested.

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