Pairing Suggestion: Sweet Potato Ravioli 

I found this beer pairing suggestion while I was researching food pairings for Harpoon Brewery. This is a  great suggestion because the malty backbone and fruity esters create a resonating base layer which ties these two together. Then, the sweet potato and bitter hops keep each other in check, not letting the other get too overwhelming through most of each bite. But it's the hops that get the last laugh as they help cleanse the palate alongside the alcohol and carbonation.  Your palate is left refreshed and ready for another bite.

Red Brick Brewery is another brewery that takes their beer pairings seriously.  They list several pairing suggestions with each beer just to make things easy for you or a beer blogger who hasn't tried any of their beers.  

I found this beer pairing suggestion buried deep in Red Brick's newsletter from last year. I love this pairing because I love Double IPA's! I couldn't have said it better myself and so I won't.  

Suggested Beer Pairing:  "The hop bitterness and citrus notes of the IPA balance,(or cut) sweetness and richness,(fat), of food and emphasizes spiciness,( chili pepper heat). Our IPA goes great with strong, spicy food such as Chili, Cajun food, and hot ethnic dishes such as Curries, Hot Thai and other Asian foods such as Korean dishes and Szechwan cuisine. Pairing our Double IPA with cheese requires the strongest and tart cheese tastes. Veined cheeses such as Blue, Roquefort, and Gorgonzola provide the strong tastes that stand up to the bitterness and citrus taste of the beer."

I love it when breweries supply food pairings for their beers. The folks at Heavy Seas beers have a wonderful website that explains their beers and provides some interesting beer pairings. This saves me a lot of calories in experimenting and sometimes they come up with something totally unexpected like carrot cake.

Pairing Suggestion: Carrot Cake

This is a wonderfully complex beer pairing. The sweet malt backbone helps build a subtle base between the beer and the cake. Hop bitterness and sweet cake keep each other in check, preventing the other from become too overpowering. The spices in the cake resonate with the herbal hop flavors making them more pronounced.  Loose Cannon has the last word, though as it cleanses the palate with its resinous hop bitterness.

If sweets aren't your thing you should try their cheese spread recipe. This sounds delicious!

The folks at Karbach Brewing Company are thinking big and bold, like everything Texas, with their beer pairing suggestion: Hopadillo IPA and wings!

One thing to keep in mind is that hops tend to accentuate spices. So keep that in mind when you order your wings.  If you can't get enough spice, then go as hot as you can get but if you have a more delicate palate then you may want to order a milder version. 

Either way IPA's are great for dishes that have assertive flavors because they can hold their own. In other words, you won't ever think "Was that my beer or water I just drank?" Their assertive hop profile and elevated alcohol content do a great job of cleansing the palate and getting you ready for the next bite. 

I have been humbled by the response from some of these breweries to my beer pairing requests.  Hinterland Brewery, went above and beyond the request and provided 12 different pairings for their beers!  Below you will find their pairing suggestions for IPA.

Pairing: sweet potato fries with curry aioli

First of all this is a great contrasting pairing in itself. The sweet starch flavors of the fries balance the spicy aioli sauce and vice versa. Each keeping the other from becoming too pronounced. 

Paired with an IPA, the starch and sweetness of the fries help to balance the bitterness of this beer.  This counteracting pairing works the same way as the fries/aioli pairing; they keep each other from becoming too pronounced. The IPA bitterness actually kicks the spice up momentarily before it and the alcohol cleanse the palate. 

If IPA's aren't your thing or you aren't looking to kick up the spice, then I suggest you try Hinterland's Pale Ale.

The folks at Great Divide Brewing Company provided a couple "official" beer pairings for your enjoyment. I love this pairing because it steps outside the burger and pizza pairings.  GDBC suggests you kick your Thai curry up a notch with Titan IPA. 

The Titan will make those curry spices explode so make sure you serve up some rice with this dish. You'll be glad you did!

If Thai curry chicken isn't your thing, don't worry.  AllRecipes.com has a bunch of other curry recipes that will pair well with the Titan. Click the curry picture or AllRecipe.com logo below to get this or another curry recipe  for this pairing.

This is the second installment in a new pairing series/collaboration with the website They Draw and Cook (TDAC).  TDAC is a truly inspiring website with hundreds if not thousands of illustrated recipes by artists from around the world.  As you can imagine each recipe’s style and content is as unique as the artist who illustrated it. TDAC is a “veritable who’s who” of artistic styles and recipes as you will find painted, collaged, drawn, and digital renditions of scrumptious salads, mouthwatering main dishes, decadent desserts and so much more! 

For this series, I have picked five recipes from a compilation book of recipes TDAC had published last year but you can also find them on TDAC.com.  I have picked one breakfast-y recipe, one salad, one appetizer, one main dish and one dessert AND paired each recipe with one and sometimes two different beers! 

Today I have picked another uncommon beer pairing. Unless you have been to a beer pairing dinner, pairing beer with a salad may seam a little odd. But this one isn't odd it's delicious! Admittedly, it can be a challenge to pair fresh fruit and especially fresh veggies with beer (even after you have tasted as many beers as I have) unless you come across a recipe like this! This salad is a perfect pairing with a specialty offshoot category of American style IPA's. Namely the rye IPA. 

This pairing works for several reasons.  First, the beer's citric hop flavor and bitterness complement the delightfully bittersweet pink grapefruit flavors perfectly. So perfectly that if it weren't for the crunchy parts, you might find it hard to tell where the salad ends and the beer starts. Then the earthy flavors of the avocado and the nutty-spiciness of the arugula resonate with the beer's subtle rye spiciness.   The carbonation plays a double role in this pairing.  First it causes a momentary burst of spicy flavors as the the rye, arugula and pepper mix together before the beer's malt sweetness and avocado take over keeping everything in balance.  And as always, the carbonation, the alcohol and the dry finish help to cleanse the savory avocado off the palate as you swallow.  A crisp and refreshing way to cleanse the palate before your next bite.

If you can't find Ruthless Rye IPA then use any rye pale ale or IPA especially if your local brewery makes one. Freshest is the bestest!

Specific Beer Description: Ruthless Rye IPA pours a crystal clear copper with a cascade of tiny carbonation bubbles rising from the etching in the bottom of my glass.  The pillowy, off-white head has staying power with some decent lacing on the side of the glass.  Lemon peal, pine and earthy hop aromas (a mouth watering combination) ready your palate for what's to come. Ruthless Rye's crisp hop bitterness gives way to a wonderfully smooth earthy hop flavor. However, the caramel-like malt sweetness and the rye malt spiciness balance the bitterness before it can become to intense. The malts then morph, what could be an over the top aggressive, hop bitterness into a smooth and refreshing grapefruity flavor. My overall opinion is that you should try this beer!  Ruthless Rye doesn't have the one-sided bitterness that turns so many people away from trying other IPA's. The mix of spice and citrus hop flavors make this beer an awesome partner for salads that include bitter greens or citrus.

1. If you liked this pairing or love this recipe let the artist know and spread the love around. The artist and I would appreciate the extra publicity!

2. You can and should order this fabulous cookbook on TDAC.com.

3. These illustrations are copyrighted.  You may not use them for any commercial reason without express written consent from the artist.  You may, however, print them for your own use.  Click the recipe which will take you to TDAC and from there you can download a high resolution copy or print a copy of this recipe.  

American IPA Style Description: 
Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas. 
Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used in this style has very little dark color the head will be white to off-white and should persist.
Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics in and an American IPA.
Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

Other IPA's:  Titan, Furious, Stone IPA, Two Hearted Ale

General Beer Pairing Suggestions:  
Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.   

I love IPA’s! They are refreshing when it is hot out and their warming alcohol keeps you warm when it is cold.  These beers pair well with many foods especially savory or sweet foods.  The bitterness and alcohol help cleanse the palate of savory foods like cheeses or fried foods and the bitterness also helps keep the sweet foods in check.  But if you want to spice things up a bit drink an IPA. The bitterness momentarily emphasizes the spice but the alcohol helps to refresh the palate just like a tortilla chip. 

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese!  Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

These pairings will revolve around one particular cheese, of course and I will briefly describe each cheese and include any catchy trivia I learn along the way. Nearly every cheese will have two and sometimes more beer pairing suggestions.  The beer descriptions will make up the bulk of each post as I will describe the specific beers and their sub-styles. Each beer description will end with an explanation of why I think you should pair each beer with a specific cheese variety.

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here!  

Monviso Blue has a soft and creamy texture and is full of salty mushroom (almost meaty) flavor goodness. The blue specks add a welcome contrast to the texture and the salty mushroom flavor.  The burst of blue cheese flavor appears just in time before your senses overload on cream and mushroom. 

American IPA
It takes a flavorful beer to stand up to a blue cheese and American IPA's are up for the task.  While the Redhook IPA is a great starting point for IPA beginners I would suggest a more powerful IPA such as Titan or 60 Minute IPA.  They have a more aggressive hop flavor and bitterness that resonates quite well this Monviso Blue.

The citric hop flavors help the blue cheese flavors burst above the cream in the cheese momentarily while the hops and malt balance and contrast the salty cream flavors nicely.  Really, it is almost like eating a big grilled steak while enjoying a crisp IPA.  The beer does finally win in this pairing as the hops, alcohol and carbonation scrub and refresh the palate.  Or does it, as you will likely crave another bite of cheese after that last drink!


Examples:  Two Hearted Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Hop Devil Ale, Raser 5, Titan, Blind Pig

Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas.
Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.
Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.
Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

Food Pairings: Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.

HopHeadSaid:  I love IPA’s! They are refreshing when it is hot out and their warming alcohol keeps you warm when it is cold.  These beers pair well with many foods especially savory or sweet foods.  The bitterness and alcohol help cleanse the palate of savory foods like cheeses or fried foods and the bitterness also helps keep the sweet foods in check.  But if you want to spice things up a bit drink an IPA with some spicy salsa.  The bitterness momentarily emphasizes the spice but the alcohol helps to refresh the palate just like a tortilla chip.

*Photo credits: Photos linked to their source.
Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese

Recently, I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese!  Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new.  Also, be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here!  

Cabot Clothbound is a cheddar style cheese that is wrapped in a muslin cloth and then aged for a year or so in a deep dark cave. The cheese is cared for and tended to often while it is aging. This labor intense maturation program produces an incredibly complex range of flavors that start with a pleasant sharp cheddar-ness that gives way to a sweet caramel flavor and finally rests with a toasted nuttiness. 

Below is a short video (less than 7 minutes) that chronicles the making of Cabot Clothbound.

American IPA

This beer pairing is all about the hop flavor/bitterness and the sharp cheddar flavors.  The citric hop flavors resonate with the sharp cheddar creating a more intense, bright hop/cheddar flavor. But in a wonderfully pleasant way. The initial hop and cheddar flavor burst is quickly dispelled by the malt sweetness and the caramel flavors in the cheese. The caramel sweetness also acts as an extra balance against the hops, if you aren't so keen on the hops.

Examples:  Two Hearted Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Hop Devil Ale, Raser 5, Titan, Blind Pig
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas.
Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.
Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.
Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

Food Pairings: Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.

HopHeadSaid:  I love IPA’s! They are refreshing when it is hot out and their warming alcohol keeps you warm when it is cold.  These beers pair well with many foods especially savory or sweet foods.  The bitterness and alcohol help cleanse the palate of savory foods like cheeses or fried foods and the bitterness also helps keep the sweet foods in check.  But if you want to spice things up a bit drink an IPA with some spicy salsa.  The bitterness momentarily emphasizes the spice but the alcohol helps to refresh the palate just like a tortilla chip.

American Brown


This pairing is all about the malt flavors.  The beer's malt caramel-like flavors resonate with and accentuate the toasted nuttiness found in the cheese.  This creates a pairing that is more balanced towards the sweet side which helps to cover up more of the hop flavors/bitterness and tamp down the sharp cheddar flavors. This beer is hoppier than most browns but that works for this pairing as you need a little more counterbalance to work against all the cheese.  This beer also has a good amount of carbonation and alcohol in this beer which helps to cleanse the palate.


If you cant'f find this particular beer, I suggest you start with Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head, Bender from Surly Brewing Co or Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewing Co.

Serving Temp:40°- 45°
Glassware:Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Hints of sweet chocolate, caramel with toasted nuts are typical of this style.  Some American browns have pronounced hop aromas especially if they are dry hopped.
Appearance: Pours clear brown to dark brown with a light tan head.
Flavor:  Pronounced sweet malty flavors reminiscent of caramel and chocolate are balanced by elevated hop flavors and bitterness.
Mouthfeel:  Medium-full body that finish fairly dry due to the hops and elevated carbonation levels.
Food Pairings:Cuisine: Barbecue. Cheese: Earthy, Nutty. Meat: beef. Dessert: Chocolate.

HopHeadSaid:  I prefer American brown ales over English brown ales because of the elevated hop profiles. The hop profiles help balance the toasted caramely/chocolate sweetness keeping the beer refreshing without limiting the beer’s pairing ability. The assertive hop intensity means the malt flavors have to be increased making it a great pairing beer for grilled foods, assertive cheeses and chocolate desserts.

*Photo credits: Photos linked to their source.
Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese

Recently, I had the pleasure of "researching" my newest pairing project ... Beer and Cheese!  Kelly Briglio and Tina Thayer, owners of Paradise Pantry, took time to sit down with me and explain a little bit about cheese but more importantly they indulged me for two hours while we tasted eleven different cheeses and seven different beers. This series will detail each of those cheeses and the beers that brought a little extra life to them.

At the beginning of each post I will briefly describe the highlighted cheese. Below the cheese description you will find the beer pairing suggestions. Most of the cheeses will have at least two detailed beer pairing suggestions and some will have three! The beer suggestions will include detailed descriptions of each pairing as well as detailed descriptions of the beer.

If you live in or near Ventura, CA be sure to stop in at Paradise Pantry and say hello and buy some cheese especially if these pairings inspired you to try something new be sure to let Kelly and Tina know you read about them here! 

Terza Birra (literally translated: one-third beer) is and Italian cheese made with one part beer and two parts cow's milk. This semi-soft cheese highlights the delicate bready malt flavors found in many European pilsners. Herbal spicy Pilsner-like hop aromas and flavors add another layer interest and remind you that beer was used to make this cheese.

Bohemian Pilsner
Pilsner Urquell is a great pairing with this cheese because it resonates (amplifies) the complex malt and hop profile flavors in the cheese. The unifying malt flavors blur the lines between cheese and beer and except for the liquidness of the beer it would be hard to tell where the cheese ended and the beer picked up!

When you buy a pilsner be sure to buy a brand that is either in cans or in a closed box.  Green bottles do little to block harmful light rays that cause a chemical reaction in the hops that produces a "skunky" aroma in the beer. Skunking can happen in a matter of minutes so make the extra effort to ask for a six-pack that hasn't been sitting under the fluorescent lights or in any amount of sunlight.  If you don't, you will likely end up with skunked beer.

Examples: Gambrinus Pilsner
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware:Flute, Pilsner, Seidel, Stange or Stein

Aroma:Complex spicy hop aromas, very little malt flavor, no fruity esters or diacetyl.
Appearance:Light to deep gold, crystal clear with a white head.
Flavor:Crisp with a pronounced bitterness and a complex malt profile that softens the hop bitterness.
Mouthfeel:Medium-light body accentuated by softer water, decoction mash, and lower carbonation level
Food Pairings: Cuisine: Spicy Indian or Thai curries. Cheeses: sharp (blue, cheddar). 
HopHeadSaid: My favorite of the pilsner subcategories.  These beers are well balanced and complex if you take the time to dissect them OR they can be the perfect lawnmower beer; flavorful and thirst quenching.

Bohemian Pilsners are for people who would like a more pronounced pilsner malt taste yet crave the crisp balance of the noble hops. The hop flavor and bitterness is present only to balance the perceived maltiness that is accentuated by the medium body and carbonation. The medium to medium-full body and lower carbonation levels allow the sweet malt to coat your mouth before they are cleaned away by the lazy carbonation and spicy noble hops.  This beer should still pour crystal clear and have a long lasting white head.

American IPA
This is a great example of complementary pairing. A complementary pairing is one that seamlessly adds new flavor layers or combines flavors to make a new flavor. The beer's light toasty malt profile adds depth to the bready malt flavor in the cheese.  The beer's hop profile -aroma and flavor- combines with the cheese's hop profile and creates a new, incredibly complex layer.  The resulting layer has an herbal spicy depth that is balanced by a bright and cleansing citrus surface. 

Also, Redhook's Longhammer IPA is a milder American style IPA but if you are a true HopHead or really adventurous then you may want to try a more hop forward IPA like Racer 5 or Hop Devil.


Other Examples:  Two Hearted Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Hop Devil Ale, Raser 5, Titan, Blind Pig
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pint Glass, Mug

Aroma: Think citrus (grapefruit), resinous pine, or even tropical fruit. There may be a slight sweetness present from the malt but the hop aromas will most likely cover up those aromas.
Appearance: Colors will vary from medium gold to a reddish copper but they will all be clear unless they have been dry hopped and then there may be a slight haze.  Because the malt used has very little dark color the head will be white to off white and should persist.
Flavor: IPA’s are all about the hops (bitterness, flavor and aroma) and so there will be medium to high amount of hop flavor and bitterness that will reflect the American hop citrus qualities (citrusy, floral, resinous, pine).  Malt flavor will be low to showcase all the hop characteristics.
Mouthfeel: You can expect a medium body with a pleasing mouth puckering bitterness (think grapefruit) that helps to dry the beer out and creates a thirst quenching, refreshing beer.

Food Pairings: Cheese: Pepper Jack. Meat: Fish, smoked salmon. Cuisine: American, Mexican.

HopHeadSaid:  I love IPA’s! They are refreshing when it is hot out and their warming alcohol keeps you warm when it is cold.  These beers pair well with many foods especially savory or sweet foods.  The bitterness and alcohol help cleanse the palate of savory foods like cheeses or fried foods and the bitterness also helps keep the sweet foods in check.  But if you want to spice things up a bit drink an IPA with some spicy salsa.  The bitterness momentarily emphasizes the spice but the alcohol helps to refresh the palate just like a tortilla chip.



*Photo credits: Photos linked to their source.

Topics: Food Pairing, Beer Pairing, Cheese Pairing, Beer and Food, Beer and Cheese