While burgers and beer are an all-time classic, beer can actually accompany any kind of food. Whether your menu includes Cajun, Thai or an organic farm-to-table spread, there’s a beer to go with it. Craft beers drinkers are especially interested in experimenting with different tastes and styles of cuisines. Good craft beers can be paired with any style of cuisine and part of the fun of the whole craft beer scene is tasting all the possible combinations.
Craft beer is an attitude
All right, we know, craft beer is actually small-batch beer that’s made to be consumed within a few months of the production date. But it’s also an attitude to beer, food and life, which is very different from more conventional kinds of beer. For one thing, craft beer drinkers tend to be more willing to experiment with different tastes and flavors, whether it’s the beer or the accompanying food. As many as 86% of all craft beer drinkers prefer to choose seasonal beer flavors.
Second, they are also heavily into organic and healthy foods, including sustainably and humanely raised meats. This makes seasonal menus with local produce a winning combination with craft beer lists. Craft beers have quickly grabbed a sizable segment of the beer market, and now account for $19.6 billion in sales annually.
Begin with the classics
Craft beer drinkers don’t forget auld acquaintance and the combination of beer and burgers has a special place in the hearts of pub food lovers. Add in the fries and that’s one version of culinary heaven. Just because foodie establishments have gone all sophisticated and global, that doesn’t mean burgers get left out. Americans still eat burgers 4.3 times a month. We’re not sure how that 0.3 works, but overall, it means that people are eating them at a rate of over one per week.
Burgers have kept up with food trends, and now come in many different varieties. On the one hand, there are the exotic flavorings, like Cajun, sriracha and Korean BBQ. And on the other hand, burger eaters have embraced the move towards healthy, organic, grass-fed meats and your burgers can be antibiotic- and growth hormone-free, humane, and delicious. All of these good food producing practices are also more environmentally friendly. See what we mean by attitude?
New food pairings for craft beers
Many bars now have seasonal menus to complement their offerings of good craft beers. Whatever the meal, whether it’s lunch, dinner, brunch, or an all-day barbecue, you can vary the food accompaniments to good craft beer almost endlessly. Apart from different kinds of burgers, many beer pubs now offer food and beer tastings and even classes. Beginning with fine cheeses and charcuterie and moving on to humus and Irish nachos, there’s a whole world of food to discover.
Seasonally inspired menus are also a way to sneak color and vegetables onto plates. Locally grown produce has many advantages, with the fresh taste being the foremost. Cutting down on long distance transportation and refrigerated storage also means reducing the carbon footprint, which is an idea that craft beer drinkers can get behind.
Good craft beers can be combined with almost any kind of food, for any meal and any occasion. They reflect an attitude that’s adventurous, open and concerned about the environment and sustainability. And in case you were wondering, Irish nachos really are a thing, and of course, they have a potato base. They’re French fries, topped with diced bacon, Colby-Jack cheese, scallions and jalapenos, with ranch dressing on the side.