If you like to drink light beers, you'll want to pair them with lighter foods. Just like you would pair a milder dish with a mild, sweet wine and a bolder dish with a bolder wine (or white meats with white wine and red meats with red wine), you'll want to think light with light when you look for good food pairings for light beers.
This doesn't mean you can only drink light beer with salads, but it does mean that a light beer will go better with a piece of grilled chicken or a hamburger than it will with a heavy beef stew or a strong brie or blue cheese. Instead, pair milder flavors with the milder taste of light beer, making it a great match for a slice of cheese pizza or a grouper sandwich.
Light beers are also good as counter-balances for spicy foods. If you're serving a spicy seafood dish, you may wish to downplay the spice with the light beer since it will provide a refreshing alternative. Just realize you won't be able to taste the subtle flavors of the light beer once you've introduced the spicy food.
Light beers complement mild, nutty flavors such as mild cheddar cheeses, farm cheese and potato and cheese dishes. You may want to serve a light beer with a potatoes au gratin dish flavored with small pieces of ham or with an appetizer of mild garlic cheese bread. You could also serve light beer with a mild chicken wings appetizer or at a fish fry complete with french fries and coleslaw.
Just remember to serve the same light beer with a meal if you've used that beer to cook the dish. For example, if you use a particular light beer to make a beer batter for a fish fry, serve that same beer with the meal later on. This will prevent any conflicting flavors.
 | If you love different types of beer, you'll want to pair it with the right food to bring out the unique flavors in your favorite brew. Check out these types of beer and beer pairings for some ideas on making the perfect food and beer matches. |
 | When pairing food with lager beers, you'll need to pay attention to what kind of lager it is. Pale lagers go best with lighter foods such as crispy torillas filled with spicy Mexican foods or nachos with salsa and cheese. Darker lagers are more commonly served with meals, but can be consumed with some appetizers also. |
 | Microbrew beer is beer that is crafted in a small brewery instead of a large commercial brewery. Microbreweries are classified as such only if they produce fewer than about 15,000 barrels of beer annually. |
If you're looking to pair food with your favorite pale ale, you should take a look at heavy, full-bodied menu choices. Pale ales have full-bodied flavors, so you need to pair them with foods that have strong, hearty flavors and can stand up to the ale. A good pale ale can play up the spicy heat of spiced foods or it can balance a robust beef dish. |
If you want to taste a variety of beers, why not consider hosting your own beer tasting party? While it might not be reasonable to taste a dozen different beers on your own in one sitting, it can be a feasible event if you invite a few friends and pour small servings of each beer for comparison. |
