When pairing beer with food, remember the three Cs – complement, contrast and cleanse. Use one or two of the three Cs and your pairing will be a hit.
Complement – Choose beer with a similar profile to that of the dish. If it is a sweet or fruity dessert then a pale beer brewed with fruit should do nicely.
Contrast – Contrasting a beer’s flavors against a dish can be equally satisfying and often more memorable. For instance serving a subtle and sweet wheat beer with a spicy Thai or Indian dish can work to balance the hotter flavours of the meal.
Cleanse – Most beers work well at cleansing the palate because they are carbonated. That’s why bubbly beers like Pilsner are great with rich or fatty foods like pizza or barbecued meats.
Beer’s cleansing role can also be similar to serving a refreshing sorbet between courses.
And of course never forget a sense of occasion. When you are having a sophisticated function you need to bring along a sophisticated beer. The Matilda Bay Brewer’s Reserve beers for instance are handcrafted beers of real personality and flavour – so if you are cooking something a little different, then why not give a different style of beer a go?