Wine has always been hailed as the ultimate beverage to consume with food. Yet many certify that beer is just a good match…if not even better! This Friday, a bunch of industry experts from F&B space have shared some insights on what factors make beer & food pairing important. Read all about it below.

Session kicked off with a common question aimed at all the panelists where they had been asked to mention their favourite beer style and a dish they’d like to pair it with. There were some interesting responses shared across the room and one thing which stood out was:

“It’s hard to choose one beer style when I love everything about a beer. But to choose one, I’d say a pint of New England IPA on a nice sunny day paired with a dessert like. Lemon meringue pie. For me, the sweetness from the pie balances the bitterness and lemon like flavours go along with the fruitiness in a beer. The carbonation in beer cuts through the creaminess of the pie.” – says Anudeep Mutyala.

“Despite brewing for a long time, I still like light lagers. They can be paired with any dish as they have a clean flavour profile. Korean fried chicken is something which I like to pair it with. It washes down quite easily.” – says Harshvardhan Jadhav, Innovation Brewer, Bira 91

“I like a clean & crisp lager. It is my go-to beer style. Simplicity of a lager is what I really admire. Lagers pair well with almost any dish.” – Anish Varshnei, Co-founder, Latambarcem Brewers

“I personally love Belgian Witbiers. I love to pair that with kadha chicken which is spicy and flavoursome. Carbonation really cuts through that spiciness.” – Vikas Seth, Chef & Culinary Director, Embassy Leisure

“I personally love Stouts. Coffee, chocolate and caramel are the flavours that I look for. A grilled steak would be my ideal choice of pairing.” – Aslam Gafoor, General Manager, Luxury Dining, Dineout

“Dry Stout is my go-to beer style and my choice of dish would be either a tenderloin steak or a mushroom risotto.” – Jeethu Kandathil, Culinary Head, Fresh Menu

“I prefer either session pale ale or a hoppy Lager to pair them alongside a mutton sukka or even a pandi curry.” – Lynette Pires, Lead Brewer, 7Rivers Brewing Co.

“People who know me know that I binge on session beer most of the time. English Bitter is my preferred style as it is low in ABV and very sessionable. It has floral character with fruit flavours. It can be paired with fish & chips, mushy peas or even a mild cheese like a Leicester on the side.” – George Jacob, Brewmaster, The Beer Chronicles.

As the session progressed, there were individual tailored questions for each panelist based on their background and area of interest.

When asked about the thought process that goes behind a beer & food menu curation in a microbrewery, George Jacob, Brewmaster at The Beer Chronicles responded saying:

“Beer is such a versatile drink. We don’t really think about what’s on the menu from a food perspective. Anytime a new beer comes on tap, we have a sit down discussion with chef’s to see what goes well with what. At the end of the day, it’s customers who choose to pair any food they like.”

Some of the other key learnings were focussed more on beer and food flavour interactions. Items such as graham crackers, coffee beans neutralize sensory perception during beer tasting sessions. It is important to reset the palate before you sip on a different beer style.

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