It’s Beer Day Britain, a day to celebrate our national drink, forget tea!
The 15th June has been chosen purposely because this was the date the Magna Carta was sealed in 1215. Article 35 of the Charter stated: ‘Let there be throughout our kingdom a single measure for win and a single measure for ale and single measure for corn, namely the London quarter’.
See, ale was so important it was mentioned in one of the most significant legal documents in history.
Beer and food go hand in hand, so it would be remiss of us not to pay homage to the great British pint, all in the name of research of course.
At it’s very simplest, there’s nothing better than eating bar snacks such as crisps, nuts and pork crackling whilst having a beer in the pub or at home.
But, it has now gone much further than that, and in many restaurants these days, including the Michelin starred ones, beer is given just as much prominence as wine when pairing it with food.
On Beer Day Britain, here’s a rough guide for what you should be matching some of your beers with:
Lager: Forget having lager with Indian food; it won’t cool the burn in your mouth, but it does go really well with chicken, as long as you avoid the bland, carbonated, mass produced beers like Budweiser,
Fosters and Carlsberg. A nice crisp Pilsner, try Jever from Germany, is fantastic with shellfish as it helps to cleanse your pallet and it’s also a nice accompaniment with cheese.
Indian Pale Ale – Surely the king of beers (no not you Budweiser), this hoptastic beer is great with a curry as it balances out strong and spicy flavours – the clue really is in the name.
Stout/Porter – These beers are great with chocolate and that is why you find so many versions with chocolate in the actual beer.
Bitter – There’s a reason why the batter on your fish and chips is made with beer and that’s because it’s a match made in heaven, so any English bitter would work well with Britain’s favourite meal.
There are, of course, many other beers out there that go well with food, but our best advice is to try as many as you can (again in the name of research) and once you find one (or 10) you like, see what they are like with the food you are eating – we guarantee they will taste different based on your culinary choices.
As it’s Beer Day Britain, we would also like to know some of your favourite beer and food pairings, or any recipes using beer, so please get in touch.
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
