There are four main ingredients in craft beer: malted barley, hops, yeast and water. Malt and hops flavors tend to be the most prominent and are easily then paired with foods. Carbonation in beer also plays an important role when it comes to pairing beer with food as well.
Malt
Malt is beer’s principal raw material. Malted beer usually has accents of chocolate, coffee and caramel. Malt has a specific sweetness to it that can reduce the heat of spicy food. Whenever you are eating a spicy Thai dish try it out with a malty brown ale or check out a Scotch ale with spicy Mexican. Spicy ethnic dishes have become part of the American diet and are paired with craft beers to lower the heat threshold.
Malts to consider:
Hops
Hops are the spice of the beer. They provide a bitterness to balance the sweetness of the malt, as well as flavors and aromas that range from citrus and pine to earthy and spicy. A lot of what’s incorporated into the American diet has a rich sauce that is added with fat or butter. Hops has a bitterness that can counteract rich sauces, cutting through the fat in the food and lessening the heavy and dense feeling in your mouth. Hops brews are usually the soul of many craft beers. Keep in mind that Hops intensify spices and heat so it’s better to pair them with just rich or fatty foods.
Hops to consider:
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