How to Taste Beer and Pair It With Food

Tasting beer with more attention does not require special equipment or formal training. It mostly involves slowing down and paying attention to a few specific things each time you drink, in roughly the same order a trained taster would use.

The basics of tasting

Look

Pour the beer into a glass rather than drinking from the can or bottle, since this allows aroma to develop and lets you see the beer properly. Note the colour, which can range from pale straw to deep black, and the clarity, which ranges from completely clear to hazy or cloudy depending on the style and brewing process. Also observe the head, the foam on top, including its colour and how long it lasts.

Smell

Before tasting, bring the glass close and smell the beer. Aroma makes up much of what we perceive as flavour, so this step matters more than it might seem. Try to identify broad categories first, such as fruity, floral, roasted, spicy or earthy, rather than searching for a single precise descriptor straight away.

Taste

Take a reasonable sip and let it spread across your tongue before swallowing. Consider the balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness, the body or weight of the beer in your mouth, and the finish, meaning what flavours and sensations remain after swallowing. A finish can be short and clean or long and lingering, and both can be appropriate depending on the style.

Temperature matters

Serving temperature changes how a beer tastes considerably. Very cold temperatures mute flavour and aroma, which suits simple, refreshing lagers well. Fuller bodied ales, stouts and barrel aged beers generally show more character when served slightly warmer, closer to cellar temperature, since this allows subtler aromas to come through.

Principles of food pairing

Pairing beer with food follows a few general principles that can be adapted to almost any meal.

Match intensity: light, delicate dishes generally suit lighter beers, while rich, heavy dishes can stand up to stronger, more assertive beers without being overwhelmed.
Contrast or complement: you can either choose a beer that shares flavours with the dish, such as a roasted stout with grilled meat, or one that contrasts with it, such as a crisp, bitter pale ale cutting through a rich, fatty dish.
Consider carbonation: beer's natural carbonation helps cleanse the palate between bites, which makes it particularly effective with fried, fatty or creamy foods.
Watch for clashes: very bitter, hop forward beers can sometimes clash with naturally sweet or spicy dishes, making the bitterness taste harsher than intended.

Some general starting pairings

Pale lager or pilsner: works well with lighter fare such as grilled chicken, salads or seafood, thanks to its clean, crisp character.
India pale ale: suits bold, spicy or richly flavoured food, since its bitterness and strong aroma can stand up to strong seasoning.
Stout or porter: pairs naturally with desserts involving chocolate or coffee, as well as grilled or smoked meats.
Wheat beer: a flexible partner for lighter meals, salads and many South African outdoor dishes, thanks to its refreshing, slightly tangy character.

These are starting points rather than fixed rules. Personal preference plays a large role in pairing, and part of the enjoyment of craft beer is experimenting with combinations to find what works for your own palate.