Are you even grilling if you don't have a beer in hand? We're big believers in the magical alchemy of smoky, charred meals and bright, hoppy drinks. SKOROD Team member Julia Bretz has been cooking with beer pairings in mind and has come up with the following tips and tricks!
Sour + Seafood
Dill Salmon, Chipotle Potatoes and Asparagus with Black Truffle Sea Salt paired with a Backacre Beermakers Sour
This was the night of cooking with dip mixes! I prepped the salmon with 2 teaspoons of Dill Dip Mix, Maine Sea Salt, and fresh cracked pepper, wrapped it all up in tin foil and cooked the packets on a medium to high temperature charcoal grill. The grilled potatoes are seasoned with Chipotle Dip Mix which proved to be a delicious and simple way of spicing things up.
When I’m eating salmon or a white fish, a crisp sour beer is a fun way to go. Sours aren’t “crushable” beers, so they’re nice paired with a dish that isn’t super spicy or leaves you parched. In Portland, Maine, we’re surrounded by breweries with incredible sour programs, specifically Oxbow Brewing and Allagash Brewing Company. The beer paired with this dinner is close to my heart -- a sour from Backacre Beermakers. These beers are hard to find and require a special trip into the middle of nowhere Vermont. Indulging in a sour beer isn’t an experience to rush through – it's celebratory and special. Try subbing out champagne or sparkling wine for a fancy sour this summer!
Lager + Crunchy Spicy Corn
Soy-Miso Dressed Corn from Serial Griller paired with Oxbow Brewery's Norther Lager
Who doesn’t love grilled corn in the summer? This dish from Serial Griller caught my eye before I fell in LOVE with the flavors. The soy-miso was sweet and salty while the togarashi and sesame seed spice blend was delightfully spicy. Topped with fresh cilantro, the only thing this dish needed was a refreshing beverage. I chose Oxbow Brewing’s 4.5% Northern Lager. I go for Lagers or Kolsch beers when I know I’ll be craving something easy and light. Spice and salt always makes me crave something I’ll want to sip on after each heat filled bite. Oxbow’s Northern Lager was delicious and helped ease the heat! This is also a fabulous moment to indulge in a Coors Original, PBR, or Narragansett. Summer is all about having fun, so giving a crushable beer its time to shine is fun too.
Pale Ale + Red Meat
Picanha with Chimi de la Mesa from Serial Griller paired with Burlington Beer Company's Pale Ale Elaborate Metaphor
When I found this dish in Serial Griller, I knew it needed to be on my immediate list of meals to make. The chimi de la mesa is gorgeous and loaded with fresh herbs and a ton of garlic. Red meat on the grill goes perfectly with a Pale Ale. Burlington Beer Company is one of my favorite breweries and I knew their Elaborate Metaphor would be a great fit. Pale Ales are refreshing and their flavor profile, being a bit stronger than lagers or Kolsch beers, is a great balance with a big steak flavor. I will say that when I started eating the dish, the chimi de la mesa carried enough heat and bold flavor that this particular dish could also have been paired with a double IPA. Double IPAs have a higher alcohol percentage and work well with big spicy bold flavors. They’re a bit too strong for me personally but if you’re looking for some great options, take a peak at Definitive Brewing Company or Bissell Brothers. Both breweries are masters of big beer flavors!
