Beer & Burger: The Ideal Summer Pairing You Will Crave For
Food and drink pairings have always been a thing, just like how fries goes well with burgers. You have white wine with seafood, red wine with beef or lamb, and beer with fried chicken. Beer and burgers, when done right, might be the next satisfying pairing you will want to try. Like every food and drink pairing, the trick to maximising your beer and burger combination is to strike the right balance between the two contrasting flavours.
Therefore, whether you are grilling the O.G. beef burger or whatever type of burger it is, there will always be a style of beer to perfectly complement your burger choice.
Classic Cheeseburger
Recommended beer pairing: India Pale Ale (IPA), American Lager, American Pale Ale (APA)
The Classic Cheeseburger is the classic burger choice many go to. Packed with umami, the rich, fatty, and meaty burger with pickles, caramelised onions, and a slice of American cheese is indeed a well-stacked flavour grenade. There are two methods of approach when pairing a beer with the Classic Cheeseburger. The first method is to match the intense flavour of the burger with a beer of similar intensity, such as IPA or APA. Both beers contain enough citrus and bitter notes to complement the burger’s umami.
The second method is to pair with a contrasting beer flavour like an American Lager. With its light and dry note, it easily cleans the palate and preps you to enjoy the maximum beef flavour fully.
Vegetarian Burger
Recommended beer pairing: Saison, Witbier, American What Ale, Belgian-style White Ale
At Wildfire Burgers, we offer a vegetarian burger option called Portobello & Friends. In between a nicely grilled brioche bun are oven-grilled portobello, crumbled feta, semi-dried tomato, butterhead lettuce, and sliced zucchini. When looking for a beer pairing that works well with a vast range of textures and flavours, wheat-based ale is ideal as it goes well with everything.
Egg Burger
Recommended beer pairing: Mexican Lager, American Lager, Berliner Weiss
Wildfire Burger offer an amazing egg burger called ‘The Eggstarter’. The main star of this burger is of course the flavour-packed butter folded eggs. It is then topped with American cheese, chopped chives, caramelised onions, and chipotle mayo. With such a flavour-packed burger, the right beer to match it would be of course a fizzy and tart beer like Berliner Weiss. The acidity of the beer cuts through the overall greasiness. Additionally, either the light Mexican-style Lager or the crisp American Lager would also help cut through the richness of the butter folded eggs.
Chicken Burger
Recommended beer pairing: American Brown Ale, Amber Ale, Apple Cider, Dark Lager
Another option that is not available at Wildfire Burgers, but nonetheless a great burger option to prepare at home, is the chicken burger. Whether you are barbequing, grilling, frying, or baking the chicken, this pairing is all about finding the right complementary flavours. Chicken is naturally leaner as compared to beef and hence, not as flavourful as the latter. To complement the lighter flavour of chicken, looking for a beer that is brewed with crystal malts would be the way to go. With sweet and nutty notes, such beers are American Brown Ales, Dark Lagers, and Amber Ales. Another ideal beer pairing is a surprising choice since it is not actually beer. Off-dry and dry apple ciders provide a well-balanced sweetness that goes well with chicken. Furthermore, it is also suitable for individuals who might be maintaining their gluten intake.
Conclusion
Beer and burgers on their own are equally delicious, but together, they can open a whole new world of flavours. However, you just need to pair them correctly. Now that you are aware of such a pairing, try them for yourself, and you might just crave them every now and then.
If you are searching for the ideal beer and burger pairing, then head down to the nearest Wildfire Burgers shop. We are located at Bencoolen and Keppel. We have got a wide range of burgers and beer options, from truffle burgers and Wagyu burgers to IPAs and Lagers. So, what are you waiting for? Visit us at https://www.wildfireburgers.com/ to check out our menu today!