By Executive Chef Sean Z. Paxton

When sommeliers develop wine lists, they take many factors into consideration such as current reviews, stature of the winery, how a wine will fit on an existing beverage list and whether the wine would be best sold by the glass or by the bottle. Fortunately, for both diners and chefs, restaurants are increasingly paying attention to these details not only for wine, but also for beer. Craft Beer sales have seen double digit growth for the last several years, creating an influx of high quality brews for beer lovers to explore. As the portfolio of beer options expands, more and more patrons are learning about microbrewed beers and the flavors they possess. A sommelier would not offer four or five chardonnays that are lackluster; however, when it comes to beer, this has been the trend for decades. Beers that have typically been offered to restaurant guests are those that are commonly available at commercial locations such as chain grocery stores. Would the same approach be taken with wine? Thankfully, for beer aficionados and amateurs alike, the days of offering a single style of beer on a beverage list is nearing an end.

When it comes to pairing beer with menu offerings, the process is much more complex than simply choosing between “red or white.” In order for beer to complement a meal, it is important to consider the many flavor components unique to that particular beer. First, one must think about comparing flavors in a dish with the inherent flavors in a beer style. With 91 different styles to choose from, there are copious flavor elements that can enhance any breakfast, lunch or dinner dish. If a dish has sweet, malty, caramel toffee undertones, especially if caramelized shallots, onions, leeks and/or garlic are used, try offering an Old Ale, Wee Heavy, American or English Brown Ale, German Bock/Doppelbock, Belgian Dubbel, Märzen or Rauchbier (smoked Märzen lager). These styles will not only enhance the layers of lusciousness, but provide extra depth of taste for the diner, giving dimension to the match between food and beer in new ways.

It is essential to keep in mind that beer has elements, such as bitterness, sourness and carbonation, which most wines don’t strive to embody. These distinctive components can add sophistication to a menu, highlighting particular characteristics of ingredients featured in dishes. People who enjoy bitterness (in endive or dandelion greens), sourness (from vinegars to citrus) and roast (espresso to dark chocolate) flavors in foods, will appreciate similar tastes that are expressed in beer. Take India Pale Ale (IPA), which was designed with a heavy hand of hops to preserve the beer on its long voyage from England to India, creating a bitter finish in the brew. Today, IPA’s are no longer one dimensional. They embody a very diverse spectrum of flavors, ranging from heavy citrus (orange, grapefruit, tangerine and lemon) elements, to more herbal, piney and dank characteristics, leaving behind the notion of just bitter beer. Sour ales (Lambics, Berliner Weiss, Flanders Red Ale or American Sours, both barrel-aged and stainless) create new combinations for a guest to experience, giving the beer the essence of acid, instead of the dish, to strike a perfect balance between the two throughout a meal.

The explosion of the Craft Beer Movement has pushed brewers to re-define styles and explore new flavor combinations. This new brand of brewers are artisans who craft beers by sourcing ingredients (malt, hops, yeast and sometimes culinary ingredients like fruit, herbs, spices, vegetables and flowers) much like chefs do; so it is not surprising that kitchens and breweries are increasingly working together. If you are looking to take your beverage menu to the next level, find a local brewery near your restaurant and schedule a meeting with the brew master, who can teach you about what goes into the brew, the historical attributes of the style and how brewers construct building blocks of flavor that can be exploited in a pairing or when cooking with the beer. If you’re lucky, they will also collaborate with your restaurant, to create a beverage specifically designed to go with a particular food.  

This ultimate marriage of food and beverage came to fruition when Russian River Brewing Co. founders, Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, were asked by The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group to create a brew to work with the food of Bouchon and Ad Hoc restaurants. After several talks, a beer named White Apron was crafted, a Pilsner style of beer, more hoppy than traditional, with a unique twist added to the style. White Apron works with food so well, that the holy grail of fine dining, the French Laundry, has also used it as an ingredient in dishes.

Moving beyond traditional French and American cuisine, more and more restaurants are offering ethnic dishes that are influenced by global gastronomy. Internationally-inspired menus can be a different set of challenges when finding the ideal partnership between beer and fare, but by playing around with a wide range of beverage and food flavors can lead to success for both the bar and kitchen. Establishments such as Alchemy in San Diego feature a variety of cuisines, pushing conventional boundaries beyond what most would label a typical gastropub. Alchemy challenges its patrons to experiment with their taste buds and try something new. “It’s a rich experience when food and beer come together for the diner,” explains owner Matt Thomas, “beers should be paired with food, just as wine would be. Beers are just as complex (if not more) adding layers of taste to the meal.” In addition to five beer taps, Alchemy offers many beers in bottles, including local and seasonal varieties, chosen carefully for their flavor and their ability to complement the food. Just as the menus are seasonal, so is the beverage list, working together to give diners a unique twist in one location.

There is an art to creating a Craft Beer list, just as there is when carefully selecting the right wines to offer patrons during a fine dining experience. There are many things to consider when adding beer to a wine or beverage menu. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as just offering the newest or most rare beer to a customer. Other considerations have to be taken into place, such as the service education. When introducing new items on a beverage menu, staff should be trained in the style, flavor attributes and history of a brew, including how to pour the beer (should the yeast at the bottom of the bottle stay in the bottle or mix into the brew) and how to pour a perfect head. Furthermore, the bartender should be trained on proper storage of the beers. This includes keeping beer out of direct sunlight, in a cool environment and properly rotated, to ensure freshness, depending on the style. Some beers age well, others should be consumed sooner than later. Even the glassware should be examined. Glasses like goblets or chalice, flutes, snifters, tulips, steins, stange and weizen, create proper presentation of a beer and will add a dynamic effect for the diner, just as a bottle of wine is presented at the tableside, opened and poured. The cleanliness of the glassware also should be considered, as a residue of detergent can not only leave a soapy flavor to a brew, but also diminish a beer’s head, destroying the Belgian lace on the side of the glass.

In order to help restaurants, bars and eating establishments, Ray Daniels has created the equivalent of a sommelier for the beer industry, coining the term Cicerone. He has designed a certification program at Cicerone.org that trains and educates servers, bartenders, beverage managers and restaurant owners on understanding beer culture, criteria that break down all the elements from beer storage, aging, draft systems, proper glassware, serving beers at the proper temperature, all the way to covering the history of beer. Ray suggests that another way to introduce beer selections to customers is to “offer not only bottled beer but, using your draft system, try offering patrons samples of seasonal brews. This helps demystify the beer and educate them at the same time.”

In addition to being a great ingredient in cooking, beers can also be used in cocktails. Many restaurants trying to offer new mixology options, embrace the element of beer in their drink concoctions. Beer adds carbonation and complexity in flavors that can mimic old school bitters. This is just one of many ways beer can increase restaurant sales and move beer inventory.

Restaurants like Beer Belly in Los Angeles are embellishing their menus with suggested pairings to offer a better dining experience and often times resulting in increased sales on the final check. Owner Jimmy Han’s menu showcases many different flavor combinations, including a dish on their brunch menu called “What Hangover?” an Eagle Rock Brewery Solidarity Ale Marinated Short Rib served with Bacon, Egg & Cheese Fries paired with the Harvest Saison from Craftsmen Brewing Co. Jimmy explains, “It comes down to my passion of food and as a foodie, then using beer as a vehicle to elevate the pairing to new heights and educate the customer more about how the beer is made and where the flavors come from.”

Beers, like fruits and vegetables, are also seasonal. The time of year influences what we like on our palates. In the heat of summer, refreshing styles like Kölsch, Mild, Pale or Hefeweizen beg to refresh our palates, while the fall harvest brings cravings of Ambers, Smoked Porters, Stouts and Bocks. Then winter’s cold nights plead for richer and heartier alcoholic brews like Barleywines, Wheatwines, Winters Warmers and Holiday Brews. It’s hard for diners to resist desserts paired with spiced ales or pumpkin ales this time of year. Looking for a great fall brew? Look no further than the Autumn Maple from Orange County’s The Bruery, which infuses this seasonal beer with roasted yams and maple syrup.

At The Alembic in San Francisco, Owner David Mclean embraces flavor on all of his menus, whether it
be food, cocktail or dessert. His approach of offering elegant, well thought-out dishes transcends throughout the beverage menu. Sure a nice Malbec or Cab would pair great with a beef tongue slider, composed with fried green tomato pickles, red onions, arugula and a horseradish aioli. However, an herbal IPA, English Bitter or Oatmeal Stout would complement the food and help eliminate palate fatigue, especially when many small plates are ordered to be shared.

Offering your guests better beverage options will create an opportunity to stand out among the pack of other neighborhood restaurants. Expanding the beer list to be more thoughtful to the dishes being served, the cocktail crowd or the multi-course dinner can aid in creating memories for the diner, just as a great bottle of wine can. The insurgence of Craft Beer isn’t going away.

Developing beverage lists to include a greater selection of Craft Beer that is designed to complement the restaurant’s cuisine can be a win, win for both the restaurant world and the craft beer scene. Presenting guests with a unique selection of beer options was once extraordinary but is quickly becoming more ordinary, thanks to craft beer crusaders who redefine the industry standard for West Coast drinking and dining.