Winter Warming Beer and Soup Pairing | Mendocino Brewing

I?m a big fan of soups, and while beer and food pairing continues to catch on at bars and breweries around the country, I?ve realized that soups are generally under-represented. This is a shame, because soup and beer grew up together! Around 6000 BC, the advancements in clay pottery made it possible for ancient cooks to boil water long enough to extract the flavors from foods and gave ancient brewers a cleanable, sealable fermentation vessel. Later, in 18th century Germany, soup and beer even out-shone coffee and tea as the breakfast beverage of choice. A popular beer soup breakfast drink included beer, eggs, butter, more beer and salt, soaked up by a white roll and perhaps sweetened with sugar!

You might not want to take your beer and soup pairings quite that far,but beer does add a new twist of flavor when paired with a steamy bowl of soup. Add a new dimension to your next serving of soup with a few beer pairing tips, and mix your favorite flavors.

One of the best things about pairing beer with food, including soups, is the ability to balance the spiciness of the food with the hop or malt profile of the beer. An IPA will bring out spicy flavors, while a malty beer will help tame the heat. Enjoy your favorite spicy chili with a sweeter beer like Eye of the Hawk, which will complement the rich, meaty flavor of the dish while balancing the intensity of the spices.
If you like your foods spicy, though, then set them free with an IPA. Turn up the heat of a body-warming soup like a spicy gumbo with our White Hawk Select IPA or take it to the next level with the Imperial IPA!

For tomato-based soups, try a gently hopped wheat beer like a hefeweizen. The fruitiness of the beer will help to counter the acidity of the tomato.For a richer, cream-based tomato soup, such as tomato bisque, reach for a classic pale ale like Blue Heron Pale Ale. The stronger hop profile will help cut through the cream and butter of the bisque while also subduing the tomato acids.

Broth-based soups can vary in flavor and intensity, and should be paired based upon their main ingredients. An amber ale like Red Tail Ale complements gentle, savory soups such as chicken noodle with its subtle nuttiness and light sweetness. Mushroom heavy soups, however, can be pleasantly accented by the earthy flavors of a brown ale.

Rich beef stews love an equally rich, roasty porter. Think thick broth, chunks of carrots and onions and hunks of tender seasoned meat. The hearty malt character of a porter will stand up to the strong flavors of the stew, while its dark roast will accent and intensify the seasonings. Pair this winter favorite with our Imperial Stout, or, for lunchtime dining, perhaps the slightly tamer Black Hawk Stout.

As with any food pairing, your personal taste should be the final decision as to what beers you choose to drink.

So fill the bowls, pour the beer and sip on a taste of history! Who has a favorite soup pairing they want to share? Tell us about it in the box below. Cheers!

Source: http://mendobrew.com/blog/283_winter-warming-beer-and-soup-pairing/

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