Do it. Could you think of a more perfect thing? It’s not just a cookout, it’s a beer dinner cookout. Come to think of it, every cookout should be a beer dinner cookout.
Flying Dog’s got an article up about this on their BeerDinners.com as well as a truly frightening picture, but.. well.. it’s Flying Dog, so they’re only recommending Flying Dog beers. Which is cool. They make good beer. Tire Bite is one of my favorite summertime session beers.
But I just wanna throw out a couple of style choices, instead, and hopefully get some recommendations from others. When pairing, I tend to shoot for one of three things: 1) Flavors that will complement each other. 2) Flavors that will build on one another. 3) How to use beer to scrub the palate after particularly heavy foods. Here’s what I’m looking at as a potential menu for my Memorial Day Cookout along with some possible pairings.
Brilliantly Prepared Food | Beer |
Smoked Pork Shoulder aka Carolina ‘Cue and Smoked Brats | Smoked Porter or Rauchbier |
Masala Grilled Chicken | IPA |
A Bacon Explosion | Saison |
Pasta and potato salads | Witbier and/or Kolsch |
Chocolate cake | Raspberry Hefeweizen or a good tart Kriek |
What about you? What’s on the menu? And, more importantly, what beers are going with it?