THE BEST LIFE_FOOD
Beer, Meet Food
“GOOD FOOD CAN MAKE GOOD BEER TASTE BETTER, AND VICE VERSA,”
SAYS AVIRAM TURGEMAN, A BEER SOMMELIER AT CAFE D’ALSACE IN MANHATTAN.
HERE’S HOW HE MATCHES THE TWO
Pizza, mackerel +
Pilsner, lager
WH Y I T WORKS
Structure A dry, crisp
beer with balanced hops
can overcome strong
flavors, like seasonings
on pizza, or the oiliness
of fish. Plus, the hops
can scrub your tastebuds bet ween bites,
enhancing the flavor of
both beer and food.
HEALTH BONUS
When steaks were soaked
in pilsner for 6 hours
before panfrying, a suspected carcinogen in the
meat was reduced by
as much as 88 percent,
according to a Journal
of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry study.
TURGEMAN’S PICK
Jever Pilsener
also try . . . Stella Artois,
Kronenbourg 1664
Burger, chicken,
lamb +
Amber ale
WH Y I T WORKS
Intensity “Strong flavors overwhelm light
beers,” says Turgeman.
That’s why you need a
complex, heavier brew.
HEALTH BONUS
The hops in a beer like
an amber ale may help
lower cholesterol and
prevent blood clotting,
according to a 2007
study published in the
International Journal of
Food Sciences and
Nutrition.
TURGEMAN’S PICK
Fischer Amber
also try . . . Sierra Nevada
Pale Ale, Samuel Smith’s
Nut Brown Ale
Beef, sausage,
pork +
Farmhouse ale
WH Y I T WORKS
Region European beers
taste great with meat
cooked in European
styles. Carry the lesson
to other cuisines, to complement undertones in
each: Asian beer with
sushi, a Mexican cerveza
with tacos, and so on.
HEALTH BONUS
The barley used in ale’s
brewing process contains flavonoids—a group
of compounds, also
found in wine, that may
interfere with the multiplication of cancer cells.
TURGEMAN’S PICK
Saison Dupont
also try . . . La Choulette
Blonde, Castelain Blond
Green salad, egg +
Belgian white
WH Y I T WORKS
Weight/body Citrus-packed, lighter wheat
beers make food taste
fresher and cut through
the richness of yolks
or hollandaise sauce.
HEALTH BONUS
Wheat beers may help
lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, say
Austrian researchers. A
test-tube study found
that compounds in beer
helped prevent tryptophan degradation and
neopterin production,
t wo factors that are
linked with coronary-artery disease.
TURGEMAN’S PICK
Gruut Belgian
Wit Beer
also try . . . Hoegaarden,
Blue Moon
Cheese, salmon +
Trappist, Abbey
WH Y I T WORKS
Body/strength The mild
sweetness and yeastiness of Trappist beers
play off the charred flavors of smoked or grilled
food or pungent cheese.
HEALTH BONUS
Brewer’s yeast contains
B vitamins, protein, and
minerals, but it rests
on the bottom in Trappist
beer bottles. So pour
most of your beer
into a glass,
then swirl the
last bit to pick
up the yeast.
TURGEMAN’S
PICK
Chimay
Red
also try . . . Leffe
Blonde, Goose
Island Matilda
Chocolate, fruit +
Stout, Porter,
flavored lambics
WH Y I T WORKS
There are no rules
“Experiment with sweet
beers,” Turgeman says.
“You can make great
combinations.” To cap off
a dinner date, pair choco-
late with cherry lambic.
HEALTH BONUS
The black-cherry juice in
cherry lambics is higher
in disease-fighting anti-
oxidants than cranberry
and orange juice are,
says a 2008 UCLA study.
TURGEMAN’S PICK
Lindemans Kriek
Lambic
also try . . . Smuttynose
Robust Porter, Young’s
Double Chocolate Stout
Photograph by PLAMEN PETKOV, food styling: Brett Kurzweil; illustrations by SCOT T CHAMBERS
