Turn your living room into the best pub in town with these post-game snack and beer combos
Moving your rec-league celebration from courtside to couch-side lets everyone go through the post-game analysis over brews and chow down on tasty snacks in total comfort. Even though you’re hosting at home, your teammates can still dive into their favourite pub grub, custom-made just the way they like it. And with over 800 brands available at The Beer Store, they can try a new and exciting brew or stick to their tried and true. Either way, these tasty snacks paired with the perfect beer are ready to play.
Sliders + dark ale Burgers are so rich in flavour that you’ll want to pair them with a mid-range beer that’s neither too heavy nor too light. Enter dark ale: roasted malts lend a deeper colour and flavour to this beer, which stands up well to those savoury beef patties. If your team likes their sliders loaded to the hilt with condiments, dark ale’s medium hops will help those tangy-sweet tastes shine.
Spicy baked wings + India pale ale (IPA) Baked wings are tastier than deep-fried any day, and here’s why: when roasted at 400˚F in the oven for about an hour, the fat layer melts, basting the meat in its own juices until you’re left with nothing but crispy skin and delicious chicken meat. (Deep-fried wings still have lots of fat under the skin and can be bland — hence the need for tons of sauce!) Just toss your home-baked wings with a few drops of hot sauce (or more, for the competitive types) and they’re ready to go. Wash them down with a bold, bitter-yet-fruity IPA to balance the fiery spice.
Nachos + amber lager Nachos are easy to customize for vegans, vegetarians or full-on carnivores, which means all your mates will be full and happy at the end of the night. If your chips aren’t super-fresh, that’s fine; just pop them onto a pan and bake at 375˚F for about five minutes to get them crispy again. Roasty corn tortilla chips, melty cheese and a range of toppings play well with the toasty sweetness of an amber lager..
Deep-fried pickles + sour beer Now here’s an unexpected combo that will get everyone at the party talking: it tastes like pickles and butter on fresh sourdough bread. Yum! Look for frozen battered pickles to bake in the oven while you serve up sour beer, a distinctive brew that gets its tang from a mix of friendly bacteria and wild yeasts. The sour crunch of the pickles paired with this refreshing beer will have even the skeptics going back for more.
Bacon-mozzarella-blue grilled cheese + IPA If big and bold is more your style, bring it with blue cheese and bacon. Sprinkle slices of rustic, multi-grain bread with a mix of sharp blue and mild mozzarella, top with bacon, close the sandwich and grill. The pungent-salty tang of this sandwich needs an equally bold brew. Try an India pale ale (IPA), a hop-heavy drink with enough bitterness to stand up to forward flavours.
Chicken tenders + English brown ale Juicy chicken tenders are easy to find, easy to make and appeal to just about everyone. The toasty notes in an English brown ale complement their crunchy coating, yet this beer is still light enough that it won’t overpower the meat. Pair a pile of tenders with lots of sauce for dunking, such as sweet plum or tangy ranch (or both!).
Mushroom flatbread + stout Like homemade pizza but requiring way less work, flatbreads can be sliced snack size or left large for hungry players. Fry up an assortment of mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake or whatever you like) with butter and garlic, spread them over store-bought naan bread and finish with grated Parmesan. Bake at 425˚F until warmed through and edges are crisp. Cut into triangles and serve with stout, which tastes sweeter when matched with earthy mushrooms.
Crab cakes + wheat beer Salty-sweet crab cakes pair well with just about any brew, but the extra body in wheat beers can handle a range of condiments, from lemon-dill sauce to mango salsa to sriracha mayo. Why not lay all three out for your pals to pick and choose? Wheat beer’s easy hops blend well with sweet crabmeat, while its light citrusy notes complement fresh lemon, which you can squeeze over the cakes as they come out of the oven..