You know the drill. Tie on your cheesiest apron, fire up the ’cue and get cooking the things that earned you the title of Grill Master. But don’t let the grub take all the glory — the brews you pair with your barbecued dishes make all the difference. Whether you’re into surf, turf or veg, here’s what’s good.
Cheeseburger + pale ale
Thinking about a tasty beef patty with melty cheese and a stack of fresh toppings is enough to make many of us drool. Now dab your mouth and pour yourself some well-rounded pale ale to accompany those juicy burger bites. Its combo of sweetness, bitterness and body is what you want to balance those tangy toppers.
Ribs + brown or dark ale
We know you’re excited to chow down on a rack of smoky, sticky-sweet ribs. Here, you’ll want to match the richness of your spice rub or sauce with an equally decadent brew. Malty-sweet brown or dark ale, get over here!
Beer-can chicken + light or fruit beer
Yes, having beer alongside your chicken is great, but don’t discount putting a little beer inside it, too. The steam of a light or fruity beer will put itself to work unleashing the meat’s savoury goodness and making your winner dinner nice and juicy.
Planked salmon + India pale ale (IPA)
Let’s get woodsy. When it comes to a smoky planked salmon, reach for an IPA. The subtle hint of pine in this herbed brew gets along really well with its fellow forest friend, cedar. If you really want to take it up a notch (and why wouldn’t you?), soak the plank in IPA for, like, 10,000 extra flavour points.
