Tips to Pair Beer with Burgers

When you think of pairing a beverage with food, you probably think of wine. But pairing your food with the perfect beer is just as important.

Beer is a burger’s best friend. It adds layers of flavor and deftly cuts through a burger’s rich, finger-coating juices. Beer also cleanses your palate, urging you to take another bite, followed by another sip.

But pairing a burger with a beer is not as simple as plucking a random longneck from the fridge. Some beer styles overwhelm a hamburger, while other get lost in the opulent meat.

Here are a few tips to follow next time you’re craving a burger. Not a red-meat eater? No worries. There are a few options for vegetarians and fowl fans too.

Bitter Can Be Sweet

To cut through a burger’s richness, select a lightly hopped pale ale or pilsner. The carbonation and bitterness will suitably scrub your palate.

Make it Malty

While the intensely dark and roasted flavors of a stout might dominate a burger, the malt-forward beers would make for a nice marinade. Look for one of the less hoppy stouts for a good match.

Fowl and Veggies

For char-grilled cluck burgers, look for a spicy, complex Belgian beer. Our famous veggie burger goes grandly with a lighter beer, like a pale and refreshing ale.

Don’t Go Too Light

Though cloudy, aromatic wheat beers are terrific to sip all summer long, these light and lovely brews are easily engulfed by a burger’s bold and rich flavors. Save them for a salad or a non-beef burger.

Beer for Dessert

If you really like beer, be sure to check out Melt’s Stout Beer Milkshake. This is one dessert not suitable for kids however—you have to be 21 or older to order this special treat.

Of course, everything depends on what your individual tastes are. Next time you’re at Melt, be sure to check out our ever-evolving list of local, national and international beers. Then let us know what you think!