1. Secrets of exceptional Food & Beer Pairing
By
“Dr.” Bill Sysak
Certified Cicerone
Craft Beer Ambassador
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens

2.  Basic tastes: non volatile, perceived on tongue:
 Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory
 Aroma: Volatiles that are smelled
 ~10,000 different aromas
 Mouthfeel/tactile sensations:
 Cold/Heat, Pain, drying, fullness/viscosity,
astringency

3.  Olfactory Gland
sends smell
information to the
brain.
 Sense of smell is
used 2 ways:
 Orthonasal
 Retronasal
Olfactory Nerves

4.  5 tastes:
 Sweet
 Salty
 Sour
 Bitter
 “Savory”-MSG,
Umami
 Fatty?

5.  Appearance: note color, foam, and clarity
 Aroma:
 Swirl the glass. Aroma “drive by”.
 2-3 short, “rabbit” sniffs. Then 1 long sniff
-- Inhale both through your nose & mouth
 Sniff before tasting
 Taste:
 1st sip: Vigorously swish the beer around your mouth to cleanse
your palate.
 2nd sip: put the beer at the front of your mouth, part your lips
and pull air in. This will open your palate
 3rd taste: Now you will be able to enjoy the full flavors and
complexities of your beer,

6.  Beer has carbonation to refresh the palate!
 Beer has bitterness to slice through fat!
 Beer has caramelized flavors to match those in
your food! Maillard reaction!
 Beer has sweetness to quench the heat from
spices and chilies!

7. Delicate dishes work best with
delicate beers
Strongly-flavored foods demand
assertive beers

8.  Combinations often work best when they share
some common flavor or aroma elements.
 The nutty flavors of an English-style brown ale
and a handmade cheddar cheese.
 The deep, roasted flavors of imperial stout and
chocolate truffles.
 The clean caramel flavors of an Oktoberfest
lager and roasted pork are all examples of this.

9. In beer-
It may involve alcoholic strength, malt
character, hop bitterness, sweetness, richness,
roastiness and more.
In food-
Richness, sweetness, cooking
method, spicing, texture and complexity all play
a role.

10. +
+

12. Pilseners
Pilseners are noted for
their rich gold color, fat
maltiness and moderate to
full body, with a clean
crisp finish.
Commercial Examples:
Pilsner Urquell
Augustiner Pils
Victory Prima Pils
Sudwerk Pilsner
Barrel Room at Pilsner Urquell

13. Witbier
A very popular style of beer
brewed with wheat and
known for their refreshing
character. Usually spiced
with coriander and orange
peel.
Commercial Examples:
Avery White Rascal
The Lost Abbey Witch’s Wit
Russian River Little White Lie
Hoegaarden
Pierre Celis

14. Hefe-weizen
Weizens are characterized by
their cloudy appearance and
banana, clove & sometimes
bubble gum aromas and flavors
with a slightly tart aftertaste.
Commercial Examples:
Weihenstephaner hefe Weissbier
Ayinger Brau-Weisse
Franzikaner hefe-Weissbier
Scheider Weisse Original
Erdinger Weissbier
Weihenstephan Brewery

15. Pale Ales
Pale Ales are light in color,
ranging from golden to a light
copper color. The style of this beer
is defined by the hops & malt
balance. American Pale Ales are
hoppier and not as malty as their
English counterparts.
Commercial Examples:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Three Floyds Alpha King
Bass Pale Ale
Batemans Victory Ale
Greene King Abbot Ale

16. Saison
Brewed for consumption during
the warm harvest season, these
“farmhouse” ales are typically
semi-dry & grassy, with
pronounced spiciness and
sometimes earthiness.
Commercial Examples:
Ommegang Hennepin
Saison DuPont
The Lost Abbey Red Barn
Port/Ballast Point Brother
Levonian

17. India Pale Ales
The modern version that has
largely been formed in the US, has
an intense hop aroma & flavor.
IPA’s have a golden to copper
color with a medium maltiness.
The finish has a moderate to
strong bitterness.
Commercial Examples:
Russian River Blind Pig IPA
Stone IPA
Bells Two Hearted Ale
Troegs Nugget Nectar Ale
Avery Maharaja

18. Dubbels
A strong, dark &
malty beer originally
sold to laypeople to
support monastery.
Caramel flavors and
bright carbonation
often present.
Westmalle Abbey, Belgium
Commercial Examples:
Westmalle Dubbel
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Chimay Rouge
Lost Abbey Lost and Found

19. Tripel
Stronger, golden ale
with complex
aromas of fruit and
spice. Slightly dry
bitterness and often
brewed with candi
sugar for light body
and clean finish.
Sometimes spiced.
Brewery at Westmalle Abbey
Commercial Examples:
Westmalle Tripel
St. Bernardus Tripel
The Bruery Tradewinds Tripel
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

20. Stouts & Porters
There are many styles of stouts
and Porters, but for our purposes,
stouts & porters have many
similarities. They are dark brown
to black from the roasted barleys
and malts, with notes of coffee &
chocolate in both the aroma and
flavor.
Commercial Examples:
Guinness Stout (Dry Stout)
Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout
Alesmith Speedway Stout (Imperial)
Stone Smoked Porter
Fullers London Porter

21. A very unique style from the Flemish
speaking region of Belgium. Tart plum,
cherry, and red currant flavors
predominate, along with an often
balsamic woodiness. Blended and
typically aged in oak barrels for several
years. Pairs great with chocolate!
Commercial Examples:
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Duchesse de Bourgogne
Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale

23. Familiarity with ingredients and preparation
techniques, a memory for flavors and a
willingness to be constantly surprised will all
serve you well.
Of course, it helps to keep notes on your beer and
food odyssey.