Bar snacks
Snacks for beers!
Can't get to the pub! Bring the pub to you! What does every good pub have? That’s right, drinks in abundance and lots of good snacks. We can all appreciate the kinship between beer and a good snack, so where there is lots of beer, you need lots of snacks. We are not referring to fancy canapes or gourmet finger food. We mean easy, hassle-free bar snacks, crisps, dips, nuts and maybe even a couple of sausages. So, here are some snacks and draught beer suggestions. It’s just like any other Saturday afternoon in your local boozer!
Dry roasted peanuts: Newcastle Brown Ale
Dry roasted peanuts are the quintessential, budget but beautiful, bar snack. Anyone that is familiar with British pub culture is aware that peanuts are the iconic accompaniment to a pint. A malt-forward beer like Newcastle Brown Ale will work very well with the roasted character of the nuts. Many dark ales and porters go fantastically well with peanuts, the saltiness will balance the bitterness of the beer. If you fancy spicing things up a bit, serve some chili peanuts and pair with Fourpure Session IPA
Guacamole and tortilla chips: Desperados
Guacamole is always a good snack. It's very low effort but perfect for dunking and dipping with salty tortilla chips. Ideally, a beer to serve with this dish should be crisp and citrusy. Tasty and zingy flavours of Desperados will match very well with the limey guac. The lager will cut through the fattiness of the avocado and the saltiness of the chips will contrast with the sweet beer.
Cheddar cheese: Zipfer Urtyp
Cheddar is a British classic, hard and sharp. Match a mild cheddar with Zipfer Urtyp, a pairing that will complement one another rather than contrast. The creamy, nutty, fattiness of the cheese will add an additional layer of flavour to the crisp, clean Urtyp.
Hot dogs: Gosser Radler
Hotdogs are very easy and go well with almost all beers. If you’re looking for a low ABV beer, the thirst quenching Gosser Radler will do the trick. The low alcohol content means you can sip all evening long and the added dash of lemon will cleanse well with the fatty, salty sausage.
Salt and vinegar crisps: Steamworks Killer Cucumber Ale
Everybody loves salt and vinegar crisps, a flavour that is not often found anywhere else in the world. All British, but especially beer drinkers, love that acidic, almost painful sensation of the strong salt and vinegar seasoning. In fact, the stronger the better. No pub is complete without a bowl of these, crispy, greasy fingers and all. For this, you need a pale ale like Steamworks Killer Cucumber Ale that will cleanse the palate from the intense flavour and sharp vinegar.
Pizza: Punk IPA
Punk IPA is great for beer and food pairing, it works well with a lot of foods, especially hard-hitting flavours. The obvious combination is curry or fish and chips, but for easy snack food, whack a pizza in the oven. Punk IPA, will stand up to the salty goodness with the dominant tropical fruitiness. The classic bitter, spiky finish will balance the flavours. Additionally, the beer will cleanse the palate from the finger-licking greasiness. If that even sounds like too much effort, just grab some jalapeno crisps!
Salty snacks: Any pilsner
For crisps, nuts, popcorn, pretzels, wasabi peas or anything salty, there’s one catch all beer that will never let you down. Savoury snacks match very well with lager or pilsner as they help to cleanse the palate and offer a crisp, refreshing ease from salt. Try Pelforth for a clean and refreshingly malty match. Lagers and salt match well without conflict; you can enjoy the two together without washing away the saltiness of the snacks or diluting the flavours of the beer.
Beer and snacks: the best version of themselves
Ever wondered why you crave crisps and nuts over salad when you’re sipping pints? When we eat salty foods, the receptors responsible for detecting bitterness are reduced, so salt in fact neutralizes bitterness. As a result, beer can taste smoother and you can appreciate other characteristics in its taste profile. Salt can actually make beer taste better!
