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The Best Beers to Pair With Your Favorite Snacks

Chips, pretzels, nachos and more!

BY: John Krochune
PUBLISHED: June 12, 2024

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Outside of bourbon, the editors of Brostrick love all things beer related. So it only made sense to debut our newest franchise “Bros & Brews” where we cover some of our favorite beers, beer pairings and everything in between. Got a beer recommendation or question for our editors? Ask us at feedback@brostrick.com

On any given day we may crack open one of our favorite beers and bust open a bag of chips (usually Cape Cod Kettle Cooked), but there are actually plenty of other fun snacks you may be into outside of the bland world of just chips. So let’s get a little adventurous and try pairing a bunch of different types of beers with a bunch of different types of beers.

Now, before you send us hate mail, of course we’re going to pair some beers with the classic snacks (more like bar snacks) like chips, pretzels, and popcorn. But we’re also going to go with some of our other faves like nachos, fries, wings, onion rings, guac and chips and more.

Whether you’re hosting a party, enjoying a casual night in, or just looking for the perfect snack to accompany your favorite brew, pairing beer with snacks can elevate your overall taste experience. So let’s do this!

Pretzels + German Hefeweizen

Pretzels, with their salty, doughy texture, are a staple snack that pairs wonderfully with a German Hefeweizen. The light, slightly sweet, and fruity flavors of a Hefeweizen, characterized by notes of banana and clove from the yeast, provide a refreshing contrast to the saltiness of pretzels. The beer’s carbonation also helps cleanse the palate, making each bite of pretzel enjoyable.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Hefeweizen: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier (Germany) – Known for its smooth, creamy mouthfeel and fruity, spicy notes, it offers a perfect balance to the pretzel’s saltiness.
Hefeweizen: Paulaner Hefe-Weißbier (Germany) – Offers a well-balanced flavor profile with hints of banana and clove, enhancing the pretzel’s flavors.

Potato Chips + American Pale Ale

Potato chips, whether plain or flavored, are crispy and salty, making them a great match for an American Pale Ale. The moderate hop bitterness and citrusy notes of an APA balance the saltiness and add a refreshing twist. The beer’s carbonation helps to cleanse the palate, ensuring that each chip tastes as crisp and satisfying as the first.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

APA: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (USA) – Offers a piney and citrusy hop character that enhances the simple yet satisfying flavor of potato chips.
APA: Founders All Day IPA (USA) – A sessionable IPA with a balanced hop profile, perfect for snacking without overwhelming the palate.

Nachos + Mexican Lager

Nachos, loaded with melted cheese, jalapeños, and salsa, require a light, crisp beer that won’t overpower their diverse flavors. A Mexican Lager, with its clean, slightly malty profile, complements the cheesiness, spiciness, and tanginess of nachos, while the beer’s light body and carbonation keep the palate refreshed.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Mexican Lager: Modelo Especial (Mexico) – Known for its light, crisp, and slightly sweet flavor, it pairs perfectly with the bold flavors of nachos.
Mexican Lager: Pacifico (Mexico) – Offers a smooth, refreshing taste that complements the spiciness and tanginess of nachos.

Classic Cheese Platter + Belgian Tripel

A cheese platter, featuring a variety of cheeses from creamy Brie to sharp Cheddar, pairs well with the complex and slightly sweet profile of a Belgian Tripel. The fruity esters, mild spiciness, and higher carbonation of the Tripel enhance the richness of the cheese, creating a balanced and harmonious pairing that brings out the best in both the cheese and the beer.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Belgian Tripel: Westmalle Tripel (Belgium) – Offers a rich, fruity, and slightly spicy character that complements the diverse flavors of a cheese platter.
Belgian Tripel: Tripel Karmeliet (Belgium) – Known for its complex flavor profile with notes of citrus and spice, enhancing the richness of various cheeses.

Popcorn + A Pilsner

Popcorn, whether plain, buttered, or seasoned, is light and crunchy, making it an excellent match for a Pilsner. The light, crisp, and slightly bitter profile of a Pilsner complements the buttery, salty flavors of popcorn. The beer’s high carbonation also helps cleanse the palate, making each handful of popcorn as enjoyable as the first.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Pilsner: Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic) – The original Pilsner with a balanced bitterness and crisp finish, it enhances the simple, salty flavor of popcorn.
Pilsner: Victory Prima Pils (USA) – Known for its floral and herbal hop character, it adds a refreshing twist to popcorn.

Spicy Chicken Wings + India Pale Ale (IPA)

Spicy chicken wings, often coated in a hot sauce, need a beer that can stand up to the heat. An IPA, with its bold hop bitterness and often citrusy or piney flavors, provides a refreshing contrast to the spiciness of the wings. The higher carbonation helps to cut through the heat and cleanse the palate, making each wing as exciting as the first.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

IPA: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (USA) – With its intense hop profile and balanced malt sweetness, it complements and cools the spiciness of the wings.
IPA: Lagunitas IPA (USA) – Known for its bold hop bitterness and citrusy flavors, it pairs perfectly with spicy chicken wings.

French Fries + Belgian Witbier

French fries, whether plain or seasoned, are crispy and salty, making them an excellent match for a Belgian Witbier. The light, citrusy, and slightly spicy notes of a Belgian Witbier complement the salty, crispy flavors of French fries. The beer’s refreshing character and high carbonation enhance the overall taste experience, cutting through the richness of the fries.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Belgian Witbier: Hoegaarden (Belgium) – Offers a light, citrusy profile with hints of coriander, adding a refreshing contrast to French fries.
Belgian Witbier: Allagash White (USA) – Known for its hints of coriander and orange peel, it enhances the flavor of French fries.

Cheese Puffs + American Lager

Cheese puffs, with their cheesy, salty flavors, pair well with the light, crisp, and clean profile of an American Lager. The beer’s mild flavor allows the snack to shine while providing a refreshing balance. The high carbonation helps cleanse the palate, making each bite of cheese puff enjoyable.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

American Lager: Budweiser (USA) – Known for its light, crisp, and clean taste, it complements the cheesy, salty flavor of cheese puffs.
American Lager: Coors Banquet (USA) – Offers a smooth, refreshing flavor that enhances the snack’s cheesiness.

Onion Rings + Amber Ale

Onion rings, with their savory, slightly sweet flavor and crispy batter, pair well with the toasty, caramel malt profile of an Amber Ale. The beer’s medium body and balanced bitterness enhance the flavors of the onion rings, while the carbonation helps to cleanse the palate between bites.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Amber Ale: Bell’s Amber Ale (USA) – Known for its balanced malt character and toasty flavors, it pairs well with the savory sweetness of onion rings.
Amber Ale: Fat Tire Amber Ale (USA) – Offers a smooth, biscuity malt profile with a hint of sweetness, enhancing the flavor of onion rings.

Chips & Salsa + Mexican Lager

Chips and salsa, with their tangy, spicy flavors, pair well with the light, crisp, and slightly malty profile of a Mexican Lager. This pairing keeps things refreshing and balanced, with the beer’s light body and carbonation complementing the tanginess and spiciness of the salsa.

Specific Beer Recommendations:

Mexican Lager: Modelo Especial (Mexico) – Known for its light, crisp, and slightly sweet flavor, it pairs perfectly with the bold flavors of salsa.
Mexican Lager: Pacifico (Mexico) – Offers a smooth, refreshing taste that complements the spiciness and tanginess of salsa.

Let's Call It a Day

Pairing beer with snacks can elevate your taste experience, making each bite and sip more enjoyable. Whether you’re enjoying salty pretzels, spicy wings, or creamy guacamole, there’s a beer out there that’s perfect for the occasion. Enjoy!

JOHN KROCHUNE

John is our resident beer expert and has been home-brewing his own beer and blogging about it for more than 14 years and counting. He’s the co-owner of Brew-Dudes, you can follow his Brew Dudes YouTube channel and Insta too.

Outside of being a husband, dad, and beer lover he’s an all-around great guy, funny dude, and will be contributing some of his favorite beer content to Brostrick from time to time and reviewing some of our beer content to make sure what we’re saying is accurate, up-to-date, and can be trusted. It’s basically like when our dad checked our homework. We’re nervous.

Feel free to send him and his buddies endless beers (and questions).

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