Beer Pairing | Belgian Pale Ale with Bratwurst

I've been working through Garrett Oliver's book "The Brewmaster's Table" and trying his beer pairing suggestions. This is the first in a series of posts that will capture my experiences through this journey.

One of my favorite summer time grilling companions is Bratwurst. So when I read the section on Belgian pales and discovered that they are an extraordinary match with all sorts of sausages, I knew I had to try it.

Belgian pales are typically amber to copper in color, have a creamy white head and have fairly good clarity. The aroma is dominated by toasty, biscuity malt with low hop aroma and may have moderate fruity character. The flavor may be somewhat spicy and or fruity with smooth malt and low hop character. Belgian pales are considered easy-drinking everyday "session beers" when compared to other Belgian styles.

De Koninck is a classic Belgian Pale brewed in Antwerp. It's amber in color with good clarity and pours a nice creamy head that dissipates quickly. The aroma is bready, biscuity, somewhat spicy with an earthiness, perhaps from the Saaz hops that gracefully bitters this top-fermenting ale. Lucky for me I was able to find it at my local bottle shop.

I picked up some bratwurst from Whole Foods. These are pork brats spiced with black & white pepper, ginger, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, basil and sea salt. 20 minutes on the grill should add the right amount of caramelized flavors to showcase this pairing, I just hope I don't bust the casing!

To go along with the brats, I whipped up a cilantro-lime coleslaw. I prefer my slaw without mayo, just a drizzle of olive oil and fresh squeezed lime. The prep is quite simple; shredded cabbage, sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. It's crunchy, refreshing and the acidic bite will offset the fatty goodness inherent in brats.

My experience with this pairing was extremely enjoyable. The brats had a wonderful porky flavor with a slight hint of spiciness. The beer was an excellent match, with bready and caramel flavors that mingled well with those found on the surface of the sausages. Hops and yeast contributed a gentle spiciness to the beer that complimented the seasoning found in the brats and the beer had just enough carbonation to help cleanse the pallet between bites. The coleslaw did it's job by adding a crunchy texture and bright, acidic flavors to the meal. I found the combination to be very well balanced in flavors, neither beer nor foods were overpowering.

I have to agree with Garrett, this truly is an extraordinary pairing. Some of his other suggestions include; choucroute, roasted pork/ chicken/ turkey and fried fish.

Cheers!