A professional chef takes on beer styles and fun food pairings.
These sweet, malty, caramel-roasty beers, with hints of almost tea-like floral pops and ABV warmth, give off BIG southern BBQ energy. Brisket, biscuits, bubbly cheesy mac skillets, and *all* of the comfy fixin’s.
These strong Scottish ales are substantially malty with some heady, boozy heat. Wee Heavies are rich and sweet without being cloying, sticky, or…well…super heavy. You’ll find little in the way of hoppy aroma but there might be a twinge of bitterness on the palate. Pops of earth and dried flowers on the nose and in the mouth, you might even pick up a ripe plum in there as well. Smooth and refreshing and I absolutely love them! (Some Wee Heavy beers are brewed with some light smoky elements too!)
I kinda have this fun pairing parallel thing going on between Wee Heavy and sweet, southern-brewed iced teas. Even the rosy-ruddy brown color of the beer invokes that tea-ish appearance. The beer’s flavor, the beer’s aromas, the greater than average ABV…it is almost what I wish tea could be. So…heck yea! Southern comfort foods, right??!! Smoky meats slathered in tangy BBQ sauce, buttery biscuits, sweet squares of cornbread, and super-cheesy macs all work wonders with Wee Heavies.
Why Brisket, Biscuits, and Mac & Cheese?
Wee Heavies love some rib-stickin’ meals. Let’s break it down…
Brisket is a hunka-hunk of juicy meat. That smoky, salty, unctuous quality liberates the malt and ABV elements of the beer, while any sweetness (either from the brisket rub or BBQ sauce~think molasses or brown sugar), pulls these malt flavors forward, building and balance the flavor of the beer and beef.
Biscuits are scrumptious little flaky butter bombs and fair so well with this beer. The moderate carbonation helps dislodge even the most roof-of-the-mouth clinging biscuit bits, washing everything down in a satisfying gulp. Biscuits, especially good ol’ southern biscuits, are pretty salty. That saltiness finds some balance here too, thanks to Wee Heavy’s mega malt profile.
Mac & cheese, nothing more rib-sticky than a bubbly, gooey, fresh-from-the-oven mac. The sweeter malt mix of the beer balances the sharper cheeses (cheddar, gruyere, etc…) while that same malt sweetness brings forth those flavors of cream and butter.
The Bojangles Beer…
(If Bojangles is not available, Popeyes is an excellent substitute).
Don’t shy away from the other southern staple when looking for Wee Heavy pairings. Fried chicken is da bomb with Wee Heavies. Those same unctuous-loving properties that make this beer so paired with meaty BBQ works that same magic on some fried chicken (and biscuits). Fast food fried chicken, of the Bojangles beat, all the better.
~Dark meat fried chicken (thighs and drumsticks for the win).
~You can even pick up a sweet tea and do a side-by-side sip off with Wee Heavy (so you can see what I’m talking about with tea-vibe).
~I’m not mad at sweet treats accompanying Wee Heavy either. Bojangles has a sweet potato pie that would be a super nom match. Popeyes has a cinnamon apple pie, equally nom.
About me—I am a professional chef working my way up the Cicerone certification ladder. I left the typical cheffy grind (after 15+ years) to focus on fun food play, independently working as a recipe/food content developer and restaurant consultant (freelance, full-time, kicking off in 2017). While studying all of these fabulous profiles and sipping my way through 80++ different beer styles. I created a project for myself…”what do I want to eat with these beers”. As a food obsessed professional, I reached into my memory rolodex of flavors and food profiles to find some worthy contenders (that may fly a little outside the box)…
Want to see what food I would like to eat with your beer? Let’s chat! Email me at contact@pattersonwatkins.com
Need some help pairing beer with your food menu? Or, would you like some help creating a food menu that pairs with your beer? I’m always hungry (and thirsty). Email me at contact@pattersonwatkins.com
Are you interested in food or beer related content development? Hit me up! contact@pattersonwatkins.com or check out my portfolio at www.pattersonwatkins.com