The Easy-To-Remember Rule For Pairing Stout Beer With Food

Stout beers are as robust and hearty as their name implies. While they're hefty and flavorful enough to enjoy alone, they also make wonderful food pairings. We've consulted Rich Higgins, master cicerone, certified sommelier and former brewmaster to help guide you through the possibilities of pairing stout beer with food. Stouts encompass a diverse array of styles, but the easy-to-remember rule for pairing stout is the underlying characteristics that unite all stout styles under one category.

"What keeps stouts related to each other is their roasty flavors, which pair really well with tons of foods," Higgins explains. "Pairing with a stout is like adding a bit of roasted or grilled flavor to foods, so they're fantastic with any food that would be good on the grill, or smothered in red-eye gravy or a Kahlua sauce. We're talking cheeses, veggies, fruits, tofu, all kinds of seafood, poultry and meats, and desserts from Basque burnt cheesecake to churros to durian ice cream. Stout has many friends at the table!"

Stouts are rich in taste and mouthfeel, so equally rich food pairings are ideal. Roasting and grilling instantly upgrades food's richness by instilling depth of flavor. Something as simple as roasted peanuts is thus a delicious stout pairing. Grilled brats, smoky American barbecued meats, and sharp cheeses are other great options. The intense umami of raw oysters or these grilled chorizo and shrimp skewers will also stand up to the rich aromas and flavors of stout.

Rich Higgins doesn't stop with generalized food pairings; he also goes into detail about the many styles of stout and their characteristics.

"Stout is like the Addams Family of beers, with a funny mix of characters and a few oddballs," Higgins explains. "Dry Irish stout (think Guinness Draught) is by far the most famous in the family, but with the lowest ABV (3.5-5% ABV) and being one of the newest variants, it's like the kid of the family. There's also extra stout (5-6% ABV), foreign extra stout (6-8%), American stout (bitter and hoppy), tropical stout (strong and sweet), the often-barrel-aged imperial stout (8-13%), plus oatmeal stout (silky from oats), sweet aka milk stout (often with lactose), oyster stout (for real!), pastry stout (meant to taste like various pastries and desserts), and coffee stout. Plus post-modern craft white stout (a pale ale with coffee added), and the occasional sour stout."

Since many of the stouts Higgins mentions are meant to mimic their namesakes, pairing them with similar foods or courses can help bring out their flavors and aromas. Pair a coffee, milk, or oatmeal stout with dark chocolate mousse cake or these Lindt dark chocolate truffles for the ultimate dessert experience. Tropical stouts would certainly work well with the exotic durian ice cream pairing Higgins mentioned. Whichever pairing you have in mind for your stout, the best temperature for stouts is higher than most lighter, more carbonated beers, allowing you to really appreciate all the diverse tasting notes.