Those who get a little tipsy once a year probably do so on Purim. If you go to synagogue once a year, it’s probably on Yom Kippur. And anyone who has a beer only once a year probably does so at an Independence Day barbecue. It’s just a natural combination.
Beer goes well with food is something we all know. But certain beers go better with certain foods – even at a barbecue. Now, if you’re like most people, you won’t be bringing five or six different beers with you to the barbecue. You’ll pick one beer brand that you like, and that will stay with you from the first hot dog to the last roasted marshmallow.
But if you are a little bit curious and adventurous, you should know that different beers will increase the enjoyment of different foods on your grill. There is no reason to look any further for good beers than our own Israeli craft breweries.
Before we look at some examples, there are two caveats.
My pairings are just recommendations. True, they are based on the experience of others, but there is nothing so individual as taste. Try pairing your foods with different beers to discover what works for your own palate.
The beer should either complement the food, enhancing the flavor; or contrast it, creating a new sensation altogether. Just make sure that one of the flavors doesn’t overwhelm the other. That’s what you don’t want.
The other thing is that I maintain a vegan diet. Today, there is no lack of plant-based substitutes for animal flesh products that you can barbecue. Everything I put on my grill is plant-based, but the pairings I recommend are perfect for non-vegan, as well as vegan products.
What Israeli beers you should have on Independence Day
Let’s begin with the humble hot dog or hamburger. The grilling adds tastes of smoke and charring to the flavors. (This is why barbecuing is so popular, after all.) Amber ale has sweet notes of toffee and caramel, which pair well with these flavors. Try the amber from Jem’s Beer Factory in Petah Tikva.
For something different with your hot dog, try a wheat beer (also known as Hefeweizen). Here, the spice and fruitiness of the hops make a tasty contrast to the hot dog’s juicy, sweet side. The Shikma Brewery in Ashkelon makes a Bitter Wheat beer that fits the bill. It combines the aromas and tastes of a classic German Hefeweizen with increased bitterness and aromatics.
Shish kebabs are also popular for barbecues. For an interesting treat, try matching them with a Black IPA, which combines the coffee and chocolate notes of a stout with the hop bitterness of an IPA (India pale ale). I suggest the new Black IPA from the Malka Brewery in the Tefen Industrial Area.
With vegetable shish kebabs, a Pilsner lager will allow the flavors of the veggies to shine through. Try a Gallagher Pils from the Beer Bazaar Brewery in Kfar Daniel.
Vegetables of all kinds can be deliciously grilled on the barbecue. Some people marinate or baste them, but there’s no need to. I’ve had or seen barbecued onions, eggplant, tomatoes, asparagus, corn, mushrooms, squash, peppers, cauliflower, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and Brussels sprouts!
These veggies take on a sweet, caramelized flavor on the grill. This would be balanced nicely, and interestingly, by a sour beer. The Ronen Brewery from Moshav Srigim-Li On has a new Tropical Sour that will provide a tasty contrast on your palate. It is fruity and only moderately sour.
Also perfect with these vegetables is a malty beer, like a Brown Ale from the HaGibor Brewery in Karmiel. This will add a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that is very complementary.
For the mushrooms, I would suggest an IPA, whose bitterness helps tone down the powerful umami flavors. Any one of the three IPAs from the White Rabbit Brewery in Tel Aviv would do the trick.
If you put a steak (seitan or vegetable protein or animal) on the grill, you should choose a hearty beer that won’t get lost in the robust, meaty flavors. The Bock beer from the Alexander Brewery in Emek Hefer will complement these with rich flavors of malt and hop bitterness.
Alexander’s Bock recently won a silver medal in an international beer competition.
A little-known vegan treat is grilled tofu basted with barbecue sauce. Any lager beer would go well with this; for example, the New Lager from the Shapiro Brewery in Beit Shemesh. This is a Helles-style lager beer, whose citrusy and fruity notes add a tasty dimension to the mild, chewy tofu.
When it comes to dessert, many people bring something chocolaty to the barbecue, like a cake or brownies. A nice stout with chocolate and coffee notes can be a perfect match – and a delicious way to end the meal.
The richness of the beer echoes the decadence of the chocolate, while the carbonation can help cut through the dessert’s density. The Shevet Brewery in Pardes Hanna has a new dry stout called The Duke, which pairs perfectly with chocolaty treats.
Now it’s your turn to take my hints (or not) and pair beer with your favorite barbecue fare. If you take into account your own tastes and preferences, you won’t be disappointed.
Happy Independence Day!
The writer is the owner of MediawiSe, an agency for advertising and direct marketing in Jerusalem. He writes a web blog on Israeli craft beers, called “Israel Brews and Views,” which can be found on Facebook.