Memorial Day the Craft Beer Way

In the first installment of my series on Memorial Day and craft beer, I discussed my personal drinking plans and how I meant to keep things local. Today, in the second installment, we’re talking about the connections between craft beer and the holiday itself.

Courtesy of the red, white and blue

Memorial Day is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it marks the official beginning of the summer. Others view it as an additional day off from work and an opportunity to throw some meat on the grill. Obviously, there is the actual “spirit of the holiday” to keep in mind too, as we should all pause for a moment to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our Nation’s freedom.

Fortunately, beer has been closely associated to all of these “reasons” for celebrating the last Monday of May. Whether you’re raising a glass to honor fallen heroes, cooling off from the hot summer sun, or drinking a malted-grain-based beverage with your hamburgers and steaks, craft-beer always fits the bill. In many cases, you can fulfill all three of those noble pursuits, and since Memorial Day has a patriotic theme to it, if you remember to drink American (and I’m not talking about Bud, Miller or Coors), you can cover that base too.

Here are some of my personal favorites when it comes to pairing beer with traditional “on the grill” foods that are associated with Memorial Day:

Grilled Corn – Hefeweisen - If you like your grilled corn with butter and salt (All-American style) you want to pair it with an Hefeweisen. The mild flavors of the beer won’t overpower the grilled flavors of the corn and the sharp effervescence will cut the fattiness of the butter.

Baseball? Apple Pie? Beer and burgers!

Classic Cheeseburger – American Pale Ale / Amber Ale - Nothing goes better with a classic cheeseburger than an American style like an Amber Ale or Pale Ale. Amber and Pale Ales are middle of the road beers (flavor-wise) and they have a great balance of hop character and malt flavors that pairs perfectly with the mild fattiness and richness of the burger.

Steak – It depends – Classic lawyer answer, but it actually does depend on the characteristics of your steak. If it’s just beef, pair it with a dark stout or porter, as the smoky notes of the beer will complement the smoky flavors on your steak from the grill. If your steak is an exceptionally fatty cut of meat, you need to lean more towards bitter, like an IPA or a well-hopped barley wine, as the bitter notes help to cut through the fat. If you like to load-up your steak with lots of spices, or an intense marinade, lean towards Belgian beers, as the light body and traditional spices in Belgians contrast very spicy foods and offset them perfectly.

Chicken – IPA/Belgian Style – Much like with steak, the call on which beer to pair with chicken will depend greatly on what you’re doing with the chicken. If your chicken is plain, you’ll do well to pair it with a Belgian saison or witbier, as those styles pair well with poultry. If, however, you’re one of those who likes to heavily season, spice-up or marinade your chicken, you’ll need something with some serious flavor to stand-up to the flavor in your chicken, of which I recommend an IPA. Not to mention that chicken often comes fatty and greasy, and the bitterness of an IPA will cut through that and help keep your palate in check. For a best of both worlds effect, go get a Belgian IPA to pair with your chicken, the marriage of which will make for a perfect Memorial Day meal (just make sure it’s an American brewery who made the Belgian IPA).

I think the Germans got this one right

Sausages – Lager – Anyone who has ever been to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany knows that bratwursts and marzen (the style usually known as Oktoberfest beer) go together like peas and carrots. The general principle is that sweeter, toasty malt flavors with relatively subtle hopping (i.e., bitterness) pair well with rich though not strongly flavored pork. The brats, of course, will have been soaked in beer prior to cooking. Vienna-style lagers also work well in this situation. And in case you were wondering, yes, this applies to hot dogs as well.

If you’re quenching thirst and keeping cool, and not attaching it to eating, look for any of the countless summer ales that are now on the market from the various craft breweries out there. While “summer” is not actually a style, but rather, an inspiration for most brewers, one thing they all seem to have in common is that they are light, crispy and relatively low in alcohol so that they seem to cool you off when you’re out in the hot sun. Often, they are brewed with summery spices and fruit notes to further drive home the feeling that you are on a beach somewhere without a care in the world.

My next vacation spot

As for honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our continued freedom, I can think of no better way to pay respects to them than by remembering their sacrifice and taking part in the very freedoms they fought to protect, like drinking American craft beer – a symbol of the spirit of America.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!