Food-topia
First published in issue 44 of Ferment Magazine
I wrote an article imagining a better future for beer and food pairing.
I want us to picture a future together where getting the perfect beer for your meal is easy, commonplace even, no matter where you are. Where drinks menus are no longer called wine lists, because there’s just as much beer and other stuff on there as well. Where beer isn’t typecast as wine’s rustic cousin – fun but a bit rough, not fit for when company comes around. Where instead it gets to show all that it can do, from drink-of-the-people all the way up to sophisticated beverage that deserves, and can hold, your full attention.
Matching beer with food means more than deciding whether to go for lager or bitter with your ploughmans.
Sometimes all I want is a beer that will quench my thirst. Sometimes I want a beer that will be the backdrop to a good night out. And sometimes I want to revel in a sensory overload of aromas and flavours. Equally, I might want a beer to wash down a quick snack; to liven up a some home-cooked supper; or as part of a flight that comes with a ridiculous tasting menu. Beer is so diverse that it can fit all of these needs.
