Red, White, and Brewed: Best Beers To Have At Your BBQ

It’s grilling season, the perfect time of year for outdoor BBQs. Since you’re not planning on getting in shape, you should have no fear of eating massive amounts of grilled meat chased with a few frosty brews. But, it’s important to know how to pair the right beer with each BBQ delicacy. You don’t want to make the embarrassing mistake of pairing the wrong beer with a rich, meaty steak. What will the neighbors think?

Also: Beer Cocktails: More Than Just Boilermakers

There are few things more American than standing on a beach or in a friend’s backyard playing cornhole (or any number of yard games) while someone grills up an assortment of marinated meat. It’s vital to sip on the right beer while you also manage to juggle a croquet mallet and a charred hot dog. I’m here to guide you to the best beers for the occasion.

Burgers

You might not think darker beers are in season, but the rich, beefiness of a well-made burger (or cheeseburger) is perfectly paired with a porter. The savory, umami flavors associated with the meat, mixed with the tanginess of cheese and pickles, lettuce and ketchup require a dark beer to be properly balanced. The roasted malt bitterness of porters works perfectly with the richness of the greatest sandwich ever made.

Porters Suited For Consumption With Burgers

Smuttynose Robust Porter
Maui Brewing Company Coconut Porter
Oskar Blues Nib Sip
Founders Porter

Steaks

When you think of grilling, images of burgers and hot dogs are prevalent. Just as common are steaks. A bunch of steaks cooking on the grill with a bucket of beers is just about as close to heaven as you can get. A great steak only needs a little bit of seasoning, but requires the perfect beer. The richness of a steak is best complemented by dark beers like brown ales, porters and stouts. Just like the burger, a steak draws the usually out of season stout back out to center stage.

Brown Ales and Stouts Suited For Consumption With Steak

Dogfish Head Indian Brown
Alesmith Nut Brown
Bell’s Best Brown
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog
Avery Ellie’s Brown Yeti Imperial Stout
Beamish Irish Stout
Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

Chicken

Proteins like chicken aren’t remotely as rich and fatty as steak and burgers. Regardless of whether or not you plan to marinate it or cover it in barbeque sauce, chicken requires a lighter beer to complement its flavors. Chicken and wheat beer are perfect counterparts because the (sometimes) unfiltered beer plays well with the light protein in chicken. On top of that, beautiful weather is perfectly suited for the yeasty, light flavors associated with wheat beers. If you want to, feel free to throw an orange slice into your beer. I won’t tell anyone.

Wheat Beers Suited For Consumption With Chicken

Harpoon UFO White
Bell’s Oberon
Left Hand Brewing Haystack Wheat
Allagash White

Sausages

Not many main dishes say “BBQ” like sausages. Whether it’s a kielbasa, bratwurst, Italian sausage, chorizo, andouille or beer brat, sausages should be paired with pepper, onions and a great beer. Not only is it traditional, but Czech style pilsners are the perfect accompaniment to a great sausage. The light, maltiness of the pilsner works well with the rich, spicy flavors of the sausage and the sweet flavors of the peppers and onions. The pilsner is the most popular beer in the world and one that is sadly sometimes overlooked in the US. Let’s change that by throwing some sausages on the grill and throwing back a few pilsners.

Czech Style Pilsners Suited For Consumption With Sausage

Firestone Walker Privo Pils
Victory Prima Pils
Pilsner Urquell
Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils

Hot Dogs

Few meats remind us of summer more than a hot dog. It brings back images of backyard BBQs and days spent at the ballpark. Hot dogs are great on their own with they multitude of mystery meats, but they are even better with a frosty beer. The rich, beefiness of a well made hot dog is perfectly complemented by the bitterness of an IPA. Also, since a hot dog usually only takes a few bites to finish, you can relax and enjoy your IPA while you completely forget about all the work you are putting off while having a BBQ. Those TPS reports will still be there on Monday.

IPAs Suited For Consumption With Hot Dogs

Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Ballast Point Sculpin
Sixpoint Bengali
Elysian Space Dust IPA

Sides

Burgers, sausages, hot dogs, steak and chicken are fine on their own, but they shine when accompanied by the right sides. Whether it’s potato salad, macaroni salad, a finely crafted jell-o, potato chips, cole slaw, baked beans or corn on the cob, sides need a beer counterpart too. Sides can have different flavors from sweet, to tangy, to tart, to savory, but all go well with a nice, summery beer like a pale ale. The perfect beer for warm weather, a well-made pale ale pairs perfectly with any number of sides and meat combinations.

Pale Ales Suited For Consumption With Sides