Beer and Food

Beer and Food
By Mark Dredge
Dog ‘N’ Bone, April 2014, $24.95

It’s hard to imagine how many tasting parties Mark Dredge must’ve hosted in order to come up with the hundreds of creative pairings featured in this book (Israeli-style Dubbel with Chinese beef & black bean sauce, anyone?). Dredge, a British beer writer and BA contributor, starts with the basics: food flavors found in beer styles; different hop oils and their corresponding foods; “the three B’s” of pairing. Once you can explain why capsaicin and carbonation don’t mix, move on to the next section: specific beers and the dishes that enhance them, with detailed sensory breakdowns of the pairing effects. Then he gives the same treatment to the greatest hits of world cuisines. Don’t know what to serve with biltong … or even what biltong is? Try a Devil’s Peak IPA with the jerky-like South African snack. With fun asides—like a list of “liquid” desserts (Coffee Stout + iced vanilla cupcake = tiramisu)—something new will catch your eye every time you flip through. Keep a pen handy so you can add to your grocery list as you read. ■