I posted this http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/jai-alai-taste-differences.162301/ a while ago after thinking my local favorite IPA was vastly different batch to batch. I proved myself wrong this week after eating a sub (w. jalapeños) and having that beer later in the evening. It tasted really off to me. The next night, a different dinner and the beer tasted awesome. So, which foods do you believe alter our perception of the beer we are drinking in a bad way? TL/DR: Jalapeños made my IPA taste like crap.
I'm guessing those jalapenos were pickled, and that combination of sour and hot could definitely throw the palate off a bit. Even plain old pickles might do it, depending on the beer.
Don't ever drink Mida's Touch with an Ahi Tuna steak... just don't. They're both great on their own but something terrible happens when you put them together.
There's things to do to help cleanse the palate. Crackers, water, ect. But not much to do from palate fatigue. Not sure how often you drink but for me if I go a few days of throwing back IPA's they tend to loose their luster. Have a couple dry days and the same beer seems so much more flavorful.
Not food, but same concept: don't drink a BPA after an American IPA. After smashing your palate with hops, a light, sweet, malty beverage just does not taste the same. Re: food: spicy foods, although many beers go well with spicy food. Very sweet desserts will obviously throw off your appreciation for a beer's malt profile. Sour things, if you have a beer too soon.
I simply don't drink beer with any food. For all the reasons above. Pepsi or water taste good with anything, and any thing taste good with water or Pepsi, why to complicate whats naturally simple. After a good meal there is time for a treat - a good BEER, or two.
