Doing my first brisket on the traeger this weekend for some of my beer savvy friends. Which styles would you pair with? Live in the PNW and am thinking of maybe a farmhouse/saison?
I usually do a Flemish red. Depending on what wood you're using and how much smoke comes through, the brisket may overpower the saison. I've never done it with brisket, but an interesting pairing would be a rauchbier or grodziskie. Stone's Chipotle Smoked Porter is another good option.
It's taken me a number of years and the investment in a good commercial grade smoker, but I just perfected my brisket the tail end of last summer and this summer. I think a good PNW red/amber like Laurelwood Red Range Red, Elysian Men's Room, or Deschutes Green Lakes makes the best pairing for brisket. And since Sierra Nevada Flipside is out now, I'd give that strong consideration. The reason I think ambers/reds, even Flanders reds as @Heretic42 suggests, work for me is that I make my brisket Texas-style --- is there any other style, frankly? In other words, no sauce! A good smoked, sauceless brisket pairs well with something a little sweeter than a pale ale or IPA, IMHO. If you can't get on board with no sauce, I think bitter pale ales, IPAs, and even ESBs are best with a sweet and hot BBQ sauce. I smoke exclusively with apple wood since I'm here in the Washington. I have always avoided rauchbier and other smoked beers with my BBQ. My BBQ has plenty of smoke and it just turns out to be too much.
i usually pair something sweeter like ambers and reds with beef as well. but another favorite pairing w beef is just a simple cold hoppy pils. crisp and cuts thru the fat and smoke, nice cleansing of the palate. something about summer, bbq and lagers just works for me. cheers oh and ps. NO SAUCE
