Have a dish set up with a number of very hot peppers Ghost chili pepper Habanero Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Thaie Serrano Jalapeno Along with that a few cheese Soft - Goat Cheese, Brier, etc Medium - Various Cheddar Hard - Age Gouda, Parmigiano-Reggiano ( aged 3 or more years ) Some meats (Fat helps ease the fire for the peppers) Sopressata Chorizo Other cured pokrs Assortment of breads (foccia, Ciabatta, etc) Ok, now, WHAT beer would you serve with this? We know that the heat from most of these peppers is going to be very hot and powerful. The cheeses and the bread should soften the blow. My first thoughts about what beer came to: Stone's Runiaton, Sixpoint Resin, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, Founders Curmudgeon. Or perhaps a light stout and nice porter. Like Stone's Smoked Porter. We love our hot peppers, we love cheese, and there is no question about the love of beer. What would you serve with this?
I would go with something really hoppy to start with but also with like to a chocolate stout with the meal. Chocolate milk stout will help cool the heat and go well with really hot peppers but not sure about the cheese.
I don't have a ton of knowledge in this area, but I would agree that hoppier beers and smoked beers would pair well. You may want to throw a lighter beer in there too, like a good pilsner. I think Victory Prima Pils would be a great balance of lightness and hoppiness. And what about a beer brewed with peppers, like the Founders Mango Magnifico or any of the Stone pepper/chipotle beers?
I'm a big fan of Rob Leonard's local brews from New England Brewing Company. I would like to have it with ghost chili pepper and meat always welcomed.
Malt, malt, malt. You've got the spice aspect of the meal well covered; w/ all the peppers (obviously) and strongly seasoned salumi. So why add even more spice (i.e. hops) to the pairing? Provide those sharp spices a round malty mountain of beer to climb. Create contrast. Doppelbock, Weizenbock, Dunkel, Vienna lager, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, etc. These will make solid pairings w/ the cheeses as well.
Spicey foods pair SOOOOO well with IPAs...but it might be overkill considering how intense some of those peppers will be already. I agree that something like a chocolate stout would pair well with the spice. My first instinct on the Curmudgeon was to shake my head, but the more I think about it, the better it sounds.
I would run the gauntlet of a bunch of different styles and you can collectively determine what beers you feel work best. There is always a wide range of beers people think work with spicy food. I would have a variety inclusive of: hefeweizen, Helles lagers, Pilsners, Marzens, doppelbocks, porters, RIS, IPA, DIPA, and Barleywines (both English and American). Sounds like you have a lot of food to experiment with, so you should have a lot of beer as well. If you pick up a bleu cheese, definitely have a nice lambic to complement it.
Personally I'd pair up a milk stout with the hot peppers like ghost chillies & habeneros. The lactose will help cleanse your palate of scorching heat and provide some much needed relief. Lugene chocolate milk stout and Left Hand milk stout are delicious. I find hoppy beers to fight for taste with spicy food, and the hops eventually become lost. Lots of malt for sure. YMMV.
I prefer wheats and Pilsners with food but the exception is "very spicey". I'd go with an IPA without question. You dont want to enhance that kind of fare you want to overwhelm the senses. I'd pour a Lagunitis IPA and never look back. Thai food is an example. Give me an IPA for a memorable experience.
So you are just eating the peppers raw? Your mouth will probably be to messed up to really enjoy the beer. With spicy dishes though I usually like a pale ale, ipa, or even a kolsch or basic lager. Some may disagree but a lambic or Berliner (even sweetened versions) can make good company to spicy stuff I love spicy foods and collect hot sauces and grow peppers. Overall when dealing with severe direct heat (like eating the peppers raw) go for something refreshing that you can drink a fair amount of
Make an effort on beers you find that have a nice creamy and full texture that coat well, good amber ales with some hinting caramel sweetness could be your dig for example... some subtle malt sweetness will go well to counter heat , and i like them for cheese also particulalry soft cheeses. A belgian amber may also be a good excuse.. but peppers may be a bit jarring.
All what you suggest is nice. Having had most of your peppers along with regular trinny scorpions and moruga scorpions, wiri wiri's, etc. The key is to pickle them slightly if you can or cut very, very lightly. Get rid of the seeds. Have very thick cream ie: Whipping cream for swishing when it gets bad.... I make my own hot sauce..... Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Pepper, Ghost Pepper, Wiri Wiri Pepper and Scotch Bonnet Super good flavor super good smell. Super HOT!!! Once I hit a chunk of Wiri Wiri with seeds and after 2sec of pure taste explosion I was on the floor! Swishing heavy cream, scraping my tongue with a towel spitting my face off. BTW Ghost is hotter than Wiri. Water, beer, etc will do nothing to calm the heat. Only cream and scraping that oil of hotness that coats your tongue keeping the heat in...... Enjoy!!!
