Summer is that perfect time of the year where the grills are at their best selves; soaking in all the richness of the sun as flaming coals burn their best to make well-broiled and sultry barbecues.
Friends and family gather around a table with forks and knives ready to pierce into these portions of food; ever ready to create memories that will be referred to after many passing days.
While this sounds exciting, an important aspect of making this dream a reality is when a good drink, warm or chilled, complements the saucy meat at the table. The tastes derived are always unexplainable.
Meanwhile complementing a food with a drink is not something to be done haphazardly - you should count yourself saved if you recently escaped a plate of burnt sour beef with a tall glass of warm Malbec. The awfulness of this can’t be explained.
So, to save you another moment of such a calamity, this well-put-together infographic shares all there is to know about food and drink matchups.
Straight to the Point, What Works with What?
The list of food types to choose from are countless. First, to make a delicious barbecue meal, this guide on choosing infrared grills makes things easier. Then, you need to determine which meat you’ll barbecue, and which drink goes with the meal you’re making.
Fortunately, there are tricks to this stuff, and this infographic shares it all.
Wines
Red wines often tend to be the most sought-after wines, but they could have damaging effects to flavouring if not chosen well.
Dry red wines are better off with thick textured red meats like beef, pork, and lamb while giving off a strong sharp flavouring that rules it out for sour foods like a zingy barbecue. You may use sweeter red wines for this instead as they tone down the sharpness or spiciness of leaner meats.
White wines will suit your vegetables, cheeses, poultry, and seafood. A glass of chilled Merlot paired with grilled scallops with cheese and garlic butter will leave you speechless all night.
Sparkling wines work similarly to white wines but are a lot sweeter and fruitier, which makes them also perfect for lighter textured foods - seafood, cheeses, and vegetables.
Beers
Beers could be pretty confusing because they almost taste and smell the same. The good thing, they may not easily wreak havoc like badly chosen wines, but a bad pairing can still make a meal less enjoyable.
Across all boards, Pilsner, Brown Ales, and IPA will be the safest to fall onto, but a good run through the other options for a more careful complementing will do you well.
Check out this infographic for more pairing best practices:
