While I was recently in Hawaii celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary, restaurants kept recommending wines to pair with my seafood meals. I thought, it’s a shame that most American restaurants don’t embrace beer pairings, or even suggest options for both beer and wine to enjoy with their food. As I see it, beer’s pairing versatility is unmatched by wine — especially when it comes to seafood.
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With this in mind, I’ve compiled a few general rules to help you choose which beer to pair with which fish.
Types of fish
Lobster: In my experience, lobster seems to pair best with the sweeter notes of hazy IPAs, though prawns and octopus are good matches for those beers, too. A classic IPA that’s hoppier will also work with lobster, especially if you like it slathered in butter. Other styles to try with lobster include a blonde ale, wheat beer or even a Belgian-style tripel.
Crab and shrimp: Crab cakes and crab legs are ideal with a crisp pilsner or other lagers. Shrimp cocktail and pale ales match well, though if the shrimp is spicy, something highly carbonated works best, like a pilsner, kölsch or hefeweizen.
Mussels, scallops and clams: Mussels have long been a beer-friendly dish, and are practically a national dish in Belgium, where they’re always served with fries. Steamed mussels are perfect with a Belgian white or witbier, such as Allagash White or Blue Moon. Clams and scallops are great with pilsners or Belgian witbiers, though spicier versions can stand up to an IPA as well.
Oysters and clams: Raw oysters and clams are great with lightly sour beers — nothing too sour, but styles like gose or Berliner weisse are ideal, as their tartness balances the flavors. Even a gueuze will work, even though it’s a little more sour than the others.
Grilled oysters can pair with sour beers, but work better with pilsners, IPAs or strong Belgian styles like dubbels or tripels, especially when served with barbecue or other sauces.
And of course, there is oyster stout, part of the sub-style known as sweet stout. This style originated on the British Isles in the 18th century, and by the 20th century, it was brewed by adding the shells as a natural fining agent, which also changed its flavor. Oyster stout is obviously great to pair with oysters. HenHouse Brewing makes an excellent example using Hog Island Oysters and a touch of sea salt.
Seafood in general: While it’s never a good idea to declare any beer all-purpose, the German altbier comes quite close when it comes to seafood. It’s a style that is less common in the U.S. than it used to be, but it’s worth seeking out. Altbier originated in Düsseldorf and can still be found in the Rhineland region of Germany. While most German beers are lagers, altbier is a rare ale. But, despite using top-cropping yeast like an ale, altbier is still treated like a lager for maturing, so it exhibits characteristics of both. Having the fruitiness of an ale and the rich maltiness of a lager seems to create a kind of magic when paired with seafood. Another almost all-purpose classic is a saison, especially Saison Dupont, which pairs particularly well with salmon.
How it’s prepared
How the fish is prepared is as important as which variety of fish you’re eating.
Blackened: For example, blackened fish practically calls out for a black lager, which is light and malty and pulls out the flavors of the fish without overpowering them. One of my favorites is Moonlight Brewing’s Death and Taxes, but others will work.
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Grilled: Grilled fish, on the other hand, works best with some hops, so a pale ale or a not-too-over-the-top IPA, like a session IPA, pairs well, as does a red ale or an altbier.
Fried: Fried fish pairs well with beers that are highly carbonated and effervescent. I think of these beers as having scrubbing bubbles that clear your palate for the next bite. Beers like pilsners, kölsches and hefeweizens — or any decent lager — will work.
The classic English-style fish and chips is unsurprisingly great with English ales like amber, pale or brown ales. It’s no coincidence that most early brewpubs had this on their menus. But pilsners, hefeweizens, Belgian-style witbiers and even Irish stouts are great with this dish, too.
Smoked: When it comes to smoked fish like smoked salmon, or really any hot, smoked fish, the heavier flavors need an equally big beer, so I recommend something like a strong bock or a Scotch ale. When the smoked fish is cold, however, a saison or hefeweizen is the way to go. Even though it’s thinner in body, brown ale’s malty notes are great with smoked flavors.
In a taco: Fish tacos, naturally, are perfect with a Mexican lager, like a Victoria, Carta Blanca or Modelo.
As sushi: As for sushi, the light, delicate flavors of a Belgian witbier bring out the flavors nicely, though other wheat beer styles work well, too, like a hefeweizen or an American fruit wheat ale.
Spicy: Any seafood that is also quite spicy should be paired with something hoppy like an IPA, which helps to cut through that spiciness.
In a chowder: Meanwhile, a creamy chowder, or any fish stew, works well with a dark ale like a porter or stout, though when it’s hot out, an amber ale or altbier is good with chowder, too.
Ultimately, though, there are no wrong answers; it’s just a matter of what tastes great to you.
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Contact Jay R. Brooks at [email protected].
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