HOUSTON – Nothing goes better with a humid Houston day than an ice cold beer, but do you know what foods go best with your brews? For a belated celebration of National Beer Lover’s Day (September 7), 8th Wonder Brewery President and Co-founder Ryan Soroka shares some insight into the art of beer pairing with delicious dishes from local restaurants.
“The fun thing about beer and food pairings is beer gets paired easily with a lot of different foods,” said Soroka. “There’s not a whole lot of rules of don’t’s and more rules of do’s.”
From hoppy IPA’s to dark creamy stouts, beer offers a diverse range of styles to please every palette. Much like wine, some brews complement certain flavors in food better than others. Soroka partnered with local restaurants Vinny’s, Rodeo Goat and Jax Grill to present three beer and food pairings for Houstonians to try.
DOME FAUX’M - THROWBACK CREAM ALE + VINNY’S BACON SAUSAGE PIZZA
Soroka says, “Dome Faux’m is our flagship beer. It’s a pre-prohibition style cream ale, and true to its origins, it’s got a little bit of corn in the recipe that’s going to provide subtle sweetness.”
- Beer tasting notes: There’s a common misconception that cream ales are creamy, but this pre-Prohibition style brew is light, crisp & easy-drinking
- Dish ingredients: Underbelly Pork & Bacon Sausage, black pepper, Parmesan sauce, mozzarella, provolone, parsley, chives and Korean red pepper
- Why it works: You can never go wrong with beer and pizza, but the cream ale complements the meat and the heat on this slice perfectly
TEX - BLONDE + RODEO GOAT’S MARVIN ZINDLER BURGER
Soroka says, “This is light, crisp and has a nice little floral hint from those hops. It’s a smooth-sipper, very approachable beer. If you’re not the biggest beer fan or new to beer, this is a really great beer of ours to start with.”
- Beer tasting notes: Smooth and satisfying blonde ale that’s light and low-calorie
- Dish ingredients: Applewood smoked bacon, beefsteak tomato, jalapeños, lettuce, fried onion, cheddar, pickle chutney and BBQ sauce
- Why it works: This burger is jam packed with flavors, and blondes go great with all as they complement sweet, hot and spicy foods
COUGAR PAW - RED ALE + JAX GRILL’S SOUTHWESTERN BOWL
Soroka says, “This is a nice malty, but easy-drinking red ale. It’s going to have a subtle kind of roasty, dry finish to it.”
- Beer tasting notes: Malt forward sweetness fades into a roasted, dry easy-sipping finish
- Dish ingredients: Blackened chicken, rice, black beans, roasted corn, cheddar, pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado and cilantro vinaigrette
- Why it works: The roasted sweet malt flavors of red ale pair perfectly with grilled meats like the blackened chicken and the mesquite grilled corn
BREWERY & RESTAURANT INFO
- 8th Wonder Brewery is currently open for dine-in from 12 - 8 p.m. daily. Masks are required and there is a limit of 6 guests per table. Walk-up window & to-go are also available from 1 - 7 p.m.
- Rodeo Goat is open for dine-in inside or on the patio, curbside, takeout and delivery through 3rd party sites Sun. - Thurs. from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Fri. - Sat. from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
- Jax Grill has three locations on South Rice in Bellaire, Shepherd in the Heights and Gaston Rd. in Katy. Hours vary by location.
For the full interview, watch the video above. To connect with Ryan Soroka, visit the 8th Wonder Brewery website.