Many people love summertime for enjoying barbecue, especially brisket. There are many different components to brisket, from the burnt ends to the rich fatty point. When you consider all of the flavors present in a brisket, how do you choose which craft beers to drink with it? When this question was posed to a couple of local brewers, Kyle and Brad Jukes with Jukes Ale Works in Elkhorn had several styles to recommend.
“Our Merlin’s Cream Ale is a light, slightly sweet beer that would bring out the richness of the brisket,” Brad Jukes said.
Kyle Jukes stated, “When I think of pairing, I look for items that balance each other. Our Harvester Saison is crisp and dry, providing the perfect balance to the fatty richness of brisket. If you are going to have some barbecue sauce with the meat, then I would recommend our Ninja Juice IPA. Ninja Juice has great citrus notes that enhance the sauce’s tanginess.”
Tom Wilmoth is one of the founders of Zipline Brewing Co. in Lincoln, and he remarked, “Copper Alt is the perfect beer to pair with grilled or smoked meats. That’s not just our opinion—it’s science. A Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. Seared steaks, fried dumplings, cookies, biscuits, bread, toasted marshmallows, and many other foods undergo this reaction. The specialty malts used in Copper Alt also benefit from this magic and, therefore, complement the browned (and burnt) ends of a great brisket.”
This summer, try some of these suggestions, experiment with others, and reach out to us with some of your favorite brisket and craft beer pairings.
Cheers!
Photo credit to Zipline Brewing Co for Copper Alt beer
