Good beer, to be consumed in moderation – like all alcohol. Ok, but to consume with what? What food ? The answer to this question will arise on the stands and workshops of a new fair which is being held in Dijon from Saturday June 4 to Monday June 6 in the evening: “Beer & Gastronomy”, at the Palais des Congrès. The entrance ticket costs 5 euros. Without pressure, France Bleu Bourgogne took the initiative to contact Elisabeth Pierre, beerologist (or zythologist), the hop equivalent of an oenologist (for wine), beer specialist and guest of the show.
Do Burgundy specialties go well with beers?
- Aperitif : with gougères, “an aperitif beer, lively, light with a little bitterness. A good Pilsner (a slightly bitter thirst quencher) with a balance of malt and hops”. With parsley ham: “a beer with a stronger bitterness tone, an IPA or a very bitter Pale Ale”.
- Dishes with wine sauces (beef bourguignon, poached eggs): “Red wine dishes go very well with beers. They are umami flavors, brought by the wine sauce. You need bitterness, roasted, dark beers, but without sweetness”.
- Dishes with mustard: “Dijon mustard is particularly strong, powerful and herbaceous. You really need beers with power for it to be well balanced, hoppy, aromatic, bitter. Pale Ale, IPA, or Pilsner. You don’t have to sweet and delicate beers. There are often associations between beer and mustard, for example with rabbit”.
- Cheeses (from Epoisses or Citeaux): the classic pairing, for Epoisses as for a Citeaux, “Triple beers. It is a blond beer, rich, complex in flavors and aroma, with a good length”.
- Sweet, gingerbread and nonnettes: “Anything related to honey is inseparable from beer, it has always been part of the world of beer, since antiquity. In some beer recipes, there are spices and honey. avoid sweet beers. You can contrast with bitterness, but aromatic. A Pale Ale or an IPA, but fruity”.
Can we drink beer AND wine (from Burgundy) during the same meal?
Elizabeth Peter: “It’s absolutely possible, quite imaginable. But we’re not necessarily going to go for wines and beers that have the same register of expression. For example, gingerbread with foie gras, we’re going to going for a rather rich Burgundy and not necessarily following the dish behind with a rich beer as well. We will try to break the rhythm and seek other sensations with the beer compared to the wine that was tasted. We will bring a kind of breathing, looking for acidity more than bitterness, fruit, to breathe in the wine and food menu”.