North Coast Brewing Company Brewmaster, Chuck Martins, recently shared insight with Brewer Magazine on a thoughtful approach to developing a food and beer pairing menu. An excerpt from Brewer Magazine’s article is as follows:

Outside of cheese, North Coast Brewing Company has not attempted to assemble a food-and-beer pairing guide. The reason, said Brewmaster Chuck Martins, is that the result would never be particularly accurate.

 “Some of our beers are very food friendly and it might be fairly safe to make some general recommendations,” he noted, “but many of the beers we produce have complex flavor profiles that require careful attention to create a recipe that will be synergistic with the beer.

 “This is likely true of most craft beer being produced today. They aren’t straightforward and it will take some effort to find harmonious food pairings.”

 Martins added that possibly the best way that any brewer can steer the customer to a good — or even great — pairing is to find good companions in commercially prepared foodstuffs that will be consistent day in and day out.

 “That is what makes beer and cheese pairing a winning proposition,” he said. “A particular cheese from a specific producer is going to be consistent enough throughout the year that a careful pairing will always be successful.”

 Read Brewer Magazine’s full article.