Being a “wino,” I always ran to the wine collection when picking out dinner. This all changed when I had the pleasure of attending the Naples Craft Beer Fest earlier this year. This beer fest was different than any I had attended in the past. It was, of course, an opportunity to try some of the best beers Coastal Beverage has to offer, but it was also an opportunity to try beers paired with dishes from local restaurants. Some of the breweries in attendance included Capital brewing, Blue Point, Goose Island, Magic Hat, Shock Top, Victory, Sweet Water, Southern Tier, Green Flash and Widmer Brothers.

The food and beer pairings covered a good base of typical beer styles ranging from Shock Top Lemon Shandy, Milk Stouts, Ales, Pale Ales, India Pale Ales, Weizen, and Russian Imperial Stouts. One of my favorite parings was Southern Tiers 2x Milk Stout with a chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter mouse drizzled in chocolate. The cookie was fantastic on its own, and the same can be said about the beer, but combined both seemed more interesting and complex.

This pairing may be obvious, but not all were that way. Shock Top Lemon Shandy was paired with Chef Paul’s Paella, a local chef who’s done a few wine tastings with ABC. Personally, I wouldn’t have thought to pair spicy paella with such a light easy drinking beer, however, for the second year running this combination has been crowned champion. The spiciness in the paella brought out flavors in the beer that you didn’t recognize on its own. These two pairings seemed to be a step above the rest, and with all the great beer and food presented that is a great accomplishment.

There are many styles and types of beer, making it very versatile. Keep in mind that you want the two, your dinner and beer choice, to complement each other; make sure your beer isn’t over powering your dinner. If dinner is a juicy steak, a witbier may be refreshing, but probably isn’t holding up to the steaks flavors. Instead try a hopped up IPA, a smoked porter, or just a nice stout. One thing that beer and wine have in common is the fact that everyone’s palate is different; don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know when you may find that perfect pairing no one else dared to try! Be sure to ask your local ABC beer consultant what may match your dinner if you’re lost amongst all the great beers out there!

Kevin Vercrouse, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Beer Consultant – East Tamiami Trail, Naples

Follow him on Twitter @abcbeerkevinv