Grilling with Grains: Best Craft Beers to Pair with Your Summer BBQ

Summer BBQs are a time to gather with friends and family, savoring delicious grilled foods and refreshing beverages. When it comes to choosing the perfect beer to complement your BBQ spread, European craft beers offer a diverse range of flavors and styles that can elevate your grilling experience. In this guide, we'll explore some top European craft beers that pair wonderfully with summer BBQs.

Belgian Beers: A Tradition of Flavor

Belgium is renowned for its rich brewing heritage, producing beers that are both complex and flavorful. Here are some Belgian craft beers that are perfect for your summer BBQ:

• Chimay Red (Dubbel): This Trappist dubbel boasts a 7.0% ABV and offers a warming blend of dark fruit, toffee, and spice. It's an excellent match for smoky BBQ meats like ribs and brisket. (thebelgianbeercompany.com)

• Delirium Tremens (Belgian Strong Blonde): With an 8.5% ABV, this beer is fruity, spicy, and effervescent. Its lightly sweet, yeasty notes complement tangy marinades and sweet BBQ sauces, making it a favorite with pork dishes and caramelized bites. (thebelgianbeercompany.com)

• La Chouffe (Belgian Blonde): This 8.0% ABV beer features subtle coriander and floral notes, adding a herby lift to BBQ favorites. It's surprisingly smooth for its strength and pairs beautifully with Mediterranean-style dishes and savory cheeses. (thebelgianbeercompany.com)

German Beers: Precision and Quality

Germany's brewing tradition emphasizes precision and quality, resulting in beers that are both refreshing and satisfying. Consider these German craft beers for your BBQ:

• Ayinger Bräu Weisse (German Hefeweizen): This wheat beer is known for its spicy clove and banana flavors, offering a refreshing profile that's perfect for summer grilling. (mensjournal.com)

• Pilsner Urquell (Czech Pilsner): Originating from the Czech Republic, this 4.4% ABV lager is crisp and refreshing, making it an excellent choice to pair with sausages, cured meats, and other BBQ favorites. (thrillist.com)

Belgian Lambics: A Unique Twist

For something a little different, Belgian Lambics offer a unique flavor profile that can be a delightful addition to your BBQ:

• Kriek Boon (Fruit Lambic): This 4.0% ABV beer is tart, refreshing, and slightly sweet, acting as both a drink and a dessert. It's a brilliant palate cleanser between smoky bites and pairs well with grilled peaches, burgers with blue cheese, and spicy sausages. (thebelgianbeercompany.com)

Did you know…?

The term "Lambic" refers to a traditional Belgian beer style that undergoes spontaneous fermentation, resulting in unique and complex flavors.

By incorporating these European craft beers into your summer BBQ, you can enhance the flavors of your grilled dishes and provide your guests with a memorable dining experience. Cheers to good food, great company, and exceptional beer!