The Best Beers To Pair With The Many Flavors Of Thai Food
Thai food is one of the world's most unique, flavorful cuisines. Luckily we get to enjoy it throughout the U.S. There are so many flavors and ingredients that go into that panang curry, tom yum soup, or papaya salad you love at your local Thai restaurant, from lemongrass and chili peppers to fish sauce and coconut milk.
What makes Thai cuisine so delicious and complex is the ability to marry some of the most interesting ingredients harmoniously and fit into five flavor profiles: spicy, salty, sour, sweet, and creamy. Every authentic Thai dish you have the pleasure of digging into expertly blends the above elements.
Once you get that dish of piping hot Thai food in front of you, there's only one thing left to do: pair it with the perfect beer. Because there's not much that washes down the many flavors of Thai cuisine quite like a cold, crisp beer — but certain beers are best for the job.
Beers that pair well with Thai's five flavor profiles
An excellent Thai dish will harmonize all five flavor profiles, so the trick to choosing a good beer pairing comes down to complementing those different profiles without drowning out their nuances. A good rule of thumb across the board: think crisp and carbonated.
If you love your Thai food hot and spicy, fruit-forward beers work well to balance out the heat. If you're not a fan of citrus beers, dishes like spicy curry or something aromatic also pair well with a light German-style lager, a Belgian witbier, or even something slightly malty like an amber or brown ale.
The right IPA can bring out sour flavors like lemongrass and kaffir lime; hazy IPAs are a great choice because they're not quite as bitter. And if you tend to go for the salty, umami deep-fried dishes, you want a beer that's bright enough to cut through those rich flavors, like a tart sour. A yeasty beer can help bring out a dish's sweet finish, and darker beers like porters will work great with nutty dishes like pad Thai or coconut-milk-based soups.
The most popular beer in Thailand
The most popular beer brands in Thailand should tell you what kinds of beer pair well with the nation's flavorful food. Two top Thai beers beat the rest: Singha and Chang — both pale lagers with unique tastes and characteristics.
Singha (pronounced "sing") was the country's first beer and is still its most popular. It was made by Praya Bhirom Bhakdi, the "Godfather of Thai beer," in the 1930s when he was inspired by a German lager he had tasted. Made with European hops, Singha beer has a strong malty profile that stands up to spicy Thai food, and it's only produced in Thailand.
Chang is the next big brand, which once had a whopping 6.4% ABV. It's a light lager with a more mild taste that's crisp and refreshing without overpowering the flavors of the cuisine. Chang is brewed in other parts of the world, but the recipe uses rice within the country, which makes the Thai version stand out.
No matter your taste, there's a perfect beer to match the variety of flavors each Thai dish brings, so pick your poison.