How A Chef Perfectly Pairs Beer With Different Stews

If you're looking for a way to take your homemade stew to the next level, look no further than your favorite beer — either to add directly into your batch or to simply drink alongside your bowl. If you opt to add it to the pot, beer can make your stew more flavorful and complex. It can also help tenderize the meat, ensuring the perfect texture in your stew. With so many different types of beer out there, how do you know which to use? 

Daily Meal spoke with an expert — Hammed, a chef, recipe developer, and author of the blog "The Prince Eats" — to find out. When adding beer to stew, the variety you choose must be one you actually like. Hammed says, "There's nothing more disappointing than spoiling the seasonal flavors of a delicious stew with a beer you really don't enjoy."

This tip will help you narrow down your selection. If you don't like dark beer or aren't a fan of particularly bitter IPAs, you probably won't like how either one tastes in (or alongside) your stew, so there's no point in trying it out. You also need to keep complementary flavors in mind. Hammed offers, "Depending on whether the stew is meaty, hearty, or vegetable-based, you want to choose a beer that elevates the stew and doesn't drown out the flavors."

If you're new to cooking, this tip could be a little intimidating. Luckily, Hammed stepped in to save the day and offer some great examples of beer and stew pairings.

The type of beer you choose to drink with or add to your stew recipe depends on the kind of stew you're making. A chicken stew with carrots and potatoes or any version with poultry will make you want to stick to a light beer that isn't too bold in flavor. Think pale lagers, such as Heineken or Stella Artois. Hammed explains, "Most likely, the [chicken stew] recipe will call for earthy herbs and aromatics. You don't want to use a bold beer that will overpower and heavily contrast the flavor profile of the stew."

On the other hand, a stew that contains red meat — such as a simple beef stew — can handle the flavors of a bold beer. This may mean pairing something like an Irish stout beer that's dark and rich or a hoppy option like an IPA.

Last but not least, there's the option of a veggie stew, which Hammed has a specific answer for pairing: "Since many vegetable stews, especially hearty fall and winter stews, feature flavors that complement meat, you want to use a brown ale."

Brown ales are malty and typically have flavor notes of chocolate, caramel, and nuts, among others. If you're not a fan of brown ale, you can also opt for a pale ale — even pale ales with strong flavors, such as certain IPAs — which will help accentuate the earthy notes of root vegetables. The variety of brew you choose for your stew is ultimately up to personal preference, but these suggestions will help bring out the flavor in any version of the dish.