Food and Beer

For eons, beer, like food, has been at the centre of the table connecting people. Friendships solidified over a common pint. Is this not enough? Our beer sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, shares her concerns about how beer is starting to take itself way too seriously.

Known as a Filet Américain in Belgium, the steak tartare is one of the great dishes. But what to pair with it? Our Beer Sommelier Maggie Cubbler picks out a classic

Our Beer Sommelier Maggie Cubbler shows how even the most mundane meals can be lifted by beer

Belgian Beer and Food Pairings: Pheasant à la Brabançonne with Tripel Karmeliet

Mixing fine French cuisine with the heartiness of German dishes, Belgian cookery is the ultimate in comfort food. As the days get more drab, look to one of our Beer Sommelier's favourite Belgian beer and food pairings: Pheasant à la Brabançonne with Tripel Karmeliet.

Whether you're lounging at home or on an intergalactic voyage through the stars, there's hardly a better pairing in the universe than Belgian beer and food. Here's why:

Pheasant à la Brabançonne

The Ardennes region is famous for its wild game. Coming from this densely forested area is the classic Belgian dish, Pheasant à la Brabançonne. Made by roasting a pheasant in butter with bacon and chicory, it showcases the best of the autumn hunt. How do you make butter and bacon better?

RECIPE: Flying Dog 'The Fear' Imperial Pumpkin Ale Cream Soup

With the change of autumn leaves giving way to Halloween, there's no better time for a warming bowl of soup. Maggie Cubbler's recipe for Pumpkin Cream Soup makes use one of the other great uses for pumpkin this time of year: Flying Dog 'The Fear" Imperial Pumpkin Ale!

Maggie Cubbler's visit to the Schlenkerla brewpub gives her a newfound appreciation for the historic, traditional Rauchbiers from Franconia.

Badass Global Food Truck Matches: Tacos al Pastor with Stewart Black IPA

We're officially sad: summer is gone. And it took with it all of the great festivals, and sunshine and delicious summer food. We're not going down without a fight though, so as a last gasp, here's another badass food truck match by our own, Maggie Cubbler: Tacos al Pastor with Stewart Black IPA

Part of the crew here at Beer Hawk had the exciting opportunity to visit Munich's famed Oktoberfest. While we did eat our fair share of bratwurst while donning our lederhosen and our dirndls, take a look at some of the other Bavarian delights we washed down with a delicious Oktoberfestbier.

Street food festivals have taken the country by storm and with food truck fare becoming increasingly more exciting there isn't a better way to go on a culinary trip around the world without leaving your local park. As we inch ever-closer to summer's swan song, Maggie Cubbler gives us one of her favourite food truck & beer pairing matches: Gua Bao with Poperings Hommelbier.

The Best Beers for Your Farmers' Market Haul

The delicious simplicity of the summer harvest at your local Farmers' Market makes for a great opportunity to get back to basics with beer. Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, offers her favourite beers to go along with nature's best this season.

Yeastie Boys Bigmouth IPA Steamed Clams

Thanks so much for joining us on our epic Beer Hawk Summer Recipe Series. We hope you found something delicious to enjoy during this lovely British summer. Our final recipe is Maggie Cubbler's recipe for a Yeastie Boys Bigmouth Session IPA Steamed Clams. You're going to want a big mouth when you taste these!

Clams aren't necessarily in season right now. Yet since you should be able to find some in the stores anyway, I'm hard-pressed to come up with something I love to eat outdoors on a rustic picnic table more than steamed clams (mussels too!) There's just something about chucking the shell aside as you enjoy the sweet clam meat dripping in garlicky, creamy butter. When steaming clams in beer, I like to go with something that isn't too bitter but has a lot of bright citrus character. The tropical fruits and notes of lemon, grapefruit and orange in

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale Grilled Farmer's Market Chowder

Beer Hawk's Beer Summer Recipe Series will soon be coming to a close! We hope you found some inspiration for your next beery picnic or BBQ. This week Maggie Cubbler gives her recipe for a Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale Grilled Farmer's Market Chowder. Yum!

This Grilled Farmer's Market Chowder is a fantastic way to use up your latest haul from the farmer’s market. I included this recipe in our latest edition of Hoptical--keep your eyes peeled for it!--but thought everybody should get a chance to try this delicious summer chowder as soon as possible. Feel free to toss in whatever veg you prefer but chucking them all on the grill before making this soup takes it all to the next level. I love the Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale alongside this soup. It is a refreshing American Wheat Ale with citrus notes which awaken the

Liverpool Craft Beer Co. Rye Pale Ale & Sriracha Grilled Steak Sandwich

Join Beer Hawk's Beer Sommelier each week for our Summer Recipe Series! Whether it's for a picnic in the park or manning the grill with friends, Maggie Cubbler is fixing up some of her favourite summer recipes--with beer as the guest of honour! This week she gives her recipe for a Liverpool Craft Beer Co. Rye Pale Ale & Sriracha Grilled Steak Sandwich.

I love the hint of peppery spice in The Liverpool Craft Beer Co.'s Rye Pale Ale and what it brings to the--ahem--table in this fantastic Grilled Steak sandwich. Of course, marinating the steak in Sriracha sauce before popping it on the grill really helps take the heat up a notch too. There's also a sweet, cracker maltiness in the beer that forms a good base for the spicy-sweet marinade and a dry, bitter finish that helps wash it all down. This is all for nought,

Rogue Mocha Porter BBQ Shrimp Taco

Join Beer Hawk's Beer Sommelier each week for our Summer Recipe Series! Whether it's for an Al Fresco picnic or a cookout with friends, Maggie Cubbler is fixing up some of her favourite summer recipes--with beer as the guest of honour! This week she gives her recipe for a Rogue Mocha Porter BBQ Shrimp Taco.

I love the addition of chocolate or cocoa powder to a BBQ sauce, it just gives an earthy and sweet richness that's hard to duplicate. The addition of Rogue's Mocha Porter and its notes of cocoa and coffee brings just that to this BBQ Shrimp Taco party. Swirling some cheddar or pepper jack cheese into the sauce gives it some body and thickness nevermind a bit of extra cheese! Top it off with some salty feta and pickled red onions and you're ready to roll.

Ingredients

1/2TB vegetable oil

Anchor Old Foghorn Habanero Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Join Beer Hawk's Beer Sommelier each week through the end of July for our Summer Recipe Series! Whether it's for an Al Fresco picnic or a cookout with friends, Maggie Cubbler is fixing up some of her favourite summer recipes--with beer as the guest of honour! This week she gives her recipe for an Anchor Old Foghorn Habanero Pulled Pork Sandwich.

There’s just something about a spicy-sweet pulled pork that makes me feel patriotic and want to have a cookout to celebrate treason/independence. Well, would you have a look at that? It’s the Fourth of July! To celebrate, let’s look to one of America’s finest beery institutions: Anchor Brewing. Anchor Brewing’s Old Foghorn is noted for its complex and sweet character. Notes of treacle, molasses and dark fruits swirl about in this decadent, rich barleywine and is the perfect base for a sticky BBQ sauce. Let's do this!

Root beer floats were a big part of our Beer Sommelier Maggie Cubbler's childhood. There was nothing better on a warm summer night than mounds of vanilla ice cream covered by creamy root beer.

Just like beer, sandwiches come in all sorts. Smoked, grilled, smothered or fried, there’s something for everyone. This week Maggie Cubbler looks at the long history of the Pork Tenderloin

Our Beer Sommelier has paired some fantastic brunch dishes with each beer from Beer Hawk's Top Dad Beer Box gift set. Treat your No. 1 Man to an epic Father's Day beer brunch and make this Father's Day one he won't soon forget!

Just like beer, sandwiches come in all sorts. Smoked, grilled, smothered or fried, there’s something for everyone. This week Maggie Cubbler looks at the wonderfully decadent Philly Cheesesteak

Just like beer, sandwiches come in all sorts. Smoked, grilled, smothered or fried, there’s something for everyone. This week Maggie Cubbler looks at the wonderfully decadent Lobster Roll

If you're looking for the most bomb-tastic recipe of all bomb-tastic recipes then you'll love our Beer Sommelier's Rauchbier Mac n' Cheese Recipe. As is or filled with your favourite additions, we swear, you'll wonder how you lived without it.

The Best Beer & Food Books

Beer and food pairing has become a major part of the brewery and restaurant business and is wildly popular for people to try at home. Read as our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, lists her favourite beer and food books so you, too, can see what the fuss is all about.

Uerige Altbier and Food: A Düsseldorf Tradition

Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, visited the Altbier capital of the world: Düsseldorf. Here she talks about the famed Uerige Altbier and some traditional food pairings.

The 11 Best Beer & Food Pairings for Spring

Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, lists her 11 favourite beer and food pairings for spring guaranteed to make for a deliciously beautiful day!

Recipe: Wild Beer Co.'s Epic Saison Shrimp Creole

Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, has taken Wild Beer Co.'s Epic Saison and made her recipe for Shrimp Creole, well, epic.

Just like beer, sandwiches come in all sorts. Smoked, grilled, smothered or fried, there’s something for everyone. This week we're looking at the Ruben.

Since there’s a million ways to make ‘em, you betcha there’s a perfect beer partner somewhere! While we all have our favourites, different regions claim to have the best sandwich in the land. Each is delicious in its own right so let’s go on an adventure of the Good Ol’ USA to discover the best thing to happen to sliced bread.

Thornbridge Brewery's Beer & Food--a Craft Union

Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, was recently treated to a visit at the lovely Thornbridge Brewery at Thornbridge Hall in Derbyshire. She came out with a gorgeous Lamb Shank Shepherd's Pie recipe.

Everything seems bigger in the USA and that includes the food. Our Beer Sommelier returns home to search craft beer bars for the Great American Sandwich

Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, explores the fantastic beer that is coming out of the Emerald Isle and pairing it with some of her favourite classic dishes.

It's British Pie Week!

Our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, goes on a quest for truth: what is a pie? In doing so, she discovered herself and a killer Beef and Ale Pie recipe.

Sweet, imperial, oatmeal or dry, the gloriously versatile stout has been charming us since the 1700s. This famed dark beer is enjoyed all over the globe from the Emerald to the Caribbean Isles and while the stout is fantastic on its own it is sometimes even better with — or in — food. Our Beer Sommelier Maggie Cubbler has designed an amazing chilli that uses stout to really lift the flavour. It'll be the best one you've ever made.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales’ distinguished chef, Paul Olson, so kindly shared with me his recipe for the best Sloppy Joes I’ve ever had. Flavourful, comforting and appropriately sloppy, his version is made of bison meat but since that’s a bit difficult to find in the UK lamb, venison or lean beef would be a good substitute.

This comfort-food recipe comes to us courtesy of our Bavarian web-developer, Maria. Well, actually her mother. Pan-fried sirloin steak is covered in a rich gravy and fried onions and Maria's mum suggests serving it with spaetzle and red cabbage. I think she would agree that this dish could only be improved by a tasty Dunkel alongside it.

As our Beer Sommelier, Maggie Cubbler, heads to Germany we see how Germans pair their beers with some mighty fine food

Historically, German beers had to adhere to a strict purity law called the Reinheitsgebot; a law which stated that beer could only be made from water, barley, hops.

This rigid law didn't allow for much experimentation, rather the beers were required to be clean, unadulterated and pure. While the Reinheitsgebot has adjusted over the centuries to accommodate other ingredients like, well, yeast, it's easy to see why German beers are noted for their refreshing, crisp lagers, including the famed Oktoberfest Marzens and German pilseners.

Aside from its crystal-clear lagers, the weizens of Bavaria, kolschs from Cologne and Dusseldorf altbiers are equally revered. Throwing in the sour goses and Berliner Weisse, anybody should be hard-pressed

Picture this: the sun is shining, the grill is hot and your friends are telling you what an amazing person you are. The only thing that could make things better would be to have a keg of beer at your disposal. This doesn't have to exist only in your wildest daydreams (well, perhaps the sun actually shining when you want it to) because we can make the keg of beer part happen.

How to make Stout Brown Sauce and Dubbel Mustard

Stephen Beaumont's book The Beer & Food Companion includes everything you need to know about matching beer with food as well as loads of great recipes, including these easy recipes...

Gather ‘round kids! Grab a toffee apple and get ready for the fireworks—it’s time to burn a man in effigy! Yayyy!!!

Four years ago this week, my husband and I landed here in the UK to begin our lives in this beautiful country. It just so happened to be none other than Guy Fawkes Day or--for the kiddies--Bonfire Night; nothing like celebrating the failed assassination attempt of the king by a 17^th century terrorist on your first night in a new country. Luckily we were invited to a party at a new friend’s house and we discovered what the holiday was really about: food and beer.