Food Pairings with Golden Ale: Lighter Foods Love Blonde Beer

23 Jul

Food Pairings with Golden Ale: Lighter Foods Love Blonde Beer

Golden Ale Food Pairings – Simple Advice

Pairing beer with food is a skill that needs to be developed, and flavor combinations aren’t universal.  A typical challenge is the perception that lighter beers and ones without big flavors can ‘go with anything’ and can easily pair well with multiple courses.  

This isn’t the case for Blonde Ales and Golden Ales (Check out some of our reviews here) which are picky pairings that I reserve for lighter meals.

Silver Bluff Golden Ale, with balanced bitterness and subtle floral and spicy aroma, is an excellent example of this style and is the beer reference for these pairings. Just learning about Golden Ales?  Check out our overview of the style.

Note that you can substitute most British Goldens and American Blonde Ales that are not too hoppy with Silver Bluff’s Golden to make your menus.  American Pale Ale with hop bitterness or craft beer with added flavors or fruits would be paired differently than these examples.

Seafood and Fish are Ideal for Golden Ales

Lighter seafood and fish and those with delicate and diverse flavors pair well with American and British Golden Ales. 

The beer’s balanced bitterness and subtle floral and spicy aroma complement the oceanic flavors of seafood.   

Here are some specific seafood dishes that pair well with our Golden Ale:

• Grilled Salmon: The beer’s crisp finish enhances the rich, fatty flavor of the salmon.
• Tuna Steak: Grassy notes combine well with well-cooked tuna when the tuna is not overcooked and has a subdued odor.  Be wary of pairing with tuna dishes that have heavy odors.
• Oysters: East Coast oysters are the oyster pairing because they are frequently low salinity and mild.  A ‘beginner’ oyster from the East Coast of the USA with a very low-heat cocktail sauce pairs well with Golden Ales and Blondes.

The Brewer’s Association agrees that this is a key to pairing seafood with a Blonde and they cite salmon as their top pairing option.

Blondes with Poultry and Pork

Silver Bluff Golden Ale pairs excellently with lighter poultry and pork dishes. The beer’s crisp finish and mild bitterness connect to dishes with nuanced flavors. 

Here are some specific poultry and pork dishes that pair well with our Golden Ale:

• Grilled Chicken: The beer’s subtle malt sweetness complements grilled chicken that hasn’t been marinated aggressively.
• Pork Tenderloin: The beer’s crisp finish balances the light flavors and lower fat cut of pork.  Baked or grilled recipes work with Goldens as they have low-intensity flavors that stay away from big mustards or rubs. 
• Honey-glazed Baked Chicken: The beer’s balanced bitterness enhances low-spice glazes and seasoning profiles.

Vegetarian and Cheese

Silver Bluff Golden Ale also pairs well with vegetarian dishes and lighter, nuttier cheese. Fresh and mild vegetables contrast with the crisp flavor of the Golden Ale. 

For salads, garden salads and ones with mild proteins like salmon or grilled chicken are the ideal combination.  Big, bold cheeses and gamey additions wouldn’t be ideal for the Blonde Ale.

Here are some vegetarian dishes and cheeses that pair well with our Golden Ale:

• Garden Salad: The beer’s crisp finish provides a refreshing contrast to the fresh, crisp vegetables.
• Brick Cheddar and Monterey Jack: The beer’s balanced bitterness and subtle sweetness enhance the flavors of these cheeses.
• Edam cheese:  Edam cheese is my go-to with a Golden Ale.  It’s mild and has nearly no smell, which is a key aspect of pairing a Golden.

International or Spicy Cuisine and Blonde Ales

Pairing beer with spicy foods is a significant issue for Golden Ale.  It often doesn’t rise to the occasion, becoming a clashing flavor with most high-spiced options.  Curry and spicy chicken dishes have far better options for pairing like IPAs and Double IPAs.   If I choose a Silver Bluff option to pair with hot wings or a highly-spiced Indian or Caribbean Jerk flavor profile, I’m going with Beekeeper DIPA or Golden Isles IPA.

But, if you have to pair here, consider these dishes:

• Mild Stir-fry: The more earthy, fresh vegetables, the better, and choose lower-intensity sauce options and low umami ingredients.
• Mexican Tacos: The beer’s subtle floral and spicy aroma can be paired with lightly spiced pork or chicken tacos. A good trick is to ensure you have some balanced pickled vegetables to pair well with this lighter beer.  

Sweet and Dessert Pairings: Any Golden Options?

Golden Ale is tough to pair with desserts. The beer’s subtle malt sweetness and crisp finish balance are a harsh contrast for rich desserts.  

Steer clear of chocolate which has so many better beer pairing options like fruity Lambic (Raspberry Lambic and chocolate cake is a perfect pair) and roasted malt heavy American Brown Ale.

Here are some desserts that pair well with our Golden Ale:

• Apricot and Tart Apple Dishes: The beer’s balanced bitterness amplifies these fruits.  The sauces shouldn’t be overly sweet to match well here. 
• Lemon Tart: The beer’s subtle malt sweetness complements the tart, sweet flavor.
• Mandarin Orange: The beer’s crisp finish works well when oranges or clementines are at the core of a dessert. 

Note that depending on your limits for cheese and citrus (some folks are repulsed by this,) Edam pairs well with oranges and apricots and can be a wise cheese course dessert for a Golden Ale.  

Final Thoughts on Pairings

For a beer like an American Blonde Ale or a British Summer Ale, I’m always matching depending on the level of delicate flavors on the beer.  If it is a complex and delicate, nuanced Golden Ale, I want a delicate and lightly-flavored food combination. 

Often, American craft beer pairings shoot for contrasting dishes for all combinations, but for a beer like Silver Bluff Golden Ale, harmony is the path.

Amber ale, Stout, India Pale Ale, and dark beer are more intuitive to pair complimentarily with roasted flavors and red meat, but lighter beers are extremely nuanced for pairing purposes.  Sour beer, Belgian Golden Ale, spiced Pale ale, and Wheat beer present unique challenges and can also typically hold up to a big flavor like a sausage or spicy food pairing.

If the Golden or Blonde you are pairing has added spices or bigger flavors from additions, you can go bolder with all of my suggestions above and include some cured meats and salty foods.  Enjoy!