Sommelier Marnie Old and brewer Sam Calagione have a long-standing, friendly rivalry: She thinks wine is the best beverage to drink with food; he thinks it’s beer.
She is director of wine studies for the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and is a high-profile wine consultant; he is a hero of the craft-beer movement, having founded the lauded Delaware-based craft brewery Dogfish Head.
Five years ago, they put the issue before an unbiased audience by hosting a dinner featuring pairings of both. They called it “Beer Is From Mars, Wine Is From Venus.”
Many dinners later, their “pair-offs” have evolved into a book: “He Said Beer, She Said Wine” (DK Publishing, $25).
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The book offers specific beer and wine pairings for dishes from foie gras to french fries, as well as a primer on how to do your own pairings, useful tools to help you demystify wine and beer, and even dinner-party recipes (with pairings, of course).
The message: If you’re in the habit of drinking only wine or beer with food, think outside the box — or bottle.
WHAT GOES WITH WHAT …
Here are a few dishes from the book’s pairings section to help you get started.
Sushi and …
Beer: A wheat beer such as Avery White Rascal. The malty backbone stands up to wasabi, but it’s subtle enough not to drown delicate flavors. About $10 a six-pack.
Wine: A French Champagne such as Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne. Flavors are complex but won’t overwhelm sushi’s subtle flavors. About $45.
Sirloin steak and …
Beer: A brown ale such as Chimay Premiere. Calagione considers a complex, fruity brown ale a better match than a dry, tannic red wine. About $11 for a 25.4-ounce bottle.
Wine: A Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon such as Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic match for steak on the grill: a big, complex red. About $50-$56.
Glazed ham and …
Beer: An English old ale such as Theakston Old Peculier. Sweet and salty flavors need a smooth, mellow beer partner. About $7-$9.50 a six-pack.
Wine: A delicate pinot noir such as Sanford Pinot Noir. A soft, silky red for a salty-sweet meat. About $30-$32. [MCT]