Updated for 2024

What better excuse to enjoy the outdoors than cooking something up on the grill? The crackle of the flames, the smell of the food as it sizzles, the sight of the grill marks – the thought is enough to make your mouth water. And when you finally serve it up, there better be beer to go with it! The secret is to choose the right brew for the dish you’re grilling.  Read on for ideal pairings to make the meal sing, whatever you’re cooking.

Pale Ale + Grilled Burger

While it’s kind of hard to go wrong when it comes to beer and burgers (match made in heaven, anyone?), we recommend trying your next burger with a pale ale. The hearty dose of bitter hops in a pale ale will help cut through some of the burger’s rich meatiness and will hold its own against any char that may be on the burger.
Try it with: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 

Blonde Ale + Grilled Chicken

We’re big fans of grilled chicken in the summer, especially when we’re feeding a big pack of friends or family. With added spices or citrus marinade, grilled chicken is a killer match for a Blonde ale. The blonde brew’s maltiness and hops play nicely with this light meat without resulting in either drowning out the other’s flavors.
Try it with: True Vine Mermaids & Unicorns Blonde 

Pilsner + Grilled Seafood

Anytime you eat seafood, it’s best to pair it with a beer with a more delicate flavor profile. Even with the added goodness of a smoky grill, we recommend sticking to a lighter beer like a Pilsner that will draw out the tasty seafood flavors without overpowering them.
Try it with: Alaskan Pilsner 

Brown Ale + Grilled Steak

While there are a number of options when it comes to throwing a steak on the grill, we have one go-to when we’re cooking steaks – brown ales! There’s nothing quite like a dry, roasty brown ale with a delicate hop profile to offset the fattiness of the beef and bring out that savory umami you crave.
Try it with: Real Ale Brownhouse Brown Ale 

Gose + Grilled Sausage

Sausages are an essential at any cookout and one of our favorite go-to crowd pleasers. There’s nothing like a rich, savory sausage that’s a little charred – that is, except one that’s paired with a crisp, sour Gose. The refreshing, sour Gose will cut the richness of the sausage, and its salty profile will amp up the meat’s seasonings and flavors. Win win!
Try it with: Martin House The Salty Lady Gose

IPA + Grilled Beef Ribs

Things are about to get saucy! We love a good batch of grilled beef ribs and it should come as no great surprise that we like to pair them with a hefty dose of hops. IPAs are wickedly good with beef ribs because the big hop profile works double duty. The fizzy bitterness of the IPA will help cut through that deliciously fatty meat while the malts bring out deeper more complex flavors in the meat. Need we say more?
Try it with: Stone IPA 

Hefeweizen + Grilled Pork

As far as we’re concerned, grilled pork is an essential summer BBQ staple. Any time we put pork on the menu, we always make sure to stock up on a tasty hefeweizen. Delightfully malty and just a little sweet, the German style wheat beers help temper the maltiness of the meat while bringing forward some of its best savory flavors. While being able to stand on its own, a hefeweizen is still delicate enough not to overpower the other white meat.
Try it with: Paulaner Hefe-Weizen 

BONUS

Lager + Corn on the Cob

Whether you’re not a carnivore, as the preceding pairings might seem to suggest, or you just need a side to go with your meal, you can’t go wrong with corn on the cob. A slightly sweet and earthy lager delightfully complements the sweetness of the corn, which is intensified by grilling it. And since lagers are light-bodied and crisp, they’re not going to wreck your palate for the simple flavors of the corn.
Try it with: Brooklyn Lager

Now that you’ve read ours, what’s your go-to grilled meat and brew combo?