Beer and food pairings for the holidays

MANILA, Philipines – Eat, drink and be merry! This is a pretty accurate summary of how the majority of us spend the holiday season. 

But before the back-to-back reunions and Christmas excess begins, you need to be equipped.

Aside from preparing the right music, decorations, and games, the key to throwing a successful party is to have your food and drinks covered. And for starters, beer is a universal crowd pleaser. 

So before the beer pong, exchange gifts, and drunken karaoke singing commence, you need to know your beer and which food goes best with what brew.  

Check out our holiday pairing guide below with links to simple recipes from the Food Network. Find out food is best paired with: 

1) San Miguel Premium All Malt

The San Miguel Premium All Malt is brewed using 100% pure malt for a refined balanced flavor. The combination of blended hops and pilsen malt results in a smooth, full-flavored and slightly sweet lager. Its golden color and slight bitterness is the perfect companion to complement white meat and light seafood dishes. 

Try pairing the San Miguel Premium All Malt with the following dishes:

• Emeril’s Chicken Cordon Blue (prep time: 10 min, cook time: 10 min)
• Rachael Ray’s Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon (prep time: 5 min, cooking time: 25 min)
• Geoffrey Zakarian’s Pesto Rubbed Baked Salmon (prep time: 30 min, cooking time: 10 min)
• Mario Batali’s Baked Scallops in the Shell: Capesante al Forno (prep time: 40 min, cooking time: 2 minutes)

2) San Miguel Super Dry 

This popular brew is blended from the choicest aroma hops from the Halertau region. The name Super Dry comes from a special drying process that creates a light amber lager with strong and aromatic hop flavors. The dry taste and elegant quick finish leaves a clean and crisp flavor perfect for kicking back after a long day. For red meat-lovers, San Miguel Super Dry is the drink for you. 

Try pairing San Miguel Super dry with the following dishes: 

• Bobby Flay’s Philly Cheese Steak (prep time: 30 min, cooking time: 1 hour)
• Rachael Ray’s Mini Chipotle Beef Burgers (prep time: 10 min, cooking time: 6 min)
• Alton Browne’s Shepherd’s Pie (prep time: 45 min, cooking time: 45 min)
• Anne Burrell’s Braised Short Ribs (prep time: 25 min, cooking time: 3 hr and 30 min) 

3) Cerveza Negra

This is a full- bodied dark lager with rich caramel undertones. Brewed from dark roasted malt mixed with other top quality ingredients, the result is a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness topped with a creamy and frothy finish. This is for a bolder and more daring palette and best enjoyed with dessert. 

Try pairing Ceverza Negra with the following dishes:

• Bobby Flay’s Dark Chocolate Mousse (prep time: 15 min, cooking time: 5 min)
• Paula Dean’s Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars (prep time: 15 min, cooking time: 45 min)
• Ina Garten’s Tiramisu (prep time: 15 min)
• Alton Brown’s Chocolate Truffles (prep time: 50 min, cooking time: 5 min)

Beer is not just for nights out in the club. Paired correctly with delicious food, it can elevate your party experience to something more special and gustatory. Celebrate with San Miguel Lifestyle Brews. After all, isn’t Christmas for great food and great company? – Rappler.com