Guild of Beer Sommeliers Beer and Food Pairing Course

In preparation for the Beer Sommelier Assessment, I attended the Food and Beer Pairing Course run by the Guild of Beer Sommeliers. I have always believed that beer is a better beverage to pair with food than wine, and this course strengthened that belief while also giving me another perspective on pairing theory. Beer naturally has aromas and flavours that are also found in food, which allows it to bridge flavours in really interesting ways. Both malt and hops can contribute flavours like toast, bread crust, citrus, herbs, and wood, creating opportunities for both complementary and contrasting pairings. Although I had already read books about beer and food pairing, the course highlighted how many different elements need to be considered when building a successful pairing, including intensity, balance, contrast, and how certain flavours can cut through richness or enhance more delicate characteristics. One of the most helpful parts of the course was experiencing pairings firsthand and understanding why some combinations worked really well while others fell flat. I have often paired a Helles lager with soft pretzels during beer tastings because the delicate bread-crust flavours complement each other, while the salt enhances the beer’s subtle herbal hop character and crisp finish. During the course, though, the beer was paired with hummus — something I have not considered myself. Tasting the two together completely changed my perception of the beer and brought out nutty characteristics I had never noticed before in the lager. Other pairings I really enjoyed included Marmite crisps with a nut-brown ale, which brought out more of the savoury umami qualities in the beer, and lemon mousse with a kriek, where the beer's tartness and cherries complemented the citrus, while the dessert's creaminess softened the acidity. These tastings gave me a much broader perspective on pairing possibilities and gave me more to think about going forward when creating tasting menus. I also really enjoyed the menu pairing exercise, where we were tasked with selecting a beer to pair with a dish from a set menu and explaining the reasoning behind our choice. I was initially anxious about making a decision and building a case for my pairing, but it ended up being great practice for thinking on the spot, much like it will be in the exam. Overall, I gained a huge amount from this course, both in terms of my understanding of beer and food pairing and the industry connections I made.