Best Beers to Pair with Hot Wings
There’s nothing quite as tasty as some delicious chicken wings, whether you’re watching the game or having a BBQ. Tasty wings need a tasting beer to go with them, but which beers are the best? Let’s take a look at a few of the best beer and hot wings pairings.
1 . IPA & Buffalo Sauce
Buffalo sauce is a bold favor and so they need beer that packs a punch. It’s best to go for a hoppy IPA or an American pale ale. These kinds of beers have hoppy and citrusy flavors, with a hint of bitterness and a juicy finish. All these flavors contrast and compliment the buffalo sauce taste. IPA’s tend to have a malty and sweet tone which is perfect for salty chicken. Try IPAs like Lunch by Maine Beer Co, or Surf Wax IPA by Burial.
2. Pilsner & Hot Sauce
When it comes to food and beer pairings it’s best not to pair spicy food with beers that are strong or dark. Doing so can overwhelm the palate and make it difficult to taste the beer flavors. If you’re putting hot sauce on your chicken wings choose a lighter lager or a pilsner. These beers will help to cleanse the palette and compliment your wings. Whether you like mild hot sauce or super hot, pilsners are the way forward. Check out beers like Premiant by Alma Mader, a tasty Czech-style beer.
3. Jerk Chicken Wings & Light Lagers
Jerk chicken wings are super hot and delicious, to balance out the heat you’ll want to drink a light lager. You could also try an amber ale if you prefer. Avoid beers that are dark or sweet as the flavors won’t get through. Try drinking Victoria by Grupo Modelo, it’s a Mexican beer that is made by the same brewery as Corona. The beer has a slightly bready tone and a medium body, it’s certainly great to pair with Jerk Wings.
4. Chipotle Chicken Wings & American Pale Ale
Chipotle’ peppers start out as jalapenos, they are left to ripen for a little longer and then they are smoked and dried out. Chipotle sauce has a distinct spicy and smoky flavor that’s just perfect on chicken wings. So what’s the best beer to pair with these? Probably an American Pale like Three Floyds Zombie Dust. The beer has a juicy and fruity flavor with some notes of pine.
5. BBQ Chicken Wings & Belgian Dubbel
If you like BBQ wings you should try a Belgian beer, these are also great if you like your wings sweet, for example, honey BBQ. Belgian beers tend to have fruity and spicy flavors, which go great with a nice BBQ sauce. Try a beer like Chimay Red from the Scourmont Abbey brewery.
Whether you prefer buffalo sauce or hot sauce you’ll need a tasty beer to wash down your wings. Once you’ve experimented with a few different beer styles you’ll find the perfect pairing for you. If you’re planning a BBQ you can’t go wrong with these beer and hot wings pairings.