Kiwis figure beer-food match

PERFECT COMBO: Sales figures for premium ale brands of beer indicate Kiwis are finally getting the hang of matching beer and food according to a leading food and beverage writer.

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New Year's Eve with a bang(er)? Only if you've got the right beer.

Premium ale brands now account for slightly more than half of all supermarket beer sales and food and beverage writer Kerry Tyack says that's partly because Kiwis have finally got the hang of matching beer to food.

He says one of the top drinking trends of the past year was choosing the right style of beer to go with the right style of food.

And nowhere will that be more evident than at New Year's Eve barbecues.

"What people are saying is, 'all right, if we're going to a classy do, we'll take a classy beer'. If we're going to mow the lawns and just throw back a cold one, we'll stick to tried and true lagers ... but if you've invested in some really expensive gourmet or craftsman-type sausages duck and porcini, things with herbs and spices then you've got to be a little more careful."

According to Dominion Breweries research, sales of "premium" beer imported or international labels such as Heineken and Stella have reached record rates in the past six months, hitting 50.6% of all supermarket sales in November. Industry experts say that has had a knock-on effect for local craft brewers.

Tyack says that because drinkers have become less aligned with a single brand and, with around 500 different beers now on the New Zealand market, they're more interested in food matching.

"People who have been interested in beer have always been cautious about what they put with what. But now, the number of people who are interested in getting it right has changed."

And while you're getting it right, says Tyack, think about storage.

"Beer doesn't necessarily travel well. If you can avoid it, don't chuck five cartons in your boot ... it goes through temperature fluctuations, and that's not great. Buy beer as close to the area where you're going to stay and drink it. And for god's sake, don't fill the bath with beer and let it sit out in the open. Within half an hour of being in direct sunlight, you're damaging it, and it gets a skunky taste."

- © Fairfax NZ News