I like IPA's and spicy food together. I find the hops and bitterness go well with the spice, but just my opinion. I don't generally like porters or stouts with spicy food as I don't think those flavors hold up as well to the heat.
I've always loved a good IPA with spicy food. If its too spicy the beer isn't hoppy enough. If its too hoppy, the food isn't spicy enough.
Love spicy food... ever notice many countries w/ spicy cuisines have lagers dominating the market? (red stripe, kingfisher...) Must be a reason. (then again, lagers dominate in many markets) Once I popped open a nice stout w/ my indian food. Mistake. Just like your IPA, my stout couldn't compete w/ a good curry!
I like to pair Rogue Chipotle Ale with my chili (actually tried to make a reduction of a small amount of it for the base; didn't work as well as I had hoped), but as far as other spicy foods go, a good APA is what I reach for most of the time.
I usually prefer a Saison, such as Hennepin, or Orval (Belgian pale ale). If not, I'll go with an IPA. As a reference, I'm usually drinking these with Thai food.
As you can see, most people will suggest an IPA. I tend to disagree... I eat spicy food exclusively and in my opinion, an IPA doesn't offer any compliments. I'd reach for a Tripel, Berliner, Belgian Pale or anything that is light and flavorful. I've found Zwickels to be especially tasty next to anything that features loads of spicy masala.
Viennas and Dunkels work very well. Heck, a classic one is actually a Dunkel-Vienna (Negra Modelo). Go up a few notches and try some Ayinger Altbairisch, great stuff with (or without) Mexican food!
I had buffalo cauliflower paired with a Matilda the other night and it was divine! The sour Brett funk cut right through the spice and the remaining flavors melded quite delicatably. I will be trying similar Belgian pale ales with spicy food again!
there are basically two schools of thought on this. masochistically ratchet up the capsaicin intensity with more resinous hops, or go for the malt, with less hops. i tend toward the latter, but that is a minority opinion here in hophead/extreme beer territory. i think malty, pale-to-amber lagers are great with extreme heat. the more hops and the higher the alcohol, the more unpleasant distortion happens on the palate, in my opinion.
i have insane tolerance for spicy food. and love IPAs. so for me it's all good. i understand that some people are on the more mellow end of the spice scale
I love spicy food. The hotter the better. I'm not huge on IPAs when it comes to most spicy foods, however. I actually prefer something a bit cleaner in order to cleanse my palate after a few bites, letting me experience the flavors of the meal along with the beer as well. Prima Pils is usually my go-to, and (now that it's year-round) Surly Hell make damn fine pairings for all types of spicy foods.
it's not a matter of tolerance. i'll eat habaneros and ghost chilies just fine. it's a matter of preference of what i want accentuated at a certain moment or not.
I personally like spicy food (like hot wings) with a hoppy pale ale or IPA. I think the hop bite helps cut through the spiciness
Hoppy beers and spicy food clashes. Intensifies the heat, draws out excess bitterness, and accentuates the alcohol. There's no balance. Use spicy food and beer pairings like wine. An off dry Riesling balances the heat. It's the see saw effect of balance. Pairings should be about food friendliness and deliciousness on the palate.
Im a spice tray sort of person at a thai place, i dont want the hops interfering with my spice! I generally wait to drink beer after this sort of meal, but if i did it would be something more mellow. The jasmine ipa ive had might actually work however. the jasmine seemed to mellow out the hops and make it more of a clean beer.
What, that wouldn't be a good beer to pair with spicy food? Spicy food, spicy beer - makes sense to me.
My mother's adage was "a good contrast beats a poor match" which is why mild is so brilliant with spicy foods.
to be somewhat fair, for most intents and purposes, practically nobody has any idea what a "mild" is anyway...
I prefer something more mellow with my spicy food. If I am eating something spicy, I want to taste the spice. I like a Belgian Strong Ale like: Rochefort 8, Chimay Grande Reserve; or a a good Hefeweizen. I prefer to eat something more citrusy with IPAs.
I am quickly discovering that while ill enjoy the occasional IPA, I'm certainly NOT a hophead. For casual drinking I lean towards quads and BSDA's. So with that being said, as a few mentioned the spicy takes some of the edge off of the hops, so IPA and spicy works great for me. Still lots of flavor with a cut against the hoppiness. So as with all things beer, I'd say it depends a lot more on your personal tastes and preferences than what any magazine, expert, or forum member thinks
as a New Mexican, i thank you for differentiating our food from mexican food. It is entirely different. And yes Ruthless Rye is a good pairing.
IPA's really don't do it for me. I prefer something lighter and crisper. A good helles lager(e.g. augustiner, wieninger), or perhaps a pilsner, paired with some spicy food beats an IPA any day.
I like very flowery IPA's/APA's with the spicy food actually. Never go with overly alcoholic brews though, it will greatly enhance the spiciness.
With Thai food I tend to think that fruited sours/saisons and ginger beers pair well. Off the top of my head, Westbrook White Thai, NB Tart Lychee and CCB Guava Grove have all been fantastic with ginger fish, pad thai, red curry, etc. It's nice to have something that takes the edge off of the heat but I also look for something that complements the food and adds something to the experience.
My go to for spicy food is GLBC Dortmunder Gold. Not too sweet, not too bitter, but stands up to the heat.
Sometimes citrusy IPAs, sometimes fruity, yeasty, light Belgian ales, quite honestly, simple American-style wheats like Boulevard Wheat or Goose Island 312 work well as palate cleansers as well, with their clean, citrusy and yeast-tang flavors.
When I had Jacks Abby Ginger and Juice I thought immediately of Thai food, but it would possibly be overload as I think on it. Anyway...i like lighter/sweeter style with the spice, but actually prefer plain old boring iced tea. Maybe a wheat or something with more malty character.
Chocolate milk... but if i had to choose a beer I'd say a nice lager with some hops like Jack's Abby - Jabby Brau
