Chicken wings are a favorite appetizer for many people. They are tasty, easy to eat, and go great with a cold beer. But with so many beer styles available, it can be tough to choose what beer pairs best with chicken wings. The key is finding a beer that complements and enhances the flavors of the chicken wings. In this article, we’ll explore some of the top beer styles to drink with chicken wings and what makes them a good pairing. We’ll also provide some specific beer brand recommendations in each style.
What flavors go well with chicken wings?
Chicken wings have a variety of flavors going on. They are often served coated in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce or dry rubbed with bold spices. Underneath the coating, the chicken wings are savory, a bit fatty, and often salty from seasoning. Some key flavors in chicken wings include:
- Savory umami chicken flavor
- Sweet and/or spicy sauce
- Saltiness
- Herbaceous and spicy seasonings like paprika, cayenne, garlic
You want a beer that can stand up to these big flavors but also complement and balance them out. Bitter, crisp beers help cut through the sticky sauce while carbonation and sweet malt flavors cleanse the palate. Here are some beer styles that pair well with chicken wings:
Pale Ale
Pale ales have enough hoppy bitterness to stand up to sticky sauces but a lighter malt backbone than IPAs. The hops provide a crisp offset to fatty fried chicken while the subtle malt sweetness balances out salt and spice. Try Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Pale 31, or Founders Pale Ale.
IPA
IPAs bring on the hops – their bitterness cuts through sauces while the hop flavor pairs nicely with herbs and spices. They also tend to have a lighter malty body. Go withSomething malt-forward like Bell’s Two Hearted or hoppy like Stone IPA.
Wheat Beer
Hefeweizens and other wheat beers offer lively carbonation to cleanse your palate along with subtle fruity and bready malt flavors to balance the chicken. Try Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier or Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer.
Pilsner
The crisp, clean bitterness and light body of pilsners is a great contrast to decadent fried chicken wings. Try a German style pilsner like Weihenstephaner Pils or a Czech pilsner like Pilsner Urquell.
Amber Ale
Amber ales offer a balance between maltiness and hop bitterness, making them versatile with many foods. Fat Tire Amber is a readily available option.
Porter or Stout
While darker beers aren’t often recommended with chicken wings, the right one can work well. Look for one like Deschutes Black Butte Porter with restrained roastiness and a moderately light body. The slight sweetness and chocolate/coffee flavors pair nicely.
What to avoid
You generally want to avoid beers that are overly sweet, have too much alcohol flavor, or are extremely bitter with chicken wings. Strong flavored beers can overpower the wings rather than complement them. Stay away from boozy, high ABV beers and intensely bitter double IPAs. Also avoid Belgian beers with pronounced ester-like flavors.
Other Considerations
Heat Level
Consider the spice level of the chicken wings. The hotter the wings, the more you may want a intensely hoppy, bitter beer to put out the fire. For mild or medium heat wings, an IPA could be overwhelming – go for a pale ale or pilsner instead.
Side Dishes
If serving alongside blue cheese dressing, ranch, or crudites, the beer doesn’t need to work quite as hard to balance the chicken flavors since the sides offer relief. Lean towards the pale ale, pilsner or wheat beer end of the spectrum.
Personal Taste
Don’t forget to take personal preference into account! No use choosing a highly recommended style if you really don’t like that type of beer. Pick a beer you enjoy drinking to maximize the experience.
Ready to choose a beer?
Here’s a quick guide to picking the right beer style for your chicken wings:
| If you like… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Hoppy, bitter beer | IPA or pale ale |
| Refreshing, easy to drink | Pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer |
| Malty, balanced beer | Amber ale, porter, Oktoberfest |
| Familiar American lagers | Pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer |
The next time you are eating chicken wings, grab a six pack and try out a few different beer styles. Pay attention to how the hoppiness, maltiness, crispness, or roastiness of the beer interacts with the flavors of your wings. You’ll soon figure out your perfect chicken wing beer match.
Conclusion
Chicken wings make a great appetizer to enjoy with an ice cold beer. Pale ales, IPAs, pilsners, and wheat beers are all good choices to complement the savory, spicy wings. Let your personal taste preferences and the heat level of the wings help you decide on the perfect beer match. With so many great craft beers available, part of the fun is trying different styles to see what you like best. Grab some napkins and a pile of wings and get to tasting!