Here are my recommendations for those who didn’t have a pen handy, as well as some leads on where to get them if your local doesn’t carry a wide range of beers.
Oysters
Porter or Stout. Darker beers – often associated the very dry and astringent roastiness of Guinness , most actually have chocolate, coffee and liquorice hints to them that work really well with the saltiness of good fresh oysters.
- Coopers Best Extra Stout
- Bridge Road Robust Porter
- Meantime London Porter
Prawns, bugs and crab.
Lighter style – but flavoursome – lagers with the emphasis on the sweetness of the malt rather than bitterness of hops. German hefeweizen (cloudy wheat beer) or Belgian witbier.
- Stone & Wood Lager
- Burleigh Hef
Baked ham.
Strong malty German lagers and Belgian-style strong golden ales. Rauchbier may be too smoky but the mild smokiness of a smoked hefeweizen may work very nicely.
- Bluesky Smoked Wheat.
- Holgate Big Reg
Turkey.
Belgian-style strong golden ale is number one pick, though a biere de garde or spicy saison would work nicely too and suit our warm climate.
- Duvel
- Bridge Road Chevalier Biere de Garde
- Otway Bier de Garde
Chocolate.
Porters and stouts, not to mention chocolate stouts work well, but a Belgian strong dark ale such as Chimay and – if you can lay your hands on some – Trois Pistoles.
Fruit cake.
Porters and stouts again, or a good spiced Christmas beer.
