Charcuterie is closely associated with wine because of its origins in the Roman Empire, but it is not the only drink to pair with meats and cheeses. The next time you plan out the perfect charcuterie board, consider beer pairings instead. Certain beers can bring out the salty, fatty flavors in the meats included on your board. The trick is to be able to identify what kind of beer pairs best with your meat and cheese choices.

Sour beers are the perfect accompaniment for charcuterie. Sour beers are not always sour. The term instead refers to a wide range of flavors that either have an up-front sourness or a slight sour aftertaste. Some are piquant, acidic, or vinous. All sour beers are made with non-traditional fermentations which is what makes them so good for charcuterie pairings – there’s an endless supply of different flavors.

If you’re not a fan of sour beers, go with a rich beer instead. Heavy, strong styles such as barley wine and double India pale ale slice through the richness of charcuterie.

Here are some of our favorite pairings:

            Soppressata – seasoned with fennel, peppers, paprika, and red wine

            & Creamy Porter or Stout to cut the heat

            Hot capocolla – lean pork shoulder spiced with cayenne pepper

            & IPA to accentuate the spicy flavor

            Peppered salamis – rolled in fresh cracked peppercorns

            & Amber ale with a mild sweet flavor to balance the spice of the peppercorns

            Dry salamis – select cuts of pork

            & A light, sour beer to allow the flavor of salami to shine

            Genoa salami – blended with peppercorns and garlic

            & A pale European or American lager to decrease the fattiness of the meat

            Prosciutto – sweet flavor with a hint of salt

            & A light, crisp beer to accentuate the salt

Craft beers are a fun way to make your charcuterie board truly unique. Play around with different pairings of sour and salty, rich and light, and spicy and sweet. The right pairings can bring out every delicious flavor of Carnivore Club’s artisan meats.