7 Father's Day recipes to make a meal of your dad's fave beer

It’s curious how beer has remained relatively unexplored in cooking while wine, synonymous with food, is pivotal in so many dishes.

Yet, the handful of ingredients — barley, hops, water and yeast — make for a good food match. The hops add an interesting bitterness with a hint of acidity, the malt a subtle sweetness, and the yeast a lightness and crispness.

Some of the better-known beer/food combinations include adding Guinness to a steak pie, or beer to the batter for fried fish. Beer can also be used in place of wine to deglaze a pan and can even be added to gravies or marinades.

As with wine, don’t use a beer for cooking that you would not choose to drink. Light beers work with lighter foods and heavy beers suit dishes like stews and casseroles. Select a sweeter beer for desserts and salty dishes.

Try these easy recipes for delicious dishes that hero beer: