Is there such a thing as a "light" beer that doesn't fill you up, so that you can still drink it while you eat? I'm having a barbeque, and the theme is beer: all the foods available have beer in them in some way, and of course, the drinks have to be beer. Which would be the best brand/type of beer for this?
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
Cool.
The thing about any beer is that is is mainly water. So you are essentially drinking a large volume of water with each beer. Also consider that the more carbonation a beer has the more bloating it is. The lighter beers whether mass produced or prized Pilsners will usually contain more carbonation than the other beers. But much can be made of beer and food pairings. The biggest hurdle is that so many craft (others too) beer are too bitter to enjoy with food. That is unless a lot of care is given to make the food very hearty.
For a standard American barbecue some beers that will work are:
Budweiser, Coors, Miller, Sam Adams, Henry Weinhard's, PBR, and several craft Pils and Marzen styles. You might consider serving the same beer with the meal-course that the particular food items are prepared with.
What are some of these (same guy) saying about other beers?! I understand you asked about light beers and that is what should be given. All other answers are self-righteous diatribe.
**But jpiepenbrok, makes some good points with the Brown Ales and Weizen beers.
BeerJon
Hold on a damn minute... you're having a barbecue, and you're worried about beer filling you up?! Do realize how silly that sounds?! How about drinking beer for the taste, not the carbs or calories or commercials. Beer is a great companion to many foods - there is a style that will match with anything.
Generally speaking, barbecue tends to pair most often with the following styles (depending ont he meat and spice profile):
Brown Ales
Porters
Stouts
Belgian Dubbels
American Pale Ales
Doppelbocks
Rauchbiers
Weizenbocks
Dunkels
etc
etc
etc
etc
LIGHT / LITE BEER GOES WITH NOTHING BUT VELVEETA!
Check out beer advocate to start - also do a Google search for Beer and Food - the Brewers Association has some good info as well.
Cheers.
Chance
I think any lite beer would be fine. However, if you are having a beer themed party, I would venture to say that you and your friends might have a bit more decerning tastes than that. You can go to a website that offers pairings for food and beer and get a couple options. Try here for some suggestions.
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style_pairings/
Woody
Which beer is best is a very personal opinion, but most lagers or "light" beers should be good. There is a big difference in flavors, though. Heavy, dark beers don't fit the bill, but some people will like them.
Brandon
If you want something that will not fill you up, I suggest Guiness Draught. The carbonation in a "traditional" beer will make you feel full. Guiness is different and might be what you are looking for.